There are three games on the BCHL Schedule Thursday night as a very busy weekend gets underway across the league. Tonight, the Langley Chiefs travel to the Okanagan to take on Salmon Arm, the Powell River Kings are in Alberni Valley, and the Westside Warriors visit Prince George.
With the Chiefs arriving in Salmon Arm, it marks the start of inter-conference play as it is the first meeting between teams from the Coastal and Interior Conferences. The first two weekends of the BCHL schedule are reserved for conference rivals.
The Chiefs come into tonight's game with a 2-1-0-0 record after wins over the Surrey Eagles and most recently the Burnaby Express. They currently sit tied with the Powell River Kings for third in the Coastal Conference, four points back of the Nanaimo Clippers and Cowichan Valley Capitals. They will face the Vernon Vipers and Trail Smoke Eaters before returning home Sunday.
The SilverBacks are one of three undefeated teams in the BCHL and are off to a fantastic start with wins over the Penticton Vees, Prince George Spruce Kings, and Merritt Centennials. They are once again proving to be an offensive power-house as they lead the league in goals for with 17 in just three games. They have also been stingy on the defensive side allowing just 5 goals. Goaltender Graeme Gordon boasts the league's best goals against average at just 0.50 with a 97% save percentage. Game time is 7:30 at the Sunwave Centre in Salmon Arm.
The other game in the Interior sees the Prince George Spruce Kings continuing their current home stand as they face the Westside Warriors. The Kings earned single points in a pair of home games last weekend, falling in extra time to the Trail Smoke Eaters Friday and battling to a draw with the Penticton Vees Saturday. They are still looking for their first win of the season and have a record of 0-2-1-1 heading into tonight's game.
The Warriors are coming off a weekend split with the Vernon Vipers as the road teams were winners in their home and home series. They are currently tied for fifth in the Interior Conference with the Vipers and hold a 2-3-0-0 record through five games. The Warriors line-up includes one of the BCHL's top point getters in Cory Pritz who sits tied with Surrey's Scott Knowles with 9 points atop the BCHL points race. Game time tonight is 7:00 at the Prince George Coliseum.
Moving to the coast and onto the Island, the Powell River Kings are in the Alberni Valley for a tilt with the Bulldogs. The Kings come into tonight's contest tied for third in the Coastal Conference with a 1-1-1-1 record and are coming off a 1-0 loss at home to the Nanaimo Clippers Friday and a 3-3 draw in Victoria Saturday. The Kings were winners over the Bulldogs in the clubs last meeting September 8th in Powell River.
The Bulldogs are still in search of their first win of the 2007-08 campaign as their record sits at 0-3-0-1 through four games. They earned a single point Saturday in an overtime loss at home to the Cowichan Valley Capitals. They fell to the Capitals the night before in Duncan as the Caps took four points from their home and home series. Game time tonight at the Weyerhaeuser Arena is 7:00.
There are seven games scheduled both Friday and Saturday with just one game on Sunday to wrap up the Week 3 of the BCHL schedule.
