*STATS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE*

March 2, 2025, Surrey vs Coquitlam:

The Express come to the Nest to start the month of March, and it has been an up-and-down month for the Express, going 4-3-1. However, it should be a heated first match, as the two teams played each other just over a week ago in an exciting 3-2 win for the Eagles at the Train Station. It came right down to the wire, as the teams went back and forth, but Sam Elliott was able to end it with the only goal of the third period just over six minutes in. It was a very disciplined game for the most part, with only four power plays in total, and both teams will want to keep that trend. The Eagles currently have the best power play on home ice at 35.8%, while the Express have a top-five power play (in the Coastal Conference) on the road.

Speaking of special teams, both PK units were perfect last time, but that’s a trend I don’t see sticking. The Eagles go from the best PK in the division on the road at 83.1% to sixth-best on home ice at 78.7%, while Coquitlam goes from second-best on home ice in the division at 82.2% to seventh-best on the road at 76.1%.

However, there’s more to this matchup than just special teams. The Eagles have the second-best goals-against average in the division, only behind the Chiefs, giving up 139 goals so far this season while scoring 163, giving them a healthy plus-24 point differential. On the other hand, the Express have a minus-2 point differential, which is the worst for a top-five team in either division. The biggest reason for that has been a lack of goal-scoring, which newly acquired forwards and former Surrey Eagles Nolan Flynn and Cam Russo will surely help with. Both bring great speed and playmaking ability, especially in a middle-six role. Expect those two to have a big chip on their shoulder for this one, as it’s their first game back at the Nest.

However, those aren’t the only forwards the Eagles will have to worry about. Former Rivermen Mason Kesselring has been on fire as a member of the Express, registering 31 points in 26 games since joining Coquitlam, bringing him to a total of 42 points in 41 games. He also just completed a five-game point streak in which he had eight points.

It will be up to Surrey to stop these high-flying forwards, and they have a strong case to do so. Not only have they given up just 139 goals this season, but Aiden Fischer is in talks for Goaltender of the Year. That’s not all — rookie goalie Maddox Osaka has won four of his last five, and in the four games he started during that span, he has posted save percentages of .941, .970, .968 and .929.

The Eagles also added former Express players Leo Eperjesi and Ryan Staples. Eperjesi brings a great defensive game to the Eagles’ D core, along with being 6’5″ and 206 lbs. Staples brings a solid defensive game as well and is a whiz in the faceoff circle. Expect an action-packed game as these two Mainland Cup rivals face off.

March 10, 2025, Surrey vs Coquitlam:

The Express come back to the Nest after clinching a playoff spot, and it will be their third game in four days. It will also be the seventh game of the season between these two Mainland Cup rivals. Surrey also has a bit of a road trip before this game, heading out to Nanaimo and Alberni.

This game should be very physical, so expect players like Joseph Odyniec and Andrej Kovacevic to have a big impact for the Express. The latter was able to score twice in their last match against the Eagles. Just because it’s physical doesn’t mean it’s going to be undisciplined, though. Currently, the Express are the second-least penalized team in the BCHL, with only 412 penalty minutes. The next closest team in the Coastal Conference is Victoria with 504, so it could be difficult for the Eagles to take advantage of their 33.9% power play at home.

It will most likely be up to the Eagles to get the job done 5-on-5. Look for the line of Brandon Gill, Ryan Evenhuis, and Jagjeevan Phangura to set the tone for the Eagles, as well as forward Ryan Mottau, who has been buzzing as of late and throwing his weight around a lot. Expect a close Mainland Cup battle.

March 14, 2025, Surrey vs Victoria:

Victoria comes to the Nest, and it’s been a rough go for them as of late, going 1-3 to start March  sliding down to third in the Coastal Conference.

Victoria is a great defensive team, and they often find themselves in close games, having the second-most overtime losses, with 14 games going to overtime this season. They also have one of the best goaltenders in the BCHL in Oliver Auyeung-Ashton, who is 14-5-2 this season with a .919 save percentage. The Eagles have added Leo Eperjesi to increase size on the defensive core, and he will be needed as the Grizzlies have Reegan Hiscock, Tobias Pitka, and Malcolm Green, who are all 6’4″ and 200 lbs or more. Expect the Grizzlies to create a ton of chaos in the Eagles’ crease.

The Eagles will need to find a way to use their speed and skill, and playing at South Surrey Arena may help with that. Watch for the new line combinations to make an impact in this one. The splitting up of Miles Burgin and Sam Elliott has worked wonders, as these two have been great at finding time and space and have shown great offensive-zone creativity together and apart. The Eagles had trouble at the start of the season with bigger, more physical teams, but they have made moves to address that, as well as fully buying into Head Coach Scott Gomez’s system, where everyone is expected to play on both sides of the ice.

Expect a close game, with both teams looking to impose their will on each other. It should feel like a playoff atmosphere.

March 21, 2025, Surrey vs Nanaimo:

Nanaimo rolls into Surrey, and it’s been a while since these two teams have played each other at South Surrey Arena. You would have to go back to October 2, which was a 9-5 win for the Clippers. But both of these teams have changed a lot since then. Nanaimo, however, has been on fire lately, going 5-2-1 in the month of February, but they have five games before they see the Eagles at home, one of which being against the Eagles in Frank Crane.

Nanaimo has had some success in finding the back of the net this season, boasting 166 goals, which is good enough for fourth in the Coastal Conference and puts them just ahead of our high-flying Eagles. Some of the biggest names contributing to that are Dylan Kinch and Cole Lonsdale, who have a combined 113 points in 88 games. The Clippers also just brought in Ottawa Senators prospect and former Chilliwack Chief goaltender Vladimir Nikitin, who has been no less than great for the Clippers, going 6-1 in his first seven appearances. He also has a 2.39 GAA and a .917 save percentage. Nikitin and Chazz Nixon make for a scary one-two punch.

The Eagles’ offence is no slouch, however, having 165 goals this season, on top of only giving up 142 goals, compared to the Clippers’ 160. Miles Burgin was one of the Eagles to find the back of the net last time versus Nanaimo in that 9-5 loss, and he has been on fire lately. Despite being kept off the score sheet in his last game, before that, he was on a four-game point streak. He’s not the only guy who’s been great lately. Yuchan Kong has two goals and four points in his last five games, and he’s been shooting the puck a ton lately. As long as he’s getting top power-play time, don’t look for that to change. Watch for his one-timer from the left side, on top of his great defensive and transitional game.

Expect a high-scoring affair in this one.

March 23, 2025, Surrey vs Prince George:

The Spruce Kings round off the home games for the month once again for the Eagles. Last time, it was a close, gritty comeback win for the Kings in a game that saw two disallowed goals, one for either team. Prince George has had an up-and-down month of February, going on a four-game win streak at the beginning of the month, followed by a three-game losing streak. However, they have seven games to right some of their consistency issues before this meeting at the Nest.

Watch for Kazumo Sasaki and Will Moore to once again be a thorn in the side of the Eagles, having scored three goals between the two in the last match at the Nest. Will Moore seems to have found his game again after a five-game pointless streak. He has had five points in his last four games, bringing him up to 28 points in 33 games, including 15 goals. Sasaki’s story is a bit of the same, having snapped his own four-game pointless streak last time versus the Eagles. He looked great in that game. Not only did he rip a howitzer of a one-timer to get the Kings on the board, but he was also doing a great job protecting the puck and finding open space all over the ice, whether it be for a pass or doing it himself.

The Eagles had a rough go last time against Prince George. Surrey loves to play with possession and control the puck, especially on the break-in, and the Spruce Kings did a great job of being aggressive and forcing the Eagles to dump it in a lot, which played out in the Kings’ favour. The Eagles will need players like Sihwan Kim, Gavin Rocha, and Cam Caron to find more time and space out there, especially five-on-five. Look for players like Cam Caron, Leo Eperjesi, and Ryan Mottau to set the tone early in this one.

This should be a physical, gritty hockey game. Don’t expect a lot of goals, but expect a close game.

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