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Surrey Eagles fall to Chiefs in first two BCHL exhibition games

Both preseason contests played at Chilliwack Coliseum
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The BC Hockey League’s exhibition season didn’t start especially well for the Surrey Eagles, after a pair of road losses to the Chilliwack Chiefs last weekend.

The Eagles, who have been on the ice training at South Surrey Arena for the last month, lost their first preseason game 6-2 to the Chiefs on Oct. 2, and two days later – also at Chilliwack Coliseum – lost the rematch, 5-2.

The Chiefs opened the scoring just 2:47 into the first period when Brett Rylance beat Surrey goalkeeper Thomas Scarfone, and Kienan Draper – who was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the seventh round of the NHL Draft Wednesday – made it 2-0 just 52 seconds into the second period.

Less than three minutes later, however, new Surrey Eagle Michael Abgrall – who was acquired in a recent trade with the Powell River Kings – made it 2-1 with a goal of his own. The Chiefs added two more goals before the second intermission, as well as two more in the third to extend the lead.

Surrey’s other goal came early in the third period, off the stick of Carter King.

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“Wasn’t the result that we wanted… This is most of these guys first game in six, seven months. We saw some good stuff, saw some stuff we need to work on,” Surrey head coach Cam Keith said in a game recap posted to the team’s website.

“Overall, we’re happy with some of the younger player’s performances.”

Scarfone stopped 34 shots in the loss.

In the second game, Draper scored twice in the first period and completed the hat trick in the third frame, while former Eagle Wyatt Schlaht and Ethan Bowen also scored for Chilliwack. Surrey goals were notched by rookie Cole Galata and King.

For at least the next few months – until the BCHL regular season begins – the Eagles will play exhibition games in a four-team cohort with their fellow Lower Mainland Division clubs in Langley, Coquitlam and Chilliwack.

Surrey and Chilliwack play again Friday in Chilliwack, with a rematch set for Oct. 16 at South Surrey Arena, assuming the game is allowed to go ahead. Surrey is not yet in a phase of its return-to-play plan that allows for five-on-five games.



sports@peacearchnews.com

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