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Surrey Eagles run BCHL win streak to four after successful weekend

Junior hockey team has now won four straight after wins over Salmon Arm, Coquitlam and Prince George
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Garrett James photo Surrey Eagles goalie Nic Tallarico keeps his eye on a loose puck during a game Friday night against the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.

The Surrey Eagles are flying high after a three-win weekend that saw them pull into a third-place tie in the BC Hockey League’s Mainland Division.

The suddenly surging Birds – who have now won four straight, and six of the last seven – began the weekend Friday at South Surrey Arena with a 4-3 overtime win over the visiting Salmon Arm Silverbacks, before taking the show on the road Saturday, where they edged the Coquitlam Express, 4-2.

The Semiahmoo Peninsula squad wrapped up their busy weekend schedule Sunday afternoon with a come-from-behind victory over the Prince George Spruce Kings – a team Eagles head coach Brandon West had previously cited as among the best in the league, but who are now just one point up on Surrey in the division.

With the weekend sweep, the Eagles are now above .500 with a record of 9-8-1-1 (win-loss-overtime loss-tie).

Against the Silverbacks Friday, defenceman Jackson Ross played the role of hero with the overtime winner 3:10 into the extra frame, scoring on a terrific one-man effort that saw him rush the puck from centre-ice, slice between two Salmon Arm defenders and fire a wrist-shot back goalkeeper Kyle Dumba.

Salmon Arm had a 2-0 lead in the second period – Trey Thomas gave the visitors a 1-0 lead in the first, and Marcus Mitchell’s seventh of the year make it 2-0 early in the middle frame – but Eagles’ captain Jordan Robert got the home side on the board a few minutes later.

With the Silverbacks up 3-1, Eagles’ Perry Winfree scored his first of the year to close the gap, and 5:32 into the third, Aaron White tied the game.

Nic Tallarico – a former Silverback – made 28 saves in the Eagles net to earn the win.

Tallarico’s counterpart in the Eagles’ crease, Daniel Davidson, drew the start for the team Saturday in Coquitlam, and stopped 26 of 28 shots en route to the W.

John Wesley scored twice – he’s currently tied with Wenatchee’s Jasper Weatherby for the league lead in goals, with 14 – while White and Ryan Brushett also found the back of the net.

Sunday’s game against the Spruce Kings was a wild affair in front of an announced crowd of nearly 700 as the home team needed a third-period comeback to earn two points in the standings.

Neither team scored in a tight-checking first period, and Surrey forward Jeff Stewart finally broke the scoreless draw just over a minute into the second period to put the Eagles up by a goal.

The slim lead lasted only about six minutes, however, as Prince George’s Kyle Johnson was able to get a puck past Tallarico to tie the game.

Four minutes later, Ethan de Jong scored, and the visitors went into the second intermission with a 2-1 lead.

The third period, however, was dominated by the Eagles, as they scored three goals on just eight shots to stake themselves to a two-goal lead.

Desi Burgart, Domenic Masellis and Cody Shiavon scored for Surrey, while Ty Westgard picked up a pair of assists. The two helpers boosted Westgard – a South Surrey resident – into a first-place tie for the BCHL scoring lead, alongside three others.

As the calendar turns to November, the Eagles will prepare for another homestand – they’ll square off against Chilliwack Friday night at South Surrey Arena, and on Sunday will host the Merritt Centennials.