Oct. 14 – Despite dropping Friday night’s game against the Langley Rivermen, the Express were able to bounce back with a spirited effort in a 3-2 victory over Merritt on Saturday night.
Friday night’s match had everything a hockey fan would want to see. The momentum shifted back and forth through the first 40 minutes, due in large part to the performances of the men between the pipes. Langley’s, Steve Myland, made some acrobatic saves on what appeared to be sure Express goals. It wasn’t until the mid-way point of the 2nd Period when a 5-on-4 powerplay resulted in a one-time goal off the stick of Bo Pieper. Gordie Defiel would go save for save with Myland, as the Express were outshot 10-9 in the frame.
The 3rd Period brought with it a more physical style of play, which opened up space for skilled rushes by both teams. On this night, it was Langley that took advantage of these opportunities. Early in the Period, Jakob Reichert dropped a pass between his legs just as he was hit. Nathan Craft scooped up the loose puck which he buried low on Defiel. It would prove to be the game winner. Kevan Kilitsoff’s insurance marker was the result of puck control and a little luck by Charlie Pelnik. A great back-check by Corey Mackin almost resulted in a strip of the puck, but Pelnik stuck with it and tapped it to Kilitsoff who was left with an open cage in front of the net.
The win put Langley in sole possession of 1st Place in the Mainland Division, 3 points ahead of the Express.
Fortis BC Energy Player of the Game: Steve Myland
Scotiabank 3 Stars: 1) Steve Myland 2) Jakob Reichert 3) Gordie Defiel
On Saturday night, the team took to Merritt looking to revenge their loss from the night before.
The Express came out of the gates like a team on a mission. They controlled the puck the majority of the 1st Period, coming away with 2 goals on 12 shots. Cody Boyd opened the scoring with his first career BCHL goal, while Daniell Lange also tallied with a nice backhand finish close to the net.
Early in the 2nd frame, it was evident that the game was turning into a dogfight. As the Centennials often do, they regained momentum through a solid team game. An early powerplay goal by Diego Cuglietta made it seem as if Merritt was poised for a comeback. But Canon Pieper had different ideas, scoring the Express’ 3rd goal. Pittsburgh draft choice and Merritt D-Man, Dane Birks, tried to will his team back into it with several rushes that originated in his own zone. One of these such rushed resulted in a Devin Oakes deflection, bringing the Cents back within a lone goal. Gordie Defiel was solid down the stretch and an Empty Net goal would seal the Express victory.
Fortis BC Energy Player of the Game: Rhett Willcox
Scotiabank 3 Stars: 1) Gordie Defiel 2) Daniell Lange 3) Devin Oakes
The Express take the ice tomorrow for a rare Wednesday night game. The Surrey Eagles come to town looking to avenge two early season losses to our Express. Puck drop is at 7:00pm at the Poirier Sports & Leisure Complex.
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