Jordan Smith stretches for a loose puck during Friday's 5-5 draw with Hartland. (photo by Rob Bryden)

Chiefs continue strong post-holiday play with 5-5 draw against Hartland

BY ED WRIGHT
Feb. 27, 2010, 5:30 p.m.

  Canton's hockey team underwent a pre-postseason tune-up Friday night against state-ranked Hartland and it got a jolt from some fourth-line sparkplugs.

  The Chiefs' battled Division 2's 10th-ranked team to a 5-5 draw and will take a 12-10-2 record into next week's Division 2 state tournament.

  Canton is one of the hottest teams around since Christmas, having racked up a 9-4-2 mark.

  "We started 3-6, so it took us a little while to come together because we had 16 new players on the roster," said Canton coach Jeremy Majszak. "I thought we played pretty well tonight against a very good team.

  "Our fourth-line guys (Duggan Tear, Parker Pakula and Shawn May) have really been coming on and they played very well tonight."

  Pakula, a fourth-line forward, continued his strong play by depositing a pair of goals. Tear and May both added assists.

  Junior defenseman Garrett Bryden had a huge night, recording a goal and two helpers.

  "We only had seven penalties, but they came at bad times," said Majszak. "They're the kind of penalties we won't be able to afford during the tournament."

  Trailing 1-0 in the first, Pakula ripped home the equalizer off an assist from Will Romanauski.

  After Hartland scored late in the first period, Canton drew even in the second stanza on Garrett Bryden's net-finder from Romanauski and Sean Murphy.

  The two teams then exchanged goals to make it 3-3 -- Canton's coming off the stick of Jimmy LaFontaine, who was fed by Bryden.

  Hartland grabbed a 4-3 lead at the end of the second period, but the Chiefs responded with a pair of successive third-period goals to seize a short-lived 5-4 lead. Pakula registered the tying goal (from Tear and Brandon Schlieger) and Alec Gilo scored the go-ahead lamp-lighter from AJ Rosales with six minutes to play.

  Hartland tied the game a minute after Gilo's goal.

  Canton opens pre-Regional action Tuesday at 7 p.m. against Livonia Franklin at Farmington Hills Ice Arena. A victory would propel the Chiefs into Thursday night's 7 p.m. pre-Regional final against host Farmington.