The Sicamous Eagles closed the show on one of the last weekends of the regular season with a huge win on the road.
The Eagles began the series of three games held Jan. 31 to Feb. 2, by blanking the Kamloops Storm 3-0, exciting the home crowd at the Sicamous and District Rec Centre.
Buoyed by their win, the Eagles were on the road Saturday, Feb. 1, for their first game of the trip against the Grand Forks Border Bruins. The Bruins scored the only goal of the game’s first period. The home team then outpaced the Eagles four goals to two in a thrilling second period. The Eagles’ third-period single was answered by the Bruins wrapping up a 6-3 win.
The Eagles kept on through the Kootenays Sunday, Feb. 2, for a showdown with the Castlegar Rebels.
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Jaxon Danilec scored the game’s first goal two minutes after the opening whistle. The Rebels replied on the power play but a shorthanded goal from Brayden Haskell kept the score in the Eagles’ favour. The Rebels tied the game again before the halfway point of the third frame.The second half of the period belonged to the Eagles and Danilec; the Eagles’ top scorer beat the Rebels’ netminder to leave the score 3-2 before rounding out his first-frame hat trick with another goal.
In the second period, Owen Spannier scored unassisted and then the Rebels put a third goal on the board for a score of 5-3 Eagles. From there, the Eagles would dominate the game. Danilec took advantage of the power-play to score yet another goal before the end of the period.
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The Eagles battered the home team in the third, beginning with a shorthanded goal from Malik Kaddoura in the opening minute. Danilec scored his fifth of the game and 25th of the season; he was quickly followed by Michael Wong who scored to put the Eagles up 9-3.
Cort Shapka tried to follow Danilec’s lead, putting up two goals minutes apart. At the final buzzer, the Eagles were on top 11-3 for their most convincing win of the season.
Following the five-goal night in Castlegar, Danilec is the KIJHL’s sixth most effective goal scorer, tied with Elvis Slack of the Border Bruins.
Coming up for the Eagles is a road game against the 100 Mile house Wranglers on Feb. 7, followed by a chance to rack up another win against the Storm on Sunday, Feb. 9. Next weekend’s game against the Storm and another on Feb. 14 are especially important as the Eagles are nine points behind the Kamloops squad and their playoff fate hangs in the balance.
jim.elliot@saobserver.net
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