Never let it be said that the Express do things without gusto. The five-game losing skid has officially come to a close at the hands of a Thomas Zocco overtime winner. The path to that glorious moment was forged through a 60-minute-plus battle where Coquitlam stuck together and fought as a team to the end.
Langley and Coquitlam both put their cards on the table tonight and played the hand they were dealt. The Rivermen needed two points to secure their playoff berth and Coquitlam desperately desired to end their losing streak and build momentum for the second season. Only one of those dreams could become reality, and to the dismay of the home fans in attendance, the Express were graced with the Hockey Gods’ favour.
The opening 20 minutes went by with the Rivermen securing a one-goal lead thanks to Keenan Ingram’s 10th goal of the campaign. He knocked a clearing attempt down at the blueline before feeding a nice pass to Ryan Schelling, only to be denied by a brilliant stop from Andrew Ness. Schelling stuck with it and re-centered the puck to a waiting Ingram who capitalized.
Coquitlam bounced back in the second period to tie the game courtesy of a Canadian Tire Powerplay goal. Mason Kesselring let a howitzer go from the right circle that ricocheted off the cross bar to James Shannon, who then had his shot blocked, before Nate Crema finally put the puck home past a sliding Dylan Johnson.
Things were well in hand with the Express buzzing from tying the game until Ben Portner stole a defensive zone pass and walked in front of the goal. Coquitlam did not react in time to challenge the former Cowichan Capital before he roofed the puck over Ness.
That is where the score stayed all the way until the 15:16 mark of the third when Trip Pendy struck paydirt with his seventh goal of the season. A shot from the slot found its way home in the top half of the goal and the contest was once again knotted up. Langley wanted no part of sudden death OT so they pushed the entire rest of the period. This culminated in a Ryan Schelling centering feed that went perfectly to a waiting teammate at the back door. The one-time tap-in was denied by a full-splits save from Andrew Ness who threw himself to the back post and got there in time. That denial came with under a minute to go and set the stage for Thomas Zocco to work his magic in OT.
Coquitlam only needed 55 seconds in the extra frame to seal the deal. Two faceoffs won by the Express gave them two critical possessions and on the second, they cashed in. The Staten Island Stallion ended his three game points drought with an end-to-end rush capped off with an inside-outside deke and low-glove shot that fooled Johnson.
A pretty goal from a guy that took a beating throughout the game and kept on kicking. The Express needed this one tonight and they banded together to make it happen.
James Shannon came away with the third star of the game honours as he netted the primary assist on Nate Crema’s goal but that selection goes far deeper. Captain Coquitlam led by example and then some with his pure hustle and heart tonight. He was there on every forecheck, sprinted the length of the ice multiple times to hassle the Rivermen and chase down loose pucks, and he dug in defensively. When he headed off on changes you could tell that every ounce of himself was left on the ice. That effort was infectious and spread to just about every guy up and down the roster. In a very fitting moment, after the game, Nicole O’Brien, the wife of the late CST Rick O’Brien, presented a challenge coin in Rick’s honour to James for his efforts tonight. The Rivermen were hosting their First Responders’ Night and Nicole was there in support to drop the ceremonial puck.
One game remains on the schedule and that is our Fan Appreciation Night, Saturday at the Poirier. The Victoria Grizzlies are in town and playoff seeding is on the line. We are so grateful for the support our fans have granted us this season, so it is only right to pay that back. We are also celebrating our 20-year-olds as they play their final regular season hockey games of their Junior careers.
FORTIS BC ENERGY PLAYER – Sebastian Bradshaw
MARINER BREWING THREE STARS
3rd – COQ – James Shannon – 1A
2nd – LAN – Dylan Johnson – 38 Saves on 41 Shots
1st – COQ – Thomas Zocco – Overtime Winner
– Ian Wilson
