Eagles Edge Express 4-2

Michael Santaguida made 43 saves as the Surrey Eagles beat the Coquitlam Express 4-2 on Teddy Bear Toss night at the South Surrey Arena. The win was Surrey's fourth in a row. The Birds now lead the season series with Coquitlam 3-0-0-0.

Demico Hannoun opened the scoring for Surrey on the power play just after the halfway mark of the first period when he hammered a one-timer past Coquitlam goalie Cole Huggins from the left circle. As soon as the goal was scored, teddy bears came raining down from the stands as fans threw their stuffed toys onto the ice. All bears collected were donated to the Surrey Christmas Bureau. The Eagles doubled their lead just 33 seconds after the opening goal as Mason Blacklock netted his fifth of the year, giving Surrey a 2-0 lead.

Coquitlam struck back in the middle frame when John Siemer scored on the man advantage, beating Santaguida with a hard wrist shot off the rush at 5:22. The Birds regained the two goal lead later in the period when Trevor Cameron ripped the mesh with a shot over Huggins' glove, but Phil Zielonka pulled the Express back to within one goal before the end of the stanza.

Try as they might, the Express couldn't find an answer to Santaguida's goaltending in the third period, and Jordan Klimek added some insurance for Surrey when he scored with a wrist shot from the slot at 7:29 to complete the victory.

The Express out shot the Eagles 45-39. Surrey went 1-for-4 on the power play while Coquitlam was 1-for-5. In his return to Surrey, former Eagle Brandon Morley tallied an assist for the Express in the loss.

The Birds will head out on a two game Island Division road trip next weekend, visiting Victoria on December 8th and Nanaimo on December 9th. Surrey's next home game is on December 14th against Powell River. For tickets, call 604-531-4625.

Official 3 Stars:

1. Michael Santaguida - Surrey

2. Jordan Klimek - Surrey

3. John Siemer - Coquitlam

My 3 Stars:

1. Michael Santaguida - Surrey

2. John Siemer - Coquitlam

3. Jordan Klimek - Surrey

The Matt Erhart Show: November 30, 2012

Mulcahy Officially Named Eagles Captain

For immediate release: November 30, 2012

Surrey, BC - The Surrey Eagles Hockey Club is pleased to announce that forward Brett Mulcahy has been named the team's captain. The 19-year-old is in his third full BCHL season and has posted seven goals and 14 assists in 25 games this year.

"Brett came to our program as a relatively unknown player and over the course of the last season has proven to be a true professional," said Eagles Head Coach and General Manager Matt Erhart. "He has been determined to get better as a player, and he has a mature approach to the game that translates from his practice habits to his game, making him an excellent leader for the Surrey Eagles Hockey Club."

Mulcahy played his first year in the league with the Westside Warriors before joining the Eagles for the 2011-2012 season. Last year, Mulcahy had 19 points in 57 games, helping the Eagles to a spot in the Coastal Conference final. The Kelowna native was named an assistant captain at the beginning of this season and will now inherit the C.

The club has also named Devon Toews, Brady Shaw and Trevor Cameron as new assistant captains, joining Craig Wyszomirski. Because only three players are allowed to wear the A on their jerseys in a given game, Shaw will wear it at home while Cameron will wear it on the road.

Toews is in his second season with the Eagles and has the most points of any defenseman on the team this year. The Abbotsford native will make the jump to the NCAA next year as he has committed to play at Quinnipiac University.

Shaw was acquired from Coquitlam in mid-October and has posted 19 points in 13 games since joining the Birds. The 20-year-old forward has committed to attend Bentley University next season.

Cameron joined the Eagles midway through the 2011-2012 season after spending time with the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL. The native of Mission has four goals and five assists this year.

Pre-Game Report: Eagles vs. Express

The Surrey Eagles will go for their fourth straight win on Friday evening when the Coquitlam Express visit the South Surrey Arena. The game is also the Eagles annual Teddy Bear Toss night. Fans can bring teddy bears to the rink or purchase them from the Peace Arch Auxiliary at the game. All donated bears will go to the Surrey Christmas Bureau.

The Birds are coming off a big 7-3 win in Langley on Tuesday. Brady Shaw became the third member of the Eagles to net a hat-trick this season in the win, joining Devon Toews and Drew Best. Surrey is undefeated against Coquitlam this season with a pair of wins (2-1 on September 28th and 6-1 on November 12th). The Eagles sit four points behind the Chilliwack Chiefs for the top spot in the Mainland Division heading into Friday's action.

Coquitlam has been dealing with a rash of injuries over the last month, and while the Express are finally starting to get healthy, the team has undergone a number of changes of late, thanks to four trades in the last week and a half. Dillan Walker, Mark Begert, Jace Hennig and Brett Seldon all departed the team while Bradley Ryan, Travis Stephens and Michael Maciag have joined the Express. Despite the roster turnover, Coquitlam has won its last two in a row. Friday night's game will mark the return of former Eagles captain Brandon Morley to the nest. Morley was traded to Coquitlam in mid-October.

Where: South Surrey Arena

When: 7:00pm

How to listen: Surrey Eagles Broadcast or on 88.7FM in the arena.

How to watch: Fast Hockey

Eagles Teddy Bear Toss This Friday

For immediate release: November 28, 2012

Surrey, BC - The Surrey Eagles will hold their annual Teddy Bear Toss night this coming Friday, November 30th when the Coquitlam Express pay a visit to the South Surrey Arena.

Fans are encouraged to bring a teddy bear to the game or to purchase one from the Peace Arch Auxiliary who will be selling bears at the game to raise funds. When the Eagles score their first goal, fans can throw their bears onto the ice. The teddy bears collected on Friday will go to the Surrey Christmas Bureau who will give them to children in low-income families.

"This is an important annual event for the Eagles organization," said Director of Sales and Marketing Andrew Delbaere. "At this time of the year, there are many children who wouldn't receive presents over the holidays if not for the efforts of the Surrey Christmas Bureau, so it's a very important cause in our community and one that the Eagles support wholeheartedly."

For tickets to Friday's game, call the Eagles office at 604-531-GOAL (4625).

Birds Rout Rivermen in Langley

Brady Shaw scored five points including a hat-trick to lead the Surrey Eagles to a 7-3 win over the Langley Rivermen on Tuesday night. The victory was Surrey's third straight while the Rivermen have now lost four in a row.

Langley opened the scoring just 22 seconds into the hockey game when Mario Puskarich fired a shot between the legs of Surrey goalie Michael Santaguida to give the Rivermen the early lead. But the Birds struck back on the power play as Craig Wyszomirski rippled the mesh with a wrist shot from the top of the right circle at 2:56. The game remained tied until the final minute of the opening frame when Mitch McLain scored on a rebound off an Austin Azurdia shot to put Langley ahead after one.

The Eagles bounced back in a big way in the second period. Drew Best tied the game less than five minutes into the middle frame, and 58 seconds later, Surrey took the lead after Shaw made a great deke to avoid a Langley defender before finding Nic Pierog for his third goal of the year. Shaw wasn't done there. The 20-year-old Ottawa, Ontario native scored twice before the end of the period and the Birds went to the dressing room ahead 5-2. After Shaw's first goal, Langley goaltender James Barr was pulled in favour of Darren Hogg.

In the third, the Rivermen made it 5-3 when Evan Campbell beat Santaguida just over five minutes into the stanza, but Shaw restored the three goal lead and completed his hat-trick with a slap shot from the left circle at 15:31. Stefan Burzan scored Surrey's seventh and final goal of the game on the power play in the final minute to complete the win.

The seven goals for Surrey on Tuesday were the most the team has scored in a single game this year. The Birds also matched a season high for power play goals in a single game with three.

The Eagles play next on Friday when they host the Coquitlam Express at the South Surrey Arena for Teddy Bear Toss night. For tickets, call 604-531-4625.

Official 3 Stars:
1. Brady Shaw - Surrey
2. Evan Campbell - Langley
3. Drew Best - Surrey

My 3 Stars:
1. Brady Shaw - Surrey
2. Drew Best - Surrey
3. Craig Wyszomirski - Surrey

Pre-Game Report: Eagles at Rivermen

The Surrey Eagles will finish their three game road swing on Tuesday evening at the Langley Events Centre against their division rivals the Langley Rivermen. The Birds lead the season series with a 2-1-0-0 record while the Rivermen are 1-1-0-1 against Surrey.

The Eagles are coming off a pair of wins in Prince George over the weekend. As a result of his stellar performance in the victories, goalie Michael Santaguida was named the BCHL's Player of the Week on Monday. Santaguida leads the league with a .936 save percentage. Surrey sits in second in the Mainland Division heading into Tuesday's game, but the Birds are still four points behind the Chilliwack Chiefs for top spot.

The Rivermen will be looking to bump a three game losing skid after dropping every game on their recent Island Division road trip in Nanaimo, Cowichan Valley and Powell River. Langley hasn't played in nine days as the loss to the Kings came back on November 18th. There could be a new face in the Rivermen line-up on Tuesday after the team acquired defenseman Ryan Fraser-Lee from Pembroke of the CCHL for future considerations on Friday.

Where: Langley Events Centre

When: 7:15pm

How to listen: Surrey Eagles Broadcast

How to watch: Fast Hockey

Santaguida Named BCHL Player of the Week

Eagles net minder Michael Santaguida was named the BCHL's Player of the Week on Monday after a pair of victories in Prince George over the weekend. Here's the full article from the BCHL website:

Surrey Eagles goalie Michael Santaguida has been named the Gongshow BCHL Player of the Week for the week ending Nov. 25, the league announced Monday. 

Sanataguida helped the Eagles to a pair of overtime road wins over the Prince George Spruce Kings and posted a .955 save percentage and 1.38 goals-against average in the process. 

The Mississauga, Ont. native stopped 35 shots on Friday to earn 2nd Star in a 2-1 Eagles win and followed up with 29 saves in a 3-2 triumph. For the season, Santaguida now leads the BCHL with a .936 save percentage. 

Honourable mentions this week go to: 

Salmon Arm SilverBacks G Adam Clark (two wins, first BCHL shutout, two 2nd Stars, .971 sv%, 1.00 GAA)  

Nanaimo Clipprs F Greg Fraser (2G, 4A, FortisBC Energy Player)

Powell River Kings F J.P Villenueve (3G, 1A, 1st Star, FortisBC Energy Player) 

Coquitlam Express F Philip Zielonka (3G, OT GWG, 2nd Star) 

Coquitlam Express D Brad Ryan (3A, 1st Star)

Toews Lifts Birds to Four Point Weekend

The Surrey Eagles defeated the Prince George Spruce Kings in overtime for the second time in 24 hours on Saturday night. This time, Devon Toews netted the winner in the 3-2 victory. Michael Santaguida picked up the win between the pipes.

Despite being out shot 16-5 in the first, the Eagles came out of the opening 20 minutes in a tied hockey game. It was the Spruce Kings who got on the board first at 7:21 when Shayne Morrissey made a nice deking move into the slot before beating Santaguida. The Birds responded just 21 seconds later when Drew Best found Brady Shaw in the slot with a pass off the right half-wall, and Shaw made a nice move to beat Prince George net minder Kirk Thomspon, leaving the game tied at 1-1 after one.

Surrey took the lead midway through the second on the power play when Best hammered a one-timer past Thompson off a Brett Mulcahy pass. The goal was Best's eighth of the season. The Michigan native leads all rookies on the Eagles in goals and points (18).

The Spruce Kings evened the score early in the third when Morrissey netted his second goal of the game, knocking home the rebound of a Chad Staley point shot. Neither team could find the net in the remainder of the third, and for a second straight night, the game would need overtime.

Toews scored the winner just 2:13 into the first extra period, firing a slap shot past Thompson from the right point. The goal was Toews' second OT winner this season.

Surrey went 1-for-2 with the man advantage while Prince George was 0-for-3. The Spruce Kings out shot the Eagles 30-24.

The Birds will now return to the lower mainland to face the Langley Rivermen on Tuesday evening. The face-off will be at 7:15pm from the Langley Events Centre.

Official 3 Stars:
1. Shayne Morrissey - Prince George
2. Chad Staley - Prince George
3. Brett Mulcahy - Surrey

My 3 Stars:
1. Shayne Morrissey - Prince George
2. Devon Toews - Surrey
3. Brett Mulcahy - Surrey

Pre-Game Report: Eagles at Spruce Kings

For the second time in two nights the Surrey Eagles will visit the Prince George Coliseum to face the Spruce Kings. The Birds picked up a controversial 2-1 double overtime win over Prince George on Friday evening. Tonight's game will be the fifth of eight meetings between the teams this season.

Michael Stenerson had a big game for the Eagles on Friday, scoring both of Surrey's goals in the win. The 19-year-old Surrey native now leads the Birds in points (24) and assists (16). After Friday's victory, Surrey is now 7-2-0 in overtime games this season with two of those wins coming against the Spruce Kings. The Eagles are .500 against Prince George this year with a record of 2-2-0-0. After tonight's game, the Birds will only pay one more visit to PG in the regular season on January 31st.

The controversial loss on Friday night was the continuation of a tough stretch for Prince George of late. After winning six straight games in late October, the Spruce Kings have only won once in their last seven games. Despite losing to the Eagles on Friday, goaltender Kirk Thompson had a very strong performance, turning aside 38 of Surrey's 40 shots on goal. The 20-year-old net minder only has one shutout this season, but it came against the Eagles back on October 13th. He is the only goaltender to hold the Birds off the scoreboard this season.

Where: Prince George Coliseum

When: 7:00pm

How to listen: Prince George Broadcast

How to watch: Fast Hockey

Stenerson Scores Twice in Double Overtime Win

Michael Stenerson scored twice including the winning goal as the Surrey Eagles won their seventh overtime game of the 2012-2013 season, defeating the Prince George Spruce Kings 2-1 on the road. Michael Santaguida made 35 saves in the victory for the Birds.

Neither team was able to find the net in the first period although Cam Lawson fired a shot off the post for Prince George. Both teams also finished the opening frame tied on the shot clock with 11 shots apiece.

The teams traded goals in the second. The Spruce Kings opened the scoring when Tanner Fjellstrom netted his first BCHL goal just before the halfway mark of the period. But the Birds responded on the power play when Michael Stenerson beat Prince George goaltender Kirk Thompson to even the score.

There were no goals in the third period either, and the game would head to overtime. Surrey lost Demico Hannoun late in the third when he was given a game misconduct after being penalized for a blow to the head on Spruce Kings blue liner Karan Toor.

For the second straight game between Surrey and Prince George, there was controversy in overtime. The last time the two teams met, Brady Shaw scored the winning goal for the Birds on what looked like an off-side play, but the video review proved that the linesman made the correct call. Tonight, the Spruce Kings thought they had won the game early in the first extra period when Tyson Witala thought he had scored on Surrey net minder Michael Santaguida, but the goal was disallowed by referee Dexter Rasmussen, and the game continued. At 3:57 of double overtime, Stenerson netted his second of the evening from Trevor Cameron, and the Birds skated away with the win.

The two teams will get back at it again tomorrow evening at the Prince George Coliseum. The face-off will be at 7:00pm.

Official 3 Stars:
1. Kirk Thompson - Prince George
2. Michael Santaguida - Surrey
3. Ryan Keis - Prince George

My 3 Stars:
1. Michael Stenerson - Surrey
2. Kirk Thompson - Prince George
3. Michael Santaguida - Surrey

Pre-Game Report: Eagles at Spruce Kings

The Surrey Eagles will visit the Prince George Coliseum this evening for the first of two games in two nights against the Spruce Kings. Tonight's match-up is the fourth meeting between the two teams this season. The Birds are 1-2-0-0 against Prince George while the Spruce Kings have a record of 2-0-0-1 in the season series.

Surrey is in the middle of a stretch of six straight games against Mainland Division opponents. The Eagles sit in second place in the division heading into tonight's action and have a 6-5-0-1 record against teams in their own division this season. In their last game, the Birds lost 2-1 to the Chilliwack Chiefs a week ago. It was the team's first regulation time loss in the month of November. Surrey's only win against Prince George came in their last meeting, a 3-2 overtime win on November 3rd. Brady Shaw had the winner for the Eagles in that game.

The Spruce Kings will have some new faces in the line-up for tonight's game after the team completed a pair of trades yesterday. Prince George acquired defenseman Kevin Guiltinan from Vernon while shipping Liam Board to the Vipers. Meanwhile, d-man Bradley Ryan was traded to Coquitlam in exchange for forward Jace Hennig and blue liner Mark Begert. All three new additions are expected to play tonight. The moves come after a month of November that has seen Prince George win only one game and pick up four of a possible 12 points.

Where: Prince George Coliseum

When: 7:00pm

How to listen: Prince George Broadcast

How to watch: Fast Hockey

The Matt Erhart Show: November 20, 2012

Chiefs Get Past Eagles 2-1

The Chilliwack Chiefs squeaked by the Surrey Eagles with a 2-1 win at the South Surrey Arena on Friday night. The victory was Chilliwack's fifth in a row and third against Surrey this season. Meanwhile, the loss for the Eagles marked the first time the team has dropped a game in regulation time since October 27th.

Chilliwack got on the board first late in the opening frame when Josh Hansen netted his league leading 17th goal of the season, firing a shot past Surrey net minder Michael Santaguida on the power play to give the Chiefs the lead after the opening 20 minutes. 

The Chiefs doubled their lead early in the second when captain David Thompson ripped a wrist shot past Santaguida from the top of the left circle. The goal was Chilliwack's sixth shorthanded goal of the season and the second goal the Eagles have given up while on the power play this year.

Surrey scored its first and only goal of the game with just over two minutes remaining in the third period when Demico Hannoun made a beautiful toe dragging move out of the right corner and fired a shot that Chilliwack goaltender Mitch Gillam stopped, but Hannoun picked up his own rebound and scored to pull the Eagles within one. The Birds pulled the goalie, looking for an equalizer, but Gillam turned aside all of Surrey's remaining shots to close out the win for Chilliwack.

Surrey had a number of power play opportunities in the hockey game but went 0-for-6 with the man advantage in the loss. In addition to scoring the shorthanded goal, Chilliwack was 1-for-5 on the power play. Despite the loss, the Eagles out shot the Chiefs 38-37.

The Eagles will now play three straight games on the road, visiting Prince George next Friday and Saturday before heading to Langley on Tuesday, November 27th.

Official 3 Stars:

1. Mitch Gillam - Chilliwack

2. Michael Santaguida - Surrey

3. David Thompson - Chilliwack

My 3 Stars:

1. Mitch Gillam - Chilliwack

2. Michael Santaguida - Surrey

3. David Thompson - Chilliwack

Pre-Game Report: Eagles vs. Chiefs

The Surrey Eagles will host the Chilliwack Chiefs for the third time this season on Friday evening at the South Surrey Arena. The game will be a first place showdown in the Mainland Division. Chilliwack leads the season series with two wins and one overtime loss while the Eagles have won once, lost once in regulation and dropped another game in overtime.

The Birds are coming off a big 6-1 win over the Coquitlam Express on Monday night. In that game, Drew Best became the second Eagle to score a hat-trick this season, joining defenseman Devon Toews who will return to the line-up this evening after missing six games while he was away at the World Junior A Challenge. In the six games that Toews missed, Surrey had a record of 5-0-0-1. Tommy Stipancik is also expected to be available for the Birds. The 18-year-old blue liner has missed the last five games with a nagging injury.

The Chiefs enter Friday's match-up on a four game winning streak after wins against Langley, Coquitlam and two victories over Penticton. Chilliwack sits in first in the Mainland Division with a record of 14-5-1-1 while the Eagles are two points back. Surrey would take over first place with a win tonight. Chiefs forward Luke Esposito leads the BCHL in points with 28 and had the overtime winner in the Chilliwack's last game in Surrey on September 30th. Meanwhile, Josh Hansen is the top goal scorer in the league with 16.

Where: South Surrey Arena

When: 7:00pm

How to listen: http://ustream.tv/channel/surreyeagleshockey

How to watch: http://fasthockey.com

Eagles vs. Express Highlights

The Matt Erhart Show: November 14, 2012

Feels Like The First Time

Scoring a first career goal at the Junior A level is an important moment in the development of a young hockey player. It’s the first step on a journey that will hopefully lead him to the professional ranks. For Drew Best, September 14, 2012 is a date that he won’t be forgetting. That’s because Best, who is in his first season with the Surrey Eagles, scored his first BCHL goal against the Chilliwack Chiefs on that evening in just his third game in the league. It was also the double overtime winner.

“They just made a bad play, a turnover,” said Best of the goal. “I was able to make a read on it and picked up the puck, and we went down on a two-on-one. Their defenseman took Demico (Hannoun) out, so it left me to shoot.

“I know it was an important goal, but it’s not so much that it was in overtime. It’s that it was my first BCHL goal, so it was going to be important either way.”

The 18-year-old is one of eight players on the Eagles who have scored their first BCHL goal so far this season along with Craig Wyszomirski, Nic Pierog, Eric Chevrier, Tommy Stipancik, Jordan Klimek, Joel Gaudet and Stefan Burzan.

Pierog’s first marker was also a game winner as he scored late in the third period of a 3-2 victory over the Merritt Centennials. While scoring his first goal was a momentous occasion for Pierog, he also felt a sense of relief.

“After you get the monkey off your back, you’re not going to worry about trying to score and get your first one in the league,” said Pierog. “Now that I’ve scored it, I can just concentrate on playing hockey and hopefully more goals will come.”

Some players have to wait longer than others to find the net for the first time as was the case with Chevrier. The 19-year-old blue liner joined the Birds midway through the season last year and was unable to find the net before season’s end. But Chevrier finally scored against the Trail Smoke Eaters in his thirteenth game of the 2012-2013 campaign.

“I got into 26 games last year with the team, and I didn’t get a goal then,” said Chevrier. “Just being a defenseman, you don’t really score a lot. The way I play my game, I’m more of a defensive guy, so anytime I get a goal it’s kind of a big deal for me.”

While the current members of the Eagles still have the memories of their first goal fresh in their minds, Head Coach Matt Erhart’s came back in the 1997-1998 season when he was an 18-year-old defenseman in Surrey.

“It was a seeing eye shot from the point,” said Erhart with a smile. “I was just hoping to get a shot on goal, so I threw it towards the net, and it squeaked through. Being a rookie defenseman I was just hoping to get one goal and I ended up with three that year.

“It’s always nice to get that first one. I know there are a couple of guys still to score here this year, but hopefully we’ll get those guys on the board soon.”

Best's Hat-Trick Lifts Birds Over Express

Drew Best scored his first hat-trick in the BCHL as the Surrey Eagles skated away with a 6-1 win over the Coquitlam Express at the South Surrey Arena on Monday afternoon. Michael Santaguida had a strong outing, making 34 saves for his eighth victory of the season.

Coquitlam played the game without 10 of their regulars as seven players were injured and three were travelling back from Nova Scotia and the World Junior A Challenge.

The Eagles got on the board just 1:58 into the game when Best netted his first of the day, knocking home the rebound of a Dan O'Keefe point shot. Coquitlam tied the score at 1-1 when Phil Zielonka scored the Express' only goal of the game on the power play with a shot from the bottom of the right circle, but the Birds retook the lead before the end of the opening frame when Best fired a shot over the left shoulder of Coquitlam goaltender Daniel Urbani for his second goal of the afternoon.

Best completed the hat-trick at 5:20 of the second period when he scored with the man advantage, hammering home a one-timer on a two-on-one with Brett Mulcahy. Just 37 seconds later, the Birds went ahead 4-1 when Demico Hannoun picked up his eighth goal of the season after Brady Shaw did some good work in the offensive zone to draw a pair of defenders and Urbani out of position, leaving Hannoun alone in front to tap it in. The goals kept coming for Surrey as Nic Pierog and Stefan Burzan both beat Urbani with shots high on the glove side to give the Eagles a 6-1 lead after two periods.

The Express tried to rally in the third period, firing 17 shots on Santaguida's goal, but the Surrey net minder made a number of huge saves to preserve the 6-1 win for the Birds.

The six goals scored by Surrey marked a season high for goals in a game by the Eagles. Monday's game was also the largest margin of victory for the Birds to this point in the year.

Surrey will return to action on Friday evening when the Chilliwack Chiefs will visit the South Surrey Arena. The opening face-off will be at 7:00pm. Call 604-531-4625 for tickets.

Official 3 Stars:
1. Drew Best - Surrey
2. Michael Santaguida - Surrey
3. Craig Wyszomirski - Surrey

My 3 Stars:
1. Drew Best - Surrey
2. Michael Santaguida - Surrey
3. Mason Blacklock - Surrey

Pre-Game Report: Eagles vs. Express

The Coquitlam Express will pay a visit to the South Surrey Arena for the first time this season on Monday afternoon to face the Surrey Eagles. The game will be the second of eight meetings between the Mainland Division opponents this year. In their first meeting, the Eagles skated away with a 2-1 victory on September 28th at the Poirier Sports and Leisure Complex.

The Birds have just returned from a two game Interior Division road trip. Both games went to overtime with the Eagles defeating Salmon Arm on Friday night before losing to Vernon on Saturday evening. Today's game will be the first time that Brady Shaw faces his old Express teammates. The 20-year-old forward was acquired from Coquitlam on October 19th and has put up six goals and four assists in eight games with Surrey since the trade. The Eagles currently sit in second in the Mainland Division. Devon Toews will not be in Surrey's line-up on Monday as he travels back from Nova Scotia and the World Junior A Challenge where he was part of the silver medal winning Canada West team.

Coquitlam comes into Monday's match-up on a two game losing streak after dropping games to Chilliwack and Langley on Friday and Saturday respectively. The Express have been without three of their top forwards for the last six games as Brandon Morley, Alex Kerfoot and Zachary Pryzbek have all been away with Toews in the Maritimes. The threesome won't be in the line-up on Monday either. Since the players left for the tournament, Coquitlam has a record of 3-3-0-0. Morley, who was traded to Coquitlam as part of the Shaw trade, has yet to register a point in an Express uniform although he has only played two games in Coquitlam.

Where: South Surrey Arena

When: 2:00pm

How to listen: http://ustream.tv/channel/surreyeagleshockey

How to watch: http://fasthockey.com

Tambellini Ends Eagles Winning Streak

Adam Tambellini scored in the dying seconds of double overtime to lift the Vernon Vipers to a 3-2 win over the Surrey Eagles at the Wesbild Arena on Saturday night. Despite the loss, the Birds picked up three of a possible four points on their two game Interior Division road trip.

The Vipers found the net first in the opening frame when Pearce Eviston beat Surrey net minder Glenn Ferguson at 9:08 of the period. Surrey tied it up inside the final three minutes of the first when Mason Blacklock scored the Birds' first shorthanded goal of the season.

In the second period, Vernon jumped back in front as Marc Hetnik netted his first of the year at 4:30 to give the Vipers a 2-1 lead. But Surrey responded late in the stanza with a power play marker from Brett Mulcahy.

Neither side scored in the third period, and the game also remained tied through one period of overtime. Surrey had a chance to win it when Mason Blacklock was awarded a penalty shot in the second extra period, but the Surrey forward fired his shot wide of the net, and the game continued. It looked like it might end in a tie until Tambellini scored with just five seconds remaining in the game to give Vernon the victory. 

Surrey fired a season high 48 shots on Vernon goaltender Danny Todosychuk while the Vipers had 40 shots on Ferguson's net. The Birds went 1-for-4 on the power play while Vernon was unable to score on two opportunities with the man advantage. The loss ended Surrey's four game winning streak.

The Eagles will now return home and host the Coquitlam Express on Monday afternoon. The puck drops at 2:00pm at the South Surrey Arena. For tickets, call 604-531-4625.

Official 3 Stars:

1. Adam Tambellini - Vernon

2. Danny Todosychuk - Vernon

3. Mason Blacklock - Surrey

My 3 Stars:

1. Adam Tambellini - Vernon

2. Mason Blacklock - Surrey

3. Danny Todosychuk - Vernon

Pre-Game Report: Eagles at Vipers

The Surrey Eagles will conclude their two game Interior Division road trip tonight in Vernon against the Vipers. It's the second time the teams have faced each other this season. The Birds picked up a 5-3 win at the South Surrey Arena back on October 19th.

Surrey has won its last four games in a row and is coming off a 3-2 overtime victory last night in Salmon Arm. Jordan Klimek had the winning goal in overtime. The 17-year-old defenseman now has three goals this season, and two of them have been overtime winners. Last night's victory lifted the Birds into second place in the Mainland Division, three points back of Chilliwack. Craig Wyszomirski will return to the Eagles line-up tonight after serving his two game suspension.

The Vipers lost in overtime to Trail on Friday evening but have been trending in the right direction of late, winning three of their last four games. One of those wins was a 9-2 shellacking of the Smoke Eaters. The team's top scorer, Adam Tambellini, had four points in that game. The son of Edmonton Oilers General Manager Steve Tambellini has put up 22 points in 19 games this year. Vernon sits in fifth in the Interior Division with a record of 6-7-0-6.

When: 7:00pm

Where: Wesbild Arena

How to listen: http://1075kiss.com/stream/

How to watch: http://fasthockey.com

Klimek Plays Overtime Hero Again in Salmon Arm

Jordan Klimek scored his third of the season and his second overtime winner to lift the Surrey Eagles to their fourth straight victory, 3-2 over the Salmon Arm Silverbacks at the Shaw Centre on Friday evening. Michael Santaguida made 33 saves in the win.

The Silverbacks got on the board first when former Eagle Harlan Orr scored on Santaguida at 10:52 of the opening period. The Birds responded before the end of the frame when Kevan Kilistoff netted his first of the year, and the teams sat tied at 1-1 after 20 minutes.

Salmon Arm retook the lead with the only goal of the second period at 7:36 when Jeff Kennedy found the Surrey net. The Eagles resisted some heavy pressure from the Silverbacks in the middle frame, being out shot 17-2, but Santaguida stood strong to keep Surrey in the hockey game.

The only power play goal of the game came at 6:52 of the third when Trevor Cameron scored to tie the game with Blake Box in the sin bin for Salmon Arm. Neither team could find a go ahead goal before the end of 60 minutes, and the game went to overtime.

Klimek's winner came at 2:04 of the first overtime period when he received a pass from Drew Best off the left boards and redirected the puck past Silverbacks goaltender Adam Clark to give the Birds the victory.

Surrey will be right back at it tomorrow evening in Vernon against the Vipers. The face-off is at 7:00pm.

Official 3 Stars:
1. Michael Santaguida - Surrey
2. Harlan Orr - Salmon Arm
3. Michael Stenerson - Surrey

My 3 Stars:
1. Michael Santaguida - Surrey
2. Harlan Orr - Salmon Arm
3. Michael Stenerson - Surrey

Pre-Game Report: Eagles at Silverbacks

The Surrey Eagles will kick-off a two game Interior Division road trip on Friday night with a visit to Salmon Arm to face the Silverbacks. It's the first meeting between the two teams this season. Surrey won the lone match-up last year by a score of 2-1 on October 22, 2011.

The Birds enter tonight's action on a three game winning streak after victories last week over Langley, Merritt and Prince George. Over those three games, the Eagles scored eight goals with seven different players finding the net. Surrey enters play tonight in third in the Mainland Division. The Eagles have had good results this season against Interior Division opponents, going 4-1-0-0. Defenseman Craig Wyszomirski won't play tonight as the big blue liner will sit out the second game of his two game suspension.

Unlike the Eagles, the Silverbacks have been disappointing to this point in the season and find themselves in last place in the Interior Division with a record of 6-10-0-2. Salmon Arm is coming off a 2-1 overtime loss to Nanaimo last Saturday. Defenseman Shane Hanna, who has 15 points, is the only member of the Silverbacks squad to have posted more than 10 points through 18 games. The 'Backs have also struggled mightily in their own arena, managing only one win at the Shaw Centre in 10 home games.

Where: Shaw Centre

When: 7:00pm

How to listen: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/salmonarmsilverbacks

How to watch: http://fasthockey.com

The Matt Erhart Show: November 7, 2012

Wyszomirski Calls Colour

Eagles defenseman Craig Wyszomirski joined me in the broadcast booth to do some colour commentary for the first period of Saturday's overtime win over the Prince George Spruce Kings. The big blue liner was sitting out the first of a two game suspension for receiving three Blow To The Head penalties to this point in the season, and in the first intermission we found out that Craig does a pretty good impression of me!

Hear the audio below:

Eagles vs. Spruce Kings Highlights

Eagles Edge Spruce Kings in OT Thriller

Brady Shaw scored twice, including the controversial overtime winner, as the Surrey Eagles won their third straight game by a score of 3-2 over the Prince George Spruce Kings on Saturday night at the South Surrey Arena. With the win, Surrey improved to 11-6-0-1 on the season and moved into third place in the Mainland Division.

Neither team scored in the first period as Surrey goaltender Michael Santaguida and Prince George net minder Kirk Thompson stood strong, both making a number of quality saves. The Eagles were ahead 12-11 on the shot clock after 20 minutes.

It was the Birds who struck first in the second period when Demico Hannoun received a cross-crease pass from Michael Stenerson and was stopped on his first attempt by Thompson's right pad before burying his own rebound. Surrey doubled its lead before the end of the frame when Shaw scored on a two-on-one off the left wing after a pass from Joel Gaudet.

In the third, the Spruce Kings rallied and finally found the net at 12:32 when Tyson Witala's wrist shot from the slot snuck past Santaguida to pull Prince George to within one. Cam Lawson would equalize for the Spruce Kings with only 3:21 remaining when he danced into the slot and fired a shot into the back of the Surrey net to tie the game at 2-2.

For the sixth time this season, the Eagles went to overtime, and for the fifth time this year, Surrey skated away victorious. The winner came at 3:55 of the first overtime period when Shaw received a stretch pass at the attacking blue line that initially looked to be offside but was waved off by linesman Ryan Gibbons. Shaw then skated in on a breakaway and scored with a wrister over Thompson's right shoulder. While many thought the goal shouldn't have counted due to the offside, a review of the video replay shows that Shaw still had one skate on the blue line when the puck crossed into the zone (see the screen shot below). The victory was Surrey's third win in as many nights. 

The Eagles fired 35 shots on Thompson's goal while the Spruce Kings managed 34 shots on the Surrey net. Prince George didn't get a power play opportunity in the game while the Birds were 0-for-1 with the man advantage.

Surrey will head out on the road for a pair of games next weekend in Salmon Arm on Friday and Vernon on Saturday before returning home to face the Coquitlam Express on Monday, November 12th.

Official 3 Stars:

1. Brady Shaw - Surrey

2. Michael Santaguida - Surrey

3. Kirk Thompson - Prince George

My 3 Stars:

1. Brady Shaw - Surrey

2. Kirk Thompson - Prince George

3. Michael Santaguida - Surrey

Freeze frame of the close play at the blue line on Brady Shaw's winning goal. The puck, which has already entered the zone, is circled in red while Shaw's left foot is still touching the blue line.

Pre-Game Report: Eagles vs. Spruce Kings

The Surrey Eagles will go for their third straight victory when they host the Prince George Spruce Kings tonight at the South Surrey Arena. This evening's game is the third meeting between the two teams this season. Prince George has won both games so far, picked up a 4-1 win in Surrey on October 5th before triumphing 3-0 at the Prince George Coliseum on October 13th.

Surrey will be playing its third game in three nights for the first time this season. The Eagles are coming off road wins in Langley and Merritt. Michael Stenerson returned to the line-up against the Centennials on Friday night and scored his sixth of the season. The Birds currently sit in a third place tie in the Mainland Division with a record of 10-6-0-1 and 21 points to their name. Coquitlam also has 21 points but has played one less game, meaning the Eagles technically sit in fourth.

Prince George sits in first place in the Mainland Division but is coming off a 5-1 loss on Friday night in Langley. The loss snapped a six game winning streak for the Spruce Kings who had a strong month of October, winning seven of nine games. It's been scoring by committee for PG this year as 10 players have put up at least 10 points on the season, but none of them are in the top 20 in league scoring.

The Surrey Eagles players will be growing (or attempting to grow) their moustaches to help raise money and awareness for men’s health issues. At all Eagles home games in the month of November there will be a table set up on the concourse where you can donate to Movember Canada. If you’re not able to donate at the game, you can also donate online at www.bchl.ca by clicking here.

Where: South Surrey Arena

When: 7:00pm

How to listen: http://ustream.tv/channel/surreyeagleshockey or on 88.7FM in the arena.

How to watch: http://fasthockey.com

Birds Pick Up Road Win in Merritt

Glenn Ferguson was named the first star and made 39 saves to help the Surrey Eagles to a 3-2 victory over the Merritt Centennials at the Nicola Valley Arena. With the win, the Birds take the season series 2-0.

Surrey opened the scoring at 10:45 of the opening frame when Michael Stenerson, Demico Hannoun and Brady Shaw went in on a three-on-one. After a give-and-go with Hannoun, Stenerson beat Merritt goaltender Tyler Steel between the legs for his sixth of the season. The Centennials countered on the power play a few minutes later when Dylan Chanter's shot from the right point bounced off Trevor Cameron and past Ferguson.

The Eagles got the only goal of the second period at 14:19 when Drew Best skated across the Merritt blue line and wired a wrist shot over Steel's left shoulder, putting Surrey back in front. It was Best's fourth of the season and first goal since September 21st. 

Merritt equalized midway through the third after Ferguson stopped Regan Soquila's shot from the left boards, but Derek Huisman pounced on the rebound to put the Centennials back on even terms. It took until the final five minutes before the Eagles found a winner when Nic Pierog scored his first BCHL goal from the right circle to secure the two points for Surrey.

Surrey was out shot 41-26 in the game. Merritt went 1-for-1 on the power play while the Eagles did not get an opportunity with the man advantage.

The Birds will complete their run of three games in three night on Saturday when the Prince George Spruce Kings pay a visit to the South Surrey Arena. Face-off is at 7:00pm.

Official 3 Stars:

1. Glenn Ferguson - Surrey

2. Richard Sabourin - Merritt

3. Drew Best - Surrey

My 3 Stars:

1. Glenn Ferguson - Surrey

2. Richard Sabourin - Merritt

3. Nic Pierog - Surrey

Eagles Add Clark

For immediate release: November 2, 2012

The Surrey Eagles Hockey Club announced on Friday that the team has added forward William Clark (93) to its roster.

Clark is a native of Dallas, Texas and put up 54 points in 39 games with the Dallas Stars U18 in the Midwest Elite Hockey League last season. The 19-year-old is listed at 6'6 and 223 pounds.

"William is a big body with a good skill set that will provide some size to our forward group," said Head Coach and General Manager Matt Erhart. "Coming from midget hockey, with a brief stint in the NAHL, it’s a big jump to the BCHL, but we feel he has the tools to be a key contributor to the Eagles program.”

Surrey also released forward Kolten Grieve (94) on Friday. The Eagles would like to wish Kolten all the best in his future endeavours.

Pre-Game Report: Eagles at Centennials

Tonight, the Surrey Eagles will wrap-up their three game road trip with a visit to the Nicola Valley Arena to take on the Merritt Centennials. It's the second and final regular season meeting between the teams this year. The Birds skated away with a 5-1 win back on October 7th.

Surrey is coming off Thursday night's double overtime victory in Langley. Jordan Klimek picked up his second goal of the year, picking up the winner. Klimek will be counted on to play extra minutes over the next couple of weeks with Devon Toews away at the World Junior A Challenge. The win over the Rivermen pulled the Eagles two points clear of Langley in the Mainland Division and into a third place tie with Coquitlam, although the Express have a game in hand on Surrey. The Eagles are 3-1-0-0 against opponents from the Interior Division this year.

The Centennials are coming off a 7-4 loss to Victoria on Sunday. In that game, Merritt was forced to ice two affiliate players in net, due to the fact that starter Tyler Steel was away at the World Junior A Challenge camp and backup Russell Sanderson was injured. Steel did not make the Canada West roster and will likely be back between the pipes for Merritt tonight. Other than the loss to Victoria, the Cents have been strong lately. In fact, the loss to the Grizzlies was the first time Merritt had lost in regulation since their visit to the South Surrey Arena.

Where: Nicola Valley Arena

When: 7:30pm

How to listen: http://ustream.tv/channel/surreyeagleshockey

How to watch: http://fasthockey.com

Klimek Nets Double Overtime Winner in Langley

Jordan Klimek scored the winning goal for the Surrey Eagles at 1:32 of the second overtime period, lifting the Birds to a 2-1 win over the Langley Rivermen in the third game between the teams in the past week. Michael Santaguida made a number of key saves in the Surrey goal en route to the victory.

Both teams scored goals in the opening period. Brett Mulcahy struck first for Surrey by firing a one-timer past Langley goaltender James Barr from the high slot. But just over two minutes later, the Rivermen answered when Ben Butcher beat Santaguida on the short side with a wrister off the left boards.

Thursday night's match-up was very different from the two games the Eagles and Rivermen played last weekend. While the previous match-ups were fast, high scoring and up tempo, this game was a defensive battle with both net minders standing strong. Neither team generated many high quality scoring chances, and the Eagles ground out the extra goal to claim the two points.

Santaguida made a couple of key saves late in the hockey game for Surrey. First, he stopped Langley's leading scorer Mario Puskarich on a breakaway in the final minute of the third period, turning the shot away with the blocker. Then he made another big save in the first overtime period when Mitch McLain snapped a one-timed shot on goal from the slot. Barr made a number of big stops in the Langley goal as well. Most notably, he turned Mason Blacklock aside on a breakaway in overtime as the White Rock native tried to beat him between the wickets.

In the end, Klimek netted the winner after Drew Best got the puck in the left corner and fed him a cross ice pass at the right circle. Klimek waited a moment, before snapping a shot over the left shoulder of Barr to give Surrey the win.

Neither team scored on the power play in the hockey game as the Eagles went 0-for-4 while the Rivermen were 0-for-1. Langley out shot Surrey 34-31.

The Birds will get right back at it tomorrow evening with a game in Merritt against the Centennials. The face-off is at 7:30pm from the Nicola Valley Arena.

Official 3 Stars:
1. James Barr - Langley
2. Michael Santaguida - Surrey
3. Jordan Klimek - Surrey

My 3 Stars:
1. Michael Santaguida - Surrey
2. James Barr - Langley
3. Jordan Klimek - Surrey

Toews Named to Team Canada West Roster

Devon Toews has been named to the roster for Team Canada West for the upcoming 2012 World Junior A Challenge in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. I had a chance to catch up with Toews on Thursday afternoon to talk about this exciting opportunity.

Here's the full press release on the roster announcement from Hockey Canada:

Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Junior Hockey League, announced Thursday the 22 players that will represent Canada West at the 2012 World Junior A Challenge, Nov. 5-11 in Yarmouth, N.S.

The roster was selected by Canada West head coach Dean Brockman (St. Benedict, Sask./Humboldt, SJHL), along with assistant coaches Jason McKee (Irma, Alta./Spruce Grove, AJHL) and Ryan Smith (Headingley, Man./Selkirk, MJHL) following a four-day selection camp at the Markin MacPhail Centre in Calgary.

CLICK HERE FOR THE CANADA WEST ROSTER FOR THE 2012 WORLD JUNIOR A CHALLENGE

Players named to the Canada West roster were selected from the CJHL’s five western Junior A leagues: the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL), Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) and Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL).

“As with any Team Canada roster, there were a number of difficult choices to get us to 22 players,” said Brockman. “We’re excited about the roster we’ve put together, and we’re confident this team will represent western Canada with pride in Yarmouth.”

The Canada West roster includes:
· two goaltenders, seven defencemen and 13 forwards;
· 15 players from the BCHL, three players from the AJHL, two players from the SJHL and two players from the MJHL;
· five players returning from the 2011 World Junior A Challenge (Hadley, Kerfoot, Morley, Richardson, Stecher);
· two players selected in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft (Kerfoot – New Jersey, 5th round, 180th overall; de Haas – Detroit, 6th round, 170th overall.

The 2012 World Junior A Challenge will be held at the Mariners Centre in Yarmouth. Canada West will play in Group A, joined by the Czech Republic and Russia, while Canada East, Switzerland and the United States will comprise Group B.

Preliminary round play will run until Wednesday, Nov. 7, with both semifinals taking place Friday, Nov. 9. The gold medal game, which will be shown nationally on TSN/RDS, the official broadcasters of Hockey Canada, is set for Sunday, Nov. 11 (check your local listings). All preliminary round games, quarter-finals, semifinals and the bronze medal game can be seen live via webcast through FASTHockey at hockeycanada.fasthockey.com.

Fans can now purchase the World Junior A Weekend ticket package, which features six games over the final three days of the 2012 World Junior A Challenge. The package includes both semifinals on Nov. 9, the fifth-place game and bronze medal game on Nov. 10 and the second CJHL Prospects Game and gold medal game on Nov. 11, all at the Mariners Centre. Packages are available for $159, plus service fees.

CLICK HERE for more ticket information, including how to purchase.

Canada West has appeared in five of the six gold medal games at the World Junior A Challenges, winning gold in 2006 in Yorkton, Sask., 2007 in Trail, B.C., and last year in Langley, B.C. It settled for silver in 2008 in Camrose, Alta., and 2009 in Summerside, P.E.I., and finished fourth in 2010 in Penticton, B.C.

For more information on the 2012 World Junior A Challenge, please visit www.hockeycanada.ca/wjac, or follow along via social media at www.facebook.com/wjrac or www.twitter.com/hc_wjac.

Pre-Game Report: Eagles at Rivermen

The Surrey Eagles will play the second game of their three game road swing tonight in Langley against the Rivermen. The season series is tied at one win apiece after last weekend's back-to-back home-and-home series. The Eagles picked up a 5-3 win on Friday at home before losing 6-5 in Langley on Saturday.

Surrey is not expected to have Michael Stenerson in the line-up tonight despite the fact that the 19-year-old forward was cut from Team Canada West for the World Junior A Challenge. Meanwhile, defenseman Devon Toews made the team and will play in the tournament which goes form November 5-11 in Nova Scotia. That means he'll likely miss the next six Surrey games. Tonight's game is also the first of three games in three days for the Eagles. It's the first time Matt Erhart's squad has played that many games in such a short amount of time this season.

The Rivermen are coming off a 3-1 loss in Coquitlam on Sunday afternoon. It was the third game in three days for Langley after the pair of games against the Eagles on Friday and Saturday. Langley sits in last in the Mainland Division heading into tonight's action -- one point back of Surrey. The Eagles also have a game in hand. The Rivermen also made a major trade yesterday, sending youngster Bo Pellah to Alberni Valley in exchange for forward Evan Anderson and defenseman Turner Popoff.

Where: Langley Events Centre

When: 7:15pm

How to listen: http://ustream.tv/channel/surreyeagleshockey

How to watch: http://fasthockey.com