Less than a week after losing to the Trail Smoke Eaters by a score more befitting a football game, the Surrey Eagles responded in a rematch Thursday by putting up a touchdown of their own, besting their BC Hockey League opponents 7-3.
The weekend prior to Thursday’s victory, Trail beat the Eagles 19-3 – a offensive outburst not often seen since the junior ‘A’ circuit’s run-and-gun heyday in the mid-1980s.
But in front of a home crowd at South Surrey Arena Thursday evening, determined to avenge the 16-goal rout, the Eagles poured on the offence, scoring twice in the first and third periods, while outscoring the Smokies 3-0 in the second period.
Forward Desi Burgart led the home team’s offensive charge, scoring a hat trick – including two goals in the opening frame – while Paul McAvoy, Dario Piva, Ashton Calder and Jordan Robert also found the back of the net for the Birds.
Piva also added an assist, while Darius Davidson – recently signed to an NCAA scholarship – had two helpers in the win.
Daniel Davidson, meanwhile, got the start for Surrey in place of injured veteran keeper Keelan Williams and stopped 33 shots in the win.
After Thursday’s win, the Eagles had a few days off before hosting the Chilliwack Chiefs Sunday afternoon.
In a near-reversal of Thursday’s score, this time it was the Chiefs scoring in bunches, taking advantage of some Eagles’ penalties in the second period en route to a 7-2 win.
The game was close after 20 minutes of play, with the Chiefs ahead just 1-0 on goal from Kohen Olishefski, but the second period was the Eagles’ undoing.
The two teams combined for 39 minutes in penalties – a total boosted by two fights – and Chilliwack capitalized with three power-play goals, to go along with one even-strength marker.
Surrey, meanwhile, replied with one – from Calder – at even strength.
The Chiefs tacked on two more goals early in the third period to extend the lead to 7-2 before Darius Davidson scored his 25th goal of the year, bringing his team-leading point total to 49 in 45 games.
Daniel Davidson faced 36 shots in the loss.
With just 13 games left in the regular season, it would take a prolonged win streak from the Eagles – plus a few losing efforts from the teams in front of them – to sneak back into the Mainland Division playoff hunt, as they are currently 10 points back of the fourth-place Prince George Spruce Kings.
However, after going 1-1 last week, the Eagles – with a record of 15-27-3-0 (win-loss-overtime loss-tie) remain just five points shy of the Salmon Arm Silverbacks in the Interior Division.
If Surrey can surpass them, they’d cross over into that division’s playoff bracket.
The Eagles are back on the ice today (Wednesday) for a road tilt in Coquitlam against the Express, and return home Thursday for a game against another division rival, the red-hot Langley Rivermen, who are in the midst of a five-game win streak.
Surrey wraps up the week with a 4 p.m. home game Sunday against the Nanaimo Clippers.
New captain
The Surrey Eagles shuffled their leadership structure prior to Thursday’s game, with forward Jordan Robert taking over the captaincy from Paul McAvoy, who will remain an alternate captain.
Darius Davidson will continue to wear the team’s other ‘A’.
The decision – which came after alternate captains Nick Minerva and Tyler Cooper were dealt at the trade deadline earlier this month – came after discussions between McAvoy and head coach Blaine Neufeld, according to a news release.
“We felt it was necessary for the team to get a new voice in the locker room, and JR is the right guy for that,” McAvoy explained. “He’s worked hard and he deserves it.”
Robert, a Clarkson University commit who is in his first year with the team, called the appointment “quite an honour.”
McAvoy had been the Eagles’ captain since midway through last season.