Sundogs Fall To Expansion Americans, 4-2

Published on January 18, 2010 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Arizona Sundogs News Release


ALLEN, Texas - Trailing by one after 20 minutes of play, the expansion Allen Americans tallied three unanswered goals en route to a 4-2 win over the visiting Arizona Sundogs Monday afternoon at the Allen Event Center in Allen, Texas, keeping the Sundogs winless in four tries against the expansion club.

Arizona dressed just 14 skaters in the contest as Kyle Hood and Torren Delforte were both scratched from the game.

Player/assistant coach and team captain Chris Bartolone extended his point streak to five games with power-play goal early in the third period.

Kyle McNulty turned aside 24 shots in the loss including a penalty shot attempt by Tobias Whelan at the third period's 13:08 mark while Chris Whitley allowed two goals on 26 shots including a Kevin Gardner penalty shot with 4:25 to play in contest.

Veteran forward Steve Potvin backed the Sundogs to a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes of play with his fourth of the season in a first period that featured cautious play by both clubs.

Shots were even, 6-6, in a penalty-free first period.

Forcing a turnover in the neutral zone, Potvin circled back into the offensive zone and sent a long-distance wrist shot past Americans netminder Chris Whitley from 15-feet inside the blue line with 3:10 to play in the opening frame.

Allen staked itself to a 2-1 lead after two periods on a pair of bookend goals by Lima Huculak and Justin Bowers.

Huculak pulled his club even 2:25 into the middle frame with an innocent wrist shot from along the glass that fooled McNulty, deflecting off the goaltender's glove and into the back of the net.

The expansion club took a 2-1 lead with 1:59 remaining in the second on a Justin Bowers redirect in the slot.

Cycling down low, Ryan Fairbarn found Brandon Straub sliding across the top of the zone before Straub sent a shot from the point off the stick of Bowers at the top of the goal crease.

Bruce Graham extended Allen's lead to 3-1 early in the third period converting on a Rob Lehtinen tripping penalty handed out at the 20-minute mark of the second period.

Stationed at the far post, Graham connected on a Jordie Benn rebound 1:54 into the final period.

Bartolone pulled Arizona back to within one 1:06 later with a power-play goal 21 seconds into his team's third man-advantage, firing a slap shot past Whitley from the top of the near circle from Kevin Gardner and marc Belanger before Nino Musitelli reclaimed a two-goal cushion with his 12th of the year less than two minutes later.

Both teams converted once with the man advantage as Arizona finished 1-for-5 on the power play. Allen converted once on four power-play tries.

Arizona (13-21-3) remains just seven points back of the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees and the Southern Conference's fifth and final playoff spot.

The Sundogs return to Tim's Toyota Center for three straight and the first of five straight against the Odessa Jackalopes Wednesday at 7:05pm. Tickets start at just $14 and are available by phone at 1-866-4-GET-TIX (1-866-443-8849), online at www.gettix.net and in person at the Tim's Toyota Center Box Office.

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Central Hockey League Stories from January 18, 2010


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