Eagles end regular season in style

Surrey Eagles’ forward Joel Gaudet searches for a loose puck in front of the Coquitlam net Saturday.

Garrett James photo

News For You  

• Update: Fatal MVI west of Williams Lake
• Racing an itch Hall of Fame driver Roy Haslam still feels
• The unschool: Parents opt for less structured education option
• Saanich school moulds gardens, natural spaces into curriculum
• Gordon Head's Titans win silver at volleyball Western Nationals

Share this story

Tweet

A few new banners will soon be hanging up at South Surrey Arena.

The Surrey Eagles wrapped up their regular season schedule last weekend with a win and an overtime loss, walloping the Coquitlam Express 8-1 Friday before losing to the same team Saturday, 3-2 in overtime.

The three points gained clinched the Eagles first-overall spot in the entire BC Hockey League, with a record of 35-13-3-5, two points up on Victoria Grizzlies, who won the Island Division.

As a result of their first-place finish, the team was awarded the Ron Boileau Memorial Trophy – for having the league’s best regular-season record – and the Cliff McNabb Trophy – for winning the Coastal Conference. Banners will be unveiled on opening night next season.

“Pretty good week, overall,” said Eagles coach Matt Erhart, adding it was the team’s first regular-season title in 16 seasons.

There is, of course, a bigger trophy for the team to focus on – the Fred Page Cup – when playoffs begin Friday. Surrey is set to face the Langley Rivermen in a best-of-five series beginning Friday in South Surrey.

On Friday at Coquitlam’s Poirer Sports and Leisure Centre, the Eagles coasted to victory, scoring 39 seconds into the game and leading 5-0 after two periods of play.

Trevor Cameron – who opened the scoring – had a goal and two assists; Brady Shaw, Kevan Killistoff, Drew Best and Michael Stenerson had a goal and one helper apiece, and Colton Mackie and Craig Wyszomirski also scored. Adam Tambellini and Jordan Klimek had two assists each.

The Eagles’ power play was humming along at a 50-per-cent clip in the victory, as the team went 3-for-6 with the man-advantage.

The following night in South Surrey, the Birds were burned by former captain Brandon Morley, who scored the game-tying goal in the third period, and then assisted on Coquitlam’s overtime winner, which was scored by Michael Maciag.

The Express had an early chance to end the OT session, but could not convert on a power-play opportunity, when Eagles’ defenceman Dan O’Keefe was whistled for tripping.

Killistoff and Stenerson were the goals-corers for the Eagles, and goaltender Michael Santaguida stopped 37 shots on net.

In addition to the team trophies, a handful of Eagles scooped individual awards last week, led by Santaguida, who was named to the Coastal Conference’s second all-star team, the BCHL’s all-rookie team, and on Sunday won the league’s top goaltender award after posting a league-best 2.28 goals-against average. He also led all netminders with 29 wins.

Shaw, who led the team in scoring, and defencemen Devon Toews and Wyszomirski were all named first-team all-stars, while Tambellini joined Santaguida to the BCHL’s second all-star team.