Spokane Chiefs score three in third period, down Portland 7-3

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Spokane Chiefs scored three unanswered goals in the third period and beat the Portland Winterhawks 7-3 in the final regular -season matchup between the Western Hockey League U.S. Division rivals at Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Sunday.

The Chiefs (38-17-1-1) have won eight of their past 11 games and are seven points behind division – and Western Conference-leading Everett with 10 games to play, including a pair against the Silvertips in March.

Shea Van Olm, Andrew Cristall and Owen Martin scored two goals each. Captain Berkly Catton had three assists.

The Chiefs got on the scoreboard with just 24 seconds off the clock when Martin scored in his third straight game for his 11th of the season.

Van Olm made it 2-0 just 31/2 minutes in. He took a pass from Brayden Crampton, skated across the top of the crease, got goalie Marek Schlenker to commit and slipped the puck behind the goalie for his league-leading 47th goal of the season.

Van Olm took a chance on the power play to draw the defense and found Cristall, who notched his 41st of the season with a wrister past Schlenker and lifted the Chiefs to a 3-0 lead.

The Chiefs were tagged with three minor penalties in succession in the early stages of the second period and paid for it, allowing Josh Zakreski’s 32nd goal of the season on a 5-on-3 penalty kill.

They got that goal back midway through the period on defenseman Kaden Allen’s first WHL goal, a one-time slap shot from the top of the right wing faceoff circle.

The Winterhawks (31-22-2-1) were called for too many men, but benefited playing short-handed, scoring on a breakaway and again right after the penalty expired to make it a one-goal game.

It stayed that way until eight minutes left in the game. Catton’s shot was knocked aside, but the rebound went right to Van Olm, who knocked it home for his second of the game.

Cristall made it 6-3 moments later when he slotted a wrister on a power play, his 42nd goal of the season. Martin added an insurance goal less than three minutes later.

The Chiefs host Vancouver on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. at the Arena.