The Christmas break did not do the Surrey Eagles any favours.
The BC Hockey League team was riding a three-game winning streak heading into the holidays, but lost twice to the lowly Chilliwack Chiefs in their return to the ice last weekend.
On Saturday at South Surrey Arena, Surrey was grounded 5-3 by the Chiefs, and Sunday at Chilliwack’s Prospera Centre lost the rematch, 5-2.
The losses knocked the Eagles’ record to 16-21-1-0, while the Chiefs – who sit behind Surrey in the Mainland Division – improved to 10-26-1-2. Prior to the two victories over Surrey, the Chiefs had one just once in their last dozen games.
In Saturday’s game, the Chiefs used a dominant second period to secure the win. After Nic Pierog gave the Eagles a 1-0 lead midway through the first period – with Joseph Drapluk and Danton Heinen assisting – Chilliwack scored three unanswered goals in the middle frame to stake themselves to a 3-1 lead.
Jaret Babych – son of former Vancouver Canuck defenceman Dave Babych – and Kurt Black scored less than two minutes apart, and Blake Gober scored the third goal before the second intermission.
In the third, Chiefs’ sniper Austin Plevy made it 4-1 with a power-play tally.
Surrey’s Braeden Russell cut the lead to 4-2 six minutes later, and Chilliwack’s Tanner Cochrane and Eagle’s Mitchel Fyffe rounded out the scoring.
Devon Fordyce was tagged with the loss in net for the Birds.
In the Sunday rematch, Surrey trailed 3-1 after the opening 20 minutes, as Ben Butcher scored twice and Mathieu Tibbett added one. Fyffe scored for the Eagles.
In the second period, Surrey made it a 3-2 game when Darius Davidson scored 4:08 into the frame, but Cochrane replied just 29 seconds later for the home team, and Cooper Rush tacked on an insurance marker later in the period for good measure.
Bo Didur got the start in net for Surrey, but was relieved after the second period by Fordyce, who stopped all nine shots he faced in relief.
