Redemption
This afternoon, the Surrey Eagles (4-6-0) look to avoid their 2nd 3 game losing streak of the season against the Island division leading Cowichan Valley Capitals (8-3-0). Both of these teams look to redeem themselves, as they started off their BCHL Showcase Festivals presented by Bauer with day 1 losses against their respective opponents. The Eagles are also looking for a little bit of redemption, as they look to avoid being swept in the season series with Cowichan winning the first 2 matchups between these teams.
Only one change for the Eagles tonight, as Cal Schell will make his first start in goal since sustaining an upper body injury a few weeks ago. Nothing changes up front as the boys look to bounce back after their first lackadaisical effort of the season. You can check out the full lineup later today on all of our social media channels.
Who To Watch Out For
These 2 teams have already met twice, with the Capitals taking both games after roaring out to 3-0 leads. This won’t be an easy game for this young Eagles team, but if they can pull through and pick up a win it could do wonders for the confidence of this group moving forward. With these teams already having faced each other, these teams know who to watch out for. As such, here are the players to watch for both teams.
Surrey Eagles: Gabe Schovanek
One player who hasn’t played the Capitals yet is Comox, BC native Gabe Schovanek. Schovanek finally got into his first game this season yesterday in the loss, and picked up his first point with an assist on the Brandon Santa Juana goal. Schovanek is another extremely skilled playmaker, and has incredible chemistry with Sean Ramsay as the 2 have played together for the past 3 seasons. Look for Schovanek to elevate this Eagles offence, and add some much needed punch down the lineup.
Cowichan Valley Capitals: Dimitri Mikrogiannakis
The player to watch out for on the Capitals today is 20 year old defenseman Dimitri Mikrogiannakis. Mikrogiannakis has been excellent for the Capitals this season, and has a solid 8 points in 11 games so far this season. The Aurora, ON native has also gotten an assist in both games versus Surrey this year, and has made life miserable for this Eagles team, snuffing out a number of quality opportunities while helping the Capitals take a 2-0 season series lead. The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) commit will look to continue his great play today in the BCHL showcase.
3 Keys To The Game
It’s been a tough stretch of games for the Eagles, as after their 2-0 start they’ve dropped 6 of their past 8 games. The Capitals have played a part in that, and the Eagles will need to come out with a much better effort than they showed yesterday afternoon. Here are the 3 keys to the game as the Eagles look to bounce back with a win.
– Have to take control of the game: While the Eagles lost yesterday, they broke their streak of falling behind and scored the first goal. That’s going to be important again today, as the Capitals have taken 3-0 leads in both games these teams have played, and the Eagles haven’t been able to claw back. Changing the pace of the game and landing the first punch will help this Eagles team, as long as they can follow the remaining 2 keys.
– Play the full 60: While the Eagles started out strong yesterday, they lost their game in the 2nd and 3rd periods en route to their 6-2 defeat against the Nanaimo Clippers. That kind of effort won’t get the job done in the BCHL, and they’ll have to play much harder throughout the entire 60 minutes. The Capitals will not relent, even if they fall behind, so the Eagles need to make sure they’re ready to play.
– Simplify things: The Eagles got a little caught up in the hoopla surrounding the BCHL Showcase, and didn’t play their game at all. Mix that in with a poor effort, and the Eagles created a recipe for disaster. Today, the Eagles need to keep their game simple. If they just take the chances they’re presented with and capitalize, they’ll bust out of this early season funk.
Summary
The final game of the 3 game season series between the Cowichan Valley Capitals and the Surrey Eagles has a little bit more meaning behind it, and it’s not just because it’s both teams 2nd games at the BCHL Showcase presented by Bauer. Both these teams look to avoid going 0-2 at the showcase, and the Eagles will look to avoid their 2nd 3 game losing streak. They’ll also look to take a game against the Capitals this year, as this is the last meeting between these 2 teams. All of this should lead to an excellent game, and certainly must watch BCHL action.
Can’t make the drive out to Chilliwack tonight? Don’t worry, you can catch the live broadcast on HockeyTV and Mixlr. The broadcast will start at 3:50pm, with the opening puck drop slated for 4:00pm.
