Surrey Soars Past Prince George

VS
1                                  Final Score                                      4
LeBrun	Goal Scorers	McAvoy, Hermary, Darius Davidson (2)
42	Total Shots	34
13	1st Period Shots	12
15	2nd Period Shots	6
14	3rd Period Shots	16
1 for 8	Power Play	1 for 4
	3rd Star	Daniel Davidson
	2nd Star	Darius Davidson
	1st Star	Donovan Ott
0-4-0-0	Current Record	1-3-0-1

Shot the puck. That was the message for the game against the Surrey Eagles, and the Spruce Kings did just that in Sunday’s contest. Unfortunately for the team only one of their 42 shots found the mesh. Daniel Davidson made one outstanding save while sprawled out in a snow angel position, but other than that he wasn’t challenged too much.

Jake LeBrun got things, and finally scored the team’s first goal of the season while on the power play. After a cross ice feed from Alex Stoley, he walked in from the circle, and sniped one home for Prince George. The goal looked promising for the team, as they had been shutout in the previous two games, and only had one goal all season. Corey Hoffman picked up the second assist on the play, and is now the leading scorer for the Spruce Kings with a goal and an assist.

Prince George would get another two power plays in the period, but couldn’t capitalize on either. Adam Burnett took an early penalty in the second which the Spruce Kings killed off thanks to Surrey taking a penalty moments after. PG would then get three power plays in a row, with the last of the three being a four minute penalty against Gary Dhaliwal. Surrey would kill off the majority of the penalty, and near the end had a shorthanded three-on-one with Donovan Ott breaking down the right side, and feeding Paul McAvoy cross ice who scored to tie the game.

That goal would get the home crowd into it, and seemed to stun the Spruce Kings.

In the third, a bad line change was recognized by Owen Johnson, and he fired the puck up to Donovan Ott who skated down, and again was the setup man passing the puck across to Matthew Hermary, which made for Surrey’s first lead of the hockey game. Two minutes later Nic Ponak took a hitting from behind penalty, and the Eagles wasted no time scoring just fourteen seconds into the man advantage. Ty Westgard was behind the net, and passed it out to Darius Davidson who blasted one past Sam Tanguay.

Prince George would pull the goalie, and Surrey took advantage as Alex Stoley had the puck for his team, but Darius Davidson again swooped in, and batted at Stoley’s stick knocking it backwards, and sending the puck into the empty cage.

The win marked Surrey’s first victory of the season, after dropping their last three all at home. Prince George is now winless in four games, and will be in search of their first win next weekend during the Bauer BCHL Showcase taking place in Chilliwack.

Special Teams Battle

            “Langley won the special teams battle, and I think in most cases if you win that battle you’re going to win a lot of hockey games,” said Assistant Coach, Adam Maglio before the game in Surrey. The Spruce Kings won that fight in the first, and had a lead because of it. They scored on the power play, and were extremely disciplined not taking a single penalty during the period. Things would break down in the second though as they failed to convert on a number of man advantages, and would eventually give up a shorthanded goal. Darius Davidson would also score in the third on the power play, giving the Eagles a two goal cushion.

Terrific Tanguay

            Although allowing five goals on Saturday against Langley, the coaches were happy with Sam Tanguay’s first game as a Spruce King. In the second game he was just as spectacular, making a number of highlight reel saves. The only pucks that did get past him were on a pair of odd man rushes, and then on the power play. Something that has stood out so far for the Quebec netminder is his rebound control, as he has been excellent at swallowing up pucks, or kicking them out of play or into the corners.