The Canmore Eagles started off a 3-game in 2.5 days Northern road trip last night and they started the trek on the right foot as they edged the Grande Prairie Storm 3-2 to snap a 4-game winless streak. The win is a big one for the Eagles because it puts them in a share of 4th Place with the Calgary Mustangs in the tight AJHL South division. The Eagles’ record is now 10-7-3 for 23 points. Drumheller is in 2nd Place with 28 points, Okotoks is in 3rd with 25 points and Camrose is in 6th with 22 points.
Eagles Head Coach and General Manager Andrew Milne gave a lot of praise to his defensive core saying, “I thought we played really well up ice, we made Grande Prairie spend a lot of time in their zone and we didn’t give them a lot of space. Our d-zone coverage was really good.”
The Eagles’ bench boss thought that Carter Coles, Daly Hamilton, Mark Drohan and Jared Bowman were good. He also mentioned that Forward and Defensive Specialist Nolan Steer did a great a job at blocking shots, especially late in the game to help the Eagles preserve the win.
Offensively, Eagles’ Captain Colton Young lead the way with a pair of goals (11 & 12), including the game-winner with 6:20 left in the 3rd period. Connor Lyons (7) scored the other goal. The two teams traded a goal in the 1st frame, the Eagles went up 2-1 after the 2nd. The Storm tied the game in the middle of the 3rd before Young scored the go-ahead goal.
Logan Dyck got the start between the pipes and he made 32 saves to improve his record 6-4-1. The Eagles edged the Storm in shots, 35-34. Logan Dyck is expected to get the start tonight in Whitecourt.
Forward Max Giangualano left the game in the 2nd period after taking a stick to the face. He did not return to the game for precaution, but he is expected to play tonight.
The Eagles head down to Whitecourt, to take on the Wolverines (10-11) at 7:30 pm. The Eagles will then wrap up their 3-game Northern swing tomorrow afternoon as they will visit the Drayton Valley Thunder (6-14-1).
EAGLES’ FUN FACTS:
– Eagles Captain Colton Young is now tied for 5th in the AJHL scoring race with 26 points. Last night was the 2nd time this season that he recorded 2 goals in a game and it was his 8th multiple point game.