EXPRESS IMMUNE TO VIPER VENOM

Charlie Barrlow - Photo courtesy of Garrett James

The Express completed a sweep of the two game regular season series with the Vernon Vipers with a 5-1 win Friday night. Coquitlam took the first meeting of the season 4-3 in overtime in Vernon in September. Click here for boxscore

Wednesday's game kicked off a very busy week for the Express with four games in five nights with plenty of travel in between.

Accumulating the points now will be key as the week drags on and travel begins to take it's toll.

Alex Ambrosio opened the scoring for the Express as he buried the rebound of his own shot just three minutes into the game. Ambrosio has goals in each of his last two games.

Erik Udahl leads a rush - Photo courtesy of Garrett James

Five minutes later the Express struck again. Austin McIlMurray converted a quick pass Colton Kerfoot pass from the corner for a 2-0 Express lead snapping a shot past Andrew Shortridge.

McIlMurray has goals in three of the last five games with all three of those goals coming in the first period.

Shortridge did his part to keep the Express up only just two after a breakaway save off Cam Bertsch and Charlie Barrow moments later with the Express shorthanded.

Tyger Howat made 15 saves for the Express in the first period. His best coming in the dying seconds of the first period on a Vernon power play.

This game really turned in favour of the Express in the first seven minutes of the second period.

One of Tyger Howat's 41 saves - Photo courtesy of Garrett James

Vernon got a 5 on 3 power play for 1:14. The Vipers best chance to get on the board didn't even count as a shot as Latrell Charleson wired a shot off the cross bar.

Then after killing off a Jack Surowiec penalty he was hit with a pass coming out of the penalty box by Jarell Pinchuk and Surowiec converted on the breakaway for a 3-0 Express lead.

Up three in the second period Tyger Howat rose to the occasion to keep the Vernon Vipers off the board. He finished the period with 13 saves.

Colton Kerfoot capped off the second period scoring a power play goal in the dying seconds frame. Austin McIlMurray drew one of the assists. He along with Kerfoot each finished with 1 goal and 1 assist.

Andrew Shortridge's night came to an end of the second period after allowing four goals on seventeen shots.

Colton Kerfoot had 1 goal and 1 assist Photo courtesy of Garrett James

Brendan Barry was welcomed to the game by a goal from Cam Bertsch who beat Barry with a shot that appeared to surprise him off a face-off.

The Express spread their offense around with three of the four lines chipping in with the five goals.

The only downside on what was an otherwise solid night for Tyger Howat was that he wasn't able to post his first BCHL shutout. Darren Rizzolo scored Vernon's only goal on a third period power play.

Howat finished with 41 saves for his 6th win of the season.

Thursday night the Express will continue their busy week with their final regular season visit to Prince George.