BCHL

Chiefs Sweep Weekend

Written by Eric Clarke on

The Chilliwack Chiefs went into this past weekend with 2-4 record. On Friday, the Chiefs faced the Wenatchee Wild who have not dropped a game in regulation so far this season.

Coming into the game was a small battle between the goalies both starting goalies Mathieu Caron and Daniel Chenard were teammates the last two seasons, winning the RBC Cup together in 2018.

The first period saw a lot of action in the Chiefs end as Wenatchee threw 12 shots on goal. The Wild capitalized on a four minute power play when Brian Adams put his sixth of the year past Caron, with helpers going to Trevor Griebel and Nick Cafarelli at 17:27.

The second period saw action right away with Nathan Kelly and Matt Dorsey dropping the gloves 34 seconds in. Seven seconds later, Wenatchee took an interference penalty putting the Chiefs top power play to work. Chilliwack tied the game on said power play 17 seconds into the man advantage with Joey Larson notching his second of the season from Nikita Nesterenko and Ethan Bowen. Less then two minutes later, the Chiefs took the lead on a goal by Arlo Merritt, his fourth of the season, from Kyle Penney. Merritt struck again at the 6:45 mark for his second of the game from Clark Nelson and Penney.

The third period saw the Chiefs go on the power play once again at the 3:13 mark, getting a goal with six seconds left on the man advantage as Larson got his second of the game and third of the season from Cooper Moore and Brady Gagno. Chilliwack added to its lead as Jake Agnew got his first of the season from Bowen and Xavier Henry. Agnew then scored his second of the season on the power play at 13:52 of the third from Henry and Carter Wilkie. Wenatchee popped one past Caron late in the third as Dallas Farrell got his second of the year from Griebel and Chenard after the Chiefs took a too many men on the ice penalty.

In the end, the Chiefs handed Wenatchee its first loss in regulation. Caron won the first meeting between the former teammates stopping 26 of 28 while Chenard kicked out 19 of 25 in the loss. The Chiefs power play was perfect on the night going 3-for-3.

Saturday night saw the Chiefs face the Alberni Valley Bulldogs, who were coming in after being thumped 8-2 by the Prince George Spruce Kings 24 hours earlier. Kolby Thornton would get the start in goal for the Chiefs.

In the first period the Chiefs scored first at the 18:39 mark as Cooper Moore got his fourth of the season on the power play from Larson and Nesterenko.

The second period saw the Bulldogs tie and take the lead one minute apart as Jackson Doucet would get his first of the season on the power play from Jackson Munro at 2:57 and Mitch Deelstra would get his seventh from Carson Hemenway and Steven Castagna at 3:57. At 12:07, Nesterenko was awarded a penalty shot which he capitalized on for his first goal of the season to tie the game at two. Chilliwack took the lead again as Brett Rylance got his first of the season from Carter Wilkie. Rylance – like Agnew the night before – scored his second of the game and second of the season with assists to Wilkie and Jake Veri.

The third period saw the Chiefs add to their lead as Larson tallied his fourth of the year from Hudson Thornton, putting the Chiefs up 5-2. Things got a bit out of control with 30 seconds left in the game as Bowen was assessed a blow to the head penalty which added roughing penalties to Hemenway (a double minor) and Issac Pascol from the Bulldogs, and Tyler Christall from Chilliwack.

Thornton stopped 21 of 23 for his second win of the season for the Chiefs. Luke Pearson would stop 41 of 46 in the loss for the Bulldogs.

Chilliwack improved its record to 4-4 on the season and the next action for the Chiefs is at the BCHL Showcase Festival on October 2-3 as they take on Alberni Valley for the second time in less then a week as well as the Coquitlam Express.