Behind another big effort from netminder Cole Huggins, the Coquitlam Express put together a second-period surge to topple the Chilliwack Chiefs 3-2 Wednesday in the Fraser Valley town.

Cal Hofford's second goal of the season with six minutes left in the middle period capped a three-goal outburst for the visitors, who trailed 1-0 after the opening frame.

With teammates Zac Pryzek and Justin Georgeson screening in front, Hofford rifled a shot from the left point that eluded Chilliwack goalie Mitch Gillam.

The Express got on the scoreboard on a turnover that began inside their own blueline. Brandon Morley stole the puck and converted a shorthanded breakaway five minutes into the middle stanza to tie the game. Nearly six minutes later, Captain Mitch Nardi took a nice setup from major midget star and callup Mathew Barzal to put the Express in front.

Huggins started the game sharply, holding the Mainland Division-leading Chiefs to a single goal during the opening 20 minutes while being peppered with 16 shots. In the third, with Chilliwack pressing to close the gap, he kicked out 19 shots, with a late goal cutting the lead to one.

Huggins finished with 44 saves on the night, while Gillam turned back 28 Coquitlam shots.

The club was without two of its top snipers, as Philip Zielonka was out of the lineup with the flu, while Alexander Kerfoot missed his third straight game due to an undisclosed injury.

It was the first time the Express had bested Chilliwack this season, after posting a tie and four losses earlier this season. With the victory, the squad jumped into third place with a 15-12-1 record, one-point better than Prince George.

Coquitlam now heads to Prince George this weekend, where they'll play a pair against the Spruce Kings.

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