Mid-week games are not necessarily on the schedule for the Eagles, but this re-match comes on the heels of the Eagles 2-1 O/T victory at the BCHL Showcase.

Prior to the game Head Coach Peter Schaefer answered questions about team chemistry getting him to mention “We’re improving as a team and getting closer and given the changes we’re happy as a group and just need to put a solid 60 minutes together and work on consistency.”

The recent close losses are a concern for the team, but given the changes in the player roster, they’ll get it together and it’ll be sooner rather than later.

When asked about the slow start in the previous game he mentioned “We were asleep out of the gate getting down 3-0 and he made some key saves keeping us in the game, so now it’s up to us to respond.”

The Eagles started Kyle Dumba between the pipes who is dressing for his second game being one of the newest additions to the roster, while the Vipers had Aiden Porter as the starter who is playing in his 8th game.

It was a match- up between the 3-9 Eagles going against the 4-4-2 Vipers that saw the home squad get the early marker on the board a short 51 seconds in with Young get his third of the season.

The Eagles pressed and managed to get one at 8:40 following a dump-in on the left side with Clifton throwing one in the corner as Mohagen jumped on the loose puck at the left side of the net.

Working magic he went behind the net from left to right catching Porter out of position on the wrap around sliding it in on the right side tying the game at one.

The Vipers out-shot the Eagles in the first by a margin of 17-7 that saw Dumba make some remarkable stops keeping the home squad in the game.

The second started and for the Eagles it was all about playing 60 minutes, never quitting and going to the net for rebounds.

It was Austin Herron hammered a shot from the right point at 16:36 that took a strange deflection off a Vipers skate past Porter putting the Eagles a 2-1 lead.

The Vipers managed to get a pair in the last three minutes of the second taking a 3-2 lead after two periods out-shooting the Eagles by a 15-8 margin.

The third started with the both clubs playing a tentative style of play and it wasn’t until the 9:06 mark of the third that saw McKim knock the puck out of the air on the right inside the blue line, cutting to the center of the blue line hammering a howitzer past Porter tying the game at three.

The Eagles continued to press getting the puck on the right side to Schiavon at the ringette line sending a tape to tape pass on the left side to Westgard by the face-off dot sending a wrist shot past Porter giving the Eagles the first lead of the game.

Westgard sent a shot over the blocker of Porter giving the advantage to the home squad, but given the Vipers aggressive style of play it wasn’t long until the home squad notch a pair of goals taking a 5-4 lead.

Time was working against the Eagles but with the face-off in the attacking zone on the right side Westgard won the draw sending it to the right corner.

Judson was the first player in the corner jumping on the loose puck only to have Stevenson give a quick “stick lift” stealing the puck sending a shot on net only to be turned aside giving a huge rebound.

The sharp angle shot deflected out to the point that saw Hayles take the initial shot that saw Katzalay deflect one past a screened Porter tying the game forcing overtime.

The Vipers were playing shorthanded and with the Eagles supplying added pressure on the Vipers it was Gurney who sent one back to Hayles at the point who had no direct shot managing to send one to the right side to Stevenson.

It was the quick “give and go” that they are becoming familiar with that saw Stevenson deliver a quick take to tape pass back to Hayles who hammered one past Porter giving the Eagles the victory.

Truly a game changer to see the squad play a more disciplined style of game at both ends of the ice slowly climbing up in the standing in the Mainland standing.

FortisBC Player Of The Game

Carver Watson (0G/2A)

Three Stars:

1st) Ryley Hayles (1G/1A)

2nd) Jesse Lansdell (2G/0A)

3rd) Jack Judson (0G/2A)

The Eagles have out of town back to back games this upcoming weekend, first against the Rivermen, October 12th followed by a match-up against the Chiefs October 13th.