The Langley Rivermen hit the midway mark of the season in top spot in their division.
The junior A hockey club faced a huge home-and-home series with the Surrey Eagles over the weekend, sweeping both ends to extend their lead atop the BCHL’s Mainland Division.
The Rivermen improved to 15-5-9-0 after winning 6-1 at South Surrey Arena on Friday and then 3-1 the following night at George Preston Recreation Centre.
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Langley leads the division by six points over the Prince George Spruce Kings as they get set for the second half of the 58-game regular season.
Overall, Langley sits fifth in the 17-team BCHL in winning percentage at .672, thanks in large part to just five regulation losses, which is tied with the Penticton Vees.
The Rivermen trailed Surrey 1-0 after 20 minutes on Friday before blowing the game open with a four-goal second period. Connor Marshall had two of the goals, while Nicholas Ponak and Tanner Versluis (on a penalty shot) had the others. John Wojciechowski and Devin Leduc rounded out the scoring in the third.
John Wesley — the former Vancouver Giant — was the lone Eagle to beat Braedon Fleming, who stopped 25 of 26 shots.
Fleming got the call again the next night, and once again stopped 25 shots.
Angus Crookshank and Marshall staked the Rivermen to a 2-0 lead 8:08 into the game. Surrey’s Desi Burgart got the Eagles on the board before intermission. But Versluis restored the two-goal advantage in the second period.
The Rivermen have won five of their past six games as they enter their final game of November on Wednesday (Nov. 29) in Coquitlam against the Express. The Rivermen are 5-2-3-0 this month.
sports@langleytimes.com
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