Posted Monday, Dec. 7 5:34pm
Games 17 and 18
DAVENPORT -- The Quad City Ice Eagles dropped a pair of decisions to the CIHL first
place Pekin Flyers, by scores of 6-2 and 3-1, in games played Sunday at the QCSC. The
losses, though disappointing, were not nearly as damaging to the team as the injuries
suffered by the team during the past seven days. As reported earlier, Wings Brian
Moriarty and Will Hegwein were both lost for the season after each suffered a broken leg
in games played last week in the Seven Bridges Thanksgiving tourney. On Tuesday, there
was more bad news as Grant Reuter, also a forward, cracked a bone in his wrist during a
PE class. Reuter’s injury is believed to be less serious, and he could be back in the line-up
before Christmas.
Coaches for both Quad Cities and Pekin had good reason to designate the first game
Sunday as the “non-league” game. Coach Jerry Moon wanted the opportunity to work in
his new players, and Pekin was missing five of its best players, who were playing a high
school game in Pekin. The Flyers made full use of a two-man power play advantage to
take a 2-0 lead late in the first period. On the first goal, the Eagles just missed on several
opportunities to clear the zone, and Pekin made them pay. On the second, a long shot
from center ice took a hop and skipped past Goalie Brandon Kruse. The Eagles came
alive in the second period, and fought back to tie the score late. On the Eagles’ first goal,
a Josh Moon blast found the back of the Pekin net, and less than two minutes later, Jason
Corcoran’s breakout pass was taken by Billy Flynn who set up Adam Derrick for the tying
marker. But Pekin came back with another power play goal to retake the lead 3-2 at the
end of two periods. The third period may have been the Eagles’ poorest of the year, as
they surrendered three unanswered Pekin goals to make the final score 6-2.
Bolstered by their five high school players, the Flyers looked primed to complete the
sweep in the second game, which did count in the CIHL standings. But the Eagles,
although outshot in each period, were playing hard, and their hard work was rewarded
when David Warta, playing his second game at right wing, set up linemate Josh Moon as
the Eagles took a 1-0 first period lead. Goalie Brandon Kruse was brilliant. especially in
the second period, when he stopped all 14 Pekin shots, many on second and third chances
around the crease. Eventually though, the Pekin squad’s strength and speed wore down
the Eagles, as they were finally able to score twice early and midway through the final
period, before adding an empty-net goal with just :05 to play to make the final 3-1.
The Eagles, now 2-2 in CIHL league play, and 10-8 overall, will try to avenge two earlier
defeats when they travel to Springfield to battle the Kings next Sunday.
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Email: jasoncorcoran@hotmail.com