A raucous night at the Train Station comes to a close with a score of 5-1 in favour of the visiting side. Alberni Valley came in with the goal of making a statement in mind and accomplished it they did. Hayden Stavroff got things going by finishing off a cross feed from Jax Wismer 9:54 into the first frame and they never looked back. Stavroff would finish with a hat trick including an empty netter as the Bulldogs channelled efficiency scoring 5 goals on 32 shots overall.
The Express were no slouches themselves though as they controlled a lion’s share of the 5 on 5 play, just struggled to finish when it mattered most. Michael Rubin was the perpetrator of the lone goal for the home side when he was able to bang home a gift given to him by Callum Tung, Alberni’s netminder. Tung failed toi cover the puck and Rubin came streaking in to hammer it home.
That would be the only blemish on Tung’s stellar record in this one as he stopped 39 of 40, which is his 3rd win in a row dating back to the preseason.
Several players played with purpose and high energy for Coquitlam including Jackson Krill who came away with the Fortis BC energy player of the game honours. He was big around the crease and got to all the right areas, finishing checks and being a solid piece of the offensive and defensive pressure.
Your Mariner Brewing 3 Stars are:
3rd Michael Rubin (1G)
2nd Callum Tung (39 Saves)
1st Hayden Stavroff (3G)
Next up for the Express is another home game tomorrow night against the Surrey Eagles. The first Mainland cup game for both sides as they look to continue an epic rivalry from last season that saw several incredible contests.
– Ian
