If the Coquitlam Express were hoping to kick off the new year with a winning record they are up against some tough competition to get it done.
The first two week of January see the club taking on some of the best squads in the BCHL, including games against the league-leading Penticton Vees and division leaders like Nanaimo and Langley.
Wednesday's road bout against the Vees was the latest example of the club's struggles, when the Express were downed 5-2 on the road.
Penticton jumped out to an early lead, with Tyson Jost opening the scoring before teammate Steen Cooper added a marker on the power play.
Coquitlam got on the board in the second with a power play marker of its own, when Michael Merulla buried a pass from Jackson Cressey for his second of the season.
But the Vees restored the two goal lead late in the period and made it 4-1 early in the final frame.
A power play marker from Coquitlam's Brendan Gulka closed the gap for a few minutes, but Penticton's Jack Ramsey's final goal of the game restored the three-goal lead for the home team before the buzzer sounded.
Express goalie Chris Tai stopped 24 of the 29 shots he faced and Coquitlam was two-for-three with the man advantage.
Last weekend, the club split a pair of home-and-home games against the Langley Rivermen.
Both teams lost on their home turf, with Coquitlam falling 6-1 on Friday at the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex, before sinking the Rivermen 4-3 at the Langley Events Centre 24-hours later.
Brett Supinksi scored once in Saturday's game, bringing his season point total to 54, good enough for second place in the league behind teammate Corey Mackin, who has 66 points.
The weekend road game also saw goals from Express forwards Owen Stout and Brendan Lamont, while Mackin managed a crucial short-handed marker in the third period.
Supinski was named first star of the game, while Tai was named third star for stopping 36 of the 39 shots he faced, as the goalie was shelled by Langley forwards.
The schedule doesn't get much easier for the Express in the new few days.
Penticton will be visiting the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex on Friday, before Coquitlam heads to Vancouver Island for a meeting against the Nanaimo Clippers on Saturday. The weekend wraps up with a Sunday match against Victoria on the road.
For more information go to www.coquitlamexpress.ca.
