Warriors bury Express in opener

Photo: Wayne Moore - Castanet

Rookie goaltender Scott Patton gets ready to lead the Warriors onto the ice prior to his BC Hockey League debut.

Rookie Scott Patton wasn't very busy but he was sharp when he had to be.

The 18-year-old Cambridge, ON native stopped 19 of 21 shots directed his way leading his club to a convincing 6-2 win over the reigning BCHL champion Coquitlam Express top open the Bauer Showcase series in Chilliwack.

Photo: Wayne Moore - Castanet

Warriors defenceman Graydon Robinson is unceremoniously dumped into his own net Friday during a 6-2 opening night win over Coquitlam.

"To be honest I'm just here to play when they ask me to," says Patton of the somewhat surprising open game start.

"Obviously Desi (Andy Desautels) is the starter and he knows that but whenever they ask me to I've got to be ready and today they felt I could go and Desi can go on Sunday so I just put my head down and went to work."

If there were any nerves Patton didn't show it. It likely didn't hurt that his father, who flew into Chilliwack to visit his son for the weekend, was in the crowd.

Head coach Rylan Ferster says it was just a matter of getting both goalies time on the opening weekend of the season.

"We knew they were both going to split down here this weekend so it was nothing really earth shattering. We just thought Scott would go tonight and Desi on Sunday," says Ferster.

"He did play well. I thought he made some real good saves - tough luck, I thought both goals were pretty nice  goals and he didn't have much of a chance on either."

Patton got all the offence he needed in the opening 20 minutes as the Warriors put up four in front of him to grab a 4-1 first period lead.

Defenceman Greydon Robinson opened the scoring for the Warriors on the power-play when his wrist shot from the point found its way behind Express netminder Pierce Dushenko.

It was apropos Robinson would get the goal after he was taken hard into his own net, drawing the interference penalty that led to the goal.

The Express would tie it 10 seconds later before the Warriors went to work.

Liam Blackburn scored his first of two when his shorthanded wrist shot from the slot beat Dushenko glove side with the Warriors a man down.

Jonathan Desbiens and Blackburn with his second also scored in the opening period.

Jason Cotton and Brett Mennear closed out the scoring in the second.

Desbiens also had a pair of assists to go along with his goal for a three point night.

"He's quick when he gets the puck, he can really take off. He's an offensively gifted guy," Ferster says of Desbiens.

The Express closed out the scoring with a power-play goal with less than four seconds left on the clock.

The Warriors outshot the Express 50-21 including a 21-7 advantage in the second period alone.

The Warriors also did a good job of closing the game out in the third period, controlling the puck and the play as they did much of the opening 40 minutes.

Despite the wide margin of victory, Ferster says there are still things the teams needs to tidy up, especially defensively.

"I think we need to tighten a few things up in our end just when the puck is on our stick to make a good play.

We want to be a first time out team. I think you have to realize if you have the puck they can't score. Don't just give it to them for free."

The Warriors bused home after the game. They will make the return trip to Chilliwack Sunday for their final game of the Showcase event when they face the Nanaimo Clippers Sunday afternoon.

While the Warriors were running over Coquitlam, the Penticton Vees  were doing the same - and then some - to the Surrey Eagles.

The Vees snapped a 2-2 tie with nine unanswered goals over the final 32 minutes in an 11-2 thumping of the Eagles.

Newcomer Lewis Zerter - Gossage led the way for the Vees with three goals and an assist.

Matthew Serratore had two goals including the eventual game winner while Tyson Jost, Dante Fabbro and Steen Cooper all chipped in with three assists.

The Vees, who have never lost a game at the Showcase Series, look to make it six for six when they take on the Alberni Valley Bulldogs Saturday afternoon.