Austin McIlMurray scored twice and Luca Leone had one goal and one assist as the Express knocked off Prince George 4-1. Click here for boxscore
Leone returned to the lineup after missing the last 14 games with an injury. His return was a welcome addition to a team that has battled through a rash of injuries in recent w
eeks.
It didn't take long for Leone's return to make a positive impact for the Express. He found himself with room on the wing in the Spruce Kings zone and he snapped a shot past Liam McCloskey just 1:01 into the game.
That goal sparked the Express for the first half of the first period, but the tables turned as the Spruce Kings ramped their game up looking for the equalizer but were turned away by Lawson Fenton.
This game had it's moments of rough stuff throughout the contest. Whether it was Austin McIlMurray and Adam Brunett coming together and the former being punched in the face by the latter.
Then in the second period McIlMurray made his mark on the scoresheet where he's used to in the offensive department. Blake Hayward set up McIlMurray who scored off the rush for a 2-0 Express lead.
Owen Stout gave the Express some insurance in the final minute of the second period scoring with a wrist shot from the left wing for a 3-0 Express lead through two periods.
Lawson Fenton saved his best work in the Express crease for the third period with 14 saves on 15 shots. The only goal to beat him was a one timer off the stick of Kyle Johnson. Fenton made 28 saves for his 12th win of the season.
The Express killed off all four Prince George powerplays with three of them in the third period.
Austin McIlMurray completed the scoring into an empty net but not before he, Colton Kerfoot and Luca Leone passed the puck around before it was tapped into the empty net.
The Express have four games left in their regular season with three of them vs. the Chilliwack Chiefs starting Friday in Coquitlam.
Jackson Cressey and company celebrate - Photo courtesy of Damon James.
Taylor Green's goal with 24.9 seconds remaining in the third period a 4-3 win over the Prince George Spruce Kings. Click here for boxscore
The goal capped off a back and forth game that saw the Express play with the lead on four separate occasions.
Austin McIlMurray got the Express off on the right foot by snapping his 19th of the season with a quick shot coming in off the right wing. It was the first of two goals on the night for McIlMurray. That goal set the tone for the line of McIlMurray, Jackson Cressey and Colton Kerfoot. They were dominant at times Saturday night controlling the puck in the Spruce Kings zone.
Prince George evened the game 7 minutes into the first period after a won face-off in the Express end, a point shot was stopped by Lawson Fenton but the rebound was buried by Nik Ponak for his third of the season.
Jackson Cressey gave the Express their second lead of the night on the power play after converting a nifty pass out from behind the net from Colton Kerfoot to give the Express their second lead of the night. The goal for Cressey was his third in his last two games.
Owen Stout - Photo courtesy of Damon James.
One trend that has emerged in the first two games for the Express following the Christmas break has been their inability to hold lead. They lead on three separate occasions Thursday's loss in Merritt.
It was more of the same Saturday night. Jarod Hovde beat Lawson Fenton from the slot in the final minute of the first period for a 2-2 tie.
The Express had all three power plays in the first period converting once. It was the exact opposite in the second period. As it turned it out, it proved to be a key turning point in this game. The Express killed off all three Prince George power plays in the first ten minutes of the second period to keep the game tied.
Ryan Coghlan made his Express home debut - Photo courtesy of Damon James.
Minutes later with a delayed penalty in effect, Austin McIlMurray scored his second of the game for a 3-2 Express lead. The goal was set up by Luca Leone who was the extra attacker after Lawson Fenton hustled to the bench. For McIlMurray he joined Jackson Cressey in the 20 goal club. Colton Kerfoot isn't too far behind from joining his line mates in the 20 goal club sitting at 17 this season.
Prince George erased an Express lead for a third time Saturday midway through the third period after they failed on an odd man rush. Then from behind the net Matthew Stief bounced the puck in off Fenton to tie the game at three.
Blake Hayward - Photo courtesy of Damon James.
In the final minutes of the third period now in a 3-3 tie, Barry Wolff played it safe playing Taylor Green with Jake Brien on a regular basis as a defense pair.
That pair had a hand in the game winning goal. Jake Brien got the puck at the blue line following a pair of prolonged scrums for the puck in the Prince George zone, Brien slid the puck across to Green who had room to walk in and unload a slap shot which beat McCloskey to give the Express a 4-3 lead with 24.9 seconds left.
Jake Brien - Photo courtesy of Damon James.
Lawson Fenton turned aside 20 of 23 Prince George shots for his 8th win of the season. It was encouraging to see the Express not force their goaltender to face nearly 40 shots to pick up a victory.
The top line for the Express gets plenty of headlines for being on the ice for all four Express goals. But as a whole the Express used their speed very effectively through the night creating chances.
It was the third win in five games for the Express vs. Prince George this season as they opened up a 7 game home stand. Up next the Express play host to the Merritt Centennials for the second meeting in less than a week between the two teams.
The line of Austin McIlMurray, Colton Kerfoot and Jackson Cressey scored four of the five Express goals in a 5-1 win over the Surrey Eagles at the South Surrey Arena. Click here for boxscore
The Express captain scored a pair of goals and Colton Kerfoot had four points with one goal and three assists.
Cressey and Kerfoot - Photo Courtesy of Garrett James
Before the big guns got going it was Kurt Black who opened the scoring for Surrey six minutes into the game.
Just two and a half minutes later Jackson Cressey scored his first of two on the night to even the game at one.
Then Colton Kerfoot scored a power play goal late in the first period for a 2-1 Express lead after 20 minutes. That goal pulled Kerfoot back into a tie with Cressey for the team lead in goals with 17. Cressey and Kerfoot have gone back and forth atop of the Express goal scoring race recently.
The Express captain went back into the lead in the second period with his 18th of the season taking a Kerfoot pass in the slot and burying his own rebound past Justin LaForest for a 3-1 Express lead after two periods.
Throughout the night the Express got solid contributions from all four lines. Luca Leone showed signs of breaking out with some of the chances he created in the second period.
Keegan Jones - Photo Courtesy of Garrett James
Owen Stout helped pulled the Express into a 4-1 lead when he dangled his way to the Eagles net and
Jarrell Pinchuk jumping into the rush poked home a loose puck lying in the crease.
There were some decent hits delivered on each side. Jake Brien continued his solid first season in the league by delivering a number of hits throughout the night.
Most of the hits on the night were clean except for one that led to the final goal of the night. Eagles defenseman Matthew Brown stretched out with his forearm and delivered a hit to the head of Cam Bertsch. The Express forward was a little shaken up following the hit.
Jack Surowiec - Photo Courtesy of Garrett James
The Express got their best revenge by converting on the power play. Austin McIlMurray unleashed a one timer under the crossbar from the left circle to round out the scoring.
The line of Cressey, Kerfoot and McIlMurray combined for four goals and five assists for nine points.
Tyger Howat had a tidy night making 30 saves for his 7th win of the season.
The Express and Eagles will meet again Saturday night in Coquitlam.
The Coquitlam Express of the BCHL would like to congratulate players Jack Surowiec and Charlie Barrow both headed to Holy Cross and Austin McILMurray to Sacred Heart on officially signing their national letter of intent.
Surowiec, Barrrow and McILMurrary are all in their first seasons with the Express.
Surowiec (96), from Louisville Kentucky has two goals and six points in 21 games this season. He's been a valuable player for the Express in various roles this season. He's been a key penalty killer, won important defensive draws. And most recently he's centered the top line in the absence of captain Jackson Cressey.
Barrow (96), from Belmont Massachusetts has four goals and ten points in 21 games this season. Two of his four goals have been overtime winners this season. He's added an element of speed and puck moving ability for the Express from the blueline.
McILMurray (96), from Coral Springs Florida is third on the Express in scoring with eight goals and 19 points in 20 games. Two of his goals have been game winning goals. He's spent the entire season playing on the Express top line mostly with Colton Kerfoot and Jackson Cressey.
All 3 players will be going to school in the fall of 2016.
All well deserved and we are proud to have them as members of the Express Junior Hockey Team.
Any questions please contact Express Head Coach/General Manager Barry Wolff.
