Chiefs 5 Eagles 2

A trio of first-period goals spurred the Chilliwack Chiefs on to a 5-2 victory over the Eagles at Prospera Centre Sunday.

Ben Butcher scored a pair, and Chiefs netminder Spencer Tremblay turned in a 37-save performance to help Chilliwack to its second victory over Surrey in as many days.

Chilliwack started early, with Butcher cashing in on a close-range backhander at the 6:16 mark, but the Eagles found an equalizer less than two minutes later when Mitch Fyffe snapped home a shot from the left circle for his second goal in as many nights.

Butcher scored again moments later after a rebound fell onto his stick at the bottom of the left-wing circle. Less than two minutes after that, the Chiefs found a two-goal lead when Mathieu Tibbet strode down the right wing and snapped a low shot that snuck through Eagle netminder Bo Didur's pads.

The Eagles crept back to within a goal early in period two, however. Matt Dawson sizzled a shot goalward that was deflected through Tremblay's legs by fellow rookie Darius Davidson.

But less than a minute later, the Chiefs struck back. Veteran Tanner Cochrane worked his way out of a pileup behind the Surrey net and backhanded home his second goal in as many games from just outside the blue paint. Cooper Rush added a fifth late in the frame on a Chilliwack odd-man rush.

Devon Fordyce replaced Didur to start period three and stopped all nine shots he faced, but Tremblay endured a busier final frame, thwarting Surrey on all 17 shots they sent his way to record his fourth win of the season.

My Three Stars:
1. Spencer Tremblay, Chilliwack
2. Ben Butcher, Chilliwack
3. Tanner Cochrane, Chilliwack

Up Next: Surrey will ring in 2014 with a home date against the Cowichan Valley Capitals on Friday. Game time is 7:00 at South Surrey Arena.