Thursday, September 20, 2012 – The Canmore Eagles will try to take advantage of home ice on Friday night to do something they didn’t accomplish once last season – put together a three-game winning streak.
The Eagles, who defeated the visiting Whitecourt Wolverines and Spruce Grove Saints in a pair of Alberta Junior Hockey League home games last weekend, will entertain their southern-division rival Drumheller Dragons at the Canmore Recreation Centre at 7 pm.
It will be the Eagles last home game before they depart on a five-game road trip, which includes the AJHL’s annual Showcase Weekend in Spruce Grove on September, 28-29.
The Dragons, under new coach Brian Curran, are also riding a two-game winning streak and sport an identical 2-1 overall record.
“It should be an excellent game Friday night,” said Eagle’s Head Coach and General Manager Andrew Milne. “Brian always has a very hard working club and I think our teams are fairly similar this year. The Dragons have a solid group of returning veterans in their lineup and they’re hoping to have a much better season this year. This game will be a good measuring stick as to how both teams stack up in the Southern Division.”
Both teams should be fresh and roaring to go as the Eagles haven’t played a game since last Saturday, and the Dragons haven’t played since last Friday.
“I think both teams will come out aggressively and try to establish positive momentum right away,” said Milne. “Drumheller claimed the last playoff spot from us last season by a single point, so even though it might be early in the season, we know how important these two points in the standings could be later in the year. “
NOTEBOOK: Eagle forward Paul Lamoureux is expected to get back into the lineup for Friday night’s home game against Drumheller. Lamoureux came to the Eagles at the trade deadline last year from Bonnyville and only managed to play in four games before separating his shoulder. . . With the potential season-ending ankle/heel injury to promising rookie forward Alexander Bechtold, the Eagles have also recalled 16-year-old Dylan Houston from the Red Deer Rebels Midget program . . . Look for Eagle netminder Ty Swabb to get the start in Friday’s home game, while Cameron Barnes will probably get the nod on Saturday night when the Eagles play the Calgary Canucks in Calgary.
