The Prince George Spruce Kings scored three goals in the middle frame while forward Dustin Manz tallied three assists en route to a 5-0 victory over the Surrey Eagles on home ice.
This marks the second win in a row for Prince George in their third of a four-game homestand to start the 2017-18 season.
Goaltender Evan DeBrouwer posts his first shutout as a Spruce King, making 26 saves in the victory; Surrey’s Alex Horawski faced 40 shots from the home team, stopping 35 of them.
Prince George started on an offensive blitz, which includes a goal from rookie import Patrick Cozzi less than three minutes into the contest.
His line of Ben Brar and Dustin Manz created multiple scoring chances that resulted in the red, white, and blue’s second goal of the night; Brar potted a rebound shot into the open cage seven minutes into the middle frame.
Prince George would make it a three-goal advantage just 67 seconds later thanks to Ethan de Jong.
Ben Poisson potted a beauty off the back-leg of Horawski for the team’s fourth goal ahead of the end of the second period, which included another apple from Manz.
Spruce Kings would seal the deal with nine minutes left in regulation courtesy of Captain Kyle Johnson taking a cross-ice pass from Jarod Hovde on the two-on-one.
Prince George’s record improves to 2-0-1-0, while Surrey records its first loss of the year (1-1-1-0).
Manz’s three assists on the night lifted him to the game’s First Star, DeBrouwer’s shutout gave him the Second Star honours, and Brar’s two-point night earned him the Third Star.
Hovde’s aggressive performance was worthy of the Fortis BC Energy Player of the Game nod.
The Spruce Kings’ conclude their opening four-game homestand Saturday night, 7 p.m. at the Rolling Mix Concrete Arena (RMCA) against the Surrey Eagles once more.
-Prince George Spruce Kings
