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Colorado Eagles

Six Eagles Score in 7-5 Win Over Killer Bees

January 23, 2008 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


LOVELAND, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles scored a season high-tying seven goals on the way to a 7-5 victory over the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees. The Eagles were able to overcome multiple crazy bounces in a wild game that Head Coach Chris Stewart called one of the strangest he's ever been a part of.

The Killer Bees struck first when Rob Voltera took advantage of a Greg Pankewicz double-minor just 14 seconds into the first penalty. Voltera, stationed at the hash marks, deflected Josh Garbutt's shot from the left point past Marco Emond at 8:29. But the Eagles came back, scoring four goals in the second half of the opening period. Dave Iannazzo got the first Colorado goal at 13:25 after a Pankewicz centering pass from below the goal line deflected onto his tape in the low left circle. Iannazzo threw the puck top shelf on the short side for a power play goal. Ed McGrane put the Eagles on top at 15:41 when Seth Leonard burst to a free puck deep along the right-wing boards and centered a pass to McGrane as he was cutting to the crease. Fraser Filipic then did his customary part to add injury to insult at 17:21 when he knocked Jon Hedberg a little woozy as the two tussled. Les Borsheim made it 3-1 at 17:51 when he joined with Erik Adams on a quick rush into the Killer Bees' zone. Adams sent a pass from the top of the right circle that Borsheim one-timed low inside the left goal post from the left point. And Riley Nelson closed out the period's scoring with 58 seconds left after he won a faceoff in the left circle and made his way toward the net. A Borsheim rebound popped high in the air and Nelson chopped the puck across the goal line from the doorstep.

Bernie Chmiel scored for Rio Grande Valley just 13 seconds into the second period, setting a new record for the fastest goal against to start a period in Eagles' history. But Adams answered when he scored his first goal of the season at 2:58. Steve Haddon won a faceoff in the left circle directly back to Adams whose point shot deflected in front and past AJ Bucchino. But not willing to roll over, the 'Bees scored two power play goals in the next 14 minutes to make it a one goal game. The first goal came at 6:38 when Voltera's shot from the left circle slipped through Emond; it was Voltera's second goal of the game. Garbutt scored again for the 'Bees at 11:54 after an Emond giveaway to the right of his own net. Emond was able to scramble back into position in time to stop the initial shot from Lance Herauf, but the rebound shot back into the high slot where Garbutt beat Emond to make it 4-5.

But Colorado just kept coming as Mike Lukajic scored 3:15 into the third. Nelson dug the puck out along the right-wing boards, skated into the faceoff circle and passed to Lukajic who one-timed the puck past Bucchino from the opposite circle. Rio Grande Valley got their luckiest bounce of the night a couple minutes later when a clearing pass from the red line wrapped around the end boards and deflected mysteriously back into the low slow. With Emond behind the net anticipating the puck's arrival, Herauf had an easy tap-in. The Eagles got the game's final tally at 8:30 when Nelson got his second goal of the night. Pankewicz back-handed a pass from below the goal line to the right of the 'Bees net that slipped through the crease and to Nelson at the hashes.

The Eagles now head off on a five-game road trip and will return home on February 8 for a game against the Odessa Jackalopes.

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Central Hockey League Stories from January 23, 2008


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