Northwest Notes Sept. 27, 2024

Vandal football watch party set for Saturday at Caddyshack

COEUR d'ALENE — Vandal Boosters are having a watch party for Saturday's Idaho-UC Davis football game at the Caddyshack Pub & Grill, 1100 W. Prairie Ave.

Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

Gonzaga and Baylor to meet in Spokane Arena on Nov. 4

SPOKANE — Gonzaga and Baylor will clash on opening night of the 2024-25 men's college basketball season in the Spokane Arena on Nov. 4, the Zags announced Thursday. 

This will be the first of a three-game agreement over the next three seasons.

Both teams appear in many early Top-10 rankings from media outlets. Ticket information and a game time will be announced soon. Future matchup dates and locations between the Bulldogs and Bears will be released later.

This season’s matchup will be the eighth all-time meeting between Gonzaga and Baylor. Seven of the previous games have been on a neutral court, and five of the meetings have been decided by single digits. The Bulldogs won the first meeting between the programs, 77-75, on Nov. 29, 1991, in Fresno, Calif.

The Zags won the first five meetings, but Baylor has won the last two matchups, the 2021 national championship game in Indianapolis, and the latest in the 2022 Peacock Classic in Sioux Falls, S.D. In that 2022 meeting, Adam Flagler hit a pair of 3s as No. 6 Baylor scored the final eight points of the game to rally past No. 14 Gonzaga 64-63.

In the 2022-23 season, GU cruised to an 88-72 victory over Kentucky in the Spokane Arena. The Top-5 matchup drew 12,333 fans, the largest crowd ever for any event in the history of the Spokane Arena. The Zags are 13-6 all-time in their games at the Spokane Arena since it opened in 1995. Last season, Gonzaga beat Pepperdine in the CCF Classic in the Spokane Arena, 86-60, in front of 12,015 fans.

Chiefs trade goalie Michaluk to Prince George

SPOKANE — The Spokane Chiefs traded 2005-born goaltender Cooper Michaluk to the Prince George Cougars on Thursday in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2027 WHL Prospects Draft.

“This was a very difficult trade to make, but with three goaltenders we felt this move was a good opportunity for Cooper to continue to play,” Chiefs general manager Matt Bardsley said. “He is a tremendous person and teammate and we thank him for all he’s done for the Chiefs organization and wish him all the best going forward.”

Michaluk, originally a sixth-round pick in 2020, appeared in 71 games over four seasons in Spokane, including a 4-3 OT win where he stopped 27 shots last Friday night in Prince George. The Edmonton native won his WHL debut as a 16-year-old with a 36-save performance against Portland in February 2022. He finishes his Spokane career with a 21-34-6-4 record.

The move brings the Chiefs’ roster down to 23 players, including two goaltenders: Dawson Cowan and Carter Esler.