The Surrey Eagles never trailed Chilliwack Saturday night at the Prospera Centre; that is until (literally) the last second of double overtime when the Chiefs’ captain came up clutch for the extra point.
Game-winning goal aside, Micheal Botiz in his second start between the pipes as a Surrey Eagle was phenomenal, standing firm at the goal line and keeping his team a float, even in the extra two periods after regulation; he stopped 39 of 44. On the other side of the rink, Mark Sinclair didn’t see much action until the third period when Surrey’s seven shots in the frame were close to entering his cage; he would stop 22 of 26.
Surrey struck first in the game on the power-play, a wrister went off the mid-stick of Jeffrey Stewart only to be redirected by Desi Burgart for his fourth of the season. After Chilliwack tied it up 4:38 later, Burgart would come up clutch again, skating around the cage and centering his pass to an open Robert Johnson, allowing the US Air-Force committed forward to net his first of the season. The Chiefs would tie it up once more before a Surrey two-on-one would result in a 3-2 lead after the opening period, courtesy of Darius Davidson.
Chilliwack’s captain would keep Surrey’s one-goal lead short-lived; Jordan Kawaguchi scored a sharp-angled snipe just 70 seconds into the middle frame. The goal would be followed by gritty altercations throughout the periods, including a fight between Dario Piva and Chilliwack’s Linden Hora. Defenceman Jacob Dupont received a double-minor near period’s end, which would carry on into the final 20 minutes.
As the third period began, Surrey’s special teams killed off Dupont’s four-minute sin-bin sit, and was quickly rewarded by a breakaway goal by the Waterloo, Quebec native fresh out of the box. Chiefs’ offensive-force Linden Hora would net his third of the season and the game would be sent to overtime. After nothing was solved in the first five minutes, double-overtime was needed and while the Eagles had great chances to nab their second win of the season, it was Jordan Kawaguchi’s key placing in the offensive zone that got him the pass from rookie Tommy Lee, finding an opening through Botiz in the last second of the game.
Surrey’s record is now 1-6-1-0, while Chilliwack improves to 5-3-0-0.
Darius Davidson’s two-on-one lamp-lighter was enough to be named the game’s third star, while Linden Hora and Jordan Kawaguchi of Chilliwack picked up the first and second stars respectively.
Chiefs’ forward Kale Kane was awarded the Fortis BC Energy Player of the Game.
The Surrey Eagles will now head out on their first Interior Division road trip of the season, trekking to Vernon and Salmon Arm. The boys in green return to the nest on Thursday October 13th, hoping to halt the Coquitlam Express after falling to them in the home-opener; puck drop goes for 6:30PM. Fans who purchase tickets at the South Surrey Arena will receive a FREE hot-dog and drink as part of the Eagles’ experience.
