PHOTO – AJHL MVP Trey Phillips scored in overtime to help the Eagles to a 3-2 victory over the Camrose Kodiaks on Sunday night.
NEXT HOME PLAYOFF GAME – MONDAY, MARCH 10 -GAME 4 – CAMROSE KODIAKS @ 7 PM
Just like Superman, Eagle defenceman Trey Phillips came to the rescue when his team needed him the most as the 20-year-old AJHL MVP scored an unassisted goal at 8:09 of sudden-death overtime to propel Canmore to a 3-2 victory over the Camrose Kodiaks in Game Three of their best-of-five opening round Alberta Junior Hockey League Southern Division playoffs.
The game, which gives the Eagles a 2-1 series lead, was played before a sold-out house of 675 very vocal fans. Game Four will be played Monday night (March 10) at the Canmore Recreation Centre, with game Five, if necessary, set for Camrose on Wednesday, March 12.
It marked the third straight playoff game between the two clubs that has been decided by a single goal as the Eagles won Game One by a 1-0 score, while Camrose took Game Two by a 2-1 margin.
As has been the case all series long, scoring goals has been at a premium as both goaltenders continued their stellar play. Canmore’s Ryan Ferguson and Camrose’s Devin McDonald were simply outstanding between the pipes again in Game Three and were named their respective team’s “Star of Game” with Ferguson stopping 28 of the 30 Kodiak shots and McDonald stopping 32 of the 35 Eagles shots.
Brett Schimmel and Connor Wilson had the regulation goals for the Eagles, while Spencer Kryczka and Ryker Lee replied for the Kodiaks.
“The fans certainly got their monies worth tonight as that was one of the most hard-hitting, fast-paced and intense games we’ve played,” said Eagle’s Head Coach and General Manager Andrew Milne. “It’s exactly how we thought this series would be played. Very intense hockey, nothing is for free out there. Both teams are very evenly matched and that game could have gone either way. Trey Phillips was the MVP of the AJHL and he ultimately proved it again with his overtime goal. And Ferguson, who was also named to the AJHL All-Star team, made several outstanding stops for us when the game was on the line. Monday night’s game is also going to be a huge battle. The Kodiaks will come out and throw everything they have at us to try and even the series and force Game Five back in Camrose. We better be prepared for another huge battle on Monday night. It should be a good one.”
Tickets for Game Four will go on sale at the Canmore Recreation Centre starting at 4 PM today. Game time is 7 PM. Tickets are going very fast, so advance purchase would be advisable.
NOTEBOOK: Twenty-year-old Kodiak forward Ryan Huolt, who led his team in penalties this season with 173 penalty minutes, did not dress for Sunday’s game as he has received a five game AJHL suspension for a series of “Blow to the Head” penalties this season. Huolt received two “BTH” penalties against the Eagles in Game Two. . . After receiving their Stadium Liquor license from the AGLC earlier in the week, Eagle fans were finally permitted to take their drinks into the stands during Sunday’s game. No incidents were reported.
