Soo Eagles seeing the way
They started the season winless in their first nine games and in last place among the 11 teams of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League with a record of 0-8-1. Slowly but surely however the Soo Eagles have taken flight and now have a record of 8-13-1 — and are in possession of one of the eight playoff positions heading into a pair of road games this weekend.
Over the past five games, the Eagles have soared with a record of 4-0-1 in earning nine of a possible 10 points. They are scoring more and giving up less and beating good teams, including a 4-1 win over the two time reigning NOJHL champion Sudbury Cubs.
Beginning in net, second year goalie Jace Knoerle has played rather well between the pipes for the Eagles, especially as of late. Overall, the Chicago area product has a record of 6-11-0 with a .900 save percentage and 3.68 goals against average thus far this season and has earned the praise of the Eagles general manager Bruno Bragagnolo, who relayed to Hockey News North that “Jace is as good a goalie as there is in the league when he is on his game.”
Indeed, the 6 foot 2, 190 pound Knoerle was one of the top puck stoppers in the NOJHL through all of last season with a record of 16-11-2 to go with a 2.68 goals against average and .913 save percentage.
Meanwhile, on the blue line, the Eagles boast a 2008 birth year defenseman who is making a name for himself with his smarts, skill and production as one of the top rookie defenders in the entire NOJHL, especially considering his young age.
He is 5 foot 11, 185 pound defender Micah Seery, who is a graduate of the prestigious Team Illinois AAA program. Through 22 games thus far, Seery leads all Eagles defensemen in scoring with four goals, 11 assists, 15 points.
Up front, captain Lucas Caulfield and fellow forwards Anden Marceau, Nolan Nemecek, rookie Logan Stawizynski, Coulson Bell and Alex Povorozniouk have been among the better performers for the Eagles.
Caulfield has eight goals, 19 assists, 27 points, Marceau has a team leading 18 goals — he scored 11 all of last season — to go with seven helpers, Nemecek has 10 goals, 15 assists, 25 points, Stawizynski has 8-11-19 numbers, Bell has 4-10-14 totals while Povorozniouk has four goals, six assists, 10 points in just 11 games.
Of note, Bell, a Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario product with a 2007 birth date, has already surpassed his regular season rookie totals of ’24-25 when he had five goals, eight assists, 13 assists in 41 games.
In summation, aforementioned Eagles’ general manager Bruno Bragagnolo gave kudos to the team’s recovery from the bad start to this season to both the coaches and players.
“I give credit to the coaching staff for keeping the boys focused on getting better and not panicking about the rough start. The players all stayed with it and found a way to get it going in the right direction,” Bragagnolo relayed to Hockey News North.