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By Ian Gustafson

look to close it out

Innisfail Eagles take series lead in NCHL quarterfinals

Feb 9, 2026 | 11:12 AM

The Innisfail Eagles took a 2-0 series lead in the North Central Hockey League (NCHL) quarterfinals, following a pair of momentous victories over the weekend.

The defending champions are now just one win away from advancing in their best-of-five series against the Devon Barons to the league semifinals.

The first win came on Friday night at home, where Innisfail blew out their opponents 7-4, despite facing a two-goal deficit in the second period.

The Eagles had six different goal scorers, including Colten Hayes, who potted two goals and an assist. Chase Thudium, Corson Waiting, Josh Gette, Jeremy Klessens, and Ty Clay rounded out the scoring. Nick Bell led the way with four assists.

Meantime, on Saturday in Game 2, the Eagles came out on top in a tight 4-2 road matchup over the Barons.

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Tied at two in the second period, the Eagles scored two straight goals, one late in the frame and another in the third, to seal the deal.

Jacob Wozney, Josh Gette, Jeremy Klessens, and Ty Clay all found the back of the net. Meantime, Hayes tallied three assists and now leads all NCHL players in points over the opening weekend in the playoffs.

Head Coach Ryan Dodd praised his team’s resilience following the weekend sweep.

“We’ve got a strong team this season with a lot of playoff experience in the (locker) room. You could see how they kept their composure when we were down and how they kept battling back,” he said in a media release.

“The Barons played us tough both nights. If we’re going to finish this out, we’ll need to maintain that intensity and stay disciplined.”

Game 3 is set for Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. at the Innisfail Twin Arena, where they’ll look to close the series. If needed, Game 4 will take place in Devon on Saturday, Feb. 14, at 8 p.m.

The Lacombe Generals also took a 2-0 lead over the Tofield Satellites, including 3-1 and 10-6 victories. They’ll look to end the series on Friday at 8:45 p.m. at the Gary Moe Auto Group Sportsplex.