The Sea to Sky Eagles rugby league football club erased a 10-point deficit to fly away with a narrow 12-10 win over the Surrey Beavers at Don Ross field on Saturday (June 1).
It was the British Columbia Rugby League (BCRL) opener for the Eagles and head coach Keith Reeves said despite having trouble scoring early on, he had faith that the team could make the comeback.
"We were getting stronger and stronger as the game went on," he said. "But Surrey's defence was outstanding all game long."
The Eagles finally broke through in the second half as Ally Mac scored a short-range try with five minutes left to pull ahead and secure the win.
"I'm really happy with the victory," Mac said. "I always thought we were in the game even when we were losing 10-0."
Reeves said the Eagles had several opportunities in the first half, but a combination of penalties and excellent defence by the Beavers stopped them from scoring. He said it's a big win for the Eagles, as the Beavers are thought by many in the BCRL to be one of the top clubs this season.
"To be perfectly honest, I thought this would be a very tough opening game for us," he said. "I think us and Surrey are considered as the top teams, as Surrey picked up a lot of quality players from when the Bayside Sharks folded."
Matthias James Rolfe was named man of the match for the Eagles.
The Eagles will next take on the newly formed Vancouver Dragons on Saturday (June 8) at the Brockton Oval in Vancouver.
For more information on the BCRL, visit www.bc.canadarugbyleague.com.
