The Vancouver Northeast Chiefs launch the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League playoffs this weekend up against a familiar foe.
The Chiefs, who finished third overall in the premier circuit, square off against the neighbouring Vancouver Northwest Hawks in a best-of-three, which starts Friday (12:30 p.m.) at Burnaby 8-Rinks.
Game 2 is slated for Saturday, 4 p.m. at the Bill Copeland Sports Complex, and a third game, if necessary, would be played Sunday, 10 a.m. at 8-Rinks.
While the Hawks posted the sixth-best record, at 21-17-1-1, in the league, their crosstown rivals won't be under-estimating them.
The Chiefs wrapped up the regular season with a forgettable 8-4 loss to fifth-seed Thompson Blazers. Tied 2-2 early in the second period, the visiting Blazers scored three times before the end of the frame to lead 5-2. Scoring for the Burnaby-based Chiefs were Dante Berrettoni, Cody Hough and Ryan Tattle.
A day earlier, the two teams played to a 3-3 draw, thanks to a late marker off the stick of New Westminster's Dante Ballarin. The forward deadlocked the score with 2:53 remaining in the third with his 18th of the year. Neither team could score in the overtime frame.
Adding singles for the Chiefs were Quinton Hill and Tattle, who finished the regular season with a team-leading 24 goals and 24 assists over 40 games.
