The Surrey Eagles’ goal-scoring woes continued Friday night at South Surrey Arena, contributing to the team’s fifth straight setback in the B.C. Hockey League, a 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Coquitlam Express. Surrey has scored only nine goals during the winless skid, which has seen their record fall to 4-9. With the win, Coquitlam improved to 9-2.
Sean Ramsay’s powerplay marker late in the second period, off a nifty feed from the slot from Hudson Schandor, was the only puck to get past Express goalie Clay Stevenson. The veteran netminder, who blanked the Eagles 3-0 in their home-opener last month, was more steady than sensational, and got some help from every goalie’s best friend as Eagles centerman Holden Katzalay twice rang shots off the post, including one during a third period powerplay.
A poor start once again hurt the Eagles as they were outshot 12-1 by the Express through the first half of the opening period, and they got on the board less than three minutes in. While the Eagles once again showed an encouraging battle-back compete level, eventually evening the shots at 18 apiece at the start of the final frame, a string of third-period penalties sapped that momentum.
“I don’t think we were at our best,” Eagles head coach Cam Keith said post-game. “I thought it was one of our poorer games as far as playing together goes. I think we played too individually tonight, It’s natural when you’re not scoring to try to do more to try to compensate for it and then when things don’t work for you, you grab or you hit or you punch or you do those little extra things. You, take shortcuts, in every aspect.
“We killed ourselves in the third period with undisciplined penalties. I think frustration is probably starting to mount for some of the kids.”
The Eagles could argue that they believed Coquitlam’s game-winner in the second period, and which put them up by two at the time, was the result of a missed offside call. However, they also got a huge break in the third period when Coquitlam’s Adam Trotman fired a bullet past Eagles goalie Thomas Scarfone but the puck ripped right through the twine and out the back of the net. The goal light never came on, and play continued, and although Coquitlam argued their point after the whistle the call of non-goal stood.
The Eagles coach said he has no plans to take a tough-love approach with his young, struggling team while they go through this rough patch and attempt to get back into the win column. “You almost have to kind of laugh about things in a way, unfortunately,” said Keith. “You have to not let it all mount on you. So, as coaches we’re trying to keep things as light as we can, because they are already naturally beating up on themselves.”
After a day off, Surrey returns to action on Sunday afternoon when the red-hot Trail Smoke Eaters pay their only visit to The Nest this season. Puck drop for Sunday’s game will be at 4:00pm, and the doors will open at 3:00pm.
