Three games into the Okanagan roadtrip, Surrey Eagles got their first win of the season ? and only temporary lapses in focus prevented them coming home with two.
Eagles defeated Vernon Vipers 5-2 Saturday, after dropping their first two games ? 7-0 to Salmon Arm Silverbacks Friday, and 4-3 in overtime to Westside Warriors Thursday.
Eagles now sport a win-loss-tie-overtime loss record of 1-3-0-1.
Eagles fought back from a 2-0 deficit against Vipers, scoring five unanswered goals ? two on the power play and one shorthanded.
Scott Jow, Tyson Angus, Scott Knowles, Clayton Spalding, and Steven Bagnall found the back of the net for Eagles, while rookie Adam Basford had three assists.
?They showed tremendous character coming back to get the win in Vernon, which is another pretty hostile environment, and a pretty good team,? Eagles coach Rick Hillier said.
Thursday in Westside, it was the Eagles who were spotted an early lead, but an inability to put Warriors away cost them. They earned a point for the overtime loss.
Eagles were up 2-0 in the first period, but Warriors scored three goals in the final seven minutes of the second to take over the game.
August Aiken scored in overtime to give Westside the win.
?We played pretty consistently for the first half of the game. We did a lot of good things but ended up losing our focus part way though,? Hillier said.
?We were up 2-0 and had ample opportunity to make it 3-0 but we couldn?t do it.?
Jared Cipparone had a goal and an assist in the loss, and Ryan Adams and Knowles also scored.
Lack of concentration was again the problem against the undefeated Salmon Arm Silverbacks.
?There?s still obviously some things we need to sort out,? Hillier said.
?More than anything, it?s focus ? we need to stay in the game for a full 60 minutes if we?re going to win.
?It?s small things right now. If we?re attacking, and then come back into our end of the ice, sometimes we start losing focus on our defensive coverage 20 or 30 seconds into the shift, and when that happens, it turns into a bit of a Chinese fire drill out there.?
Despite the problems left to be ironed out, a handful of players made strong impressions on the coach.
Knowles and third-line centre Riley Tetrault, both in their first seasons in the BCHL, earned praise from Hillier for their two-way play.
?Tetrault had an outstanding weekend. He had some good chances, and drew a lot of penalties out there too.?
Bird Bits
Eagles have one less 20-year-old in the fold after dealing defenceman Mike Stephens to Swan Valley Stampeders of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League for future considerations.
Stephens, a Campbell River native, was highly sought after by Swan Valley, where Will Verner ? an assistant coach with Eagles last season ? is now head coach.
The move opens up another overage spot for Eagles, who now have four 20-year-old players.
The team is allowed six.
