The Becker/Big Lake hockey team played three games in the annual Fergus Falls Holiday Classic. 

The team won their opener 5-4 in overtime against Breckenridge/Wahpeton before losing 8-3 to Fergus Falls and 8-4 to Albert Lea. 

After a 0-0 first period against the Blades, both teams scored three goals in the second period to head into the final period tied 3-3. Breckenridge/Wahpeton took the lead less than a minute into the third, but Brant Rusin tied things back up minutes later. Neither team could score again in regulation, so the two teams headed to overtime tied at four. 

In the extra session, Tate Spilde scored a power play goal for the overtime winner.

Spilde finished with two goals and an assist on the day. Also scoring for the Eagles were Rusin, Owen Zahler, and Raymond Clark. Finn Kellogg, Blayne Varner, Ethan Graftniz, Gunnar Hanson, Rusin, and Clark all had assists as well. Thomas Zerwas stopped 21 of 25 shots to earn the win in goal. 

Against Fergus Falls, the team fell behind 4-1 after the first period and was unable to mount a comeback. The lone goal in the opening period came from Tate Spilde. He added another in the second period off assists from Zahler and Clark. In the third period Nolan O’Neal scored the game’s final goal to make the final 8-3. 

In the third and final game of the classic, the Eagles fell behind 3-0 early in the second period. But Wyatt Bodle and Brant Rusin each scored once to cut into the Tiger lead. However, that would be as close as the team would get as Albert Lea answered with two goals of their own. Hayden Kipka added another in the second period before O’Neal added one more in the third to make the score 8-4. 

Next up for the Eagles is a trip to Northern Edge on Friday before a home game against Monticello next Tuesday.