It took until the second period until Liam McLeod received any support from the rest of the Prince George Spruce Kings.
Unfortunately for the 16-year-old goaltender the support came from the Spruce Kings training staff after McLeod blocked a shot above his left pad from a Chilliwack Chiefs player and had to be helped off the ice 96 seconds into the middle frame of the Kings' 6-0 loss to the Chiefs.
McLeod was the surprise starter for the Spruce Kings (12-8-1-5) against leaders in the Mainland division of the B.C. Hockey League in a rare Thursday contest at the Coliseum. It didn't take long for the Chiefs (18-6-1-1) to test the rookie goalie.
The Chiefs built a 3-0 lead in the first period on goals from Austin Plevy (14), Trevor Hills (6) and Tanner Cochrane (3) while firing nine shots at McLeod. Prince George put 14 shots on Chiefs goalie Mitch Gillam but the 15-win puck-stopper didn't break a sweat making the saves.
Kirk Thompson replaced McLeod and the Chiefs took advantage of the 20-year-old early. On a power play, Ben Israel (2) beat a screened Thompson from the point for a 4-0 lead and late in the period Plevy scored an unassisted marker to give the visitors a 5-0 advantage. Plevy had a three-point night.
Chilliwack only dressed 10 forwards in the game but had more energy on each shift then most of the Spruce Kings had all night.
Brodyn Nielsen gave the Chiefs a 6-0 lead late in the third period to close out the scoring. It was the former major junior player's first BCHL goal of the season. Quesnel product Spencer Graboski picked up an assist.
Prince George out shot the Chilliwack 31-29.
The Spruce Kings played without injured forwards Jace Hennig, Lyndon Martell (lower body) and Justin Rai (concussion) while defenceman Latrell Charleson was a healthy scratch. With so many injured forwards, Liam Blackburn of the BCMML Cariboo Cougars played in his first BCHL game on a line with former Cougars Tanner Fjellstrom and Jake LeBrun.
With freebies handed out to three elementary schools the attendance at the game was 1,043.
The Spruce Kings and Chiefs tangle again tonight, 7 p.m. at the Coliseum.
Notes: After Saturday member clubs in the Canadian Junior A Hockey League will have their active player rosters capped at 22 players with the number of player cards available to them capped at 25, which means a team with 22 players on its roster would only have three available player cards for the reminder of the season.
