Game Story

Surrey Eagles vs Chilliwack Chiefs Pre-Game Report

by Ryan Ho

Back To Chilliwack

CHILLIWACK, BC – Tonight, the Surrey Eagles (6-13-0-1) look to bounce back after a heartbreaker on Friday night against their Mainland Division foes in the heart Fraser Valley, the Chilliwack Chiefs (11-5-3-1). The Chiefs lead the regular season series 2-0 after their 2 wins in October, but the Eagles played very well in both games. Surrey will look to breakthrough and improve to 1-1 in November, and 6-6 against division foes in the 2019-20 B.C Hockey League season.

Tonight, the probable starter looks to be Thomas Scarfone after Cal Schell manned the net last night against the Penticton Vees. As for the roster, well as always, you’ll have to stay tuned to our social media channels for the update later today.

Who To Watch Out For

The Eagles have played well in their past 3 games, almost to the surprise of their opponents, but still haven’t been able to string together a win streak since the first 2 games of the season. The Chiefs on the other hand, are coming into tonight’s game after a big win over the Merritt Centennials and looking for a 3 game win streak. It’s also their first game in November for the Chiefs, who will look to keep the good times rolling. Here are tonight’s key players to watch for both teams.

Surrey Eagles: Cade Alami

The big fella has really grown throughout the season, and has taken his game to new heights ever since he was thrust into the top spot on the right side of the Eagles defense. The former forward has a modest 6 points in 20 games so far, but his defensive game has grown leaps and bounds. Add in some added motivation after a costly gaffe against the Vees, and Eagles fans should look for a fantastic game from the Providence commit tonight.

Chilliwack Chiefs: Kyle Penney

One of the biggest factors in the last game these 2 teams played, Penney scored 2 goals in the 2nd period to put the game out of reach. A member of the Chiefs top line with Ethan Bowen and Joey Larson, Penney has had a respectable campaign with the Chiefs, with 7 goals and 15 points in 20 games played. The Cornell University commit will look to continue his success versus Surrey tonight, looking to shoot the Eagles out of the sky.

3 Keys To The Game

For an Eagles team looking to turn their season around, they’re going to need to start piling up some results soon. Their play has been greatly improved, their defense is better, and they’re generating chances. However, at some point the Eagles need to win some games, and they need to beat the better teams in the league in order to do so. They’ll get another opportunity to beat the Chiefs tonight, but it’s going to require the boys to follow some simple keys in order to get it done. Here are tonight’s 3 keys to the game.

  • Discipline/Penalty Killing: The Eagles penalty kill has let them down in their past 2 games, giving up 4 powerplay goals on 12 chances in their latest 2 game losing streak. While the team goes through some penalty kill struggles, remaining discipline and staying out of the box becomes all the more important. The boys can’t afford to take penalties right now, especially with how good the team is looking at even strength.
  • Scarfone: Scarfone is a key to this game all by himself, and he’ll need to be at his best to help the boys break through against the Chiefs. His last start was against Chilliwack, and he only made it through 20 minutes before his night was over. Look for Scarfone to be at his best tonight to right the ship and get back into the win column.
  • Keep up the strong play: The final key is a nod to the quality of play the Eagles have shown over the last 3 games. Sure, the wins haven’t been there, but the process has. The boys need to keep playing with the same pace, cohesiveness, and willingness to engage in the physical areas if they want to turn their season around. Look for them to do that tonight again against the Chiefs.

Summary

The Eagles don’t want to start another lengthy losing skid, and their recent run of play suggests the team is on the verge of turning the corner. They’ll need to be disciplined, get some quality goaltending from Scarfone, and keep up their strong play if they want to come out of the heart of the Fraser Valley with their first win in the month of November. Still a lot of time to turn their season around, but the boys know it’s time to get back on track.

Can’t make the drive out to Chilliwack today? You can catch the live broadcast on HockeyTV and Mixlr. The broadcast will start at 6:50pm, with the opening puck drop slated for 7:00pm from the Chilliwack Coliseum.