Spruce Kings Even Season Series at 2

VS
6                                        Final Score                                        4
Johnson, Guerra, Basilico, Tilsley, Hoffman, Hovde	Goal Scorers	McIlmurray, Jones, Kerfoot, Stout
42	Total Shots	32
10	1st Period Shots	13
19	2nd Period Shots	12
13	3rd Period Shots	7
2 for 5	Power Play	0 for 1
	3rd Star	Austin McIlmurray
Kyle Johnson	2nd Star
Cavin Tilsley	1st Star
8-21-0-2	Current Record	12-13-1-3

The Coquitlam Express scored the first two goals of game, and the last two but it was the Spruce Kings coming away with the 6-4 win.

Prince George entered the game 12 points back of Coquitlam, with the Express holding two games in hand. The visiting team rolled into the Coliseum coming off a big 5-1 win the night before against the Vernon Vipers, and got off to a hot start.

There was no scoring in the first 15 minutes, but eventually Jackson Cressey would create a turnover in the corner, and center it to Austin McIlmurray who buried the first goal of the night. Less than two minutes later it was Keegan Jones pouncing on a turnover by Sam Tanguay. The netminder tried to play the puck behind the net, but it wound up bouncing out front to Jones who tapped the puck into the empty net for the two goal lead.

Before time wound down though, Kyle Johnson would finish off a nice passing play between him, Matt Stief, and Parker Colley to cut the lead in half.

In the second it was all PG as they would rattle off four unanswered goals in just under 10 minutes. First it was Nick Guerra bursting down the left side, and his centring feed went off the stick of an Express defender, and into the net. Then the Spruce Kings went to two power plays, and converted on both. First it was a point shot from Adam Brubacher than Lawson Fenton blockered right to stick of Bryan Basilico who scored on the rebound for the home team’s first lead of the game. Two minutes later it was Cavin Tilsley digging the puck home to double up the score at 4-2. Then just before the halfway mark of the period ticked by, Corey Hoffman, took a drop pass, and scored his first goal since Oct 24^th which was also a home game against Coquitlam. That would do it for Lawson Fenton as he was pulled after allowing five goals on 20 shots.

The Spruce Kings would start the third on a good note as well. Nick Guerra having one of his best games of the season came down the right side on a two on one with Jarod Hovde. The second year forward passed over to the Camrose native, who took the pass in stride and slapped the puck over the sprawled Tyger Howat for his first BCHL goal.

Coquitlam wouldn’t leave without a fight though, and scored two more in span of four minutes to bring the score to 6-4 with half a period of play remaining. First it was Colton Kerfoot scoring for his second point of the night, and then Owen Stout, but that’s as close as the Express would make it. Parker Colley would draw a late penalty as he was hauled down on the left side going towards an empty net.

The game would finish 6-4 in favour of the Spruce Kings, and they were rewarded for winning the special teams battle shutting down the lone Coquitlam power play, and scoring on two of their five man advantages.

Turning Point: We can’t know for sure what was said in the 1^st intermission, but whatever it was sparked four goals in the first 10 minutes of the second period.