By: Isabella Urbani PHOTO: Brandon David (BrandonDavidImages)
SURREY – The Surrey Eagles (9-8-2-0) ran up the scoresheet on Sunday afternoon, beating the Langley Rivermen (9-7-4-1) 7-2 on Autism Awareness Night and the season’s first skate with the Eagles.
More goalie injuries gave way to a start in net for Surrey’s newest acquisition, Aidan Fischer, who became the fifth different Eagles’ goaltender to play a game this season. The Rivermen got out of the gates strong; Adyn Merrick lit the lamp for his 11th goal of the season with a one-timer after beating his man to a pass from behind the net to the right-side slot.1-0 Langley.
After opening the scoring, Langley converted on their second shot of the night to extend their lead to two. Ilya Rogovksy spun off the nearside half-wall with the puck to set up Luke Pfoh for the one-timer at the front of the net. 2-0 Langley.
Savek Brar turned the tide for Surrey before the halfway mark of the first period with his first goal of the season from Ryan Evenhuis and captain Jackson Anderson. Brar potted home Evenhuis’ tap pass from behind the net after catching Langley goalie Charlie Tritt looking the wrong way. 2-1 Langley.
While the Rivermen took 45 seconds to double their lead of the game, it took the Eagles just 20 seconds after their opening draw to tie the game. Sihwan Kim erased the two-goal deficit, streaking into the Langley zone after intercepting a clear at the blue line, alongside Gavin Rocha, before scoring five-hole. 2-2 tie.
Surrey continued to score in quick succession. Brandon Gill scored his seventh goal of the season from Nolan Flynn and Charlie Derrheim, who broke his 12-game pointless streak with the secondary assist. Gill buried the puck over the blocker after a Langley player’s skate inadvertently blocked the initial shot coming off a Surrey rush, sending it back Gill’s way. 3-2 Surrey.
The Eagles would tally a final time in the opening period, as Cameron Caron scored his sixth goal of the season from Hunter Heisten’s first assist of the season, and Evenhuis. Surrey’s fourth goal of the game, in as many minutes, was the end of the night for Langley goalie Tritt. The netminder stopped 6/10 shots and was left defenceless to Caron’s redirection off a screen. 4-2 Surrey. Shots 13-8 Surrey.
With Langley’s early lead in the rearview mirror, the Eagles soared on adding two more goals in the middle frame while Fischer turned aside all 15 shots he faced. Defenceman Jonathan Lanza was the next to get on the board, scoring his second of the season on a broken-up drive, from Miles Burgin and Gill, at the point. 5-2 Surrey. Burgin closed out the period with a goal of his own, making good on Kim’s cross-ice pass at the side of the net from Gill for his fourth of the season. 6-2 Surrey. Shots 15-12 Langley.
The third period was characterized by fewer shots as six penalties were called, three for each team, in six minutes in the back half of the game. In the final three minutes of the game, Caron scored his second of the night, and fifth goal in three games, on the power play from Yuchan Kong and Rocha. Caron’s goal makes it eight straight games the Eagles have scored with the man advantage. 7-2 Surrey. Shots 9-8 Langley.
The Eagles swept the postgame awards as Rocha (2A) picked up the FortisBC Energy Player of the Game; Fischer picked up the third star in his debut with Surrey, making 30/32 saves, including 30 in a row; Caron (2 G) was the second star, and Gill (1 G, 2 A) picked up the highest honours of the night with the first star.
The Surrey Eagles (10-8-2-0) will be at home next on Friday, December 6 to take on the Powell River Kings (5-16-2-1) after their three-game road trip in Alberta, topped off by Trail. Puck drop for Friday is 7:00 p.m!
