Luca Leone (24) will serve as captain in 16-17 - Photo courtesy of Damon James
The Coquitlam Express are pleased to announce that forward Luca Leone has been named the captain for the 2016-17 season.
Leone (96) will be a twenty year old this season and is entering his third season with the Express during the 2016-17 campaign. In 63 career BCHL games all with the Express the Vancouver native has 10 goals and 16 assists for 26 points. In 15-16 in 34 games Leone posted 6 goals and 14 assists for 20 points.
In addition to his time in the BCHL, Leone has 70 career WHL games with the Vancouver Giants and Swift Current Broncos.
Five other players will serve as assistant captains this season. Twenty year old forward Cam Bertsch will serve as an alternate captain for all games for the Express this season. Domenic Masellis and Keegan Jones will serve as alternates when the Express wear their black uniforms. Blake Hayward and Alex Ambrosio will serve as alternates when the Express wear their whites.
Coquitlam Express Head Coach and GM Barry Wolff says "We are very proud of this leadership group and hope that they can lead us toward a successful 2016-17 BCHL."
The Express will kick off their 15th BCHL season Friday September 9th in Surrey.
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.
Many of the same contributors for the Express in their win Wednesday at Langley also chipped in Friday night.
Leone taps in OT winner - Photo courtesy of Damon James
Alex Ambrosio picked up where he left off Wednesday where he scored into an empty net to seal the win opened the scoring Friday. His linemates Jonathan Irving and Keegan Jones worked to get the puck out of the defensive zone. Then Jones broke away with Ambrosia on a two on one and Jones laid a perfect pass across to Ambrosio who finished off his third of the season on the backhand.
That goal gave the Express some momentum which led to at least three good scoring chances only to be turned away by Matthew Galajda who kept the Express lead at just one.
Former Express Dante Hahn had a hand in pulling the Grizzlies even late in the first period when he made a pass out from behind the Express net to find Brayden Gelsinger who slid a shot under Howat to tie the game at one after the first period.
McIlMurray had two assists - Photo courtesy of Damon James
Colton Kerfoot tied the game at four for the Express Wednesday in Langley. Friday, he gave the Express a 2-1 lead when he took the puck to the net from the right wing side flipping the puck over the glove of Galajda. That made up for a breakaway opportunity Kerfoot missed earlier in the period when he again tried to lift the puck over the glove of the Victoria goaltender.
1:27 later the Express added to their lead with Jack Surowiec scoring for a second straight game ripping home a wrist shot from the slot. Linemates Kerfoot and Austin McIlmurray picked up the helpers. McIlMurray finished with two assists.
Like the first period, Victoria struck late in the second period. The puck came free to Nick Guiney and from the circle he beat Howat with a shot top shelf.
Eric Udahl throws a hit - Photo courtesy of Damon James
The Grizzlies caught a break in the third period to pull even. Keyvan Mokhtari from the corner threw the puck in front and it bounced in off Cody Van Lierop to tie the score at three.
Then the goaltenders took over to send the game to overtime. Howat shut the door as the Grizzlies had an edge in play after pulling even.
At the other end Galajda shut the Express down when tested with 13 third period shots sent his way.
So for the second straight meeting between the teams it went past 60 minutes. Charlie Barrow was the overtime hero for the Express in Victoria on October 1st.
Nothing was settled in the first overtime of 5 minutes 4 on 4.
The most important lesson for all players in 3 on 3 is puck management.
The Express capitalized on a Grizzlies mistake to set up the winner. A Victoria defenceman swept the puck around behind his own net but didn't have a partner back to support him. Luca Leone got on his horse and raced the puck to set up Kerfoot alone in front of the Victoria net, Kerfoot was patient and waited for Leone to go to the net and Kerfoot set up Leone for a tap in to give the Express the 4-3 victory. The loss snapped Victoria's winning streak at 5 games.
Tyger Howat made 34 saves - Photo courtesy of Damon James
Leone scored his second goal in as many games. Kerfoot finished with 1 goal and 2 assists while on his way to first star honors.
It was also a pretty clean game with only one power play in the game going to Victoria in the second period.
Tyger Howat finished with 34 saves for his 5th win of the season.
The two wins for the Express will go a long way to help prepare for a big test next week for a pair of games with Penticton and a visit from Wenatchee. Friday the Vees extended their winning streak to 21 straight games with a win in West Kelowna.
