The Comox Centre Mall Bantam Tier 2 Chiefs travelled to Vancouver between Christmas and New Year’s to participate in the fifth annual Canucks Place charity hockey tournament.
They opened against the host Vancouver Spirit team and dominated early. As often happens when one team is pressing, the Spirit broke free and scored a short-handed goal, followed by a power-play goal. Tanner Jones dangled the defence, shot, and Brad Crisp was there to bang in the rebound to end the first period 2-1.
Liam Reid released a hard shot from the point early in the second period and Jones was there to deposit the rebound to tie the game. Braydon Williams and Grant Woods were a well-greased machine on defence. Vancouver regained the lead on a power play goal midway through the second and took a 4-2 lead early in the third.
The Chiefs pulled within one when Isaac Alksne jammed the puck in the net in a melee in front, assisted by Spencer Lapp. But that was as close as the Chiefs would come in a 5-3 loss against a team they would beat most days. Tanner Jones was named MVP and Woods was the unsung hero.
The Chiefs played division rivals Saanich on day two and looked much sharper as Dominic Dietrich put the puck behind the net to Keaton Dion who put it out front for Jones to bury. Crisp passed to Lapp, who shot then scored on his own rebound. Lapp then shot and Alksne was there for the ensuing rebound to end the first period 3-0.
Keegan Kernachan executed a perfect sliding poke check to stop a breakaway and help Jared LeBlanc maintain his shutout. Saanich scored one before Dion found Evan Whitehead behind the net and, reminiscent of the first goal of the game, the puck went out front to Jones for his second of the game and a 4-1 win.
Dion was MVP and Dietrich the unsung hero.
The Chiefs needed to beat the Sunshine Coast team if they wanted to go to the medal round. After falling behind 1-0, Cole Moore fed Crisp, who shot and Blake Duncan was there to sweep in the rebound. Comox took the lead early in the second as Jones and Dion assisted on Whitehead’s goal, then the Sunshine Coast team regained the lead with two consecutive goals.
Lapp slid one under the goalie, assisted by Alksne and Crisp to tie it, then Alksne got the Chiefs’ fourth goal to put his team ahead going into the third period. The opponents threw everything they had at Ethan Schovanek in goal and pulled their own goalie with two minutes left.
The Chiefs faced a barrage of offence and with 20 seconds left, Sunshine Coast scored to end the game in a tie. Schovanek was MVP and Carson Moyes was the unsung hero. The Sunshine Coast team went on to win the gold medal and the Chiefs were the only team they didn’t beat.
The Chiefs faced Burnaby in their final game and the line of Brayden Bennett, Kyle Wade and Moyes came out firing on all cylinders. Comox was down 2-0 when Moyes stole the puck at the blue line and beat the defender and the goalie on an inspired rush to get the Chiefs on the board. That was all the offence the boys could generate and they took a 2-1 loss, with Moyes named MVP.