Game Story

Surrey Eagles vs Langley Rivermen Pre-Game Report: CMHA Night

by Ryan Ho

Cloverdale Crowd

Surrey, BC – After a fantastic performance was put in on Friday night, the Surrey Eagles (8-13-0-2) continue their 6 game homestead against their cross-town Mainland Division rivals, the Langley Rivermen (9-13-0-0). It’s also another special game at the South Surrey Arena, as the Eagles are celebrating the Cloverdale Minor Hockey Association with some special jerseys, and proceeds from the game will go towards the Paul Bennett Foundation. On top of what is already a special game, the Eagles also have a chance to leapfrog not 1, but 2 teams ahead of them in the Mainland Division with a win tonight.

The Eagles have played very well in their past 6 games, with a 3-2-1 record and have recorded points in their past 3 games. Cam Keith will have some hard decisions to make, but you can see our entire lineup for tonight’s game on our social media channels later today.

Who To Watch Out For

These 2 teams have played 4 games already this season, and both teams have won 2 games. Both teams have also won in their opponents home rink, so the Eagles can’t just expect the bigger ice surface to be an immediate advantage. Langley’s physicality is one of their staples, but the Eagles have the speed, skill, and even a bit of size of their own to help match up against their Langley foes. The boys have played great in their past 6 games, but will need to keep it going tonight to win their 2nd in a row, and get points in 4 straight games. Here are tonight’s key players to watch out for.

Surrey Eagles: Jimmy Darby

If there’s one player who loves to play physically, it’s Eagles defenseman Jimmy Darby. Darby has seen his role increase in the past few weeks, and has played some of his best hockey of the season while on a defense pair with Kieran O’Hearn. The 6’3, 205lb blue-liner doesn’t back down from a challenge, and will look to answer the call to protect his younger teammates and let them use their skill to propel the Eagles to a win.

Langley Rivermen: Riley Wallack

The 6’6 forward from the South Surrey area, Wallack has been a factor in almost every game this season against his hometown team. Wallack’s size and ability to play the puck in the corners has been impressive in both the Rivermen’s wins over the Eagles, and he’ll look to continue his dominance down low. If the Eagles can’t contain Wallack and he’s able to be a disruption in front of the Eagles net, the boys will be in trouble later in the game against the Rivermen’s more skilled forwards. Wallack might not be a goal scorer, he’ll look to wear down the Eagles defense, leaving them helpless later in the game.

3 Keys To The Game

These 2 teams both have top offensive talents, and both teams have a lot of physicality which could play a role in this game. However, after the Eagles were able to dispatch the Prince George Spruce Kings by a score of 7-2, they’ll need to show themselves they can turn an outcome like that into not just 1 great night, but a lengthy winning streak. It’ll start tonight, and to do that, the Eagles will need to follow the 3 keys to the game.

  • Discipline: One of the only negatives in their win over the Spruce Kings on Friday night was the fact the Eagles gave up 2 powerplay goals. While it didn’t really matter on the scoreboard, it’ll absolutely matter in future divisional games, like this one. It’s key for the Eagles to keep themselves away from any dumb penalties, and not give Langley the opportunity to snatch back momentum.
  • Be consistent: Something the Eagles haven’t been able since the first weekend of the season is string 2 wins together. The Eagles have had games where they’ve played fantastic, but then unfortunately follow up their win with a clunker and lost all their momentum. The boys need to keep their heads in check, use the crowd as motivation, and stick to their game if they want to start their 2nd winning streak of the season.
  • Stick to your game: The Eagles have 2 wins over Langley this season, and in both of those wins they were able to let their skill take over and manage the Langley forecheck. If the boys can stand up to Langley’s physicality, and push through while playing their game. The boys will come out on top.

Summary

Tonight has a ton of importance for both of these teams, who are tied for 4th place in the Mainland Division right now. The Eagles have an opportunity to finally climb out of the basement after spending most of October down there, and potentially leapfrog all the way to 3rd in the division. Langley is always a tough task, but the Eagles will look to send some of their Cloverdale fans home happy with a win over their division rivals.

This game is in support of the Paul Bennett Foundation, featuring a special Cloverdale-themed game-worn jersey and post-game jersey auction, 50/50 proceeds to the PBF and a Sunday Skate with the Eagles. Doors will open at 3:00pm, and the game starts at 4:00pm at the South Surrey Arena. If you can’t make the game today, the broadcast will go live on HockeyTV and Mixlr starting at 3:50pm.