Vancouver Island bragging rights at the Provincial championships were on the line Sunday when Happy's Source for Sports Midget AAA Chiefs took on Nanaimo in the opening game of their best-of-three Island final series.
After sweeping the round robin playoff, Happy’s whipped Nanaimo 7-3 in a series that will determine who will be the top team from the Island at the B.C.s. Both Nanaimo (as host) and the Chiefs (as first- or second-place team) are assured spots at the Provincials in Nanaimo. "That being said, no one wants to go to Provincials as the second-best team from the Island," a Chiefs' spokesperson said.
Sunday's game started as the Chiefs expected. Both teams came out strong, looking to take an early lead and establish dominance. Nanaimo got on the board first on the power play with eight minutes left in the first. The Chiefs answered with an even-strength goal from Cody Eliason.
A minute and 20 seconds later Adam Norman put the Chiefs ahead when he sped past a defender and sniped one top shelf. Kye Kendall made it 3-1 with a beautiful redirection of a well placed shot from Nigel Hutcheson at the point.
Three minutes into the second period the Chiefs made it 4-1 on another goal from Eliason. Late in the second with the score still 4-1 it looked as if the Chiefs had the game under control when Nanaimo came back to make it 4-2 with three minutes left.
After the ice clean and a little soul searching, Nanaimo must have decided they weren’t out of this game yet and just a minute and a half into the third they made it 4-3. Suddenly, the Chiefs had a game on their hands again.
But somebody forgot to tell Jed Martin. A minute after the Nanaimo goal and playing shorthanded, Brook Trainor and Martin pressured the Nanaimo defence to create a turnover, and Martin's shot from the top of the faceoff circle trickled in five-hole through the netminder's pads.
With 10 minutes left Martin found his mark again as he circled behind the net to pick up a loose puck and scored on a beautiful wrap around. With five minutes left, Martin struck a third time on a nice pass from Jordon Crisp and Myles Powell.
Powell contributed three assists while Crisp and Hutcheson each had two and Norman, Kendall, Kevin Morgan and Trainor tallied one each.
"In every game there is always some noteworthy action that never makes the game sheet," the Chiefs' spokesperson said. "If you were fortunate enough to see this game you saw some (one in particular) of the biggest and cleanest hits I’ve seen in midget hockey from defenceman Garrett Halls.
"Flawless defensive play by Kevin Morgan, cool and collected netminding by Mat Bowell, raw determination and restraint by Kasey Ruel in the face of some dangerous provocation, and great hustle and team play from everyone – congratulations to all the players and officials of the Comox Valley Midget Chiefs."
Game two goes this weekend in Nanaimo, with date and time to be posted on the VIAHA website (www.viaha.org/island/midget/2010finals-tier1.php) when determined.
Following the Island finals, Provincials go March 20-23 in Nanaimo. "Come cheer on your local midget Tier 1 team as they go for gold against the best teams in the province," the Chiefs' spokesperson added.