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Midgets drop two-game series

The North Island Midget Eagles dropped a two-game series against the Thunderbirds and Clippers.

By Tyson WhitneyReporterThe North Island Midget Eagles played a hard-hitting, two-game series at home this weekend, Dec. 3-4, splitting games between the Chilton Regional Arena in Port McNeill and the Don Cruickshank Memorial Arena in Port Hardy.

On Saturday afternoon, the Eagles went into battle against the top team in their tier 2 division, the Sooke Thunderbirds, who had posted an excellent 5-1 record so far this season.

The Eagles came out and took the fight to them in the 1st period, battling for the puck against the boards, throwing some good body checks, and basically just refusing to give the Thunderbirds an easy afternoon in Port McNeill.

The Eagles' goalie Nyck Ruel was making some great saves all game, but the Thunderbirds managed to sneak one by him at 5:41 to open up the scoring.

In the 2nd period, the Eagles continued to get some great shots on net but weren't able to beat the Thunderbirds goalie Nick Haissell, who was playing a very solid game.

The Thunderbirds scored at 15:31 to go up 2-0, and then cruised into the 3rd period where they scored again at 17:08 to take a 3-0 lead.

While the Eagles were down on the scoreboard, they weren't about to roll over and play dead, and a few players stepped up for the team by laying out a couple Thunderbirds during a brawl that broke out against the boards halfway through the 3rd period.

Final score, 3-0 Thunderbirds.

The Eagles played the next day in Port Hardy against the Nanaimo Clippers, and it was the Clippers who got on the scoreboard first with a goal at 9:04 of the 1st period.

The Eagles' Captain Kenton Browne answered back in the 2nd with a goal at the side of the net at 17:43, and then Clayton Bono added another goal less than 30 seconds later to give the Eagles a 2-1 lead.

Browne then scored again at 15:20 to put the Eagles up 3-1 at the ice clean.

The Clippers poured on the offence after the break, ultimately pulling off the comeback by scoring five goals throughout the 2nd half of the game to take the win 6-3.