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.

BULLDOGS PREVAIL IN 2OT AFTER EXPRESS RALLY

The Express erased a three goal deficit, but it still wasn't enough as they fell 5-4 in double overtime Sunday afternoon to the Alberni Valley Bulldogs. Click here for boxscore

Both teams were wrapping up a long week. The Express were playing their fourth game in five days. Alberni Valley was playing their third game in as many days after starting their weekend Friday night in Trail.

Early on it was the Bulldogs who looked like the fresher team. Nathan Dingman opened the scoring when his shot from the right wing rang off the goal post but buried the rebound of his original shot beating Tyger Howat with a shot between the pads.

The Bulldogs entered the game with just one win in their last eight games. One of the areas that has hurt Alberni Valley during that time was their penalty kill. It would be one area that would keep the Express in the game.

Charlie Barrow pulled the Express even with a power play goal midway through the first period unleashing a one timer from the left point after a won faceoff in the Bulldogs zone.

The game was only tied for seventeen seconds as Chris Schutz snapped a shot from the slot between the pads of Howat after the Express were soft in their defensive zone coverage after the pass came out from the corner.

Dingman added his second of the game early in the second period standing in front of the Express net and finishing off a feed from Ryan Finnegan and tipping it in from the lip of the blue paint in front of Howat. Finnegan and Quinn Syrydiuk each had a pair of assists on the Dingman goals.

More Express defensive breakdowns led to the fourth Bulldogs goal. Kyle Kauffman found himself alone in front of Howat and he buried the rebound of his own shot for a 4-1 Bulldogs lead just 1:22 after Dingman's goal.

Owen Stout began the Express comeback with a wrist shot from the right wing that beat Brody Claeys over the glove. Sunday's game would be a career afternoon for Stout as he finished with one goal and three assists for four points.

Stout then had a hand on Taylor Green's power play goal that pulled the Express within one. Green providing the screen on the power play tipped Charlie Barrow's point shot. Barrow finished with one goal and an assist and was great all over the ice for the Express Sunday.

The Express played this game with only 11 forwards after Jackson Cressey and Blake Hayward met up with Head Coach Barry Wolff in Leduc Alberta for the start of selection camp for Team Canada West for the upcoming World Junior A Challenge. Midway through the second period the Express were down to 10 forwards after Matt Michie was ejected following his fight after he had to answer the bell for his hit on Quinn Syrydiuk along the boards.

Austin McIlMurray completed the come back for the Express in the third period with the third power play goal for the Express. They finished 3 for 4 on the power play and killed off all three Bulldogs power plays.

Early in overtime the Express had their chances to take the two points. McIlMurray had two good chances in the first two minutes but wasn't able to strike for his second overtime winner of the season.

Alberni Valley prevailed in the first minute of the second overtime as Bulldogs defenseman Paul Meyer beat an Express defenseman to the puck to keep it in the Express end. Then Meyer snapped a shot through the legs of Howat from a sharp angle for the 5-4 Alberni Valley win.

The Bulldogs finished with 49 shots while the Express sent 31 pucks the way of Brody Claeys.

The Express finished their busy four game in five day week picking up three of a possible eight points. They will host the Wenatchee Wild on Wednesday.