WHL Portland Winterhawks

Portland Earns 5-4 Win In Spokane Sunday

Published on December 27, 2009 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Portland Winterhawks News Release


The Winterhawks scored three third period goals in a 5-4 comeback win in Spokane Sunday in their first game following the WHL's week-long winter break. It was also Portland's fourth straight win in Spokane this season.

The Chiefs opened the scoring 2:08 into the game when Anthony Bardaro scored his second of the season, beating Winterhawks netminder Ian Curtis, to make it 1-0. Brad Ross picked up right where he left off before the break when he tied the game at the 9:29 mark for his 17th goal of the season. Ross now has points in nine of his last 11 games. The tie was short-lived though, as Kenton Miller gave Spokane a 2-1 lead a minute later, a score that would hold through the end of the period.

Just 31 seconds into the second, Spokane's Levko Koper scored his 16th goal of the season to make it 3-1. Winterhawks defenseman Eric Doyle cut the deficit to one with a power play goal at the 7:43 mark, as he put it past Chiefs goaltender James Reid to make it 3-2. But Spokane bounced back, getting a goal from Corbin Baldwin at the 13:33 mark to make it 4-2 for Spokane.

The Winterhawks kept pressing, and opened the scoring in the third period on a goal from Ryan Johansen 1:12 into the frame to once again cut the deficit to one, at 4-3. Portland kept the pressure up, and it paid off when they tied the game at the 10:22 mark. Francis brought the puck into Spokane's zone and fed a pass through two Chiefs defenders to Jacob Berglund, who fired it past Reid to tie the game at 4-4.

Portland kept coming, and took their first lead of the game with just under four minutes remaining when Berglund worked hard on the forecheck on the end boards to pry the puck loose. He gained possession and passed it into the slot to Stefan Schneider, who beat Reid to make it 5-4 for the Winterhawks.

Schneider's goal stood as the game-winner, as Portland fired 16 third period shots at the Chiefs. They finished with a 41-33 edge in shots, and killed all three of Spokane's power plays, while going 1-5 with the man advantage.

Portland returns to the ice Tuesday when they host the Chiefs at the Rose Garden at 7 p.m.

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Western Hockey League Stories from December 27, 2009


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