A win last month for the Sicamous Eagles Junior B hockey team became a loss after the team had to forfeit due to having an ineligible player on the ice.
On Jan. 20, the Eagles hosted the 100 Mile House Wranglers. The Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) determined that during this contest, the home team had an unqualified player on the ice. In a Feb. 3 announcement, the KIJHL stated the Eagles had to forfeit the game it had originally won 6-2.
The Eagles posted to Facebook the day of the game, stating that the team’s lineup included Owen Dewitt from the Thompson Blazers AAA U17 team, and Malachi Gossen from the Salmon Arm U18 tier 2 team.
The KIJHL scoresheet now lists the Wranglers as the winners, with their two goals credited and the Eagles’ record wiped to zero goals for that game.
Eagles’ head coach Nick Deschenes was also handed a suspension for one game.
According to the KIJHL, the Eagles’ error was administrative, and not deemed to have been an attempt to gain a competitive advantage in the game.
KIJHL standings for the Doug Birks Division have been updated for both teams. As of Feb. 7, the Eagles, with 49 points, was in third place in the division, leading the Wranglers by 17 points.
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