Seven games and counting.
The Vancouver North East Chiefs continue to find ways to pull in the points, as demonstrated by a 4-4 draw Sunday against the South Island Royals.
Nicholas Bucovaz’s marker with 2:32 left in the third pulled the Chiefs even with the host Royals, in a contest that saw the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League’s defending champions stake out a 2-0 lead, but forced into playing catch-up over the final two periods.
Chong Min Lee and Ian Macdonald gave the Chiefs an early two-goal advantage but South Island tied it up with two late goals in the first and took its first lead midway through the middle frame.
During their seven-game unbeaten streak, the squad has collected four wins and three draws, but not all of them were works of art, remarked head coach Jamie Jackson.
“We are a young team and we made some mistakes in our backend that (South Island) took advantage of. We were lucky to get the point.”
Liam Everson also scored for the Coquitlam-based squad, which includes players from east Burnaby, New Westminster, the Tri-Cities, Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge.
In the first game of their twin set, the Chiefs doubled up the Royals 4-2, with Brett Didyk’s goal 47 seconds into the second period proving to be the winner. Also scoring for the visitors were Logan Bromhead, Harris Pearce and Min Lee.
This year’s lineup is well-stocked with new faces after a majority of last year’s players moved onwards.
Forward Sean Gulka and defenceman Jonny Sheardown supply more than just Burnaby content. The two are key contributors to the program as first-year players, said Jackson.
“Both are making an impact for us,” said the second-year Chiefs coach. “Sean is a pure puck possession player, he reads the play and distributes the puck well.
“Jonny is a very good D-man who has that offensive talent. We give him the green light because he handles the puck with a lot of confidence.”
Gulka, at 15, is the youngest player on the roster. He’s counted three goals and five assists over 10 games, while posting a team-high 24 penalty minutes.
At five-foot-10, Sheardown may not be the biggest blueliner but his offensive smarts has him leading the rush on occasion. He’s registered seven assists in his first 10 games of B.C. Major Midget play.
Two other local players -- New Westminster’s Liam Ryan, 15, and Emilio Salas, 16, are making the transition from minor hockey to major midget.
“Liam’s doing real well and was leading our team in scoring as a first-year player up until this weekend. ... He’s a big, two-way guy with great skill and a hard shot and a lot of potential.”
Ryan, a forward, was drafted last May by Prince George in the Western Hockey League’s bantam draft.
Salas, meanwhile, missed three games due to injury but has slid back into the lineup, adding a strong, six-foot-three, 205-pound presence to the blueline.
“The injury slowed him down but he’s look good since returning. He’s a big-bodied kid who can protect the crease.”
A week prior, Ryan netted his fourth goal of the year as the team blanked the Kootenay Ice 4-0.
Jackson is enthusiastic about how the returning players and newcomers have meshed so far.
“Our goal setting and execution process is more refined this year, and I think it’s helped the new players adjust. We still have a ton of work to do.”
The Chiefs play Greater Vancouver on Saturday, 3:30 p.m. at Coquitlam’s Poirier Sports Centre.
