As the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League regular season enters the final stretch, the Sicamous Eagles remain perched at the top.
Though they were bumped to second place by the Princeton Posse at the Jan. 5 game, they鈥檙e just two points (49-51) and two games behind. After rising through the ranks earlier in the season, the Eagles have also consistently been among the top teams in the weekly power ratings.
The Eagles鈥� success is due, in part, to having a number of heavy hitters on the team, including the league鈥檚 top two rookies, local Owen Dewitt with 17 goals and 27 assists, and Revelstoke鈥檚 Hayden Evans with 20 goals and 22 assists. They鈥檙e also holding their own against the veterans, maintaining respectable fifth and sixth spots as point earners among all league players.
With a proven team already assembled, the Eagles weren鈥檛 in a panic about the Jan. 10 trade deadline, making just one change to their lineup 鈥� 2004-born forward Luke Rothfos from the Campbell River Storm from the Vancouver Island league for the playing rights of Parker Fournier.
Now, with seven weeks left in the regular season, the Eagles are hoping to regain the top spot going into the playoffs.
鈥淗opefully we finish first in the league,鈥� head coach Nick Deschenes said, but added that that doesn鈥檛 guarantee winning the championships, as the Posse won the league last year but lost the cup to the Kimberley Dynamiters. 鈥淎s we prep for the playoffs, we鈥檙e still looking to play the best hockey we can. There鈥檚 a lot of factors, there鈥檚 always ups and downs but we鈥檙e going to continue on and push, and just try to get better.鈥�
鈥淥ur division is very competitive,鈥� he added. 鈥淚t鈥� s going to be a good battle.鈥�
The Eagles have 14 more games to go in their bid to reclaim first place, while the Posse have 12, with the regular season ending Feb. 15 before the KIJHL faces off in the playoffs on Feb. 23.
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