Oyen Eagles look to finish season strong

By Jordan Parker

It’s been a difficult season for the Oyen Eagles, but they’re looking to turn their fortunes for the final stretch.

The East Central Senior Hockey League club have gone 3-6-0-0 and amassed six points this season. They sit fifth out of seventh in the standings.

Oyen player Taylor Peers has played with the team since the 2014-2015 season, and loves being a part of the action.

“It’s a really fun way to get together on weekends, and it’s nice to be competitive. I’ve played hockey all my life,” he said. “The team is doing a few things right, but we just aren’t getting the results we want.”

Peers knows the team has three games left in the season, but he thinks they can pull out a few wins.

“We just need to keep doing the little things right. If we keep chipping pucks and getting in deep,” good things will happen,” he said.

“We have seven teams, and our next few opponents are a good mix. There are a few who are middle-of-the-pack and Provost, who are a powerhouse.”

Peers says the team is comfortable, and they mostly have the same core from 2019 and the shortened 2020 seasons.

“It’s pretty good to be back on the ice, and everyone wanted to be there. We’re all happy to be together,” he said.

The team is readying for a game against Castor on Friday, amidst some COVID-19 issues, but Peers says the team is in good health.

“It’s been tough with restrictions, but we know our community has been behind us,” he said. “We’re ready to work hard and handle this next game.”

Coach Levi Westerlund says his team can be pretty lethal with a full roster.

“The season has definitely had its ups and downs. The games when we didn’t play the full 60 hurt us. We were in every game essentially, so I can’t argue too much,” he said.

“We had a few injuries, and this is a working man’s league, so people miss some games. But if we have half a period lapse, we might end up with two-or-three goals in the back of the net.”

Westerlund has a few ideas for how the team can finish this season strong as a team.

“We just need to keep it simple. We need to not try to push out of the realm of our skills. We can get pucks deep, bang the boards, and put the puck toward the net,” he said.

“If the whole barn shows up for the playoffs and we keep putting in a solid effort, the final part of the season can go really good.”