The Canmore Eagles wrapped up their 3-game home stand tonight. After picking up back-to-back shutouts in their previous 2 games, the Eagles suffered a setback as they fell to the visiting Whitecourt Wolverines 7-4 in front of 510 fans at the Canmore Recreation Centre. With the loss, the Eagles’ record drops to (14-10-3) for 31 points. The Eagles now have a share of 3rd Place in the AJHL South Division, as the Okotoks Oilers defeated the Grande Prairie Storm 4-2 Saturday night. The Eagles, however, have a game in hand on Okotoks.
“We weren’t smart, we didn’t start the game very well, we weren’t very sharp and it cost us,” said Eagles' Head Coach and General Manager Andrew Milne. “We probably could have been up 3-0 after 1, but we weren’t and we ended up chasing the game from there.”
What proved to be costly for the Eagles was the team’s Penalty Kill as the visitors scored 3 Power Play goals on 5 opportunities. “We have to break it down, try to address as it’s been an issue for the past probably 10 or 15 games,” said Coach Milne. “Penalty Kill is all about commitment, sacrifice and hard work and it’s 3 things we didn’t have in the 1st Period and 3 things we missed tonight.”
The Eagles received goals from Colton Young (14), Daly Hamilton (6), Taden Rattie (11) and Max Giangualano (16). Quinton Ong had 3 assists and he was named the Eagles’ Player of the Game. Hamilton and Giangualano each had 2 points.
Logan Dyck got the start for the 2nd straight game and he stopped 25 of the 31 shots he faced. The Wolverines’ 7th goal was scored in an empty net. The shots were 36-32 in favour of the Eagles.
After playing 5 games in the last 8 days, the Eagles now get to enjoy a week off as their next action is not until next Saturday, December 1 when the Eagles head to Olds to take on the Grizzlys (3-23-2). The Eagles’ next home game is on Sunday, December 2 as the Calgary Mustangs (12-9-4) are in town for an afternoon game with a 2:30 pm puck drop.
December 1 in the Canadian Junior Hockey League is a deadline date in which every team must cut down their roster to 25 players. The Eagles currently have only 21 players on their active roster and Coach Milne says that the team is trying hard to add players to the roster and make the team better.
EAGLES FUN FACTS:
– 20-year-old Defenceman Daly Hamilton is currently on an 8-game point streak. The Calgary, AB native now has 27 points in as many games and he has the 2nd most points among Defencemen in the AJHL behind Zach Vinnell of the Camrose Kodiaks who has 31.
