The Sicamous Eagles have plenty to be proud of, and the season isn’t over yet.
On top of a 55-point regular season at third place in the Doug Birks Division and a place in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) playoffs, the team recently earned a pair of awards.
Every year, at the end of the season before playoffs begin, the KIJHL presents seven awards recognizing excellence in the league. This year, the Eagles have nabbed two of those titles.
The Doug Birks Division has the Eagles, the Revelstoke Grizzlies, the Kamloops Storm, the 100 Mile House Wranglers and the Chase Heat, and these five teams are all up for the division’s seven awards: Most Valuable Player, Top Scorer, Top Defenceman, Top Goaltender, Rookie of the Year, Most Sportsmanlike and Coach of the Year.
Eagles player Nicholas Hughes was recognized as Top Defenceman, with his 29 points in 38 games. Hughes scored five goals, two of them game-winners, and played in all game situations including 3:28 on power play and 2:57 short-handed.
Head coach Nick Deschenes also got a nod as Coach of the Year in his first full season with the Eagles. Ranking at third in their division, Deschenes helped the Eagles finish fifth in the league, with an impressive offensive lineup that tallied 158 goals, and the third best penalty kill at 86.7 per cent.
The Eagles play their first playoff game Friday, Feb. 17 in Kamloops at 7 p.m.
READ MORE: ‘We want to grow the love of the game’: Sicamous Eagles help junior players develop their skills
READ MORE: Sicamous transportation provider re-energized by new electric vehicle
@willson_becca
rebecca.willson@saobserver.net
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and subscribe to our daily newsletter.
