INNISFAIL - The Innisfail Eagles started the new year on a strong note with three of a possible four points in two home games last weekend.
The Birds dropped a close 5-4 shootout decision to the Lacombe Generals Sunday afternoon (Jan. 7) but took their first of two weekend games against the Stony Plain Eagles with a commanding 8-2 victory Friday night (Jan. 5) at the Innisfail Arena.
Innisfail took a two-goal lead late in the first period Friday, but Stony Plain quickly tied it at two. Special teams played a deciding factor in the third and final frame.
"Danny (Nichols) made a good hit and (gave) us the power play. It was tied 2-2 at the time so that power play for us was huge,” said Eagles forward Blair Mulder. "We got a couple goals on that and it snowballed from there.”
"There was an altercation and they took an undisciplined penalty and we scored some goals on the power play,” added head coach Brian Sutter of Friday’s win. "It was that simple, but we played the same way as we did tonight (Sunday).
"At this time of year you got to play at a level of urgency and we did. We had a lot of great efforts."
The Eagles continued that momentum into Sunday’s game.
The Generals opened the scoring with an early goal in the first period Sunday afternoon, but Innisfail answered right back with newcomer Brett O'Malley’s first goal as an Eagle.
"Everybody battled hard and penalties were even across the board," said O’Malley. "Just a lucky bounce there at the end, scrambling in front of the net with 16 seconds left and unluckily it ended up on one of their sticks. It was a hard fought game by both teams."
In a back and forth game that saw plenty of tension between the two rivals, Innisfail finally took a 4-3 lead early in the third period, but with just 16 seconds remaining in the game, Lacombe tied it at four.
Two overtime periods, four on four and three on three, solved nothing and the game went to a shootout.
"We've been battling (Lacombe) all year,” said Mulder, who netted the Birds fourth goal Sunday. "It was just a matter of containing them and not giving them opportunities to come back and score."
Innisfail also had two power play goals from Greg Moore and Caylan Walls Sunday.
The Innisfail Eagles are on the road for a game against the Rosetown Red Wings on Jan. 13 before returning home for two back-to-back home games against the Red Wings on Jan. 20 and 21.
Brian Sutter, head coach
"At this time of year you got to play at a level of urgency and we did. We had a lot of great efforts."
