Nanaimo, B.C. – The Surrey Eagles (11-9-0) had an opportunity on Sunday afternoon to win their 3rd straight game on Vancouver Island when they matched up against the Nanaimo Clippers (13-8-0). Just like Friday and Saturday, the Eagles scored 2 goals in the first period and eventually chased Nanaimo starter Cooper Black en route to a 4-1 win as they completed the three game weekend sweep.
Jake Bongo led the Surrey offense with 2 goals and 3 points. Zack Feaver and Cole Galata also scored for Surrey and Max Prazma got his 2nd win in as many nights after making 28 out of a possible 29 saves. Prazma also made the BCHL’s Must See Moments with an unreal diving stick save which preserved an early 2-0 lead in the first period.
Nearly a disaster? No way. Eagles goaltender Max Prazma had this one the whole way.@SurreyEagles | @saveonfoods pic.twitter.com/SqJ6sDkQI4
— BCHL (@BCHockeyLeague) December 6, 2021
It was a low event game through the first 40 minutes, and Surrey never looked in danger of relinquishing their lead at any point in the contest. Even after Sean Donaldson made it a 3-1 game in the 3rd period, Surrey responded 2 minutes later and restored their 3 goal cushion with a tic-tac-toe beauty which was capped off by Galata. It was a terrific defensive effort in their 3rd game in as many nights which was ultimately the difference maker in a night where Surrey didn’t have as much energy as prior games.
For Eagles Head Coach Cam Keith, the win tonight was a huge testament to the character of this group and their resiliency as a team. “We’re proud of the character we have in our room. It really displayed itself in the 3rd period when we had to protect the lead, and everyone bought into playing a team style of game which wasn’t necessarily looking to score goals but really focused on protecting the lead.”
In a game where Surrey could’ve played tired and sloppy, the Eagles were steadfast in their own zone and did a fantastic job limiting Nanaimo’s offensive opportunities. Post game, Cam talked about how well his defense played in their own end to pull out the victory. “Our defense did a really good job of keeping pucks along the walls. If there were any chances in high scoring areas they took bodies & sticks away and allowed Prazma to see a lot of shots. We did a good job of absorbing their rush, not giving them a lot of second chance opportunities, remained disciplined and did a lot of the small things which help you win a game when you don’t have the energy to overpower a game in a 3 in 3 situation.”
This weekend series on the Island could be a massive turning point for the Eagles this season, as they’ve climbed over the .500 mark and showed the rest of the league how dangerous they can be. The Eagles forced a goaltending change in every game this weekend, and scored on every rostered goalie at least once while skating to a 17-6 combined scoreline. After a tough start to the season, the sky’s the limit with this team in the eyes of their coach. “We’re hoping this is a turning point and that these kids can believe this is a group that can win a championship. We talked about it early, and as things played out and we didn’t have the success we were hoping for we turned our focus onto building the right way within our structure and playing the right way before we started to get back into a championship mentality. A weekend like this can push us back into playing the right style of hockey which will ultimately help us win a championship.”
The Eagles will return home next weekend looking to continue their 3 game winning streak. On Friday night, the Eagles will host the Victoria Grizzlies inside the South Surrey Arena. Puck drop is slated for 7:00pm and tickets are available online for purchase. If you can’t make it too ‘The Nest’, you can catch the broadcast live on BCHL TV (Powered by HockeyTV) and on mixlr.com/eaglesbchl.
