Berkly Catton scores twice, Spokane Chiefs lose momentum in 5-2 loss to Tri-City

Berkly Catton scored two goals in rapid succession, temporarily giving the Spokane Chiefs a one-goal lead in the second period.

But the Chiefs gave those back just as quickly and never recovered.

The Tri-City Americans scored two goals in span of 76 seconds late in the second period and cruised to a 5-2 win at the Arena on Saturday.

It’s the first Chiefs home loss this season after four wins. Tri-City has won six in a row

“I don’t think we were sharp enough,” Chiefs coach Brad Lauer said. “The first period we got through it. Really liked our second period – we did a lot of good things. Unfortunately, we were up 2-1 with a minute something to go, and then in three shots they had two goals.”

“You play 68 games, you’re gonna have the odd night that doesn’t go your way,” Catton said. “That’s when our systems and our execution really comes into play, and it just wasn’t there tonight. It’s frustrating. This is a team we like to beat, and losing to them is never fun.”

The Chiefs suffered from a spate of bad luck early in the game. Tri-City defenseman Austin Zemlak wrapped the puck along the left wall, and Chiefs goalie Dawson Cowan went behind the goal to play the puck. But it took a weird bounce in the corner right to Jake Sloan, who fed Jordan Gavin alone in the slot. Gavin tapped it into a wide-open net for his fourth goal of the season.

The Chiefs (9-5-0-0) evened it at 5:10 of the second period with a short-handed goal. Catton gathered a loose puck along the left wall, came in all alone and buried it for his fourth overall of the season.

Just 75 seconds later, Brayden Crampton bounced a pass off the back boards and it found Catton on the far post. The No. 8 overall pick in this year’s NHL draft redirected it at a sharp angle top shelf to make it 2-1.

The Americans (7-3-1-0) tied it with 1:37 left in the period on a slap shot from the center point by Zemlak on the power play.

But there was more. With 21 seconds remaining in the period, Max Curran hit Carter Savage cruising unmarked through the slot and he beat Cowan to put Tri-City up 3-2 after two periods.

“It felt like we had lots of momentum there,” Catton said. “But they got one, and it’s not really an excuse to come out like that in the third. But you know, it definitely would be nice to not have that situation at all.”

“Stuff like that happens in our league. It’s how you respond to it,” Lauer said. “And I didn’t think we responded very well in the third period.”

The Americans made it a two-goal game 3½ minutes into the third period when Jackson Smith beat Cowan from close range. After a quick review, the goal stood.

The Chiefs failed to mount much pressure down the stretch, and Tri-City added an empty-net goal with 1:40 left to seal it.

“We’ve got to keep learning understanding how to win in this in this league,” Lauer said. “It’s not an easy league to win in.”

Americans goalie Nathan Preston made 41 saves. He is the brother of Chiefs forward Mathis Preston. It’s the first time the siblings from Penticton, British Columbia, have played against each other as juniors.

“Credit to him. He kind of played unreal,” Mathis Preston said of his older brother’s performance. “We’re on the ice every single day (in the summer) together, so I shoot on him tons. I couldn’t figure him out tonight, I guess.

“But we’ll see. There’s eight games I think left against them, so we’ll see how it goes.”

New guy: Winger Sam Oremba made his Chiefs debut. The Chiefs acquired the 6-foot-2, 2005-born forward from the Regina Pats on Thursday in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2025 and a second-round pick in 2026.

Oremba had three goals and three assists in 10 games with the Pats this season. In the 2023-24 season, he posted career highs of 22 goals and 24 assists for 46 points.