The Sicamous Eagles have not found their way into the win column in the month of January and time is running out, with the last of their regular season games to be played a month from now.
A tie against Summerland has been the high point for the local KIJHL team in the first month of the year. Last week, the Eagles last an overtime heart-breaker to the North Okanagan Knights on Saturday and then had an unsuccessful trip to 100 Mile House; the Wranglers won 4-1.
The Eagles hit the ice again against the Chase Heat on Saturday, Jan. 19. Eleven minutes after the opening whistle, Hayden Wiebe of the Heat collected a pass from Breckin Erichuk and slipped the puck by Cole Steinke in the Eagle’s net.
Tyson Lampreau chalked another goal in the Heat’s column assisted by Gavin Mattey in the last minute of the first period.
After the first intermission the Eagles found their feet. Secen minutes into the second period, Sean Thornton got Sicamous on the board with some help from Jack Olson and Jacob Chafe. Jordan Sheasgreen tied the game near the end of the middle period (assisted by Colby Sherlock and Sebastien Archambault). The tie held into the second intermission and both teams went to the dressing rooms to gear up for a closely contested final period.
The Heat restored their lead off Erichuk’s stick early on and then followed up with a power-play goal just two minutes later; Cody Allen scored, assisted by Brett Alexander and Tyler Collens as David Cloutier served a spearing penalty. The Eagles pulled Steinke from the net in favour of a sixth skater two minutes head of the final whistle in hopes of making up the two goal deficit.
With a minute to go Lampreau of the Heat was tossed by the officials for checking from behind and in the ensuing scuffle, Trysten Brookman of the Eagles was also given a misconduct penalty.
Although the Heat were shorthanded, Marino Bordin managed to get his stick on the puck and put it into the Sicamous net with only two seconds on the clock. The final buzzer sounded on a 5-2 defeat for the Eagles.
Next on the agenda for the Sicamous squad was a Tuesday night road game against the Revelstoke Grizzlies, who have been sitting comfortably atop the Doug Birks division of the KIJHL’s Okanagan Shuswap Conference for most of the season.
