Mitch Gillam is just the second Chilliwack Chief ever to be credited with a goal after one went in against Surrey.
Photograph by: File , TIMES
With their leading goal scorer out of the lineup, the Chilliwack Chiefs needed others to pick up the slack. But despite a goal from the last person you would expect to score- netminder Mitch Gillam-the Chiefs were still unable to muster enough firepower to overcome the Surrey Eagles last weekend.
Two poor third periods and an inability to put the puck in the net saw the Chiefs drop back-to-back games to the rival Surrey Eagles.
The weekend set couldn't have begun in a more promising fashion for the Chiefs.
With Eagles netminder Michael Santaguida on the bench because of a delayed Chiefs penalty, a Michael Sten-erson shot deflected off Gillam, around the boards, back down the ice and, eventually, into the Surrey net.
While the goal was first awarded to Luke Esposito, it was later changed to Gillam, making him the second Chiefs netminder to score. (Curtis Darling scored with a shot in the 2003-2004 season.)
The Eagles tied the game five minutes later, but Trevor Hills's 10th of the year restored the Chiefs lead with 10 seconds to go in the first.
The two teams traded power play markers in the second, but Alexan-dre Perron-Fontaine's goal at 13: 35 of the period was the last time the Chiefs would beat Santaguida over the weekend.
The Eagles tied the game midway through the third, then scored what turned out to be the winner with 3: 52 remaining on the clock. A late empty-netter made the score 5-3.
The following evening, the teams reconvened at Prospera Centre for Fill the Rink for the Food Bank night. But in front of the largest crowd of the year-3,369 fans-the Chiefs couldn't find a way past Santaguida.
Even though he didn't score, Gillam was solid between the pipes. The two teams combined for 62 shots and no goals through 40 minutes.
But in the third, the Eagles finally found a way past Gillam, with Trevor Cameron burying a rebound five minutes in for what turned out to be the game-winner. Brady Shaw added a second late in the third and Stenerson added an empty netter.
Filling the cupboard
With help from Cooper's and Save-On Foods, the Salvation Army collected enough food to fill six pallets. Salvation Army food bank co-ordinator Don Armstrong said that works out to about $13,000 worth of food, or around 7,000 pounds.
He said the donations will likely last for about a month.
Marriage proposal on big screen
Not everybody went home disappointed Saturday. Fan Steve Cameron used a break in the action and Pros-pera Centre's big screen to propose to Mandie Raunkie. She said yes..
