Spokane Forces Overtime in Final Seconds, Steals 4-3 Win Tuesday Over Wild

SPOKANE  – With 7:48 to play Tuesday night at Spokane Arena, Brendan Dunphy pushed the Spokane Chiefs’ backs against the wall with a go-ahead goal, only his second marker of the season. Then, when push came to shove, Chiefs forward Shea Van Olm pushed back, and pushed the Chiefs on to a win.

Van Olm scored the game-tying marker with 30.8 seconds to play, and sent home the winner in transition with 2:08 remaining in overtime, giving the Chiefs the 4-3 victory after seeing a four-game run snapped on Saturday. Wenatchee still pulled out a critical Western Conference standings point, however, staying within one of the Seattle Thunderbirds for the conference’s eighth and final playoff spot.

Scoring in the first 40 minutes belonged exclusively to the power play units – Berkly Catton redirected Owen Martin’s throw to the slot from the right wing with 1:40 to play in the first period, sending the Chiefs to the dressing room with the 1-0 lead.

Wenatchee took advantage of back-to-back power plays in the second to retake the lead – at 4:17, Evan Friesen pushed home a rebound off an initial chance from Luka Shcherbyna, tying the contest following a check to the head from Cam Parr. An outburst from the Spokane bench drew the ire of the officials and sent the Wild back on the power play, allowing Lukas McCloskey to bat home a setup from Dawson Seitz in the low slot just 26 seconds later and put Wenatchee in front.

Brayden Crampton tied the game on a shot from the top of the zone 5:13 into the third period, but Dunphy gave the Wild the lead with a wrist shot from the left wing that just sneaked inside the back post at the 12:12 mark of the final stanza.

Van Olm added to his league goal-scoring lead with the pivotal pair, tapping in the tying tally just to Brendan Gee’s stick side with just over 30 seconds to play and forcing the teams to the extra session. The game-winner came on a 2-on-1 rush, set up on a Catton entry from the neutral zone on the left wing.

Van Olm’s two goals led the scoring on the night, while Catton ended the game with a goal and an assist. The WHL’s leading scorer, Andrew Cristall, was held off the score sheet entirely, closing the book on an 11-game point streak that included eight multi-point outings, six of which included three points or more. Dawson Cowan earned his league-leading 27th win behind 18 saves.

McCloskey and Friesen each wrapped up the night with a goal and an assist, as the Wild finished 2-for-3 on the power play and 3-for-4 on the penalty kill. Gee made 31 saves, narrowly missing out on his seventh win of the season, while Tye Spencer saw his season-best four-game point streak end. Wenatchee moved to 18-28-5-1 for the season, while the Chiefs rose to 35-16-1-0.

The end of Tuesday’s game also spelled the end of a seven-game road stretch for Wenatchee, the longest of their season. The Wild return home Friday to face the Portland Winterhawks for their “Hockey Is My Valentine” promotion, presented by Carl’s Jr., with ticket specials for singles and couples available through the Wild front office. Friday’s game is also a Kids in Free game, with 200 free kids’ tickets available thanks to Microsoft. The opening puck drop at Town Toyota Center is slated for 7 p.m.

2025-26 season tickets are now on sale – for more information, call 509-888-7825, or visit the team office at Town Toyota Center. Updated news and information on Wild hockey are always available through the team’s website and on the team’s social media platforms on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.