In a fast, penalty-free game Friday night (May 17), Surrey Eagles skated to a 6-0 shutout win over Penticton Vees in Game 1 of their Fred Page Cup championship series.
South Surrey Arena was buzzing during the B.C. Hockey League battle, which continues Saturday (May 18) with Game 2 set to start at 7 p.m.
First-star Eagles goaltender Ajeet Gundarah stopped all 28 shots for the win, and six different Surrey skaters scored on Vees puck-stoppers Andrew Ness and Will Ingemann, who started but was chased from the cage after allowing four goals on 10 shots.
Zachary Wagnon scored first for Surrey, just four minutes in, and the goals kept coming from Ante Zlomislic, Ryan Evenhuis, Nathan Oickle, Micah Berger and Evan Brown.
• RELATED: Mayors of Penticton, Surrey make bet ahead of BCHL Finals
Heck of a save by Gundarah, then @SurreyEagles score at other end, now 3-0 over @PentictonVees nearly halfway through 2nd period in South Surrey. @BCHockeyLeague #FredPageCup pic.twitter.com/YQ2jFcFfxZ
— Tom Zillich (@TomZillich) May 18, 2024
Tic-tac-toe to make it 6-0! The Eagles are flying high tonight as they're only 13 minutes away from a 1-0 series lead.
— BCHL (@BCHockeyLeague) May 18, 2024
🎙: @_JoeyPitt #BCHLPlayoffs | @SurreyEagles pic.twitter.com/ViWuWv1OC6
The Vees, whose roster is loaded with college-committed players including four drafted by NHL teams, have won back-to-back Fred Page Cup titles and are looking to be the BCHL’s first “three-peat” championship team since Vernon Vipers from 2009 to 2011.
Lineups for Game 1 of @BCHockeyLeague championship series, @SurreyEagles vs @PentictonVees. pic.twitter.com/tVS7AOA2UI
— Tom Zillich (@TomZillich) May 18, 2024
This is the second time Surrey and Penticton have met in the league finals, first in 2013. That year, the Eagles beat the Vees in six games to win the Fred Page Cup, and Penticton has since won four BCHL titles. A Lower Mainland-based team hasn’t won the trophy since Coquitlam Express did so in 2014.
The series’ remaining schedule:
• Game 2 - Saturday, May 18, South Surrey Arena, 7 p.m.
• Game 3 - Tuesday, May 21, South Okanagan Events Centre, 7 p.m.
• Game 4 - Wednesday, May 22, South Okanagan Events Centre, 7 p.m.
• Game 5* - Friday, May 24, South Surrey Arena, 7:30 p.m.
• Game 6* - Sunday, May 26, South Okanagan Events Centre, 5 p.m.
• Game 7* - Tuesday, May 28, South Surrey Arena, 7:15 p.m.
*if necessary
• RELATED: BCHL’s 1st ever ‘exceptional status’ player commits to Penticton Vees.
- with files from Logan Lockhart