EXPRESS MUZZLE BULLDOGS

Photo courtesy of Kaicee Trott

8 different players found the back of the net as the Express scored a season high for goals in a game as they dropped the Alberni Valley Bulldogs 9-4. Click here for boxscore

The game was made up after the original date in November was postponed due to arena issues that shutdown the Weyerhauser Arena for nearly two weeks.

Alberni Valley got the early jump on the Express thanks to a stretch pass that connected with Stephen Castagna and he beat Jack Watson on a breakaway to open the scoring.

AP Ryan Strange pulled the Express even midway through the period burying the rebound of a Drew Cooper point shot to bury his first BCHL goal.

That goal sparked the Express to find their legs as the first period went along.

Tuesday was a career night for Cooper Connell. He got his night going sliding a backhand past Luke Pearson to give the Express a 2-1 lead heading to the second period.

Photo courtesy of Kaicee Trott

Early in the second period Alberni Valley had the 2-2 goal waved off after it was ruled to be swatted in with a high stick.

It was at this point the Express never looked back.

Nick Carabin showed good vision to find open ice and dance into the slot then dish a feed to Danny Pearson who snapped home a one timer for his first goal since returning to the lineup opening up a 3-1 Express lead.

Massimo Rizzo and Josh Wildauer finished off great feeds exactly a minute apart to break the game open for the Express and a 5-1 lead by the midway mark of the period.

The scoring run for the Express was interrupted on a goal by Austin Spiridakis finishing off a two on one break.

The lead was back to four for the Express when former Alberni Valley Bulldog Brag Ong roofed home his 12th of the season.

In the third Connell helped finish off another high end passing play that saw Josh Wildauer finish on the business end with his second of the night and a 7-2 Express lead.

5 minutes Greg Lapointe took a stick in the face and a penalty was on the way to the Bulldogs. In the meantime Drew Cooper blasted home 9th of the season. Lapointe would get his revenge shortly there after. Cooper Connell picked up his third assist of the night and finished with a four point night.

Photo courtesy of Kaicee Trott

After Jackson Munro cut the lead to 8-3, Lapointe returned and found the puck on his stick and took out his frustration from the high stick by ripping his 25th of the season post and in for the 9th Express goal of the night.

Grayson Valente would wire a slap shot past Jack Watson to round out the scoring. It would snap a run of 34 straight successful kills for the Express penalty killing. Jack Watson would finish with 30 saves to pick up his 10th win of the season.

The Express return home Saturday when the Victoria Grizzlies come to town.