DAVENPORT -- The Quad City Ice Eagles may have learned a little about what it
means to move from Class A to Class AA competition following a pair of tough home-ice
losses to the Springfield Kings Saturday at the QCSC. By holding the normally potent
Eagle offense to just one goal, the Kings were able to sweep the two game set by scores
of 5-1 and 2-0.
In the first game, the Eagles were unable to contend with Springfield’s high scoring duo of
John Sales and Matt Hilby, who each scored two goals in pushing the Kings to a 4-0 lead
after two periods of play. After surrendering a fifth goal early in the third, the Eagles did
manage to increase the offensive pressure, outshooting Springfield 8-2 for the period.
Midway through the period, Will Hegwein, who had been robbed on several occasions,
finally beat the Springfield goalie to avert the shutout. Austin Busch had the assist on
what would prove to be the Eagles’ only goal of the day.
The loss was the Eagles’ first in the CIHL, dropping their league record to 2-1.
The second game, which did not count in the CIHL standings, shaped up as a much closer
and competitive game, with the Eagles strenghthened by the return of Captain Kevin Dow,
and Springfield missing a couple of key players who elected to attend their high school
football playoff game against nearby Geneseo. The first period featured tight defense with
only four shots on goal, two by each team. Unfortunately for Quad Cities, one of the
Kings’ shots was a backhander that deflected off Goalie Brandon Kruse’s stick into the net
to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
The remainder of the game was a tight defensive battle, with both teams struggling for
quality scoring chances. The Eagles were again forced to make line changes early in the
third period, when two of their defensemen were forced out of the game, Trent Lidholm
with an injury and Dave Warta with a game misconduct penalty. Finally, Springfield
Center Scott McCoy scored his second goal of the game into an empty net after Kruse had
been pulled for an extra attacker in the last minute of the game.
The loss dropped the Eagles’ overall record to 8-3. The Eagles take to the road next
weekend for the big Thanksgiving tournament at Seven Bridges Ice Arena in Woodridge,
where they are guaranteed at least four games against Chicago-area teams.
Email: jasoncorcoran@hotmail.com