The Coquitlam Express took on the Powell River Kings in a matinee clash Saturday afternoon and it was a banger! The Express got the better of the Kings in a 13-goal affair, winning 7-6.
It was a reserved first period, but a physical first period for the Express. Despite the physicality, it was the Kings who got on the board first and went on to carry the one-goal lead into the first intermission. The Kings started the second on the man advantage and made the Express pay, quickly making it 2-0.
Notably, Sam Marit got vocal on the Express bench following the goal, trying to rally the troops and not let the game slip away like it did the night prior against the Surrey Eagles. Shortly after that, captain Danny Pearson made a sweet dish over to Will Dow-Kenny who put in his first of the year to cut the lead in half. The Kings went on to add another one and go up 3-1, but after that, it was all Express in the second. The train scored three unanswered and ended up taking a 4-3 lead into the room. It’s hard not to think back to Marit’s rally speech on the bench early in the frame.
The third period took on a similar look to the high-scoring second, as six more would end up being scored in a back-and-forth 20 minutes. Bohn, James Bohn would be the hero, floating in a wrister from the point to give the Express the final lead of the game with just over seven minutes remaining. They would go on to fend off the final surge from the Kings and close out the game for their first win of the season.
It’s easy to pick out one of the 13 goals as the biggest play in the game, but one could definitely argue that Sam Marit’s rally speech from the bench was in fact the most important. It was certainly a turning point for the Express, who looked like they might let the game slip away from them again. In this pod season with no fans in attendance, the teams will need to look inward for motivation – moments like Marit’s speech are what will fuel teams and help them find success.
The Express’ next game will not be until April 8th, when they get a second crack at the Surrey Eagles.
#AllAboard
