EXPRESS EARN GUTSY WIN VS. BLUES

Photo courtesy of Todd Pederson.

The 2014 Fred Page Cup champions improved to 2-0 at the Crescent Point Energy Western Canada cup with a 2-1 win over the MJHL champion Winnipeg Blues.

Coquitlam started fast, then had to battle hard in the end to earn the victory.

The Express were flying in the opening 20 minutes getting plenty of pucks on Winnipeg goaltender Byron Spriggs. They were also able to create many second chance opportunities for themselves off rebounds.

One of the best chances for the Express early was a 2 on 1 for Ryan Rosenthal and Corey Mackin, the captain laid a pass across the crease to Mackin and some how the puck stayed out of the net.

The chances kept coming, Joey Santucci rang a shot off the post on a pass to the side of the net, Adam Rockwood also had a great chance off a rebound but neither opportunity was converted.

Ryan Rosenthal opened the scoring 14 minutes in as he came down the right wing with speed and fired a wrist shot that got through the arm and body of Spriggs for Rosenthal's 3rd goal of this Western Canada Cup.

The Express did convert one of the many rebound opportunities they had in the final minute when Brendan Lamont scored on the rebound of a Zach Hodder shot for a 2-0 Express lead.

Coquitlam outshot the Blues 15-6 in the first period.

Winnipeg pulled within one midway through the second period on the power play with Clay Tait setting up Warren Callis on a two on one down low at 10:16.

The third period saw the Express lock it down in an effort to protect their 1 goal lead.

Players were sacrificing their bodies blocking shots, and diving to get the puck out of the defensive zone to keep the Express in the lead the rest of the way.

Gordie Defiel who was named the Express player of the game continued his very strong play with a 32 save performance. And like he has especially since the start of the Fred Page Cup final he is at his best in the third period with the game on the line. Tonight vs. Winnipeg was a great example of that. He turned aside all 15 Blues shots in the final 20 minutes.

Coquitlam now sits atop of the standings at the Western Canada Cup at 2-0 with each team having played one game.

Winnipeg is now in a 3 way tie with Yorkton and Dauphin at 1-1. Spruce Grove is 0-2.

The Express don't play Tuesday and return to action Wednesday vs. the Yorkton Terriers (SJHL) at 5PM Pacific time.

EXPRESS OPEN WCC VICTORIOUS

Express and Saints line up following 3-1 Express win to open WCC.

The BCHL champion Coquitlam Express continued their winning ways as they opened up the Crescent Point Energy Western Canada Cup with a 3-1 win over the AJHL champion Spruce Grove Saints. Coquitlam has now won 7 straight games dating back to the third round of the BCHL playoffs.

Ryan Rosenthal soared a pair of goals and Canon Pieper added the insurance marker for the Express.

Gordie Defiel turned aside 31 of 32 Saints shots sent his way for the victory.

The Express captain got things rolling just under 7 minutes into the game as he fired a shot from the right circle that caught the inside of the post and just got past Saints goaltender Kenny Cameron.

The opening half of the second period saw the Express spend the majority of that time shorthanded with infractions called on Cody Boyd, Zach Hodder and a double minor high sticking penalty to Brendan Lamont. Coquitlam's penalty killers really do deserve praise for their efforts Sunday. They killed off all that time shorthanded at a key point in the game. In total the Express finished the game killing off 6 Saints man advantages.

The power play time did give Spruce Grove momentum to build on for the second half of the middle period. They continued their push when the game returned to even strength.

Isaac Farrah finally broke through for the Saints as his slap shot appeared to be tipped past a screened Gordie Defiel. That would be the only puck to get past him as he kept up his high level of play in the Western Canada Cup opener.

It was another game that had the Express right where they wanted entering the third period and that is hanging in the balance tied at one.

Early in the third period however there was a scare as Bo Pieper got tangled up with defenceman Gabe Bast and crashed heavily into the end boards with the collision only intensified by the fresh ice.

Pieper was shaken up and was down on the ice for a long period of time bringing a hush over the crowd in Dauphin. Bo eventually shook off the hit and got up and went down the tunnel but did return a few minutes later. And seeing him quickly post game he didn't look to be too worse for ware.

Ryan Rosenthal broke the deadlock with just over 6 minutes remaining in the third period as he had two cracks at the puck from the slot and snapped home his second of the game for a 2-1 Express lead.

Then late in the third period Bo quickly forgot about the collision with the end wall as from the same spot as the hit, he set up his brother Canon who scored with 1:17 remaining for a 3-1 Express lead.

The win sees the Express open up with a 1-0 record. Spruce Grove who had spent time late in the season as the number 1 nationally ranked team is in an early hole at 0-2.

No rest for the wicked as the Express are right back at it facing another 1-0 team Monday when they will take on the MJHL champion Winnipeg Blues at 5:00 PM Pacific time.

EXPRESS ARRIVE IN DAUPHIN

A full day of travel that started in Coquitlam at 7am has concluded with the Express arrival in Dauphin Manitoba for the start of the Crescent Point Western Canada Cup.

It was a 2 ½ hour flight from Vancouver to Winnipeg. Then a bus was waiting at the airport that took the Express to Portage La Prairie for a quick bite to eat then the team settled in for a 2 ½ bus ride the rest of the way to Dauphin.

Upon arrival in Dauphin, the 2014 BCHL Champions made a stop at the Credit Union Centre to drop of bags and equipment as the Express got their first look at the rink where two berths in the RBC cup in Vernon will be determined.

Quickly a few players gave their assessment of the rink and made some comparisons to similar rinks in the BCHL. It has a feel similar to the Q Centre in Victoria but only a little older. And a little like the big stick in Cowichan Valley. Volunteers were ready and waiting for the arrival of the Express to help them settle into the rink.

Then it was off to the quick jaunt to the motel nearby which is a one minute walk from the Credit Union Centre.

Shortly after the players got settled into the hotel most went for a walk around the streets to get familiar with their surroundings and get an idea of what is within walking distance.

Friday the work for the Express will resume as they will practice for the first time in Dauphin. And over the next couple of days the festivities will get rolling and then the Express will see game action for the first time Sunday afternoon at 12:00 PM Pacific time as they will take on the AJHL champion Spruce Grove Saints.

Click here for full Express WCC schedule

MORE EXPRESS TV COVERAGE

Captain Ryan Rosenthal and Express President Darcy Rota had an early wake up call Sunday to head down to the Global TV studios to talk about their Fred Page Cup win and look ahead to the Western Canada Cup.

WESTERN CANADA CUP BY THE NUMBERS

COQUITLAM EXPRESS (BCHL) 2014 FRED PAGE CUP BCHL CHAMPIONS

2^nd BCHL championship 2006, 2014.

14-5 Playoff record

Regular season - 27-26-2-3, 59 Points, 3^rd in Mainland division, 9^th overall in BCHL

BCHL PLAYOFFS

Mainland division semi final – Defeated Prince George 4-2

Mainland division final – Defeated Langley 4-2

BCHL Semi final vs. Vernon and Victoria – 2-1 advanced to Fred Page Cup final

Fred Page Cup Final – Defeated Vernon Vipers 4-0

TOP SCORERS PLAYOFFS

Ryan Rosenthal – 14G, 7A, 21PTS

Adam Rockwood – 4G, 14A, 18PTS

Bo Pieper – 11G, 8A, 17PTS

Canon Pieper – 7G, 8A, 15PTS

Corey Mackin – 5G, 10A, 15PTS

Clickhere for full Express playoff statistics

GOALTENDING

Gordie Defiel – 14-5, 2.69 GAA, .922 Sv.%, 1 SO

PLAYOFFS SPECIAL TEAMS

Express PP 7/69 – 10.14% - 10^th in BCHL playofffs

Express PK 66/76 – 86.84% - 2^nd in BCHL playoffs

Express 6 Shorthanded goals for

Express 1 Shorthanded goal allowed

TEAM STATS

Express goals for – 63, 3.31 GF Per game.

Express goals against – 55, 2.89 GA Per game.

REGULAR SEASON TOP SCORERS

Adam Rockwood - 13G, 61A, 74PTS

Canon Pieper – 33G, 33A, 66PTS

Ryan Rosenthal – 34G, 31A, 65PTS

Bo Pieper – 27G, 22A, 59PTS

Corey Mackin – 24G, 26A, 50PTS

Clickhere for full Express regular season statistics

GOALTENDING

Gordie Defiel – 20-21-1, 3.69 GAA, .877 Sv.%

Pierce Dushenko – 7-8-1, 3.88 GAA, .833 Sv.% 1 SO

REGULAR SEASON SPECIAL TEAMS

Express PP – 19.22% - 6^th in BCHL

Express PK – 83.63% - 5^th in BCHL

Express 19 shorthanded goals for. *Led BCHL, tied franchise record set in 06-07.

Express 9 shorthanded goals allowed.

TEAM STATS

Express goals for 226, 1^st in BCHL, 3.89 goals for per game *First time in franchise history leading the league in goals.

Express goals allowed 226, 13^th in BCHL, 3.89 goals allowed per game

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

Adam Rockwood 61 assists 1^st in BCHL, 74 Points 5^th in BCHL scoring

Ryan Rosenthal 34 goals 4^th in BCHL

Canon Pieper 33 goals 5^th in BCHL

Marc Biega 17 goals 1^st among BCHL defenceman. Set a new Franchise record previous held by Brad Hunt 07-08.

Canon Pieper 6 Shorthanded goals 1^st in BCHL

Ryan Rosenthal 5 Shorthanded goals 2^nd in BCHL

SPRUCE GROVE SAINTS (AJHL) 2014 GAS DRIVE CUP AJHL CHAMPIONS

3^rd AJHL championship, 2010, 2011

Playoff record 12-6 

Regular season 47-10-3, 97PTS 1^st in AJHL, 1^st in North division

AJHL PLAYOFFS

1^st round – Bye

North division semi final – Defeated Sherwood Park 4-3

North division final – Defeated Fort McMurray – 4-3

AJHL championship – Defeated Drumheller – 4-0

TOP SCORERS PLAYOFFS

Jarid Hauptman – 11G, 6A, 17PTS

Cameron Hughes – 1G, 16A, 17PTS

Dylan Hollman – 5G, 8A, 13PTS

Carson Samoridny – 8G, 3A, 11PTS

Parker Mackay – 7G, 4A, 11PTS

Clickhere for full Saints playoff statistics


GOALTENDING

Kenny Cameron – 10-4, 2.18 GAA, .913 Sv.%

Tanner McCorriston – 2-2, 2.84 GAA, .878 Sv.%

SPECIAL TEAMS

Saints PP – 22.09% - 4^th in AJHL Playoffs

Saints PK – 83.54% - 3^rd in AJHL Playoffs

Saints 3 Shorthanded goals for

Saints 1 Shorthanded goal allowed

PLAYOFF TEAM STATS

Saints goals for 63, 3.5 goals for per game

Saints goals allowed 44, 2.44 goals allowed per game

REGULAR SEASON TOP SCORERS

Peter Mackay - 21G, 37A, 58PTS

Cameron Hughes – 21G, 36A, 57PTS

Jarid Hauptman – 19G, 33A, 52PTS

Dylan Hollman – 27G, 15A, 42PTS

Nathan Smith – 16G, 24A, 40PTS

Clickhere for full Saints regular season statistics

GOALTENDING

Kenny Cameron – 34-7-3, 2.28 GAA, .910 Sv.%, 3 SO

Tanner McCorriston – 13-3, 2.14 GAA, .913 Sv.%

REGULAR SEASON SPECIAL TEAMS

Saints PP – 23.64% - 1^st in AJHL

Saints PK – 87.30% - 1st in AJHL

Saints 7 shorthanded goals for

Saints 6 shorthanded goals allowed

REGULAR SEASON TEAM STATS

Saints 235 goals for - 1^st in AJHL, 3.91 Goals for per game

Saints 135 goals allowed - 3^rd in AJHL, 2.25 Goals allowed per game

YORKTON TERRIERS (SJHL) 2014 CANALTA CUP SJHL CHAMPIONS
6^th SJHL championship 2014, 2013, 2006, 2005, 1991, 1983

Playoff record – 12-2

Regular season record – 37-12-2-5, 81PTS, 1^st in Viterra Division, 1^st in SJHL

SJHL PLAYOFFS

SJHL Quarter finals – Defeated Notre Dame Hounds 4-1

SJHL Semi finals – Defeated Humbolt Broncos 4-1

Canalta Cup final – Defeated Melville Millionaires 4-0

TOP SCORERS PLAYOFFS

Brett Boehm – 10G, 6A, 16PTS

Tyler Giebel – 5G, 11A, 16PTS

Chase Norrish 7G, 8A, 15PTS

Kailum Gervais – 5G, 6A, 11PTS

Taylor Thompson 2G, 8A, 10PTS

Clickhere for Terriers full playoff statistics


GOALTENDING

Kale Thomson – 12-2, 1.74 GAA, .936 Sv.% 1SO

PLAYOFFS SPECIAL TEAMS

Terriers PP – 17.2% - 1^st in SJHL

Terriers PK – 93.6% - 3^rd in SJHL

Terriers 2 shorthanded goals for

Terriers 1 shorthanded goal allowed

PLAYOFFS TEAM STATS

Terriers goals for 52, 3.71 Goals for per game

Terriers goals allowed 28, 2.33 Goals allowed per game

REGULAR SEASON TOP SCORERS

Brett Boehm – 31G, 35A, 66PTS

Taylor Thompson – 23G, 38A, 61PTS

Chase Norrish – 9G, 36A, 45PTS

Kailum Gervais – 12G, 20A, 32PTS

Brady Norrish – 9G, 21A, 30PTS

Clickhere for Terriers full regular season statistics

TERRIERS GOALTENDING

Kale Thomson - 31-11-3, 1.89 GAA, .934 Sv.%, 8 SO

Riley Medves – 6-3-2, 2.57 GAA, .908 Sv.%

REGLAR SEASON SPECIAL TEAMS

Terriers PP – 21.9% - 1^st in SJHL

Terriers PK – 84.2% - 4^th in SJHL

Terriers 8 Shorthanded goals for T-2nd

Terriers 1 Shorthanded goal allowed

REGULAR SEASON TEAM STATS

Terriers Goals for 186 - 1^st in SJHL, 3.32 Goals for per game

Terriers Goals allowed 125 - 1^st in SJHL, 2.23 goals allowed per game

WINNIPEG BLUES (MJHL) 2014 TURNBUL CUP CHAMPIONS
7^th MJHL Championship 2014, 2006, 1995, 1989, 1988, 1986, 1982

Playoff record 12-3

Regular season 31-23-6, 67PTS, 4^th in Addision division, 6^th in MJHL

MJHL PLAYOFFS

Addison Division semi final – Winnipeg defeated Selkirk 4-1

Addision Division final – Winnipeg defeated Steinbach 4-1

Turnbull Cup final – Winnipeg defeated Dauphin 4-1

TOP SCORERS PLAYOFFS

Liam Bilton – 8G, 9A, 17PTS

Clay Tait – 5G, 9A, 14PTS

Brett Brooks – 3G, 10A, 13PTS

Channing Brescianni – 2G, 11A, 13PTS

Warren Callis – 7G, 5A, 12PTS

Clickhere for Blues full playoff statistics

GOALTENDING

Byron Spriggs 14-3, 1.67 GAA, .936 Sv.%, 1 SO

PLAYOFFS SPECIAL TEAMS

Blues PP – 27.8% - 2nd in MJHL

Blues PK – 85.96% - 3^rd in MJHL

Blues 2 shorthanded goals for

Blues 1 shorthanded goal allowed

BLUES TEAM STATS

Blues goals for 63 – 3.70 Goals for per game

Blues goals allowed 29 – 1.70 goals allowed per game

REGULAR SEASON TOP SCORERS

Warren Callis – 22G, 37A, 59PTS

Jordan McCallum – 15G, 31A, 46PTS

Joel Schreyer – 20G, 21A, 41PTS

Kamerin Nault – 19G, 18A, 37PTS

Brett Brooks 17G, 20A, 37PTS

Clickhere for Blues regular season statistics

GOALTENDING

Byron Spriggs 19-19, 2.80 GAA, .908 Sv.% 3 SO

Scott Parsons 12-10, 2.68 GAA, .894 Sv.%, 3 SO

BLUES SPECIAL TEAMS

Blues PP – 17.83% - 6^th in MJHL

Blues PK – 82.16% - 5^th in MJHL

Blues 11 Shorthanded goals for *Led MJHL

Blues 3 Shorthanded goals allowed

REGULAR SEASON TEAM STATISTICS

Blues goals for 199 – 7^th in MJHL, 3.31 goals for per game

Blues goals against 175 – 5^th in MJHL, 2.91 goals allowed per game

DAUPHIN KINGS MJHL (HOST)
5 MJHL championshps since 1971 – 2010, 1993, 1983, 1977, 1972

Playoff record 9-4 Lost in MJHL final to Winnipeg Blues 9-4

Regular season record 40-17-3, 83PTS, 1^st in Sherwood division, 2^nd in MJHL

2014 PLAYOFFS

Sherwood division semi final – Defeated OCN Blizzard 4-0

Sherwood division final – Defeated Virden Oil Capitals 4-0

Turnbull Cup final – Lost to Winnipeg Blues 4-1

TOP SCORERS PLAYOFFS

Dylan Butler – 7G, 7A, 14PTS

Brent Wold – 5G, 7A, 12PTS

Dillian McCombie – 4G, 6A, 10PTS

Jared Morris – 4G, 6A, 10PTS

Chandler Irvin – 2G, 8A, 10PTS

Clickhere for Kings full playoff statistics


GOALTENDING

Michael Sitlliadis 8-3, 2.09 GAA, .909 Sv.%. 4 SO

Jordan Piccolino 1-1, 2.47 GAA, .889 Sv.%

PLAYOFFS SPECIAL TEAMS

Kings PP – 11.9% - 8^th in MJHL

Kings PK – 89.74% - 1^st in MJHL

Kings 1 shorthanded goal for

Kings 2 shorthanded goals against

KINGS TEAM STATISTICS

Kings goals for 44, 3.38 goals for per game

Kings goals againts 28, 2.15 goals allowed per game

REGULAR SEASON TOP SCORERS

Dylan Butler – 20G, 37A, 57PTS

Jesse Bernard – 18G, 35A, 53PTS

Justin Valentino – 9G, 40A, 49PTS

Brent Wold – 20G, 27A, 47PTS

Mitch Van Teeling – 23G, 23A, 46PTS

Clickhere for Kings full regular season statistics

GOALTENDING

Michael Stiliadis 21-5, 2.50 GAA, .907 Sv.% 1 SO

Jordan Piccolino 7-2, 2.28 GAA, .911 Sv.%

KINGS SPECIAL TEAMS

Kings PP – 18.99% - 2^nd in MJHL

Kings PK - 86.16% - 3^rd in MJHL

Kings 3 shorthanded goals for

Kings 5 shorthanded goals against

REGULAR SEASON TEAM STATISTICS

Kings goals for 227, 2^nd in MJHL, 3.78 goals for per game

Kings goals against 171, 4^th in MJHL, 2.85 goals allowed per game

ALUMNI TWEETS

A number of Express alumni went to twitter to send the 2014 BCHL champions congratulations.

Kyle Turrs 05-07.

"Coquitlam Express BCHL Fred Page Cup champs #roadtoRBC pic.twitter.com/sXTC85865s” Congrats guys, gooood luck in Dauphin! #greatmemories
— Kyle Turris (@kyleturris) April 16, 2014

Carlo Finucci - 05-08. 06 RBC Cup champ, 08 BCHL scoring champion.

@BCHLExpress congrats on winning the Freddy page #minenamesonthere good luck the rest of the way! #rbc
— Carlo Finucci (@nucci39) April 17, 2014

Alex Petan - 09-12 - 2012 Coastal Conference MVP.

ROCKYYY !!!! @adamrockwood wins it for the @BCHLExpress talk about clutch!! #champs #RollTrain #bownarrow #obv
— Alex Petan (@pettsy19) April 16, 2014

Dave Simoes - 05-06 - 2006 RBC Cup champ.

Huge congrats to the @BCHLExpress for winning the BCHL championship. Cheering them on to win a 2nd RBC. Go Express. Enjoy it. Not done yet
— David Simoes (@davidsimoes3) April 17, 2014

Brandon Morley - 2012-13 - University of Alaska

Best of luck to the @BCHLExpress winning the Fred Page Cup tonight! #RollTrain
— Brandon Morley (@bmorley89) April 15, 2014

Adam Rossignol - 2013 - Portland Winterhawks WHL

Congrats @BCHLExpress on the BCHL championship! First class organization. @adamrockwood the hero! #RightToBeCockyNow #RBCNext
— Adam Rossignol (@therozzdogg) April 16, 2014

EXPRESS WESTERN CANADA CUP SCHEDULE

Here's a quick glance of the schedule for the Express at the Western Canada Cup.

Sunday April 27 vs. Spruce Grove (AJHL) - 12:00 PM Pacific

Monday April 28 vs. Winnipeg (MJHL) - 5:00 PM Pacific

Wednesday April 30 vs. Yorkton (SJHL) - 5:00 PM Pacific

Thursday May 1 vs. Dauphin (Host) - 5:00 PM Pacfic

MORE EXPRESS CHAMPIONSHIP COVERAGE

Gardner tackles Josh Smith as part of the championship celebration - Photo courtesy of Tri Cities Now.

Here's some additional Express championship coverage for you to enjoy. Some great photos courtesy of the Tri Cites Now.

Here's the link to gallery 1

Here's the link to gallery 2

Here's the link to gallery 3

Global BC interviewed Captain Ryan Rosenthal, defenceman Marc Biega and forward Adam Rockwood.

Click here for Global BC's story on the Express

EXPRESS CHAMPIONSHIP MULTIMEDIA

Here's some multimedia from last nights Fred Page Cup championship victory for the Coquitlam Express.

Here's the game highlights. 

During the second intermission I chatted with the Head Coach of the 2006 Express championship team Rick Lanz. 

Here's the celebration at the end of the game filmed by Jorge Parra. 

Here's some additional video including goals courtesy of the Tri City News. 

EXPRESS 2014 FRED PAGE CUP BCHL CHAMPIONS

The Express won their second Fred Page Cup championship in franchise history with a 4-3 win in game 4 of the Fred Page Cup final Tuesday night.

This is the first championship for the franchise based in Coquitlam. They were located in Burnaby when they won their first cup in 2006.

They completed a sweep of the Vernon Vipers thanks to a 4th straight come from behind victory.

Jace Hennig flipped the script for the Express in the first period scoring on a scramble when Austin Smith lost the puck between his pads and the puck found it's way in. Vernon had opened the scoring in each of the previous three games of the series. They opened up a 2-0 lead in each of the first three games of the series. Vernon had a 3-0 lead in game one.

Knowing the cup was in the house, Coquitlam showed no signs of nerves knowing what could be theirs if they came away victorious. They had a number of quality chances in the first period including a breakaway for Corey Mackin, Ryan Rosenthal with a chance off the wing, Cody Boyd from the slot and Canon Pieper in the final 20 seconds. There was no doubt the team was ready to play right from the get go.

Vernon matched the Express energy then started to have the momentum start to swing in their direction. Colton Sparrow 42 seconds into the second period evened the score at one finishing off a set up from Brett Mulcahy.

Canon Pieper restored the Express lead at 7:15 when his shot from the left circle beat Smith on the short side.

Vernon's top line of Mulcahy, Colton Sparrow and Brendan Persley put the team on their back and carried them as the Vipers fought hard to make sure the Express weren't celebrating at the end of the night. Brendan Persley pulled Vernon even again when he snapped a shot past the glove of Gordie Defiel just past the midway mark of the second period.

Persley struck again in the final minute of the second period to give Vernon their lone lead of the night when he scored on a feed from behind the net by Sparrow. The trio of Persley, Mulcahy and Sparrow combined for 7 points in the second period with 3 goals and 4 assists. Persley and Sparrow each registered 3 points in the frame.

The stage was set at the start of the third period for another Express comeback. Their final period has been the best in the 2014 playoffs. Things were no different Tuesday.

Bo Pieper pulled the Express even 1:43 with a quick shot beat Smith up high.

With 6:18 remaining Marc Biega was assessed a hooking penalty giving Vernon what appeared to be a key power play with their BCHL Championship hopes hanging in the balance.

But that penalty also gave the BCHL's most dangerous team shorthanded an opportunity as well.

On this night it was Adam Rockwood delivering the goods for the Express. He took advantage of a Vernon turnover and walked in on a breakaway and scored a goal he will remember for the rest of his life as his deke saw the puck eventually bounce past Smith for what would turn out to be the Fred Page Cup winning goal. Rockwood who is a pass first player which is reflected in his goals to assists ratio had just one goal in the playoffs entering the final. The Coquitlam native had three big ones in the series scoring the tying and overtime winning goal in game 2, and the Fred Page Cup winner.

It's fitting that the cup winner would come for this team while a man down. Combining the regular season (19) and playoffs (6) the Express scored 25 shorthanded goals.

The Express finished the series outscoring Vernon 10-1 in the third period and overtime. And all 10 goals came unanswered.

Captain Ryan Rosenthal had a chance to ice it with less three minutes left but was denied on a breakaway.

Then in the dying seconds Vernon had one last close call. Colton Sparrow found himself wide open alone in front of the net where he was robbed by Gordie Defiel, then in one last desperate attempt to tie the game the puck was gloved into the net. Credit to the referee who was in good position to see the play and wave the goal off immediately with 0.4 seconds left on the clock. That meant one final drop of the puck outside the Express zone and a drop of the puck to officially crown the Coquitlam Express 2013-14 Fred Page cup champions.

This team had the belief inside the room led by Head Coach Barry Wolff and his players that they had a good team that gelled into a unit that eliminated Prince George, Langley, Victoria in the semi final round robin and Vernon to earn the title of champions.

The Express now will move on to the Western Canada Cup where they will be joined by the AJHL Champion Spruce Grove Saints, the Winnipeg Blues MJHL champions, and Dauphin Kings WCC hosts to play for two spots in the RBC Cup in Vernon in May. The Yorkton Terriers will look to round out the field for the WCC tonight as they lead the Melville Millionaires 3-0 in the SJHL final.

Coquitlam will begin the WCC on Sunday April 27th when they will play Spruce Grove at 12pm Pacific time.

Click here for full WCC schedule

EXPRESS LEAD 3-0 IN CUP FINAL THANKS TO ANOTHER COMEBACK AND OT DRAMATICS

The Coquitlam Express did it again, they fell behind for the third straight game and found a way to battle back. They defeated the Vernon Vipers 3-2 in overtime and have a 3-0 strangle hold on the BCHL Championship series.

Ryan Rosenthal who has been scoring timely goals all playoffs long, may have gotten his two biggest goals thus far in the playoffs. He tied it with 1:11 to go and was the overtime hero at 12:16.

As has been the story all series long the Express dug themselves into an early hole. Vernon came out strong for a third straight game in the series. They had a 6-1 advantage in shots when Dylan Chanter at the side of the Express net scored to open the scoring for Vernon for a third straight game in this series.

Vernon kept up the pressure looking to build on their lead but were turned aside by Defiel who only let Vernon get one in the opening 20 minutes. Defiel was peppered with 17 shots in that first period.

The Vipers built on their lead on a second period power play to open the frame when Liam Coughlin scored on a feed from Michael McNicholas at 1:14. Vernon led 3-0 in the first period of game 1. And have had 2-0 leads in both games 2 and 3.

Vernon kept their foot on the gas pedal in the second period as they looked to have a full 60 minute effort and not allow the Express to get back into the game. There were times in the first half of this game where the Vipers were in complete control of the contest.

Brendan Lamont midway through the second period scored his second of the playoffs for the Express as he buried the rebound of a Zach Hodder point shot that was kicked out by Austin Smith.

Another solid 20 from Vernon saw them with a 1 goal lead and a 28-12 advantage in shots.

But in case you didn't know, you can't allow this Express team to hang around in the third period.

The final frame has been the best for the Express in the playoffs. And the third saw the game start to turn in the Express favor. They didn't have an all out push and were dominating the period. But they were getting their shots and were hoping one would go in.

Well, one did and no surprise it was Ryan Rosenthal. He came down the right wing and snapped a shot from the boards and beat Austin Smith to the far side with just 1:11 remaining. And out of the blue the game was tied at 2.

That goal all of a sudden gave the Express an incredible boost of energy. They were all over Vernon in the final minute of regulation and had a number of great chances to win it before overtime. Rosenthal rang a shot off the post. Marc Biega and Adam Rockwood also had glorious chances before regulation expired.

In the post-season the Express have now outscored their opposition 27-12. And 6-2 so far in this series.

Regulation ended, and the Express momentum carried over from the third period with them.

They came out in overtime with good shifts in the Vipers zone throwing pucks at the net. Adam Rockwood came close to winning it for a second straight game as he was set up in front of the net but the puck found a way to go out of play.

Then came Rosenthal time, he scored on a set up from Corey Mackin getting it past the glove of Austin Smith for his second of the game to give the Express the dramatic 3-2 win and 3-0 lead in the Fred Page Cup final.

Gordie Defiel turned aside 35 of 37 Vernon shots in the Express crease. And like he's done in the playoffs, he's shut the door at key times the longer the games go on.

What started as a 28-12 advantage in shots for Vernon through two periods. It was reduced to just a 37-36 advantage by the time this one was said and done.

Entering game 4 tomorrow, the big question is how does Vernon respond? They've jumped out to great starts in each of the three games in this series and have nothing to show for it. They know no matter what happens in this series they will still have some hockey left as hosts of the RBC Cup in Vernon in May. A loss of that magnitude might have a real deflating effect. But the Express can't let those thoughts creep into their heads. They still have some work to do if they want to finish the job the right way.

Game 4 is Tuesday night with the Express looking to claim their second Fred Page Cup championship in franchise history.

BO PIEPER BCHL PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Coquitlam Express forward Bo Pieper has been named the BCHL Player of the Week for the week ending April 13, the league announced Monday.

Pieper exploded for four huge goals, including the game-winner, in Game 1 of the Fred Page Cup Finals. Pieper's offence helped the Express rally from a three-goal deficit to win the game 6-4.

The 5-foot-11, 180-pound native of Roseville, Minn. was named the game's 1st Star. He now has 10 goals and five assists for the Express in 17 playoff games.

Honourable mentions this week:

Coquitlam Express F Adam Rockwood: 2G, 1A, OT GWG, 1st Star

Coquitlam Express D Zach Hodder: 3A, 2nd Star

Vernon Vipers F Dexter Dancs: 2G, 1A, 2nd Star

EXPRESS UP 2-0 IN FRED PAGE CUP FINAL

The Coquitlam Express are coming home up 2-0 in the Fred Page Cup final after taking game two 4-3 in overtime.

The visitors for a second straight night got off to a slow start in the first period. Dexter Dancs and Brendan Persley scored 1:40 apart before the game was 7 minutes old to pace Vernon to a 2-0 lead.

But for a second straight night the Express didn't let the quick start by the opposition phase them.

46 seconds after the Persley goal the Express got on the board with a power play tally by Canon Pieper.

Dancs re-stored Vernon's two goal lead 8 minutes into the second period with his second of the night.

The deeper this Express team travels in the 2014 post-season, we're learning a lot about the heart of this years group of Express. Corey Mackin scored his third goal of the Fred Page cup final 46 seconds into the third period to pull the Express within one.

Then Adam Rockwood scored beating Adam Smith up high with 7:39 remaining to even things up. In addition to his goal in the offensive zone, Rockwood was also a key factor for the Express with some solid plays in his own end of the rink.

In the first two games of this series the Express have showed championship heart battling back from a 3-0 deficit in game 1. They followed it up in game two battling back from 2-0 and 3-1 deficits. It's not really a recipe for long term success, and i'm sure the players and coaches would like to reverse this trend, but it's encouraging to see the way they find a way to respond.

Gordie Defiel had another top notch performance for the Express between the pipes. Especially in the third period as he turned aside 22 Vernon shots to keep his team in a position to complete the comeback. Saves off Liam Coughlin, Michael McNicholas in the final minute of the third period, and another one with one second remaining in the third period sent this game to overtime.

It didn't take long for this one to be decided just over two minutes in Adam Rockwood scored off the rush for his second of the night to give the Express the 4-3 win and the 2-0 series lead.

The Express come home with a firm grasp  of the Fred Page cup final where the Express have 6-1 home ice record.

Game 3 is Monday night, with game 4 Tuesday in Coquitlam.

Monday's game will see the return to the lineup of forward Joey Santucci after serving a two game suspension. The Express have now won their last 4 games, all with either Cody Boyd or Santucci serving a suspension. 

BO & EXPRESS EXPLODE IN FINAL 40 TAKE GAME 1 OF CUP FINAL

It took 20 minutes for the Express to get rolling, but when they did they were tough handle, especially Bo Pieper who set an Express playoff franchise record scoring four times in a 6-4 win in game 1 of the Fred Page Cup final vs. the Vernon Vipers. The Express lead the championship series 1-0.

Probably some nerves of playing on the BCHL's biggest stage played a factor in the start for the Express. Vernon stormed out to a first period lead on goals by Brendan Persley, Brett Mulcahy and Deminco Hannoun. The first two strikes coming in the first 3:05 of the first period.

The visitors settled down and the tide definitely turned in the second period in the Express favor, and Bo Pieper began to take over. He scored his first two goals of the night at even strength and on the power play to pull the Express within one. Then late in the frame Corey Mackin on a shorthanded breakaway scored to tie the game at three with 1:03 left in the period. The Express now have 5 shorthanded goals in the playoffs. And 24 if you including the 19 they tallied in the regular season.

Vernon did restore their lead 3 minutes into the third when Mason Blacklock scored on a breakaway of his own.

Then came a key turning point, Gordie Defiel made a key stop, one of his 31 saves on the night as he came across to his left and stacking the pads to keep his team down just a goal. Moments later Bo Pieper capped off his hat-trick to even the game at 4.

Bo then set an Express playoff franchise record by scoring his 4th of the night to put the Express up for the first time Friday night. Corey Mackin then completed the Express run of 3 goals in a span of 5:02 in the third period with his second of the night. Zach Hodder finished with 3 assists from the backend.

Brendan Persley and Demico Hannoun each had a goal and an assist for Vernon. Austin Smith was tagged for 6 goals on 35 shots.

Game 2 goes Saturday night in Vernon. 

FRED PAGE CUP FINAL PREVIEW AUDIO

Coach Wolff and the boys come together as one before heading up to Vernon.

Wednesday the Express had their last practice in Coquitlam before heading off to Vernon for the start of the Fred Page Cup final vs. the Vipers. I spoke with a few members of the Express to get their thoughts on the playoffs to date. And to look ahead to the final.

One final practice in Coquitlam before heading up to Vernon.

EXPRESS AND VIPERS BY THE NUMBERS

OVERALL RECORDS
EXPRESS - 27-26-2-3, 3rd in Mainland division Playoff record - 10-5 Defeated Prince George 4-2 in 1st round Defeated Langley 4-2 in 2nd round Went 2-1 in round robin in BCHL semi final	VIPERS – 30-18-4-6, 3rd in Interior division Playoff record - 10-5 Defeated West Kelowna 4-2 in 1st round Defeated Penticton 4-3 in 2nd round. Went 2-0 in round robin BCHL semi final
HEAD TO HEAD REGULAR SEASON December 8 at Coquitlam – 4-2 Express January 11 at Vernon – 3-1 Vipers
2014 PLAYOFFS
EXPRESS Round 1 Mainland division semi finals vs. Prince George – Express win best of 7, 4-2 Gm. 1 Mar. 4 @ PG – 3-2 L Gm. 2 Mar. 5 @ PG – 3-2 W Gm. 3 Mar. 7 @ CQ – 2-0 W Gm. 4 Mar 8 @ CQ – 6-3 W Gm. 5 Mar. 10 @ PG – 3-2 2OTL Gm. 6 Mar. 11 @ CQ – 2-1 W Round 2 Mainland division final vs. Langley – Express win best of 7 4-2. Gm. 1 Mar. 14 @ LA – 4-2 W Gm. 2 Mar. 15 @ LA – 2-1 W Gm. 4 Mar. 17 @ CQ – 5-0 L Gm. 4 Mar. 18 @ CQ – 5-3 W Gm. 5 Mar. 20 @ LA – 5-2 L Gm. 5 Mar. 21 @ CQ – 5-3 W Round 3 BCHL Semi finals vs. Victoria and Vernon. Express advance to Fred Page Cup final with 2-1 round robin record. Gm. 1 Mar. 30 @ VER – 6-1 L Gm. 2 Apr. 1 vs. VIC – 6-3 W Gm. 3 – Apr. 3 @ VIC – 4-3 3OTW	VIPERS Round 1 Interior division semi final vs. West Kelowna – Vipers win best of 7, 4-2 Gm. 1 Mar. 4 @ WK – 5-1 L Gm. 2 Mar. 5 @ WK – 4-1 W Gm. 3 Mar. 7 @ VER – 6-4 W Gm. 4 Mar. 8 @ VER – 4-1 W Gm. 5 Mar. 10 @ WK – 4-1 L Gm. 6 Mar. 11 @ VER – 5-0 W Round 2 Interior division final vs. Penticton – Vipers win best of 7, 4-3 Gm. 1 Mar. 14 @ PEN – 4-3 W Gm. 2 Mar. 15 @ PEN – 5-3 L Gm. 3 Mar. 17 @ VER – 4-3 L Gm. 4 Mar. 18 @ VER – 5-2 W Gm. 5 Mar. 20 @ PEN – 3-2 W Gm. 6 Mar. 21 @ VER – 2-0 L Gm. 7 Mar. 22 @ PEN – 4-3OT W Round 3 BCHL Semi final vs. Victoria and Coquitlam. Vipers advance to Fred Page Cup final with 2-0 record. Gm. 1 Mar. 28 @ VIC 5-4 W Gm. 2 Mar. 30 vs. CQ 6-1 W
PLAYOFFS SPECIAL TEAMS
EXPRESS PP – 5/54 – 9.26% - 11th VIPERS PK – 48/62 – 77.42% - 9th *1SHG for.	VIPERS PP – 9/43 – 20.93% - 5th EXPRESS PK – 53/62 – 85.48% - 2nd *4 SHG's for.
TOP SCORERS PLAYOFFS
EXPRESS Ryan Rosenthal – 12G, 5A, 17PTS Adam Rockwood – 1G, 13A, 14PTS Bo Pieper – 6G, 5A, 11PTS Canon Pieper – 5G, 6A, 11PTS Marc Biega – 6G, 3A, 9PTS Corey Mackin – 2G, 7A, 9PTS	VIPERS Colton Sparrow – 7G, 11A, 18PTS Brett Mulcahy – 13G, 3A, 16PTS Brendan Pearsley – 7G, 8A, 15PTS Michael McNicholas – 5G, 10A, 15PTS Josh Bryan – 0G, 13A, 13PTS Liam Coughlin – 6G, 5A, 11PTS
EXPRESS GOALTENDING PLAYOFFS	VIPERS GOALTENDING PLAYOFFS
Gordie Defiel – 10-5, 2.65 GAA, .922 Sv.%, 1SO	Austin Smith - 2.67 GAA, .916 Sv.%, 1SO