Port Moody’s Ryan Tattle scored a goal and added three assists to lead the Coquitlam Express to a 7-4 win over the Surrey Eagles at the South Surrey arena on Friday.
It was a dynamic start for the 20 year-old forward’s season-long Score For Cancer fundraising campaign that is soliciting pledges for each point he scores this BC Hockey League season.
Tattle, who said he started the initiative to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society to support his mom’s own brush with the disease, as well as former teammate Greg Lapointe’s battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, set up goals by Ray Hamlin, Arlo Merritt and Jayden Simpson. He then rounded out the scoring late in the third period when he slipped past an Eagles’ defender along the boards at centre ice and broke in alone before lifting a shot over goalie Max Prazma.
The teams were tied 1-1 after the first period. The Eagles went ahead 3-1 when Buddy Johnson and Jake Bongo scored 28 seconds apart early in the middle frame.
Hamlin got one of those back but a goal by Cole Galata restored Surrey’s advantage.
But it didn’t last long.
Tyler Kopf made it 4-3 then Carter Cochrane got the Express back on even terms 14 seconds later. Merritt’s goal, on a power play late in the period, proved to be the winner.
Jayden Sisson and Tattle scored in the third period.
Connor Mackenzie stopped 21 shots in Coquitlam’s net to earn the victory while Surrey’s Prazma faced 42 shots.
The Express travel to Chilliwack for a game against the Chiefs tonight.
