The Chilliwack Chiefs passed an early-season litmus test, dropping the Alberni Valley Bulldogs and Victoria Grizzlies in weekend BCHL action.Chilliwack beat the Bulldogs 4-3 Saturday and topped the Island division leading Grizzlies 3-1 Sunday, improving their early-season record to 7-3-1-0.The Alberni Valley game saw Chilliwack out-shoot the Bulldogs 43-21, and if not for AV keeper Carson Schamerhorn it would have been a laugher. Tommy Lee, Carver Watson, Jesse Lansdell and Anthony Vincent snuck pucks past the stopper with rookie defenceman Austin Chorney collecting three assists.Captain Jordan Kawaguchi added two helpers.Chiefs netminder Mark Sinclair stopped 18 of 21 shot, including a penalty shot save on Malik Kaila in the second period.The middle frame was a rough one that included 11 minors, a fight between Chilliwack’s Nolan Zweep and AV’s Paul Savage and a game misconduct (to Savage).The game against Victoria was much calmer.Victoria’s Jamie Rome slipped a puck past Sinclair late in the first period, and the goalie was spotless the rest of the way.While Sinclair made 23 saves, Victoria’s Matthew Galajda coughed up goals to Kawaguchi, Jake Smith and Kohen Olischefski.Chilliwack comes out of the weekend second in the Mainland division standings.The front-running Wenatchee Wild have yet to lose a game (8-0-1) and look like an absolute juggernaut with a league-high 61 goals for and just 21 against.Chilliwack gets a pair of home games this weekend, starting with a Saturday nighter against the Vernon Vipers (7 p.m. at Prospera Centre).Sunday finds the Chiefs facing the Bulldogs for the third and final time this season, with a 5 p.m. puck drop.— The latest Canadian Junior Hockey League rankings have two BCHL squads among Canada’s top 20.The Wild slot in at No. 4, up one spot from last week.The Interior conference leading Penticton Vees move up two spots from No. 11 to No. 9. The Vees are 9-1-0-0.No other BCHL team gets so much as an honourable mention.See cjhlhockey.com.

Chilliwack Progress