EAGLES & EXPRESS BURN OUT GOAL LIGHTS IN SEASON OPENER

Keegan Jones opened the scoring - Photo courtesy of Damon James

If you were looking for tight checking, structured defensive hockey, the season opener between the Express and Eagles wasn't the game for you.

It was a game that resembled the lack of structure of a season opener for both the Express and Eagles.  The end result was a 8-7 goal fest in favour of the Express. Click here for boxscore

Both teams had their runs offensively throughout the night and it was the fans who entertained.

Keegan Jones got the Express off on the right foot opening the scoring 41 seconds into the game snapping a shot from the right wing.

Newly minted Express captain Luca Leone on a breakaway gave the Express a 2-0 lead just over seven minutes in.

Sam Kozlowski - Photo courtesy of Damon James

Then the pendulum swung in the Eagles direction. Logan Mostat scored his first of two on the night tipping a Andrew Cordssen-David point on the power play to get the Eagles on the board midway through the 1st period.

To cap off the first period Surrey scored three times in a span of 2:24 on goals from Jeffery Stewart, Andrew Kemp and Mitchell Williams for a 4-2 Eagles lead after 1 period.

The pendulum swung back in the Express direction in the second period. Cam Bertsch scored his first of the season just over a minute into the second period with a deflection in the high slot of a Troy Robillard point shot.

Then Jake Toor had a moment he won't forget picking off a cross ice D to D pass and snapped home his first BCHL goal 12 minutes into the second to tie the game at 4.

Like the first period the goals came fast and furious to end the period.

Blake Hayward scored his first of the season for a 5-4 Express lead. 1:05 later it was 5-5 when Darius Davidson beat Lawson Fenton on a quick pass out from behind the Express net.

The Eagles fans haven't had a chance to savor the goal when the Express struck on a goal by Alex Ambrosio just 11 seconds after the Davidson goal to re-store the Express lead at 6-5.

Cal Walker - Photo courtesy of Damon James

1:44 later Owen Stout found a loose puck in the Eagles crease and poked it home for a 7-5 Express lead through two periods.

The second period ended with four goals in exactly four minutes.

At this point entering the third period it was clear no lead was safe.

The Eagles battled back to tie the game at 7 in the third period on power play goals by Tyler Cooper and Logan Mostat. Surrey finished 3 for 6 on the power play.

Owen Stout scored what would turn out to the the game winning goal coming off the boards and snapping home his second of the night with just 4:19 left in the third period. Stout finished with 2 goals and 2 assists and was named first star. Blake Hayward had 1 goal and 2 assists.

Goaltenders Lawson Fenton for the Express picked up the win with 38 saves on 45 shots and Marc Audet for Surrey took the loss with 8 goals on 27 Express shots.

The Express will be back in action Saturday night when they take on the Langley Rivermen from the George Preston Recreation centre.