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Kamloops Blazers fall to Portland as US road trip continues

Paul James
Oct 14, 2023 | 10:36 AM


Kamloops Blazers fall to Portland as US road trip continues

Nathan Behm scores on Jan Spunar to give Kamloops an early 1-0 lead in an eventual 4-1 loss to the Portland Winterhawks on Friday, October 13th/via WHL

The Kamloops Blazers, despite some early optimism, were unable to withstand a persistent Portland attack, going down to the Winterhawks 4-1 on Friday night in Oregon.

Initial indications had suggested the Blazers may have been able to play a spoiler role against the top-ranked team in the CHL, with Nathan Behm getting Kamloops off to an early 1-0 lead just 48-seconds into the game off a defensive-zone turnover by the Winterhawks.

However, James Stefan would notch his fifth goal of the early campaign for Portland to even things up at 1-1 with just under 6 minutes to go in the first.

Josh Zakreski would put the Winterhawks in the lead with his first of the season to make it 2-1 to close out the first period scoring.

Despite some great saves by 17-year old Jesse Sanche in the second, the Winterhawks would finally solve the young Blazers goaltender in the middle-frame, with Hudson Darby getting his first of the year just past the eight-minute mark.

Portland would then salt the game away in the 3rd with a power-play marker from Diego Buttazzoni, his sixth goal of the year, to close out the scoring.

Jesse Sanche turned aside 46 of the 50 shots Portland peppered him with. Jan Špunar stopped 26 of 27 shots to pick up the win.

Kamloops is now in Kennewick to take on the Tri-City Americans to close out their US swing before heading home to entertain Swift Current on Tuesday.