Jayden Sison scored three times and the Coquitlam Express battled back from deficits three times to defeat the Merritt Centennials 7-6 in overtime Friday (Nov. 12) in Merritt.
The win was Coquitlam’s second in a row after snapping an eight-game losing streak last Wednesday (Nov. 10) against the Langley Rivermen with a 3-0 win.
In a wild night at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena, the hometown Centennials hit the ice skating in an effort to win its first game of the BC Hockey League (BCHL) season. Before the game was even eight minutes old, the hosts already had a 2-0 lead.
Tyler Kopff got one of those back for the visitors when he converted a cross ice pass from Ryan Tattle who’d skated the puck into Merritt’s zone after breaking up a Centennials' rush along the boards near centre ice.
Kopff and Tattle combined forces again early in the second period to set up Carter Cochrane on a power play after just 2:55 had been played in the frame.
A minute later, the Express took the lead when Sison scored his first of the night — unassisted — while Coquitlam was shorthanded. It was the second time he’d scored with his team a man down this season.
Merritt regained the advantage with two straight goals by Davide Patella and Ben Ward, but another shorthanded goal, this time by Kahlil Fontana, got the Express even again.
Patella’s second goal of the night, as his own team was killing a penalty, sent the teams into the dressing room for the second intermission with the Centennials in front, 5-4.
Ryan Mulrenin then made it 6-4 just 45 seconds after the break before Coquitlam scored two more shorthanded goals, by James Bohn and another by Sison, to send the game into overtime.
After combining for 12 goals and 70 shots in regulation time, both teams played the early moments of extra time cautiously before Sison ripped a shot through the short side and over the shoulder of Merritt goaltender Keegan Maddocks at 2:57. It was the only shot on net in the overtime.
In addition to Sison’s hat trick, Tattle had four assists while Kopff and Cochrane each had a goal and an assist.
Express netminder Adam Manji earned his first BCHL victory by making 28 saves while his teammates fired 37 at Maddocks.
The win lifts Coquitlam four points clear of the Cowichan Valley Capitals that sit in last place in the BCHL’s Coastal division and ties them with the Surrey Eagles, each with 10 points. But Surrey has played two fewer games.
The Express will look to extend its string of victories to three Saturday (Nov. 13) in Prince George against the Spruce Kings.
