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Surrey Eagles heat up as playoffs loom

SURREY — With the B.C. Hockey League playoffs looming at the end of the month, the Surrey Eagles have put together their hottest streak of the season.

The defending BCHL champs won all three of the games they played last week and have now posted wins in five of their last six outings. The Eagles beat Coquitlam 5-2 at South Surrey Arena Wednesday and followed that up by sweeping a home-and-home weekend set with the archrival Chilliwack Chiefs. Surrey won the first game 5-2 on home ice Friday and then wrapped up the weekend with a 7-4 win in Chilliwack Saturday.

Surrey was all over the Chiefs in the opener of the two-game set Friday night, scoring the first four goals of the game before cruising to the win over the cellar-dwelling Chiefs.

Anthony Conti scored the lone goal of the opening frame, but the Eagles blew the game open in the second period when Nathan Renouf, Danton Heinen and Chase McMurphy each tallied once.

Chilliwack finally hit the score sheet early in the third period, but Surrey's Austin Ferguson answered 67 second later to restore the Eagles' four goal lead and effectively snuff out any ideas the Chiefs had about staging a comeback. Chilliwack scored late in the frame to wrap up the scoring.

The two teams were at it again the following night in Chilliwack and once again the second period was decisive for the Eagles.

With the score knotted at 1-1 after the opening frame, Chilliwack took the lead early in the second and then sat back and watched the Eagles storm back with four unanswered goals before the second intermission.

Braedan Russell got things rolling in the fifth minute followed by goals from Jonah Renouf, Nathan Renouf and Ferguson.

With a healthy 5-2 lead after 40 minutes, the Eagles were content to match the Chiefs goal for goal in the final period to close out the win. Conti and Heinen provided the third period goals for Surrey.

Nathan Renouf and Russell each collected a goal and two assists to lead the Eagles while Ferguson netted a pair to earn first star honours.

Surrey opened the week's schedule with a rare Wednesday night home date against the Coquitlam Express.

The Eagles used home ice to their advantage early, scoring three unanswered goals in the first period to seize control of the proceedings. Darius Davidson and Russell scored goals 58 seconds apart to give the Eagles an early boost followed by a Kale Bennett goal shortly after the midway point of the opening period.

Coquitlam cut the gap to two goals midway through the second only to have Russell restore the Surrey advantage with his second goal of the contest.

The third period brought more of the same as Coquitlam scored at the 10:10 minute mark followed by another Surrey goal, this one by Jonah Renouf, to quall any Express hopes for a comeback.

Surrey goalie Devon Fordyce was outstanding in the Surrey nets, stopping 37 of 39 Coquitlam shots to earn the win.

The Eagles are back on home ice again this weekend with a pair of games. Surrey hosts Penticton Friday night (7 p.m.) in a rematch of last spring's BCHL championship final. On Family Day Feb. 10, the Eagles welcome their old friends from Chilliwack for a special matinee match beginning at 2 p.m.