INNISFAIL - The Innisfail Eagles are just two wins away from a return trip to the Allan Cup.
The Innisfail Eagles return home for Game 3 of the provincial finals this Saturday (March 7). Puck drop is 7 p.m.
The Birds took Game 2 with a close 6-5 victory over the Stony Plain Eagles last Saturday night.
“They came out firing and we were a little flat,” said Ryan Dodd, Eagles general manager and assistant coach. “But we tied the game on two power-play goals and then took the lead before the period was over. The character that shows on our hockey club is phenomenal.”
Stony Plain opened the scoring and took a 2-0 lead in the first period, but Innisfail responded and scored three goals of their own in the opening frame, with goals from Johnathan Aitken, Kyle Sheen and Thomas Carr, taking a 3-2 lead after 20 minutes.
Innisfail jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the second period with goals from Kurt Bensmiller and Quinton Lisoway, after Stony Plain got into penalty trouble, noted Dodd.
However, the tables turned and Stony Plain was back in the game with three power-play markers, tying it at 5-5 after 40 minutes.
Late in the final period, Innisfail’s Chad Robinson was the hero, netting his team’s sixth goal and game-winner, giving Innisfail a 2-0 series lead.
Allen York was in net for the Birds and made 25 saves on the night.
The Innisfail Eagles are hosting the 6th annual Sportsman Dinner at the Innisfail Legion on March 13. A portion of proceeds raised will help send the team to the Allan Cup in Ontario this year.
“We need to raise some funds and Brian’s (Sutter) done a great job of organizing the event. We’re going to have a bunch of stuff there for auction and there’ll be a good crowd of people,” said Dodd. “It’s going to be an expensive trip to get to Ontario that’s for sure, but it’s going to be well worth it.”
