The Coquitlam Express visited the Surrey Eagles Sunday afternoon in what was the final game played in the Coquitlam POD, and the 10th meeting between these two clubs. The Eagles flew on to secure a 5-1 win and finished the season on a 13-game win streak.
The Express were in the hockey game through 20 minutes of play, playing pretty sound defence and even generating some offensive zone time. Regardless, the Eagles’ offensive potency broke through and they owned a two-goal lead at the first intermission.
The second period was a different story, as the Eagles went to work on four of their five power plays in the game – they scored two power play goals, which were the only two markers in the frame.
Following that, things got chippy and the Express saw their bench dismantled by game ejections as a number of fights broke out. We do not envy the officials in this one, as they were very busy closing out the season. With little-to-no reinforcements on the bench, the Express faded away for the majority of the final period and made up no ground in terms of a comeback.
This Express team had their ups and downs this season, but they really started to find their identity in the tail end of the season. It’s very unfortunate that the season is so short, as it looked like this team might start to string together a healthy number of wins.
Next season, they’re going to have a much different-looking club. Five 20-year-olds are moving on, and some players on loan will be returning to their regular teams at the start of next season – most notably, Keeton Oakley and Tyler Schleppe, who finished first and second in team scoring. With that being said, the youthful core of this team showed a lot of promise and there’s a lot to look forward to next season.
Two names that really stand out in terms of next-season potential are rookies Austin Fraser and Matthew Campbell. Fraser finished this season with 10 points in 20 games and really showcased his potential to be a very prominent power forward in the BCHL. Campbell finished the season with eight points in 17 games from the back end and consistently developed as the season went on – his confidence grew each game and so did his strong play, which is highlighted by smooth-skating, offensive upside, and a gritty style of play.
Thank you to all of those people who supported the Express during these strange times. Hopefully, we’ll be able to get some fans in the building for next season!
#allaboard
