NEXT HOME GAME – SATURDAY, OCT. 5 VERSUS OLDS GRIZZLYS – 7 PM
Despite the best efforts of rookie netminder Ryan Ferguson, the Canmore Eagles fell 5-1 to the Brooks Bandits in an Alberta Junior Hockey League game played Friday night (Oct. 4) in Brooks before 1,565 spectators.
The 18-year-old Ferguson certainly did his job as he kept the defending Canadian Junior A champions off the score sheet until mid-way through the second period before the relentless Bandits took advantage of a pair of powerplay goals to roll to their eighth win in nine starts.
The Eagles, now 4-6, were outshot 53-18 on the night, including a 20-4 margin in the second period.
Connor Wilson had the lone Eagle goal, his second of the season.
Canmore will look to rebound tonight (Oct. 5) as they will face the always physical and tenacious Olds Grizzlys (4-6-1) at the Canmore Recreation Centre. Game time is 7 PM.
In their only game against Olds this season on Sept. 24, the Grizzlys defeated the Eagles 8-5 in Canmore. Grizzly's forward Spencer Dorowicz scored a hat-trick and added an assist that night to lead Olds to their first road win of the season.
Dorowicz, a native of Olds, is off to an outstanding start this season as the 20-year-old has nine goals and 8 assists in just 11 games and is currently second in the AJHL scoring parade.
“Saturday’s home game against Olds will be a big test for us,” said Eagles Head Coach and General Manager Andrew Milne. “Olds is always a challenge to play and they really took it to us in our own rink a couple of weeks ago. They obviously have one of the best players in the AJ with Dorowicz and we just stood around and watched him beat us the last time out. You can’t allow him to free-wheel around the ice or he’ll make you pay.”
NOTEBOOK: In their 10 games played to date, the Eagles have been outscored 19-5 in the second period. . . The Eagles played last night’s game in Brooks without the services of defenceman Trey Phillips and Jakob Lavoie (both suffering lower body injuries), and forwards Lane Olson (illness),and captain Nils Moser (knee). . . .Luke Simpson was named the Eagles “Star of the Game”.
