While recent changes to the Sicamous Eagles’ lineup may not have been for the best, the team appears playoff-bound, regardless.
Wins outnumbered the losses 3-1 for the Eagles last week, including a surprise, come-from-behind, 2-1 victory Sunday versus the Revelstoke Grizzlies. Other tallies include a 5-3 win versus the North Okanagan Knights, a 2-1 loss to the Summerland Steam and a 3-1 win over the Grand Forks Border Bruins.
At 62 points, the Eagles aren’t far behind league leaders the Castlegar Rebels at 68 points. But fans may have noticed Sicamous hasn’t been getting the big wins they were in 2012. Team manager Wayne March attributes this to the loss of some key forwards, Connor Buick, who is out with a separated shoulder, Connor Fynn – done for the season with a blown knee, and Kelyn Opel, who hails from Parksville, decided he wanted to return home and is now playing with the Victoria Cougars.
With these big gunners out of play, March says he’s proud of how the team has kept up the good fight.
“We don’t score those nine or 10 goal games anymore, but the thing is, you only have to win by one,” says March, who is particularly pleased to see the Eagles with a 10-point lead over their Revelstoke rivals.
“We’re going to meet Revelstoke in the playoffs, we know that. It’s either we finish second totally, or they do. There’s still six games to go for us and eight for them, so anything can happen.”
Sicamous was strong on the offensive in their Friday afternoon home game versus Revelstoke, outshooting the Grizzlies 55-27. However, Sicamous goalie Jack Surgenor, and his Revelstoke counterpart Aaron Brandoli, made sure neither team found the back of the net until 11:48 in the third period, when the Grizzlies were at last able to light up the board. This prompted the Eagles to up their effort and the payoff came in the last two minutes of the night. At 1:35, Corbin Marcotte was able to tie things up, with assists by Brad Crump and Alex Dartnall. And with 37 seconds left in the game, Crump potted the winning goal, assisted by Cameron Berry and Nicholas Astasiewicz.
Scoring was more spread out in Sicamous’ contest against the Knights. The first frame included two markers by the Knights, followed by a late goal from Quinn Rempel.
Marcotte potted a powerplay marker in the first minute of the second period, followed by a goal from teammate Dominick Hodges. The Knights tied things up before the buzzer.
Devries broke the tie halfway through the third period. Later in the frame, Sicamous pulled their goalie. The tactic paid off: with 48 seconds left in the game, Berry put in goal number five for the Eagles.
Devries was named first star for the game and Berry third.
Sicamous outshot their Summerland hosts 43-22 in their Friday contest. But excellent goaltending by the Steam permitted only one goal, an early third-period marker from Jamie Gallo. Summerland’s two goals were scored by Eagles’ alumni Easton Bodeaux.
The Eagles were first on the board in their home-ice bout Saturday with the Bruins. Berry scored the goal on power play.
Goals number two and three for Sicamous were scored in the second frame by Devries and Rempel.
Despite being inundated by injuries throughout the year, the Eagles persist and March expects there’s lots of good hockey still to come.
“It’s not a write-off season – It’s a good season for us…,” says March.