Skip to content

Chiefs knock off Canadians in prep for outdoor classic

The great outdoors is going to be their next rink, and the Vancouver Northeast Chiefs are hoping some of the good vibes from last week's sweep help them bring the heat. The Burnaby-based major midget hockey team is off to Fort St.
Chiefs celebrate
The Vancouver Northeast Chiefs celebrate a goal during Sunday's 5-4 win over the Greater Vancouver Canadians at Burnaby 8-Rinks. The major midget hockey team heads to Fort St. James for a pair of games against the Cariboo Cougars -- with one of the games being played on an outdoor rink.

The great outdoors is going to be their next rink, and the Vancouver Northeast Chiefs are hoping some of the good vibes from last week's sweep help them bring the heat.

The Burnaby-based major midget hockey team is off to Fort St. James where they'll meet the Cariboo Cougars for two games, including an outdoor match hosted by the Nak’azdli Whut’en Nation on Sunday. Billed as the B.C. Major Midget Winter Classic, the contest will embrace the outdoor origins of the sport with a rink that has been constructed on Nak’azdli Whut’en territory.

Fresh off of two victories over the Greater Vancouver Canadians, where the Chiefs lowered the boom 7-0 on Saturday and 5-4 on Sunday, the club will be also aiming to fend off the Cougars in the battle for second place.

The Chiefs, who draw players from Burnaby, New West, the Tri-Cities and Ridge Meadows communities, hold a three-point edge over Cariboo, at 17-5-2-2. They also trail first-place Fraser Valley by just four points.

Against the Canadians, the locals erupted for three goals in the first period en route to the 7-0 decision. Quinton Hill scored four times while New Westminster's Dante Ballarin added a pair. Rounding out the offence with his first BCMM goal was Burnaby's Nicco Camozzola. Netminder Michael Harroch, also of Burnaby, registered his second shutout of the season.

On Sunday, Ryan Tattle counted his second of the game with just 2:40 remaining to lift Vancouver past the Canadians in a game of cat-and-mouse. Although the C's scored first, just 15 seconds into the game, the Chiefs took the lead on tallies by Christian Lowe and Hill, with his team-leading 17th of the season, in the first period. Sam Schofield also scored in the win.

Ballarin finished the weekend with five points, while Hill picked up six.