SATURDAY, JANUARY 26th @ SURREY EAGLES:
The Langley Rivermen were looking extend their win streak to three games against the Surrey Eagles on Saturday night at the South Surrey Arena. Coming into the game, Surrey had a 4-1 series lead and were only one point out of first place in the Mainland Division. James Barr would start for the Rivermen, while Michael Santaguida would go for the 'Birds.
The first period had a great pace to it as both teams came out with a lot of energy. Barr and Santaguida made a couple of key stops early on to keep it scoreless. With left then five minutes to go Langley had a power play, but it was the Eagles who would score short-handed. Brett Mulcahy stole the puck and created a two on one with Nicholas Pierog. Mulcahy rang a shot off the post and Pierog pounced on the loose puck in the crease and made it 1-0 Eagles. Surrey would have the edge in shots at 12-11 after 20 minutes.
In the second period, the Rivermen would get on the board on the power play. Nathan Craft fired a shot from the right-wing that would hit Trevor Cope and bounce in the back of the net behind Santaguida. It was not how the play was drawn up, but Cope will take it for his 11th of the year. With under a minute to go, the Eagles would get their lead back also on the power play. After good puck movement by the Eagles, Devon Toews would fire a shot on Barr that caused a rebound that went right towards Kevin Kilistoff and he made no mistake knocking home his second goal in two games.
In the third period, the Eagles would shut it down defensively trapping up the neutral zone and sat on their lead to perfection. With under seven minutes to go, Trevor Cameron would put the game away off a scramble in front of Barr to make it 3-1. Surrey would out shoot Langley 39-31 after 60 minutes.
With that win, the Eagles would move into first place in the Mainland Division, while the Rivermen stayed in fourth. All in all it was a good effort for the Rivermen throughout the entire game and if it was not for the strong goaltending of Santaguida, the result may have been different.
SUNDAY JANUARY 27th VS. TRAIL SMOKE EATERS:
The Langley Rivermen welcomed the Trail Smoke Eaters to the Langley Events Centre on Sunday Afternoon. It was the second and final meeting of the year between the two teams as Trail won the first one in December 6-5 in double OT at the Cominco Arena. Both of them were playing their third game in three days and it was especially tough on Trail who made their way to the Mainland after playing Friday and Saturday night on the Island. Darren Hogg would receive the start for Langley, while Lyndon Stanwood was Trail's starter.
The Rivermen got off to a good start as Matt Ustaski opened the scoring at the 2:15 mark. The rookie centre was able to get a pass from Trevor Cope and banked it off Stanwoods leg and into the goal. Shortly after Trail would tie the game on a power play goal from Jesse Knowler. Hogg made a stop on a sharp angle shot, but could not spot the rebound in time and Knowler jammed it in. That would be all the goal scoring in the period as Hogg and Stanwood shut the door the rest of the frame.
In the second period, Mark Whiteley would score his fourth goal of the season to take a 2-1 lead. Whiteley took a pass from Austin
