CANMORE – The Canmore Eagles have been eliminated from the AJHL playoffs after losing their first round series 4-2 against the Drumheller Dragons.
Veteran Eagles netminder Andreai Proctor-Ramirez had 49 saves in Game 6’s 2-1 overtime loss on Sunday (March 19) in Canmore.
The Dragons advance to the second round against the Blackfalds Bulldogs.
“Unfortunately, it’s the way hockey goes. One team has to win and one team has to lose,” said Proctor-Ramirez, who played his final game in the AJHL and will play NCAA Division 3 hockey in Wisconsin next season. “For us to win games, I need to make saves and if I’m not doing that then we would have lost. Obviously, it sucks. I wish I could have made a few more and we wouldn’t be out right now, but unfortunately, it’s the way it goes.”
Close to halfway through OT, Dragons captain Sam Simard got to the front of the net after a face-off in Canmore’s zone and knocked in a rebound to end the game and series.
GAME OVER! SERIES OVER!
— Drumheller Dragons (@drumdragons) March 20, 2023
Dragons captain Sam Simard is your overtime hero tonight in Canmore as we win the game 2-1 and win this first round series 4-2! #DrumItUp pic.twitter.com/NCnAnZsQ7N
“I don’t regret anything,” said Eagles forward Owen Jones. “I think we put everything out that we had in us and it just didn’t come out our way.”
Canmore’s Reed Jacobson scored in Game 6 and Kayden Smith and Brody Mortensen picked up the helpers.
In the series, Canmore’s two wins came in Drumheller. The local team lost all three home games at the Alex Kaleta Arena.
Of the six games, five were settled by one goal, including two overtime games in Canmore.
“That was a hell of a series,” said Eagles head coach Andrew Milne. “You want to play your best hockey in the playoffs and we did that. It’s just, unfortunately, we were a bounce or two away from being on the winning side of that.”
#Canmore Eagles have been eliminated from the #AJHL playoffs, losing the series 4-2 to Drumheller. The Eagles lost Game 6 on Sunday in OT, 2-1. Eagles goalie Andreai Proctor-Ramirez had 49 saves. pic.twitter.com/ENKXTrQorb
— Jordan Small (@jordiesmall) March 20, 2023