Three-goal second period lifts Winterhawks past Blazers in Portland

Portland Winterhawks forward Finn Spehar battles in front of Kamloops Blazers goaltender Logan Edmonstone during Saturday's game at Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Portland won 5-3.

The Portland Winterhawks broke open a tie game with three second-period goals Saturday, handing the Kamloops Blazers a 5-3 loss at Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Ty Bonkowski, Vit Zahejsky and Collin Kim scored for Kamloops. Reed Brown scored three times for Portland, while Finn Spehar and Nathan Brown also found the net.

Bonkowski opened the scoring on the power play at 4:02 of the first period before Reed Brown tied it less than five minutes later.

Portland took control early in the second. Spehar gave the Winterhawks their first lead at 4:42, and Reed Brown made it 3-1 just 23 seconds later.

Zahejsky pulled Kamloops back within one at 9:58, but Nathan Brown restored Portland's two-goal advantage late in the period.

Kim made it 4-3 with 3:03 remaining, but Reed Brown completed the hat trick with an empty-netter in the dying seconds to seal it for the Winterhawks.

Logan Edmonstone made 30 saves on 34 shots in net for the Blazers. Ondrej Stebetak stopped 33 of 36 Kamloops shots to earn the win for Portland.

Announced attendance at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland was 5,372.

The loss drops the Blazers to 1-2 on the season, good for fifth spot in the WHL’s six-team B.C. Division.

Kamloops is back in action Friday, Oct. 2, when the Blazers visit the Kelowna Rockets. They will host the Rockets the following night at Sandman Centre.