INNISFAIL – The Birds of Innisfail must wait until early February to see what team they will face next month in the opening round of the North Central Hockey League (NCHL) playoffs.
The senior men’s AA Innisfail Eagles won their final game of the 16-game 2024/25 regular season on the road on Jan. 25 by a close score of 4 – 3 against long-time rival Stony Plain Eagles.
Innisfail was the first team in the nine-team NCHL to complete the regular season.
The win on Jan. 25 gives the southern Birds 23 points for the season, one point back of the Wetaskiwin Longhorns.
Innisfail is now three points ahead of Stony Plain, with the latter squad having one game in hand.
But Innisfail clinches third place in the NCHL regular season.
The Lacombe Generals remain in first place with 26 points, two ahead of Wetaskiwin. Both squads have one regular season game remaining.
The league’s final playoff schedule, which will include the top eight teams, will not be fully set until the last game of the regular season is played on Feb. 2.
As for Innisfail’s last regular season game against Stony Plain it was Chance Longjohn who was the offensive star with two goals, including Innisfail’s final goal of the game in the third period.
Chad Robinson and Kacob Wozney added singles for Innisfail.
Shots on goals were almost even, with Innisfail firing 27 on Stony Plain goalie Wyatt Hoflin while Innisfail netminder Chance Griffith, who picked up the win, faced 28 shots.
