Riding a win streak that is now at four games, the Valley West Hawks have climbed into third place in the BC Hockey Major Midget League.
The Hawks, playing at home for the first time this season Saturday at the Langley Events Centre, defeated the Vancouver Canadians 6-3. A day later in Richmond, they completed the series sweep with a 4-3 victory.
Valley West is now at 4-2-0 and tied for third place with the Okanagan Rockets.
The Canadians scored the first goal of the season in the LEC seven minutes into the game, but trailed 2-1 after 20 minutes after a pair of Langley products both found the back of the net.
Luke Gingras tied the game less than a minute later and then set up James Malm for a power-play goal 10 minutes later.
Surrey forwards Erik Bocale and Trevor Ayre sandwiched goals around the second Canadians score of the contest in the second period, which ended with the Hawks up 4-2. Valley West added to their total in the first half of the third period, with Gingras notching his second of the game and Logan Webber of Surrey scoring his first.
Defenceman Cole MacEwen of Langley had three assists in the game.
In Sunday’s rematch in Richmond, the Hawks erased a pair of one-goal deficits and were tied 2-2 after two periods.
Ayre knotted the score at 1-1 two minutes into the second period, then Malm made it 2-2 after 40 minutes. The Langley forward collected three points in his first two games of the season after an injury kept him out of the first four contests.
Gingras put the Hawks up 3-2 26 seconds into into the third period, a lead which lasted just two minutes. Surrey defenceman Bradley Stonnell got the winning goal with 13 minutes to play, assisted by Ayre, his third helper and fourth point of the game.
“Sunday was a character win for our club. We were playing catch up for most of the game and were shorthanded for half the game,” said Hawks head coach Jessie Leung.
“Credit to our leadership group and special teams for weathering the storm and coming back for the win.
“Malm was certainly worth the wait. He adds another dimension to our club that will give our opposition fits.”
Gingras with seven goals and six assists, and Ayre with four goals and nine assists, are tied for third in the league scoring race with 13 points each.
The Hawks will travel to Nelson next weekend for games Saturday and Sunday with the 2-4 Kootenay Ice.
