Dawson Commits to Eagles

For immediate release: May 30, 2013

Surrey, BC - The Surrey Eagles are pleased to announce that defenceman Matthew Dawson (1996) has committed to play for the hockey club, beginning in the 2013-2014 season. The Delta native officially joins the Eagles after playing a role in Surrey's run to the RBC Cup this past season as an affiliate player.

"With the departure of some of our key blue liners from last season, we're excited to have Matthew join our club as a young puck moving defenceman," said Eagles Head Coach and General Manager Matt Erhart. "Matthew performed beyond his years during our run to the RBC Cup, and we're looking forward to him being a part of our team for the 2013-2014 season."

The 16-year-old played in five regular season games for the Birds in the 2012-2013 season before appearing in 13 games in the post-season including every game at the Western Canada Cup and the RBC Cup. Dawson, who is listed at 5'10 and 160 lbs, played for the Delta Ice Hawks of the PIJHL last year, posting two goals and 12 assists in 37 regular season games.

"I'm very excited," said Dawson of joining the Eagles. "I finished the year with the team, and that was a great experience, but now to officially be a part of the team and the family is a great feeling."

The Eagles would like to welcome Dawson to the organization.

Eagles Looking for Athletic Therapist/Equipment Manager

The Eagles are looking for an Athletic Therapist and Equipment Manager. Here's the job posting from the team website:

Athletic Therapist/Equipment Manager

The Surrey Eagles of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) are looking for an Athletic Therapist/Equipment Manager for the 2013-2014 season.

Position Description:

The athletic therapist/ equipment manager will be responsible for player injuries, sicknesses and general trainer and equipment manager duties. You must have a strong work ethic, strong communication skills, work well individually and as part of the team. You must be flexible with hours and have a good understanding of the hockey environment. Some of the specific duties included in this position:

Working with Team Doctors
Injury assessment, rehabilitation, and prevention
Communication of injuries to coaches and doctors
Documentation of injury treatment reports and prepare Hockey Canada and BCHL insurance claims
Assist with in-season workouts
Dressing Room Maintenance
Pre and post game warm up and cool down
Pre practice and pre game taping and wrapping
Skate Sharpening
Ordering of team equipment/sticks/ and medical supplies
Maintain inventory , maintenance and control all of equipment/sticks/team jerseys and medical supplies
All team laundry
Game preparation
Packing for Road trips
Arranging team arrival with visiting teams trainer
Maintain professional relationship with players
Other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

The successful candidate must be certified through CATA, and have strong communication skills. A minimum of an advanced certificate in an Athletic Therapist program, with a degree in Phys Ed, Sport Science, Kinesiology, or relevant degree. Hockey Canada trainer’s course and Speak Out are required for this position.

Please submit your resume and cover letter to Director of Business Operations Sharon Anderson sanderson@surreyeagles.ca. Only those shortlisted will be contacted.

Batch's Breakdown: RBC Cup

After being crowned the first ever champions of the Western Canada Cup, the Eagles made the long trip across the country to Summerside, PEI for the RBC Cup.

Sunday, May 12th vs. Truro Bearcats

The Birds opened the tournament a day after the rest of the teams. Truro came into the game after losing 7-1 to Brooks on the opening day, and the Eagles handed them a similar defeat, cruising to a 7-0 win. Michael Stenerson had a five point game while Demico Hannoun scored twice and Michael Santaguida made 24 saves for the shutout.

Monday, May 13th vs. Summerside Western Capitals

The round robin meeting between the two teams was an exciting back-and-forth affair. The two sides traded goals in the first before the Capitals pulled out to a 4-2 lead in the second. Surrey battled back in the third to tie the game at 4-4 thanks to tallies from Devon Toews and Adam Tambellini. Brett Mulcahy netted the OT winner for the Birds as Surrey improved to 2-0.

Wednesday, May 15th vs. Minnesota Wilderness

The Eagles had a much more complete effort against the USA representatives, winning 5-0. Five different players found the back of the net, and Santaguida posted his second shutout of the round robin, making 29 saves to become the first goalie since 1998 to post two goose-eggs in a single round robin at the RBC.

Thursday, May 16th vs. Brooks Bandits

Surrey concluded the round robin with a re-match of the Western Canada Cup final against the Brooks Bandits, and the Birds had arguably their worst start to a game all season, giving up three goals in the first seven minutes and falling behind 5-0 before the midway mark of the second period. The Eagles were able to find the net twice as Dan O'Keefe tallied his first of the year and Trevor Cameron scored a beautiful shorthanded goal, but it wasn't enough to overcome the deficit, and Surrey lost 5-2.

Saturday, May 18th vs. Summerside Western Capitals

The Eagles entered the semi-final having not played an elimination game all season. The second match-up between the two teams was as exciting as the first but much more cagey. Summerside opened the scoring in the final minute of the second period before the Eagles equalized early in the third off a Drew Best breakaway. The Western Capitals went ahead again a few minutes later after Danny Chiasson scored, but Surrey tied it up again when Mulcahy found the net to send the game to OT. The extra period was filled with controversy. Surrey had to kill off a lengthy five-on-three after a couple of questionable calls while Summerside forward Chris Caissy laid a devastating blind-side hit on Devon Toews that went unpenalized and knocked the Surrey blue liner out of action for a lengthy period of the overtime. Eventually, Caissy ended Surrey's season after making a nice move to find space in the slot and beat Santaguida.

Final Thoughts

Normally in this section, I would look at positives and negatives from the tournament, but with the season at a close, I feel it makes more sense to look at the tournament and the season as a whole rather than dwell on specific positives and negatives.

First of all, this season was an amazing run, and every Eagles player should be incredibly proud of what they accomplished. The Eagles defeated the eventual national champions and the runners up, and showed that they deserved to hang with the best in the country. Were they the better team in the semi-final game against Summerside? Yes, I believe they were. Did they deserve to be in the final? Yes, I believe they did. But the hockey gods don't always deliver in single game elimination scenarios, and that's just the way it is.

This team is one that I'll remember for a long time. A group that didn't look like it would be able to accomplish big things at the outset of the season came together, and with the help of some key acquisitions, turned into something special. As someone who had the opportunity to be around the players and coaching staff on almost a daily basis in the post-season, I can't say enough about how close-knit this team was and how committed they were to giving their best effort every single night.

And now as the season ends, the focus quickly turns to next year's edition of the Eagles, and the heavy task of replacing over half the team. With a short summer ahead, training camp isn't very far away at all, and before you know it, the Birds will be underway in the 2013-2014 season.

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has made my first year in Surrey so special. The players who were welcoming and accommodating for interviews throughout the year and were so incredibly fun to watch on the ice. The front office staff for being so helpful with my transition to the booth and the volunteers who are the backbone of the team. To the fans and listeners who tuned-in to my broadcasts and read my articles all season long, thanks for listening and reading, and I hope that you enjoyed watching this team as much as I enjoyed covering them. I also must thank the coaching staff, particularly Matt Erhart who was gracious enough to allow me to interview him before every single game this season while also doing the weekly Matt Erhart Show and chatting with me for post-game video interviews during the playoffs. Matt's willingness to participate in all of my media endeavours made my job 100 times easier, and I look forward to many conversations with him again next season.

Finally, I want to wish good luck to the players who are moving on to the next stage of their lives. For some, the fall will bring a trip down south to an NCAA school to continue their hockey careers. For others, the beginning of the school year will mean playing hockey at a post-secondary institution in Canada while some players may have played their last competitive hockey game. The 2012-2013 Surrey Eagles consisted of some of the best young men I've ever had the pleasure of knowing, and I'm sure they will all go on to great things whether their accomplishments come on or off the ice.

And to those players who will be back next season, we'll see you at the SSA in August!

The Matt Erhart Show: May 24, 2013

On the final Matt Erhart Show of the 2012-2013 season, the Eagles' Head Coach and GM looked back on the year, discussed the completed trades that were announced on Thursday and looked ahead to preparations for next year.

Eagles Trade Three, Acquire One

For immediate release: May 23, 2013

Surrey, BC - On Thursday, the Surrey Eagles announced that three players have been traded as future considerations, completing deals that were made during the BCHL’s regular season. Forward Demico Hannoun and defenceman Jordan Klimek are on their way to the Vernon Vipers as part of the move that brought Adam Tambellini to Surrey while Vernon forward Michael Roberts will join the Eagles. Meanwhile, forward Kevan Kilistoff is off to the Langley Rivermen, completing the multi-team trade that saw the Eagles pick up Troy Paterson from Cowichan Valley.

"It is a tough day as a coach and GM when you have to part with three quality young men that all have bright futures in the game of hockey," said Eagles Head Coach and General Manager Matt Erhart. "In order for the Eagles to push through and capture the Fred Page and Western Canada Cups, we felt that the moves were necessary at the time the trades were made."

Roberts joins the Eagles after posting four goals and six assists in 53 games in his rookie season with the Vipers last year. The 18-year-old Vernon native spent the 2011-2012 season with the Revelstoke Grizzlies of the KIJHL where he scored over a point per game.

Hannoun heads to the Vipers after two seasons with the Eagles. In his time in Surrey, the 17-year-old tallied 59 points in 91 regular season games. The North Delta product was a big part of Surrey’s run to the semi-final at the RBC Cup, netting nine goals and 14 assists in 26 post-season games. Hannoun has committed to the Michigan Tech Huskies for the 2014-2015 season.

Klimek is also off to Vernon after completing his rookie season in Surrey. The Langley native had six goals and 17 assists in 52 regular season games -- including four game winning goals. The 17-year-old had only one goal in the post-season, but it was a big one as he found the back of the net in the final of the Western Canada Cup against the Brooks Bandits. Klimek has committed to the Northern Michigan Wildcats for the 2014-2015 season.

Kilistoff will have a chance to play for his hometown team as he’ll make the short trip to Langley. An 18-year-old BCHL rookie, Kilistoff had 17 points in 52 games in the regular season. His biggest goal of the playoffs came when he scored the overtime winner in Game 5 of the Fred Page Cup Final against the Penticton Vees to give Surrey a 3-2 lead in the series.

The Eagles would like to thank Hannoun, Klimek and Kilistoff for their time spent with the organization and wish them all the best in the future.

Tambellini Off to NHL Combine

Eagles forward Adam Tambellini will have a quick turnaround after the end of the RBC Cup as he'll head to Toronto next week for the NHL's scouting combine. Tambellini was the highest ranked Canadain Junior A player on NHL Central Scouting's end of season prospect list.

Here's the release from the BCHL:

Forwards Adam Tambellini of the Surrey Eagles and David Pope of the West Kelowna Warriors will soon be headed to Toronto to be put through the paces of the NHL scouting combine.

The event will take place May 27 to June 1 and the top 79 North American skaters, top seven goalies, top 14 European skaters and one European goalie will be there for a total of 101 athletes.

Tambellini is listed at No. 42 for his group while Pope is listed at No. 67.

Top-rated skaters Seth Jones, Nathan MacKinnon, Aleksandr Barkov, Jonathan Drouin and Valeri Nichushkin are expected to attend the combine as well.

For the link to the complete list of 101 players and the story on NHL.com - CLICK HERE

The 2013 NHL Entry Draft will be held on Sunday, June 30 at New Jersey's Prudential Centre.

Eagles' Season Ends in OT

The Surrey Eagles' season came to a heart-breaking end on Saturday night with a 3-2 overtime loss at the hands of the Summerside Western Capitals in the semi-final at the 2013 RBC Cup. Chris Caissy scored the winner for the hosts at 16:57 of the first overtime period to lift Summerside into Sunday's championship game against the Brooks Bandits.

The Birds out shot the Caps in the first period and had the better of the chances, but neither team was able to find the net. Eagles forward Colton Mackie was given a game misconduct less than five minutes into the game after a check from behind, reducing the Birds to 11 forwards in the early stages.

The middle frame was a similar story. Both sides had opportunities, but both Kevin Bailie in the Summerside net and Michael Santaguida in the Surrey goal played lights-out to keep the game scoreless. The game's first goal came in the final minute of the period when Summerside took the lead on the power play. Justin Rasumussen carried the puck below the goal line and made a nice centring pass to JP Harvey in front of the net, and Harvey made no mistake, firing a quick one-timer past Santaguida.

Surrey tied the game less than five minutes into the third after Drew Best was sprung in on a breakaway, and the Plymouth, Michigan native fired a wrister into the top shelf to tie the game. The Western Capitals answered back to retake the lead when Danny Chiasson chipped a rebound across the Surrey goal line, but the Birds would even the score once again. This time, it was the captain Brett Mulcahy who deftly deflected Dan O'Keefe's point shot into the back of the net, eventually sending the game to overtime.

Both teams had their opportunities in the overtime period before Caissy's winner. Demico Hannoun had the best chance for Surrey when Best found him in the slot with a pass off the left boards, and Hannoun tipped the puck on net, forcing Bailie into a difficult save. Caissy ended the game and the Eagles' season when he made a nice move to create some space in the slot and wired a shot just inside the left post.

The Eagles out shot the Capitals 52-45 in the game. Surrey went 0-for-4 on the power play while Summerside was 1-for-7.

The game marked the end of 11 junior careers for the Eagles as Michael Stenerson, Brady Shaw, Adam Tambellini, Devon Toews, Michael Santaguida, Craig Wyszomirski, Dan O'Keefe, Trevor Cameron, Troy Paterson, Anthony Brito and Tanner Lenting will all move on, either because of their age or an NCAA scholarship.

Surrey Player of the Game: Michael Santaguida

Summerside Player of the Game: Kevin Bailie

My 3 Stars:
1. Chris Caissy - Summerside
2. Kevin Bailie - Summerside
3. Michael Santaguida - Surrey

Pre-Game Report: Eagles vs. Western Capitals

The Surrey Eagles will face the Summerside Western Capitals on Saturday in the second semi-final at the 2013 RBC Cup in Summerside, PEI. The Eagles took the round robin meeting between the two teams 5-4 in overtime. The winner of the game will face the winner of Brooks vs. Minnesota in the national championship game on Sunday.

Surrey is coming off its lone loss of the tournament as the Birds fell 5-2 to the Brooks Bandits in the final game of the round robin. The Eagles had a slow start to the game, allowing three goals in the first seven minutes of action. Michael Stenerson finished the round robin tied for the tournament lead in points with eight while Adam Tambellini was named the tournament's top forward, Devon Toews picked up top defenceman honours and Trevor Cameron was awarded an RBC Legacy Scholarship.

The Western Capitals are also coming off a loss as they were defeated by the Truro Bearcats 4-2 on Thursday. By the time the game began, the Caps knew they would be facing the Eagles in the semi-final and took the opportunity to rest a couple of players -- most notably starting goaltender Kevin Bailie who did not play in the game. Bailie was named the tournament's top goaltender on Friday after posting a 2.22 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage.

Where: Credit Union Place

When: 2:00pm PT/6:00pm AT

How to listen: Eagles Broadcast

How to watch: Fast Hockey

Eagles Win Awards at RBC

On Friday evening, the RBC Cup held its Awards Gala in Summerside, PEI, and Adam Tambellini, Devon Toews and Trevor Cameron walked away with hardware. Tambellini was named the tournament's top forward, Toews picked up the top defenceman award and Cameron was one of five winners of the RBC Legacy Scholarship.

Here's the release from Hockey Canada:

SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. – The 2013 RBC Cup, Canada's 43rd National Junior A Championship, held its awards banquet on Friday night at the Harbourfront Theatre. The recipients of all six individual awards were announced at the banquet.

The awards were based on the tournament's preliminary round, which ran from Saturday to Thursday. The 2013 RBC Cup award winners are:

Most Valuable Player (Roland Mercier Trophy) – Cam Maclise (Brooks Bandits)
Top Goaltender – Kevin Bailie (Summerside Western Capitals)
Top Forward – Adam Tambellini (Surrey Eagles)
Top Defenceman – Devon Toews (Surrey Eagles)
Most Sportsmanlike Player (Tubby Schmalz Trophy) – Mike Dietrich (Minnesota Wilderness)
Top Scorer – Anthony Paskaruk (Brooks Bandits)

In addition, Brooks Bandits (Alberta Junior Hockey League) forward Cam Maclise was presented with the 2013 RBC Canadian Junior Hockey League Player of the Year award. A third-year Bandit and Brooks’ captain this season, Cam Maclise finished in the top three in Alberta Junior Hockey League scoring for the second consecutive year, scoring 27 goals and adding a league-leading 56 assists, sparking an offence that scored almost 100 goals more than any other AJHL team. Maclise was rewarded for his offensive exploits with the AJHL MVP award, and was named Brooks’ most valuable player and top forward for the second year in a row.

Thomas Martin of the Vaudreuil-Dorion Mustangs (Ligue de hockey junior AAA du Québec) was on hand in Summerside to receive the RBC National Junior A Scholarship. Martin was chosen from 10 finalists – one from each of the Canadian Junior Hockey League's member leagues – to receive the $5,000 scholarship.

The RBC Cup Legacy Scholarships were also handed out at the awards banquet. Established following the 2004 RBC Royal Bank Cup in Grande Prairie, Alta., and contributed to following successful National Junior A Championships in Weyburn, Sask., Prince George, B.C., and Cornwall, Ont., these $500 scholarships are awarded to one graduating 20-year-old player from each of the five participating teams.

The RBC Cup Legacy Scholarship winners are:
Brooks Bandits – Chris Muscoby
Minnesota Wilderness – Mike Dietrich
Summerside Western Capitals – Matthew Kelly
Surrey Eagles – Trevor Cameron
Truro Bearcats – Shayne Campbell

After six days of preliminary round action, the semifinals are set for Saturday. In the early game at 2 p.m. AT, the Brooks Bandits (3-1) will take on the Minnesota Wilderness (1-3), while the Surrey Eagles (3-1) will face the host Summerside Western Capitals (2-2) in the late semifinal at 6 p.m. AT.

Birds Fall to Bandits

The Surrey Eagles fell to 3-1 in the round robin at the RBC Cup in Summerside, PEI after a 5-2 loss at the hands of the Brooks Bandits on Thursday afternoon at Credit Union Place. Dan O'Keefe and Trevor Cameron had the goals for Surrey in a losing cause.

Brooks came firing out of the gate, and the Bandits tallied three times in the opening seven minutes of the game. Brandon Bruce opened the scoring just over a minute in when he chipped a rebound past Michael Santaguida. Mark Reners made it 2-0 after a nice play by Dakota Mason to find him in the slot with a pass off the left wing, and Tyson McCallum scored in his first game of the tournament at 6:52. Surrey's best chance of the period came in the late stages when Brett Mulcahy wired a shot off the post, but the Birds couldn't find the net in the first.

The Bandits continued their barrage of goals in the second period. Anthony Petruzzelli scored to put the Alberta club ahead by four after an odd bounce in the Surrey zone left him alone in front with lots of time to beat Santaguida. Cam Maclise added to the Brooks lead when he chipped a rebound into the Surrey net at 7:43. The Birds responded with a pair of goals of their own in the latter stages of the frame. Dan O'Keefe scored his first as an Eagle when a centring pass bounced off his leg and past Brooks goalie Michael Fredrick to put Surrey on the board, and Trevor Cameron scored shorthanded, dipsy-doodling through the Bandits' defense before undressing Fredrick to make it 5-2.

Surrey tried to battle back in the third period, but the Birds couldn't beat Fredrick. The Eagles got into some penalty trouble in the late stages of the game, stunting their comeback attempt, and the Bandits clinched the first seed coming out of the round robin with the victory.

Neither side scored on the power play in the game as the Eagles went 0-for-4 while the Bandits were 0-for-7. Brooks out shot Surrey 36-24.

As a result of the loss, the Eagles will finish either second or third, depending on the results of the Thursday night game between the Summerside Western Capitals and Truro Bearcats. Either way, the Eagles will face Summerside in the semi-finals on Saturday. The opening face-off will be at 2:00pm PT/6:00pm AT.

Surrey Player of the Game: Dan O'Keefe

Brooks Player of the Game: Chris Muscoby

My 3 Stars:
1. Anthony Petruzzelli - Brooks
2. Cam Maclise - Brooks
3. Chris Muscoby - Brooks

Pre-Game Report: Eagles vs. Bandits

For the third time in less than three weeks, the Surrey Eagles will take on the AJHL champion Brooks Bandits. This time, the meeting comes as the final round robin game for both teams at the RBC Cup in Summerside, PEI. The teams played each other twice at the Crescent Point Energy Western Canada Cup in Nanaimo with the Bandits winning 4-2 on April 27th, but the Eagles won when it counted, defeating Brooks 4-1 in the tournament final on May 4th.

Surrey enters Thursday's action as the top team in the round robin with a perfect 3-0 record. The Eagles downed the Minnesota Wilderness 5-0 on Wednesday as Michael Santaguida picked up his second shutout in three games. The Birds got contributions from all over their roster in the victory as five different players found the net and 11 players had at least a point. Michael Stenerson remains the leading scorer in the tournament with eight points in three games while Devon Toews has more points than any other blue liner with six.

Brooks is 2-1 thus far in the round robin. The Bandits beat Truro 7-1 in their opener before downing Minnesota 6-3. In their last game, they lost to the hosts from Summerside 3-1 -- a game in which the Bandits took 13 minor penalties. Offensively, the big guns have been getting it done for Brooks in the tournament as Cam Maclise, Anthony Paskaruk and Anthony Petruzzelli have combined for 18 points to this point.

Where: Credit Union Place

When: 11:00am PT/3:00pm AT

How to listen: Eagles Broadcast

How to watch: Fast Hockey

Surrey Shuts Out Minnesota

The Surrey Eagles improved to 3-0 at the RBC Cup with a 5-0 shutout victory over the SIJHL's Minnesota Wilderness. Trevor Cameron was named Surrey's player of the game after picking up a goal and an assist while Michael Santaguida made 29 saves for his second goose-egg of the tournament. Santaguida becomes the first goaltender to post two shutouts in an RBC round-robin since Peter Wishloff achieved the feat while playing for the Eagles in 1998.

Surrey out shot the Wilderness 19-8 in the opening frame, and the Birds found the net after the midway mark when Nic Pierog fired a shot past Minnesota goalie JoJo Jeanetta from the right circle. Trevor Cameron added his name to the score sheet with less than 90 seconds to go in the period after Demico Hannoun forced a turnover at the Minnesota blue line and passed to Adam Tambellini who quickly dished the puck to Cameron for a tap-in at the left post.

Drew Best made it 3-0 at 11:20 of the second with a nice shot that found the top corner on the short side from in close at the bottom of the right circle. Surrey struck again in the final minute of the period after Wilderness defenceman Benjamin Michaud took a penalty with 10 seconds left, and Michael Stenerson scored before the end of the stanza when he tipped a Devon Toews point shot past Jeanetta with only four seconds remaining.

The Birds shut it down in the third and played a very defensive 20 minutes, keeping the Minnesota forwards at bay, save for a couple of goal-mouth scrambles. Kevan Kilistoff rippled the mesh off the rush in the late stages after Cameron found him with a nice pass on a three-on-two to complete the 5-0 victory for Surrey.

Surrey's power play struck once on seven opportunities in the game while Minnesota was 0-for-6. The Eagles finished ahead on the shot clock 36-29.

As a result of the loss, the Wilderness will finish fourth in the round robin and will face the first place team on Semi-Final Saturday. Meanwhile, the Birds hold their destiny in their own hands as they can finish first with a victory in their final round robin game against Brooks on Thursday. Face-off at 11am PT/3pm AT.

Surrey Player of the Game: Trevor Cameron

Minnesota Player of the Game: Mike Dietrich

My 3 Stars:
1. Trevor Cameron - Surrey
2. Demico Hannoun - Surrey
3. Kevan Kilistoff - Surrey

Pre-Game Report: Eagles vs. Wilderness

The Surrey Eagles will try to remain the only undefeated team at the Royal Bank Cup when they face the Minnesota Wilderness on Wednesday afternoon in Summerside, PEI. The two teams have never met before as the Wilderness are the first American team to ever qualify for the RBC.

The Birds are coming off an exciting 5-4 OT win over Summerside on Monday. Brett Mulcahy netted the winner while Adam Tambellini scored twice and picked up the player of the game. Heading into Wednesday's action, Eagles forward Michael Stenerson is tied for the tournament lead in the points with one goal and six assists while Michael Santaguida has the top goals-against-average in the tournament at 1.86.

The Wilderness is 1-2 in the tournament after losing their first two games to Summerside and Brooks before defeating Truro 5-3 on Tuesday. Minnesota qualified for the RBC out of the Central Region. After winning the SIJHL, the Wilderness edged out three teams from Ontario to capture the Dudley Hewitt Cup. Mike Dietrich has led the offensive front for Minnesota all season long. The 20-year-old had 28 goals and 49 assists in the regular season and is coming off a four point game against Truro.

Where: Credit Union Place

When: 11:00am PT/3:00pm AT

How to listen: Eagles Broadcast

How to watch: Fast Hockey

Minnesota Wilderness: By the Numbers

The Surrey Eagles will look to improve to 3-0 at the 2013 RBC Cup when they face the Minnesota Wilderness on Wednesday afternoon. Here's a look at the Wilderness.

Regular Season Record: 51-3-0-0 – 1st SIJHL

Playoff Record: 8-2 - (Defeated Minnesota Iron Rangers 4-0; Defeated Fort Frances 4-2)
Dudley Hewitt Cup Record: 3-1 (Defeated St. Michael's in the final)

Regular Season Power Play: 31.7%

Post-Season Power Play: 19.5%

Regular Season Penalty Kill: 91.5%

Post-Season Penalty Kill: 82.8%

Regular Season Top Scorers:

Mike Dietrich (28-49-77)
Jake Larson (44-28-72)
Jordan Shockley (20-39-59)
Jeremy Johnson (28-30-58)
Michael MacKinnon (18-34-52)

Playoff Top Scorers:

Mike Dietrich (8-7-15)
Jake Larson (4-6-10)
Jordan Shockley (3-7-10)
Dan Divis (5-4-9)
Jeremy Johnson (2-7-9)

Dudley Hewitt Cup Top Scorers: *Round Robin Only*
Jordan Shockley (3-1-4)
Jeremy Johnson (2-1-3)
Nick McCormack (1-2-3)
Joseph Drapluk (0-3-3)
Mike Dietrich (1-1-2)

Regular Season Goaltender Stats:

Gordy Defiel: 25-1-2, 1.39GAA, .945%, 8SO, 31GP

Joseph Jeanetta: 22-2-0, 1.79GAA, .937%, 5SO, 26GP

Playoff Goaltender Stats:

Gordy Defiel: 8-2, 1.82GAA, .935%, 0SO, 10GP
Joseph Jeanetta: 0-0, 0.00GAA, 1.000%, 0SO, 1GP

Dudley Hewitt Cup Goaltender Stats:
Gordy Defiel: 3-0, 0.94GAA, .968%, 2SO, 3GP
Joseph Jeanetta: 0-1, 3.11GAA, .850%, 0SO, 1GP

Other Notes:
The Wilderness are the first American team to reach the RBC Cup.
Minnesota will be moving to the US based NAHL, beginning next season.

Eagles Comeback to Beat Western Capitals

Brett Mulcahy netted the winning goal at 8:43 of overtime as the Surrey Eagles edged the Summerside Western Capitals 5-4 in a thrilling game at Credit Union Place. Adam Tambellini was named Surrey’s player of the game after tallying twice in the victory.

The Birds never led in the hockey game as the Capitals opened the scoring when Chris Caissy beat Michael Santaguida with a backhander from the slot. Surrey evened the score when Adam Tambellini found the back of the net for his first of the tournament later in the period, and the teams went to the dressing room tied 1-1.

Summerside went ahead again in the middle frame as JP Harvey tipped a Danny Chiasson point shot into the net on the power play. Trevor Cameron made it 2-2 less than two minutes later when he took a pass from Tambellini off the rush and beat Summerside goalie Kevin Bailie up high. The Western Capitals got another man advantage later in the stanza, and Mitch Maynard capitalized to put Summerside up 3-2. Caissy netted his second of the game before the end of the period, and the Eagles went to the third down by two.

Surrey came out with a strong effort in the third, and Devon Toews rippled the mesh on the power play from the right circle to pull Surrey to within one. Tambellini scored his second of the night at a crucial time, tying the game with less than five minutes remaining when he batted the puck out of mid-air past Bailie to send the game to overtime.

The two teams both had their chances in the extra period, but Mulcahy ended the game when his sharp angle shot from the right wing found its way into the top corner of the Summerside net to give the Eagles the come-from-behind victory.

Surrey was 2-for-3 on the power play while Summerside went 2-for-4. The Birds out shot the Western Capitals 47-37.

The Eagles will have the day off on Tuesday before returning to action against the Minnesota Wilderness on Wednesday. Face-off will be at 11:00am PT/3:00pm AT.

Surrey Player of the Game: Adam Tambellini

Summerside Player of the Game: Chris Caissy

My 3 Stars:
1. Adam Tambellini - Surrey
2. Chris Caissy - Summerside
3. Michael Stenerson - Surrey

Pre-Game Report: Eagles vs. Western Capitals

The Surrey Eagles return to action on Monday when they take on the Summerside Western Capitals in their second game at the RBC Cup in PEI. Monday’s game will not mark the first meeting between the two teams as they faced each other twice in the 1997 RBC Cup which was also held in Summerside. The Eagles won the round robin meeting 3-2 in overtime, but the Capitals edged the Birds 4-3 in the final to win the tournament.

Surrey is coming off an impressive 7-0 win over the Truro Bearcats on Sunday to open the tournament. Demico Hannoun and Brady Shaw each chipped in with two goals in the win while Michael Stenerson put up five points and Michael Santaguida pitched a 24 save shutout. The Eagles' special teams were a big key in the victory as well. The Surrey power play scored three times on six opportunities while holding the Bearcats off the board on four chances with the man advantage.

The Western Capitals also won their opening game, defeating the Minnesota Wilderness 5-1 on Saturday night. Danny Chiasson scored twice as the hometown team came back from an early 1-0 deficit, scoring five unanswered goals. Chiasson has been a big key for the Caps all season long as he led the team with 88 points in 48 games in the regular season and posted 21 points in 13 games in the MHL playoffs.

Where: Credit Union Place

When: 3:30pm PT/7:30pm AT

How to listen: Eagles Broadcast

How to watch: Fast Hockey

Summerside Western Capitals: By the Numbers

The Surrey Eagles will take on the host Summerside Western Capitals in their second game at the 2013 RBC Cup on Monday. Here's a look at the Western Capitals.

Regular Season Record: 43-7-2-0 – 1st Meek Division, 1st MHL

Playoff Record: 12-1 - (Defeated Miramichi 4-0; Defeated Woodstock 4-0; Defeated Truro 4-1)
Fred Page Cup Record: 3-2 (Lost to Truro in the Final)

Regular Season Power Play: 23.88%

Playoff Power Play: 26.15%
Fred Page Cup Power Play: 10.53%

Regular Season Penalty Kill: 87.34%

Playoff Penalty Kill: 78.13%
Fred Page Cup Penalty Kill: 95.24%

Regular Season Top Scorers:

Danny Chiasson (34-54-88)

Mitchell Maynard (21-49-70)

Jonathan Aubertin (32-27-59)

JP Harvey (30-29-59)

Colton Parsons (20-34-54)

Playoff Top Scorers:

Danny Chiasson (12-9-21)

Christopher Caissy (6-11-17)

JP Harvey (9-6-15)

Scott Trask (4-7-11)

Jason Seed (3-8-11)

Fred Page Cup Top Scorers:
JP Harvey (5-1-6)

Danny Chiasson (0-3-3)

Christopher Caissy (2-0-2)

Mitchell Maynard (1-1-2)

Justin Rasmussen (0-2-2)

Regular Season Goaltender Stats:

Kevin Bailie: 9-1-0, 1.90GAA, .938%, 2SO, 11GP

Jacob Riley: 23-7-4, 2.37GAA, .915%, 2SO, 34GP

Playoff Goaltender Stats:

Kevin Bailie: 10-1, 1.81GAA, .934%, 1SO, 11GP
Jacob Riley: 2-0, 1.98GAA, .917%, 0SO, 3GP

Fred Page Cup Goaltender Stats:
Kevin Bailie: 3-2, 1.45GAA, .960%, 2SO, 5GP

Other Notes:
Summerside's roster features eight PEI natives.
Including the 2013 tournament, Summerside has hosted the RBC Cup three times -- more than any other city.

Birds Blowout Bearcats

The Surrey Eagles opened the 2013 RBC Cup with an exclamation point, defeating the MHL's Truro Bearcats by a score of 7-0 on Sunday afternoon in Summerside, PEI. Demico Hannoun was named Surrey's player of the game after scoring two goals while Michael Santaguida made 24 saves for the shutout.

The Birds were given a number of power plays in the first period, and they capitalized on their opportunities. Hannoun opened the scoring at 5:22 on the man advantage with a slap shot from the top of the left circle that snuck between the legs of Truro goalie Shayne Campbell. Michael Stenerson extended the lead a few minutes later after a nice move to dance around Campbell and tuck the puck into the open net. Hannoun made it 3-0, tallying another power play marker with another shot from the left wing. After Surrey's third goal, Campbell was pulled from the Bearcats' net after allowing three goals on six shots. Brady Shaw scored on Campbell's replacement Jacob Fancy before the end of the frame, knocking home a rebound on the man advantage  to put the Eagles ahead by four.

Surrey got two more goals in the middle frame. First, Stefan Burzan had a great opportunity when he went hard to the net from the left boards and just lost control of the puck at the last minute, but on the same shift, Burzan potted his first of the tournament, beating Fancy after a nice pass from Kevan Kilistoff. Shaw picked up his second goal of the evening later in the stanza when he chipped a rebound over Fancy and into the net after a frantic goal-mouth scramble in the Bearcats' end.

Craig Wyszomirski put his name on the score sheet less than 90 seconds into the third period when he wired a hard wrist shot past Fancy from the slot to give Surrey a seven goal lead. After that, the Birds put it into cruise control and coasted to the shutout victory.

Surrey was officially 3-for-6 on the power play, although their last man advantage was only two seconds long. Truro was 0-for-4. The Eagles out shot the Bearcats 34-24.

The Eagles return to action on Monday against the host Summerside Western Capitals. Face-off is at 3:30pm PT/7:30pm AT.

Surrey Player of the Game: Demico Hannoun

Truro Player of the Game: Brandon Pye

My 3 Stars:
1. Michael Stenerson - Surrey
2. Demico Hannoun - Surrey
3. Brady Shaw - Surrey

Pre-Game Report: Eagles vs. Bearcats

The Surrey Eagles will play their first game at the 2013 RBC Cup against the Truro Bearcats on Sunday. The game marks the first ever meeting between the two clubs. The Bearcats qualified for the RBC by winning the Fred Page Cup -- the eastern regional tournament -- which they hosted.

The Birds haven't played in over a week after defeating the Brooks Bandits in the final at the Western Canada Cup last Saturday in Nanaimo. Surrey will be the last team at the RBC to play a game as the other four teams all opened the tournament on Saturday. Sunday's action will mark the first game at the RBC for the Eagles since May 10, 1998 when the Birds captured the national title with a 4-1 win over the Weyburn Red Wings from Saskatchewan.

Truro is playing in its first ever RBC. The Nova Scotia club opened the tournament with a 7-1 loss at the hands of Brooks on Saturday. Goaltender Shayne Campbell was given the hook early in the second period after allowing six goals. Jordan Coccimiglio scored the lone marker for the Bearcats while Adam Guy was named Truro's player of the game. Up front, Kyle Morrison led the Maritime Hockey League in points in the regular season with 35 goals and 53 assists in 50 games.

Where: Credit Union Place

When: 11:00am PT/3:00pm AT

How to listen: Eagles Broadcast

How to watch: Fast Hockey

Truro Bearcats: By the Numbers

After travelling to Summerside, PEI, the Surrey Eagles will open the 2013 Royal Bank Cup on Sunday with a match-up against the Truro Bearcats of the Maritime Hockey League. The Bearcats lost in the MHL Final but qualified for the RBC by winning the Fred Page Cup as hosts of the Eastern Regional tournament.

Regular Season Record: 38-9-0-5 – 1st Eastlink Division, 2nd MHL

Playoff Record: 9-9 - (Defeated Pictou County 4-3; Defeated Amherst 4-2; Lost to Summerside 4-1)
Fred Page Cup Record: 4-0 (Defeated Summerside in the Final)

Regular Season Power Play: 24.9%

Playoff Power Play: 18.6%
Fred Page Cup Power Play: 28.6%

Regular Season Penalty Kill: 83.2%

Playoff Penalty Kill: 78.3%
Fred Page Cup Penalty Kill: 88.2%

Regular Season Top Scorers:

Kyle Morrison (35-53-88)
Travis Moore (18-26-44)
Grant West (24-17-41)
Brandon Pye (20-21-41)
Travis Fernley (18-23-41)

Playoff Top Scorers:

Kyle Morrison (10-11-21)
Jordan Coccimiglio (6-12-18)
Brandon Pye (8-4-12)
Patrick Downe (4-8-12)
Tyler Morrison (4-8-12)

Fred Page Cup Top Scorers:
Zack Evans-Renaud (1-5-6)
Brandon Pye (3-1-4)
Philip Fife (2-2-4)
Dylan McGuigan (2-2-4)
Tyler Morrison (0-4-4)

Regular Season Goaltender Stats:

Shayne Campbell: 22-7-7, 2.39GAA, .915%, 2SO, 37GP

Jacob Fancy: 12-2-2, 2.20GAA, .915%, 0SO, 16GP

Playoff Goaltender Stats:

Shayne Campbell: 8-9, 2.64GAA, .900%, 0SO, 17GP
Jacob Fancy: 1-0, 4.00GAA, .857%, 0SO, 2GP

Fred Page Cup Goaltender Stats:
Shayne Campbell: 4-0, 1.84GAA, .941%, 0SO, 4GP

Other Notes:

Kyle Morrison finished tied for first in scoring in the MHL regular season along with Summerside's Danny Chiasson.
Truro will compete in its first ever RBC Cup.

Adam Tambellini on TEAM1040

Eagles forward Adam Tambellini joined Barry Macdonald and Don Taylor on TEAM1040 radio in Vancouver on Tuesday afternoon to talk about the Birds' trip to PEI for the RBC Cup.

The Matt Erhart Show: May 7, 2013

On the latest episode of the Matt Erhart Show, the Head Coach and GM of the Eagles looks back on the Crescent Point Energy Western Canada Cup and looks ahead to the Royal Bank Cup in Summerside, PEI which begins this Saturday.

Best Picks Up POW

Surrey Eagles forward Drew Best was named the BCHL Player of the Week on Monday after the Birds captured the inaugural Crescent Point Energy Western Canada Cup.

Here's the full release from the BCHL:

Surrey Eagles forward Drew Best has been named the Gongshow BCHL Player of the Week for the week ending May 5, the league announced Monday.

Best finished with four goals and four assists at the event after having gone scoreless in the BCHL postseason. The Plymouth, Mich. native had points in each of the Eagles four games last week and scored game-winning goals in round-robin play against Nanaimo and in the final against Brooks.

The 5-foot-10, 175-pound 18-year-old was named Player of the Game against Nanaimo as well. He concluded the week with three goals and four assists in the last four games.

Honourable mentions this week:

Surrey Eagles F Trevor Cameron: (2G 4A, GWG, Player of the Game)

Nanaimo Clippers F Trevor Fitzgerald: (1G 2A)

Surrey Eagles G Michael Santaguida: (4W, .965 sv%, 1.25 GAA, 1 SO)

Surrey Eagles D Devon Toews: (6A, Player of the Game)

Batch's Breakdown: Western Canada Cup

After defeating the Penticton Vees to win the Fred Page Cup, the Surrey Eagles made the trip across the water to Nanaimo for the inaugural Crescent Point Energy Western Canada Cup.

Saturday, April 27th vs. Brooks Bandits

The Birds opened the tournament against the AJHL champions from Brooks. Surrey had a slow start to the game, and the Bandits made them pay, jumping out to a 3-0 lead before the midway mark of the second period. The Eagles responded with a good effort in the latter portion of the game, but it wasn't enough to overcome the deficit as Brooks won 4-2. Brady Shaw and Drew Best had the Surrey goals.

Monday, April 29th vs. Steinbach Pistons

Surrey bounced back with a 5-3 win over the Manitoba representatives, but the win was far from an oil painting. The Eagles led 3-0 late in the second period but let the foot off the gas as the Pistons battled back to within one goal on a couple of occasions. Michael Stenerson's empty net goal sealed the win for Surrey in the final minute.

Tuesday, April 30th vs. Nanaimo Clippers

The Eagles really found their stride against the host team, and Surrey pulled away in the second period after a close fought opening 20 minutes. Best scored just 48 seconds into the middle frame while Adam Tambellini added another goal, and Best scored again before the end of the stanza. Stenerson extended the lead to four with a goal that came 13 seconds into the third period, and the Birds improved to 2-1 on the tournament. Michael Santaguida made 31 saves for the shutout.

Thursday, May 2nd vs. Yorkton Terriers

The Birds knew that a win against Yorkton would mean a spot in the final of the Western Canada Cup, and the Eagles played with the necessary urgency, putting forth a solid effort against the Saskatchewan champions. The Birds were incredibly disciplined in the game, taking only one penalty. Shaw scored twice while Tambellini rippled the mesh as well in the 3-1 win for Surrey.

Saturday, May 4th vs. Brooks Bandits

Surrey played its best game of the tournament in the final against Brooks. Goals from Best, Jordan Klimek and Demico Hannoun gave the Eagles a 3-0 lead through two periods, and Craig Wyszomirski added to the lead early in the third. Cam Maclise got a goal back for the Bandits, but the Birds controlled the play and cruised to a berth at the Royal Bank Cup.

Positives from the Tournament

While the Birds had a slow start to the WCC, they brought their A game when it counted. The victory over Brooks in the final was the most complete effort the Eagles have put forth in a while as Surrey controlled the game from start to finish to clinch a spot in the RBC for the first time in 15 years.

Offensively, Brady Shaw, Drew Best and Adam Tambellini had outstanding tournaments. Best, who was given an opportunity for more ice time early in the week, made the most of the chance, showing great vision in the attacking zone and finishing tied with Shaw for the tournament lead in points.

The captain Brett Mulcahy was a warrior throughout the tournament, playing valuable minutes on the penalty kill and blocking any shot that came in his vicinity in his own end. The same can be said of Trevor Cameron who played well at both ends of the ice, putting up six points in the five games.

Devon Toews was named the tournament MVP, and rightfully so. The veteran blue liner showed great poise and was Surrey's best and most consistent player over the course of the week. His ability to make calm decisions in his own end while under heavy pressure has saved the Eagles from giving up goals countless times this season, and it did so again at the WCC.

Negatives from the Tournament

After winning the Fred Page Cup, Surrey's start to the opening game against Brooks was far too casual, and it cost them. The Eagles followed up the loss with their worst performance of the post-season, but they managed to defeat Steinbach in spite of themselves. Once the Birds got back to playing the way they can, they were able to control games and win with relative ease, but with a long plane ride to Prince Edward Island coming up this week, the Eagles will need to focus on having a better start to the RBC than they did at the WCC.

Looking at the statistics, Surrey's special teams could probably use a slight improvement as well. The Eagles were under 20 per cent on the power play, although they could have easily scored more on the man advantage as they generated a number of opportunities. The penalty kill was middling as well at 80 per cent. The Birds started to block more shots as the week went on, and it helped improve their numbers while shorthanded. The ability to block shots will be key for the PK going forward.

Eagles Goal of the Tournament

Demico Hannoun's Goal in the Final. Watch it here.

Eagles Save of the Tournament

Michael Santaguida's Stop on Jeremy Johnson. Watch it here.

3 Stars of the Tournament:
1. Devon Toews
2. Brady Shaw
3. Drew Best

Eagles Win WCC

The Surrey Eagles were crowned champions of the inaugural Western Canada Cup on Saturday night after a 4-1 win over the Brooks Bandits in the tournament final. Forward Drew Best scored the winning goal while goaltender Michael Santaguida made 40 saves for the victory.

The Birds got the opening goal just before the midway mark of the first period off a broken play when Trevor Cameron carried the puck into the attacking zone and took a heavy hit from Taylor Makin, but the loose puck ended up on the stick of Jordan Klimek who skated into the slot and beat Brooks goaltender Michael Fredrick with a hard wrister into the top right corner of the net. Stefan Burzan nearly gave Surrey a 2-0 lead later in the period when he was sprung in on a breakaway but just missed wide of the left post after a nice deke.

Drew Best extended Surrey's lead early in the second on the power play after a great heads up play by Santaguida to send a stretch pass to Brady Shaw at the attacking blue line while the Bandits were in the middle of a line change. Shaw received the pass and fed into the slot for a streaking Best who wired a backhander in under the crossbar. Before the period was out, the Eagles went ahead by three after a pretty move by Cameron to get around a Bandits defender. Cameron then found Demico Hannoun at the side of the goal, and the North Delta native poked the puck across the goal line for his first of the tournament.

Craig Wyszomirski scored Surrey's fourth goal less than five minutes into the third when his hard slap shot from the left point deflected off a stick and found the back of the net. Cam Maclise countered for the Bandits with a power play marker a few minutes later, but the Eagles held on the rest of the way to close out the victory and book their ticket to the Royal Bank Cup.

The Surrey power play went 1-for-3 while Brooks was 1-for-7 on the man advantage. The Bandits out shot the Eagles 41-30.

The Eagles now advance to the RBC for the first time since 1998 when the team won the national championship. Surrey's first game of tournament will go on Sunday, May 12th in Summerside, PEI.

Surrey Player of the Game: Demico Hannoun

Brooks Player of the Game: Cam Maclise

My 3 Stars:
1. Trevor Cameron - Surrey
2. Demico Hannoun - Surrey
3. Michael Santaguida - Surrey

Pre-Game Report: WCC Final - Eagles vs. Bandits

The Surrey Eagles will face the Brooks Bandits in the final of the Crescent Point Energy Western Canada Cup on Saturday night. The winner will book their ticket to Summerside, PEI and the Royal Bank Cup. The Bandits won the meeting between the two teams in the round robin by a score of 4-2.

The Birds are looking to advance to the RBC for the first time since 1998 when head coach Matt Erhart played for the team. At the WCC Awards banquet on Friday evening, Eagles blue liner Devon Toews was named the MVP of the tournament, Michael Santaguida was named the top goaltender and forward Brady Shaw won the top scorer award. All three Surrey standouts were selected to the all-tournament team.

Brooks is hoping to advance to its first ever RBC. The Bandits finished the round robin with a record of 3-1 and were ranked as the top team by virtue of the fact that they beat the Eagles in their head-to-head match-up. In the previous game between the two teams, Brooks' power play was effective against Surrey, going 2-for-3, and goaltender Michael Fredrick made 40 saves for the win. Forward RJ Reed was named to the all-tournament team.

Where: Frank Crane Arena

When: 7:00pm

How to listen: Eagles Broadcast

How to watch: Fast Hockey

Eagles Advance to WCC Final

The Surrey Eagles advanced to the final of the Crescent Point Energy Western Canada Cup on Thursday afternoon with a 3-1 win over the Yorkton Terriers in their final round robin game. As a result of the win, the Birds will now face the Brooks Bandits on Saturday night. The winner will advance to the Royal Bank Cup.

Both teams started the game with a lot of jump, but it was the Eagles who found the net first as Brady Shaw danced into the slot and ripped a wrist shot over the right shoulder of Terriers goalie Dawson MacAuley to open the scoring just 2:22 into the game. The Terriers had a good chance to even the score late in the period when Michael Santaguida robbed Jeremy Johnson on the doorstep after the Yorkton forward knocked a rebound on goal, but Santaguida kicked out the left pad to keep the puck out.

Demico Hannoun nearly put the Eagles ahead by two when he hit the goal post on a golden opportunity off a three-on-one midway through the second, and the Terriers tied the game a few minutes later when Nathan Murray beat Santaguida up high with a quick shot from the slot. The Birds responded well though as Shaw scored his second of the night a couple of minutes after the equalizer, going short side on MacAuley from the left circle after a quick transition play.

The two teams traded chances in the third, but the Eagles found the insurance goal on the power play as Adam Tambellini tallied his third of the tournament, burying a wrister into the back of the net. The Terriers fought hard until the end, pulling MacAuley in the final two minutes for an extra attacker, but the Surrey defence did a good job of keeping the Yorkton attackers to the outside, and the Birds clinched their spot in the tournament final.

There were only three penalties in the game as the Terriers went 0-for-1 on the power play while the Eagles were 1-for-2. Yorkton out shot Surrey 36-25.

The Birds' match-up with Brooks on Saturday will be a 7:00pm face-off at Frank Crane Arena. While the winning team will capture the Western Canada Cup, the losing team will still have a chance to move on as they'll have to play the winner of the game between the third place and fourth place teams in order to advance to the RBC.

Surrey Player of the Game: Devon Toews

Yorkton Player of the Game: Nathan Murray

My 3 Stars:
1. Brady Shaw - Surrey
2. Devon Toews - Surrey
3. Drew Best - Surrey

Pre-Game Report: Eagles vs. Terriers

The Surrey Eagles will play their final round robin game at the Crescent Point Energy Western Canada Cup on Thursday afternoon against the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League champion Yorkton Terriers. The winner of the game will advance to the WCC Final to face the Brooks Bandits while the losing team will have to play in the game between the third place and fourth place teams for a chance at the second berth in the Royal Bank Cup.

After dropping the opening game of the tournament, the Eagles have won their last two in a row over Steinbach and Nanaimo. The Birds blanked the Clippers 4-0 on Tuesday evening, thanks in large part to the contributions of Drew Best and Michael Santaguida. Best had three points in the win and is now tied for the lead in tournament scoring with three goals and two assists while Santaguida stopped all 31 shots he faced in a good bounce-back effort.

The Terriers are also 2-1 on the tournament. Yorkton opened with a 4-3 come-from-behind win over Nanaimo before edging Steinbach 3-2. The only loss for the Saskatchewan club came at the hands of the Brooks Bandits by a score of 2-1 in overtime. Forward Tyler Giebel is also tied for the tournament points lead as he's posted one goal and four assists for the Terriers. The Norrish brothers -- Brady and Chase -- have also been key to Yorkton's success on the back end.

Where: Frank Crane Arena

When: 2:00pm

How to listen: Eagles Broadcast

How to watch: Fast Hockey

Yorkton Terriers: By the Numbers

The Surrey Eagles will conclude the round robin portion of the Crescent Point Energy Western Canada Cup on Thursday afternoon against the SJHL Champion Yorkton Terriers. Here's a look at the Terriers.

Regular Season Record: 36-14-1-3 – 1st Sherwood Division, 2nd SJHL

Playoff Record: 12-5 - (Defeated Estevan 4-1; Defeated Melville 4-2; Defeated Humboldt 4-2)

Regular Season Power Play: 49/234 (20.94%) -- 1 Shorthanded Goal Against

Playoff Power Play: 14/69 (20.29%) -- 1 Shorthanded Goal Against

Regular Season Penalty Kill: 35/224 (84.38%) -- 7 Shorthanded Goals For

Playoff Penalty Kill: 11/67 (83.58%) -- 2 Shorthanded Goal For

Regular Season Top Scorers:

Nathan Murray (14-28-42)

Jeremy Johnson (28-13-41)

Patrick Martens (23-18-41)

Tyler Giebel (22-16-38)
Kailum Gervais (13-25-38)

Playoff Top Scorers:

Tyler Giebel (6-9-15)
Jeremy Johnson (6-8-14)

Patrick Martens (11-2-13)

Brady Norrish (6-5-11)

Kailum Gervais (4-4-8)

Regular Season Goaltender Stats:

Dawson MacAuley: 16-6-1, 2.14GAA, .921%, 4SO, 24GP

Kale Thomson: 17-7-2, 2.90GAA, .901%, 1SO, 29GP

Playoff Goaltender Stats:

Dawson MacAuley: 12-5, 1.94GAA, .932%, 0SO, 17GP
Kale Thomson: 0-0, 0.00GAA, 1.000%, 0SO, 1GP

Other Notes:

The Terriers feature two sets of brothers -- Chase and Brady Norrish and John and Dakota Odgers.
The Odgers brothers are the sons of former NHL tough guy Jeff Odgers.
Terriers forward Nathan Murray is the younger brother of Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Ryan Murray.

Birds Blank Clippers at WCC

Drew Best had two goals and an assist while Michael Santaguida made 31 saves for the shutout as the Surrey Eagles defeated the host Nanaimo Clippers 4-0 at the Crescent Point Energy Western Canada Cup on Tuesday night. With the win, the Birds improved to 2-1 on the tournament.

The Clippers got a strong start and out shot the Eagles in the early portion of the game, but the Birds held off the charge from the home town team and generated a few chances of their own later in the frame. The best opportunity for either side in the opening period came when Greg Fraser found the post with a shot from the left circle for Nanaimo, but the two teams were unable to score in the stanza, and the game remained scoreless after one.

Surrey got on the board just 48 seconds into the second period as Best got the puck just inside the attacking blue line and sent a long shot on goal through traffic that found its way into the back of the net. The Birds held onto the one goal lead until the late stages of the frame when Adam Tambellini made it 2-0 with a nice shot from the left circle that beat Nanaimo goalie Jayson Argue cleanly. Surrey got its third goal in the final minute of the second when Best scored on a the rebound of a Brady Shaw shot to send the Birds to the intermission up by three.

Michael Stenerson picked up Surrey's fourth goal just 13 seconds into the third after Argue was caught out of the net trying to play the puck, and Best found Stenerson at the right circle with a nice pass, leaving the Surrey native alone to score into an open net. The Eagles played a solid remained of the game and closed out the shutout win.

Neither side scored on the power play as the Eagles were 0-for-2 while Nanaimo went 0-for-6. Surrey out shot the Clippers 36-31. The victory for the Birds marked Michael Santaguida's fifth shutout of the post-season.

Surrey will conclude the round robin portion of the tournament on Thursday with a match up against the SJHL champion Yorkton Terriers. Face-off goes at 2:00pm at Frank Crane Arena.

Surrey Player of the Game: Drew Best

Nanaimo Player of the Game: Kyle Kramer

My 3 Stars:

1. Drew Best - Surrey

2. Michael Santaguida - Surrey

3. Brady Shaw - Surrey