EXPRESS MIXLR BROADCAST

Sunday, January 24, 2016

CRESSEY'S HAT-TRICK POWERS OT COMEBACK VS. RIVERMEN


Jackson Cressey's second hat-trick of the season completed a dramatic come back for the Express 6-5 in overtime vs. the Langley Rivermen. Click here for boxscore



The captain's third of the night came in overtime on the power play in a game where the Express scored a season high four power play goals.



Things didn't start well for the Express. Justin Szeto opned the scoring for Langley burying the rebound of a point shot following a won face-off in the Express zone. 58 seconds later the Rivermen added to their lead on Ryan Barrow's first of two on the night.

Keegan Jones cut into Langley's lead before the first period was done holding off a Rivermen defender and powering the puck to the net and beating a stretched out Bo Didur. For Jones it was his third goal of the season.

Langley took their second two goal lead of the night in the second period off a goal by Rivermen Captain Jordan Schneider whose wrist shot tipped off an Express defender and fluttered over the shoulder of Lawson Fenton.

All night long when the Rivermen went up a pair, the Express had a response and stayed within striking distance. A quick give and go on the power play between Alex Ambrosio and Taylor resulted in the former scoring with a quick shot over the glove of Bo Didur.

Midway through the second period the Express got into penalty trouble with Blake Hayward and Alex Ambrosio being called for hooking and cross checking penalties 17 seconds apart resulting in a lengthy Rivermen two man advantage.

The Rivermen were patient with their opportunity slowly moving the puck around in the Express zone. Finally William Campion found Torrin White alone at the side of the Express net who had a tap for Langley's third two goal lead of the night at 4-2.

Period two wound down with the Express on the power play, and the rallying Express cut into the deficit in the dying seconds with Jackson Cressey scoring his first of the night snapping home a hard pass across from Austin McIlMuarray to make it 4-3 going to the third period.

Five minutes into the third period Ryan Barrow's second of the game put Langley up a pair for a fourth time.

Jackson Cressey scored his second of the night and the third power play goal of the game scoring off the rush with just under seven minutes to go.

It was at this point Express Head Coach Barry Wolff took a look at his bench and decided who was going and who wasn't. He juggled his lines and shortened his bench looking to spark one final come back.

He placed Mitch Newsome on the line with Austin McIlMurray and Jackson Cressey. Keegan Jones was skating with Cam Bertsch and Colton Kerfoot. The resulting changes altered the look with a little more grit on the top line and a combination of size, speed and skill on the second line.

The changes paid off late in the game as the Express completed their comeback with former Rivermen Mitch Newsome carrying the puck into the Rivermen zone then getting the puck in deep for McIlMurray who set up Newsome in front of the net who scored his second Express goal to tie with with just over two minutes left in regulation. Both of Newsome's goals for the Express have come in the third period in two games against his former team.

It was a slow start for the first four minutes of the four on four overtime. Then after a Langley rush in the Express zone Rivermen captain Jordan Schneider was called for a roughing penalty with just 14 seconds left in the first overtime.

The red hot Express power play didn't take long for Schenider to pay for his penalty. They won the draw and quickly set up and Colton Kerfoot put a pass on the tee for Cressey to unload a one timer up over Bo Didur for Cressey's third power play goal of the game. That capped off a 4 for 6 night for the Express on the power play which was a season high for power play goals for the Express.

For Cressey it was his second hat-trick of the season. This weekend the captain scored the game winning goal in both of their games and he now has 29 goals on the season.

Lawson Fenton made 33 saves for his 10th win of the season.

The Express return home for one game on Wednesday vs. Wenatchee before the Express hit the road for their final road trip of the season next weekend on the Island. 

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