CANMORE – Nearing the quarter-point of the season, the Canmore Eagles are feeling a heightened urgency to overcome what’s been an adverse 2021-22 campaign.
The local club (5-9-0) needed some time to readjust to Junior A play after not lacing up for all but two regular season games last year. However, in the recent home stint, the Eagles were dialled in and got rewarded by going two-for-three, but a tough three-game northern road swing this week will test the club still trying to find its wings.
“We’ve had a bit of a rough go lately and I think every day you come in when that is the case it is all hands on deck, heightened urgency and that’s the kind of message we’ve been trying to send is have that urgency in our play,” said Bryan Arneson, Eagles assistant coach.
In “need” of a win on Sunday (Oct. 24), the Eagles pulled out a 3-2 victory against the Whitecourt Wolverines at the Canmore rec centre to even the season series at one.
The Eagles' goal scorers were Riley Dekowny, Drae Gardiner, and Nathan Ellis. Maguire Smyth had two helpers.
In an intense 60 minutes, there was no love lost in the matchup between the two clubs trying to climb in the standings.
The Wolverines scored the first period's lone goal midway through the frame, but period two, however, was all Eagles.
Just seconds after Ethan Schaeffer rattled one off the post on the power play, Gardiner buried the puck in the back of the net when the two teams were back to even strength. Gardiner was awarded Eagles player of the game.
Minutes later, a slap shot from the blue line by Ellis slid across the ice and found its mark in the back of the net for a 2-1 lead into the third.
The wily Wolverines weren't finished though and scored on the power play to tie things up. The Eagles responded quickly when Dekowny got the game-winner.
Despite some extracurricular activity to wrap up the game, including the refs tossing out Wolverines players and coach, the Eagles hung on for their much-needed win.
“I think the boys came together this game and we really needed this win and they all just pulled together and did their jobs,” said Ellis, a rookie defenceman.
“We’ve had some adversity with some losses so our whole team was just like 'we have to bring the intensity, we gotta get this win' and we brought the pace to the game.”
It was the AJHL first goal for Ellis, a native of Canmore, which he called a special moment to do in front of his hometown.
“Just growing up watching the Eagles, so playing here is obviously a privilege and getting a goal in front of the home crowd, it was unbelievable,” said the 18-year-old blueliner.
Eagles rookie goalie Matthew Malin picked up his first win with the club on Sunday.
The 18-year-old San Francisco-native took over netminder duties after goalie Andreai Proctor-Ramirez left Oct. 19’s victory against the Olds Grizzlies in the third period with a lower body injury.
Proctor-Ramirez hasn’t played since and didn’t dress for Sunday’s win, but there is optimism the 19-year-old will be available to play during the Eagles' three-game road swing starting Friday (Oct. 29) against the Camrose Kodiaks.
"I think if we can get one message across it’s just continue with what works, trust what works and then go back to our foundation, which is our work ethic and our systems," said Arneson. "That’s kind of what we rely on to win games and get us out of the dark area as long as we can do that, we’ll be OK."
On Sunday (Oct. 31), the Eagles will see the return of head coach Andrew Milne behind the bench. Milne was suspended for 15 games and fined $1,000 last season by the AJHL for speaking to the media about a COVID-19 outbreak that infected the team.
