Rookie goaltender Ethan Simcoe made 31 saves to win his second game in as many starts as the Coquitlam Express hung on for a 3-2 win over the Powell River Kings, Friday at the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex.
The victory was Coquitlam’s second in a row and elevates the team’s record to four wins, four losses and one shootout loss.
Simcoe stopped eight shots in the first period, all 13 he faced in the second and 10 in the third, including a desperate goal line stand in the waning moments of regulation time as the Kings pressed for the equalizer with an extra attacker on the ice.
The Express did all their scoring in the first period. Drew Garzone, Jake Manfre and Jackson Krill beat Powell River goalie Tresor Wotton before Adam Mendelson got one back for the Kings with less than a minute left in the frame.
After a scoreless second period, a power play goal by Powell River’s Anthony Yu got the visitors to within.a goal. But that’s as close as they got, as Coquitlam’s defence battened down the hatches and Simcoe made several key saves.
The Express next play on Monday, when they face the Vernon Vipers at the BC Hockey League’s annual showcase, being held this year at the Kraken Community Iceplex in Seattle. The three-day event brings together all the league’s teams at one location for the benefit of scouts and college recruiters.
