by Eddie Gregory
Friday’s 3-0 shutout win for the Express in Surrey wasn’t just another BCHL game in the 2nd weekend of the season. This one was a little more emotional for goaltender Clay Stevenson who posted his 3rd career BCHL shutout. Click here for boxscore.
The veteran Express netminder was making his first start of the season after his mother passed away last week. Clay didn’t dress for the first game of the season last week in Langley and Thomas Wardle posted the victory while everyone’s thoughts were with Clay.
This game was the first one for Clay’s teammates to play for the Dartmouth commit.
Nick Carabin got things rolling for the Express blasting a rolling puck for his first BCHL goal on the powerplay set up by Gregory Lapointe for a 1-0 lead just past the seven minute mark. Carabin’s goal was the 5th powerplay goal for the Express on the young season after potting four in Langley last week. The powerplay finished 1 for 3.
Midway through the period Stevenson made three saves in quick succession to preserve the Express lead. His best save of the frame saw him deny Christophe Tellier on a breakaway. All told he finished with 15 saves in the opening 20 minutes.
The Express expanded their lead in the blink of an eye in the second period. Carabin potted his second of the night with a point shot at 3:29 for a 2-0 lead assisted by Connor Gregga and Noah De La Durantaye.
Then right off the ensuing face-off Joe Borthwick fired a great pass up the middle on the tape of Bradley Ong who scored for a second straight game on a breakaway just 12 seconds after Carabin’s goal for a 3-0 Express lead.
The Express had their chances to expand their lead in the second and third periods, but couldn’t get another one past Eagles goaltender Thomas Scarfone.
That set the stage for Stevenson to close out the game in style.
He used his leg strength to get his pad flat along the ice and hold the puck out as Akash Bains tried to jam it in.
With two minutes to play Stevenson got his right pad down to stop Tellier on a great chance back door. That was followed with two quick leg saves with 90 seconds to play.
He capped off his 3rd career BCHL shutout with a shoulder save off Tellier in the final seconds.
Stevenson finished with 39 saves. And it was his second consecutive shutout in Surrey dating back to the final regular season meeting last season. It was hard not to notice a little extra emotion off the ice as the players came off the bench to celebrate the shutout and the win with Stevenson.
The Express will be back in Langley next Friday before their home opener the next night vs. Chilliwack.
