It may be just the preseason, but it's always a good feeling to beat your biggest rival.

Malte Strmwall scored the game-winner in the shootout as the Tri-City Americans handed the Spokane Chiefs their first loss of the preseason, 3-2 on Saturday night in the final game of the Red Lion Hotels Tournament at Toyota Center.

"I think to shoot it high glove side, but it wasn't there," Strmwall said. "I went 5-hole. This game was a lot of fun."

The Americans went 1-2 on the weekend, with both losses by one goal.

"It was a lot of hockey this weekend," Tri-City coach Jim Hiller said. "We didn't have a lot of veterans, but the one we did have played their you-know-what off. That's called leadership. The younger guys finally played the game the way it should be in the WHL."

The Americans opened the overtime on the power play, which came with just 15 seconds left in regulation, but could not manage a shot on goal.

In the shootout, Spokane's Mitch Holmberg found the net, but so did Tri-City's Mackenzie Royer. Liam Stewart failed to get the puck past Eric Comrie, and Strmwall put the Americans on top. Comrie stopped Anthony Bardaro to end the game.

Tri-City opened the scoring as Strmwall hit Riley Guenther coming down the slot. Guenther rang the puck off the cross bar and into the net for his first goal of the preseason at 9:57 of the first.

The Americans stretched their lead to 2-0 at 14:02 of the second off a goal by Marcus Messier, but the Chiefs scored 21/2 minutes later with a power-play goal by Cole Wedman.

Spokane tied the score at 2 midway through the third as Cole Hamblin's shot from the high slot beat Comrie on the power play.

Comrie totaled 29 saves.

"Eric is a great young goalie with a great attitude," Hiller said. "We don't expect him to be a world beater. We just need him to play his game."