By: Isabella Urbani PHOTO: Brandon David (BrandonDavidImages)
SURREY – The Surrey Eagles (9-8-1-0) clashed with their second-round opponent from last year’s playoffs, the Victoria Grizzlies (10-5-2-0). The Eagles last hosted Victoria in April to a 3-2 game five win in a series Surrey took in six games to advance to the Coastal Final.
The coveted grudge match had a little bit of everything: from a Grizzlies’ disallowed goal in the first period, two skirmishes in the first — the latter of the two resulting in Surrey’s Landon Jassmann and Victoria’s Tyson Moss receiving 10-minute misconducts — and OT to settle the save-for-save effort put on by Eagles’ goalie Maddox Osaka and Grizzlies’ goalie Oliver Auyeung-Ashton.
Osaka, who has been launched into a starting role with injuries to both Jaiden Sharma and Colton Jugnauth, was sharp early, turning aside all 18 of Victoria’s shots in the first period to keep the score deadlocked after 20 minutes. The second period was a high-shot period for both teams as Surrey’s 20 shots were the most recorded by either team throughout the game.
Cameron Caron’s power play marker, his second goal in three games, allowed the Eagles to get on the board first for the second game in a row. Caron jammed home the puck from the side of the net after Cam Russo’s pass made its way through a few Grizzlies’ sticks and legs to its intended target. 1-0 Surrey. Caron’s power-play goal makes it six straight games the Eagles have scored with the extra attacker. Caron has been one of many Eagles who has taken advantage of the power play’s production, scoring all of his goals up to this point on the power play.
The Grizzlies tied the game with Jacksenn Hungle’s fifth goal of the season on a breakaway. 1-1. Deadlocked heading into the third, both teams exchanged goals once more. This time, Victoria scored first with Seamus Latta potting his first goal short-side high just over two minutes into the third. 2-1 Victoria.
But with plenty of time to spare, Caron finished a beautiful tic-tac-toe play from Massimo Fazio and Yuchan Kong to score his first even-strength goal and fourth of the year, tying the game at two. 2-2. The Eagles finished the third period with a 13-11 shot advantage as the second OT in as many home games was needed to decide a winner.
Despite playing 60 minutes to a tie in regulation, it took only 1:12 seconds for a winner to be reached in OT. Anderson (Chase) Pirtle won the game for Victoria with his 11th goal of the year, finishing off the cross-ice pass. 3-2 Victoria. Shots 44-42 Victoria.
Kong was the game’s FortisBC Energy Player of the Game with an assist on Surrey’s tying goal. Caron, the Eagles’ only goal scorer, picked up the night’s third star, while both goalies closed out the top two stars of the night. Osaka, the second star, finished the game 41/44.
The Eagles (9-8-2-0) will look to rebound tomorrow night on Saturday, November 16, against the Cowichan Valley Capitals (9-8-1-0) to close out this home back-to-back weekend.
