Back-and-Forth Battle Turns Late in Langley’s Favour

By Shaelee Dombrowski

The Chiefs saw the game get away from them in the third period.

Special Olympics Night, presented by DHK Construction LTD. saw the Chilliwack Chiefs face off against the Langley Rivermen for the first of three matchups this month to end the regular season. In a night of celebrating the Special Olympic athletes and the power of inclusion in sports, the Special Olympics floor hockey team that the Chilliwack Chiefs practice with every Tuesday evening, did the ceremonial puck drop. 

The first two periods of the game saw lots of back and forth scoring between the two teams. Nico Grabas got the Chiefs on the board first after gaining control of a bouncing puck and splitting the defencemen to make something out of nothing. Langley got their own to tie the game for the first time of the night before Reese Shaw regained the lead for the Chiefs after cleaning up the rebound from J.T. Veney’s shot. The back and forth continued with Langley’s Parker Forlin getting his second of the night and Chilliwack’s A.J. Schaaf netting his own from a tight angle before the Rivermen followed up with another to end the second period tied at three. 

While Chilliwack dominated the first period with twenty three shots on goal and had a strong showing in the second as well, matching Langley’s fifteen shots with fifteen of their own, the Rivermen took control in the final frame. With two even strength goals, one power play goal, and an empty netter in the third, the Langley Rivermen ended the one-for-one scoring and took a four goal lead, winning the game 7-3.

The teams will meet again on Friday in Langley, where the Chiefs will look to bounce back from Saturday’s loss. Chilliwack will be back at the Coliseum on Saturday, March 21st, for a 6 pm faceoff against the Alberni Valley Bulldogs as the Chiefs team up with Kwaw-Kwaw-A-Pilt First Nation to celebrate our annual Indigenous Night.