A gutsy move by Surrey Eagles coach and general Matt Erhart last month – the trading of the team’s captain – continues to pay big dividends for the team.
And the deal, which sent Brandon Morley to the rival Coquitlam Express for 20-year-old forward Brady Shaw, paid off again Sunday at South Surrey Arena, after the Ottawa native scored twice – including the overtime winner – and added an assist in a 3-2 win over the first-place Prince George Spruce Kings.
After seeing a 2-0 lead evaporate in in the final eight minutes of the game, on Prince George goals from Tyson Witala and Cameron Lawson, Shaw won the game for the home side at 3:55 of overtime when, after staying onside by about the width of a skate blade, he received a long pass at the Kings’ blue line, skated in on a breakaway and fired a wrist shot over the shoulder of Spruce Kings netminder Kirk Thompson.
Shaw has six goals and nine points in six games since arriving in South Surrey.
The victory was the Eagles’ third of the week, which boosted them to within two points of first-place in the BC Hockey League’s Mainland Division with a record of 11-6-0-1.
On Thursday, Surrey travelled to Langley and squeaked out a 2-1 double-overtime win. Eagles rookie Jordan Klimek, a Langley native, potted the winner in three-on-three OT. The next day, the Birds headed up the Coquihalla Highway to Merritt, where they won another one-goal contest, 3-2 over the Centennials.
Against the Rivermen, Brett Mulcahy scored the Eagles’ lone goal in regulation time, in the first period. His goal was matched by Langley’s Ben Butcher just over two minutes later, and the scored remained knotted a 1-1- until Klimek’s OT winner, which came when he fired a wrist shot over the shoulder of Langley goalie James Barr.
Michael Santaguida earned the win, stopping 33 of 34 shots.
Surrey’s other goaltender, Glenn Ferguson, was the star Friday in Merritt, earning first-star honors after a 39-save performance.
Michael Stenerson, Drew Best and Nicolas Pierog scored for Surrey.
The Eagles hit the road later this week, for two games in the Okanagan.
First, they play the Salmon Arm Silverbacks Friday night, followed by the Vernon Vipers Saturday.
They then return home for a Monday night contest against the Coquitlam Express.
Eagles add size
The Eagles’ newest acquisition is going to be a hard guy to miss.
Prior to the team’s weekend contests, Surrey announced the signing of forward William Clark.
Clark, a 19-year-old native of Dallas, Tex. is listed at six-foot-six and 223 pounds.
Last season, he put up 54 points in 39 games for the Dallas Stars U18 of the Midwest Elite Hockey League.
“William is a big body with a good skill set that will provide some size to our forward group,” said Erhart. “We feel he has the tools to be a key contributor to the Eagles program.”
Surrey also released Kolten Grieve Friday.