September 27th- Fans were treated to an entertaining night at the Poirier Sports and Leisure Complex for the second straight Friday, with a game that went right down to the wire. Having their three-game win streak broken at the hands of Langley last Friday, the Coquitlam Express looked to start a new win streak, in the first of two games at home versus the Prince George Spruce Kings.
In the First Period, the Spruce Kings kept Coquitlam goaltender Gordie Defiel busy with some relentless early pressure, which resulted in some stellar saves. Spruce Kings forward Bryant Christian was sprung in on a breakaway, only to be denied by Defiel's glove hand. During a Spruce King powerplay, Mitch Eden's one-timer from the point looked to be labeled for the back of the net, but Defiel was up to task, as he made the save while leaving no rebound. On the same penalty minutes later, Coquitlam's Corey Mackin created two great short handed shots single handedly, but was denied each time by Prince George goaltender Jesse Jenks.
With 41 seconds to go in the First Period, Coquitlam broke through thanks to a Joey Santucci tally. Santucci took a pass from Adam Rockwood and sniped a wrist-shot into the top right corner, past the glove of Jenks. An exciting ending to a period which saw the Express out shoot the Spruce Kings eleven to seven.
Gordie Defield started off the Second Period again under pressure. Luckily for the Express, he was still on top of his game, making stops on both the initial shot and the rebound off the the stick of Prince George forward Jeremiah Luedtke. At the 4:11 mark, Bo Pieper doubled the lead for Coquitlam scoring his seventh goal of the year. Pieper took a pass from Adam Rockwood at centre ice, carried the puck in, and much like Santucci's goal in the First, rifled in a wrister glove side.
Spruce Kings cut the lead in half two minute later with a little puck luck. Bryant Christian's first shot was saved nicely by Defiel but slightest of touches on the rebound by Christian was somehow able to trickle over the line. Tempers flared later in the period between Riley Hawes and Coquitlam's Matthew Berry-Lamontagna when the two got tangled up shortly at centre ice, resulting in fighting penalties for both players.
The Spruce Kings were able to equalize in the Third Period, after a scramble in front of the Coquitlam net. Brent Lashuk was first to the puck potting his second goal of the year. Karan Toor gave Prince George the lead at 15:58 of the Third Period, setting up a frantic finish. The Exrpess threw everything to the net in the final minutes but were unable to generate an equalizer. Despite the loss the Express out shot the Spruce Kings 30 to 22.
The Express are now 3-2-1 on the season and with seven points, they sit third in the Mainland Division standings. Good news for Coquitlam fans; their team gets a second chance to top Prince George in two days time, when the teams square off again Sunday afternoon.
