The 麻豆社国产Eagles midget rep hockey team started 2011 right, shutting out the Abbotsford Hawks 4-0 on Sunday (Jan. 9).
According to Eagles head coach Joe Webber, it was an all-around team effort that led to the win.
"I thought today was our best disciplined game of the year," he said. "We controlled the puck well and utilized the point all game. We really executed our game plan good all game, but I think their goalie played well and kept them in it."
The Eagles dominated the play early on and their efforts were rewarded when captain Jake Dickau got them on the board with 5:58 remaining in the opening frame. His linemate Isshin Chiyasu set him up with a no-look pass and Dickau then deked out the Hawks' goalie. Graham Raschella drew the second assist on the first goal of the game.
麻豆社国产continued to control the game but was stymied by Abbotsford's goaltender. With few stoppages in play, no penalties and only one goal, the first period blew by in just over 25 minutes of real time.
The second period saw the Hawks make a push but a strong defensive effort by defenceman Jordan Andreef took away a glorious scoring opportunity. Andreef dove to sweep the puck away from an attacking Hawks player to stop a two-on-one opportunity and help 麻豆社国产goaltender Lyndon Jhuty maintain his shutout.
Shortly after that, Squamish's Spence Johnston was run over by an Abbotsford player but he got back up and challenged him to a fight. Both players were given game misconducts for the tussle, but Webber wasn't too upset with his player.
"Their guy took a big charge at Spence and he answered it well," he said.
麻豆社国产received a power play out of the exchange and applied a lot of pressure with the man advantage, but failed to score. Jhuty was stellar in the second period, especially when the Eagles found themselves a man down. He continually made big stops and the second period ended with the Eagles holding a 1-0 lead.
The Eagles busted the game open in the third, with Will Finlay making it 2-0 after a nice deke with 10:46 remaining. Jon Fairfax and Manny Parra picked up the assists on the goal.
The pace of the game quickened in the third, highlighted by a nice hip check by the Eagles' towering rearguard, Dylan Mooney. Chiyasu then set up Dickau again after stripping the puck from a Hawks defender to make it 3-0 with Colby Mahood drawing the second assist. Chiyasu lit the lamp himself with 4:25 to go when Dickau returned the favour, with Mahood again drawing the second assist.
Webber was impressed by the three-point night for Chiyasu.
"He started a little slow today but I took him aside after the first and told him that he's the best player on the ice and he should go out there and prove it," he said. "And he did."
"I thought all three lines played well for us today and our defence kept it simple."
Webber also pointed out the strong play of Jhuty, who picked up the shutout.
"He played really well today," he said. "He seems to always bail us out of mistakes and we don't have to worry that if we screw up it will be in the back of the net."
Next up for the team will be an away game in Vancouver on Saturday (Jan. 15). The next home game for the team will be on Jan. 23 at 6 p.m.
