Ben Brar is playing like a guy who wants to get noticed by NCAA schools waving full-ride college scholarships.
The 19-year-old Prince George Spruce Kings right winger scored the game-winning goals Friday night in Coquitlam and Saturday night in Langley and kept up his offensive tendencies Sunday afternoon when the Kings returned to Coquitlam to take on the Express.
Brar got the road-weary Kings off to a great start in their third B.C. Hockey League game of the weekend, scoring shorthanded and on the power play in the opening period, but it wasn’t enough to derail the Express
A four-goal second period gave Coquitlam the lead and the Express hung to beat the Spruce Kings 5-3, which ended a three-game winning streak.
Joshua Wildauer scored twice, ending the second period with a power-play goal, and Chase Danol and Regan Kimens also scored to put Coquitlam up 4-2.
Christian Sanda, for the Express, and Kings winger Corey Cunningham, with an assist from Brar, capped the scoring in the third period.
Brar finished the weekend with four goals and two assists and now has 11 goals – tied for third in the league – and five assists in 16 games. He leads the Spruce Kings with 16 points.
For his efforts, Brar was named on Monday as the BCHL player of the week (for the week ending Oct. 21).
Alex DiPaolo picked up three assists Sunday for the Express (11-5-1-0), which moved back into sole possession of second place in the Mainland Division, two points ahead of the Spruce Kings (10-5-0-1), who have one game in hand.
Prince George outshot Coquitlam 31-30.
Dartmouth University recruit Clay Stevenson improved his record to 5-1-0 in goal for the Express.
Logan Neaton took the loss in the Prince George nets.
The Kings will embark on their longest road trip of the season with three games in three days, a weekend tour that will take them to Trail on Friday, Wenatchee on Saturday and Salmon Arm on Sunday afternoon.
