Oremba Nets Buzzer-Beater in Chiefs' Thrilling 4-3 Victory in Wenatchee Sunday
WHL Spokane Chiefs

Oremba Nets Buzzer-Beater in Chiefs' Thrilling 4-3 Victory in Wenatchee Sunday

Published on December 29, 2025 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Spokane Chiefs News Release


Wenatchee, Wash. - The Spokane Chiefs pulled off a thrilling 4-3 comeback victory Sunday against the Wenatchee Wild when Sam Oremba netted a buzzer-beating game-winning goal.

Despite outshooting the Wild 16-7 in the opening period, the Chiefs were unable to connect for that first goal of the game as the teams went scoreless into the first intermission.

It was former Chief Luka Shcherbyna who broke the game open at the 6:14 mark in the second, capitalizing on a power play opportunity with help from Mason Kraft and Josh Toll.

Toll turned goal-scorer himself just under two minutes later on another Wild power play to put Wenatchee up two before the game's midpoint.

The Chiefs found power play success of their own at 10:37 in the second, as Chase Harrington slid the puck over to a waiting Mathis Preston in the slot. Preston fired a rocket to the twine that put the Chiefs on the board and marked Preston's 13th goal of the season. Harrington extended his point streak to five games with the assist, while Logan Wormald also earned a helper on the play.

Harrington added a goal to his hot streak as he also netted his 13th of the season at 16:15 with help from Brody Gillespie and Rhett Sather.

Carter Esler turned aside all 13 of Wenatchee's shots in the second period, sending both teams to the locker rooms at two goals apiece.

The Chiefs kept their momentum going with their third-straight goal at 16:12 in the third. This time it came from Coco Armstrong, marking his 13th of the season as well. Sam Oremba and Dominik Petr were credited with the assists.

The lead was short-lived, though, as Boston Tait quickly tied things up again only 13 seconds later.

Not to have their comeback spoiled, Owen Martin put his body on the line for the Chiefs with less than 30 seconds to go in the game as he blocked a shot point-blank from Luka Shcherbyna. Overage forward Sam Oremba was able to scoop up the puck and run away with it up ice before firing it to the back of the net to win the game with less than a second to spare.

Spokane outshot Wenatchee 45-28 as Carter Esler picked up his ninth win of the year. The Chiefs went 1-for-4 on the power play and 3-for-5 on the penalty kill.

The Chiefs split their weekend series against the Wild 1-1-0-0 and improve to an 18-17-0-0 record.

Up next, Spokane will travel to Kennewick to take on the Tri-City Americans in the annual New Year's Eve rivalry game.

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Western Hockey League Stories from December 29, 2025


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