Trail, B.C.- The Smoke Eaters picked up two big victories to get back on track this weekend. First they welcomed the Prince George Spruce Kings (3-7-0-1, 5th Mainland Division) to Cominco Arena on Friday. On Sunday they would host the Coquitlam Express (5-4-1-2, T-2nd Mainland Division) in an afternoon game.
Friday night the Smokies would put 7 goals on the board and pick up the victory over the Spruce Kings 7-3. They got out to a 4-1 lead by the end of the 2nd period on markers by Cooper Sande, Ross Armour, Max newton, and Nick Halloran. Nick Halloran would end up with the game winning goal and put up 2 goals and 2 assists in the contest. Linden Marshall would pick up his first BCHL victory making 24 saves on 27 shots. Cooper Leitch and John Laurito would also score on the evening.
On Sunday the Coquitlam Express would come to town having lost on Saturday to the Wenatchee Wild 8-1. The Smoke Eaters would come out on a mission for this afternoon matchup. They would fire 18 shots at the Express net in the first. The first goal of the game would come with just 38 seconds remaining when rookie forward Kale Howarth would score his first BCHL goal with a nice move in close and firing the shot high into the top of the net.
The second period would see more of the same for the Smoke Eaters as they would fire another 22 shots at Express goaltender Lawson Fenton. The only goal in the period would come from the Express late in the frame when Jackson Cressey would pick up his 10th of the early season with 2 minutes to play in the 2nd.
In the 3rd the Express would press for the go ahead goal by outshooting the Smoke Eaters 18-12 in the frame. However, Smoke Eaters goaltender Bailey MacBurnie would turn them all aside and send the teams to overtime.
The overtime period would end just 54 seconds into the frame when Smokies forward Kienan Scott would be sent in down the wing and break to the net sliding one past Fenton for the overtime winner.
The Smoke Eaters will now prepare for a big road game in Vernon on Wednesday when they will face division rival Vernon Vipers (5-6-0-1, 4th Interior). The Smoke Eaters will look to continue to build momentum as they head for a big home stand versus the Langley Riverman (7-3-0-0, 1st Mainland Division), and the Salmon Arm Silverbacks (6-3-2-0, T-2nd Interior Division).
You can catch the Smoke Eaters next game from Vernon on FastHockey.com, and then catch the Smokies in action on Friday, October 16th at Cominco Arena versus the Langley Riverman, puck drop at 7:30pm
