The Surrey Eagles were not able to build on their first win of 2019 last week – a 4-3 victory over the Cowichan Valley Capitals – dropping three straight games to their BC Hockey League Mainland Division foes.
Last Wednesday, the last-place Eagles picked up a single point but were edged in overtime 6-5 by the Coquitlam Express, before losing a pair of games to the Chilliwack Chiefs on Friday and Sunday, both at South Surrey Arena.
With the three losses, the Eagles sit fifth in the Mainland Division – and last in the 17-team BCHL – with a record of 9-32-2-2 (win-loss-overtime loss-shootout loss).
Against the Express, Surrey was led by forward Jake Toor – who, incidentally, was acquired by the Eagles from Coquitlam in the summer – who paced the team’s offensive attack with a hat-trick. The three-goal performance was the first of Toor’s BCHL career, in his 100th game.
Toor’s third goal came just 49 seconds into the third period, which temporarily tied the game 4-4, before the Express restored their lead four minutes later. Late in the period, with less that three minutes left, Surrey’s Corey Clifton scored his seventh of the season to tie the game and sent it to overtime.
HIGHLIGHT: Leave it to @coreywclifton to score the late, game-tying goal which sent it to overtime. The tally helped the Eagles secure a much-needed point in the standings. pic.twitter.com/mVXvlKT6GL
— Surrey Eagles (@SurreyEagles) January 16, 2019
In the extra frame, Coquitlam’s Dallas Farrell scored the winner.
After taking three of a possible four points from their previous two games dating back to the Cowichan victory, the Eagles were not as sharp for Friday’s game against the Chiefs. Chilliwack jumped out to a two-goal lead in the first period, before Surrey blueliner Jeremy Smith – recently named the team’s new captain, replacing the traded Ty Westgard – made it 2-1 before the first intermission.
The final score was 5-2 Chiefs.
The Eagles other goal came from rookie Brandon Santa Juana, whose eighth of the year put him in a special category in team history. The Delta Hockey Academy alum became just the third Eagle since 2001 to score at least eight goals as a 16 year old.
Sunday’s game – which the Eagles played with a pair of affiliate-player netminders between the pipes – went about the same for the home squad, as the Chilliwack crew left with a 6-2 win. Max Mohagen and Dawson McKay scored the Eagles’ two goals.
This weekend, the Eagles head out on the road, with a game scheduled Saturday in Powell River, where they’ll take on the Kings, and Sunday in Port Alberni against the Bulldogs.
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