CHL Colorado Eagles

Colorado Eagles Week In Review

Published on March 8, 2010 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


Week in Review

Wednesday, March 3; Eagles Add Joly Mean Giant to Roster

WINDSOR, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles announced today that they've signed defenseman Mario Joly (pronounced: zjo-lee). He will be in the lineup tonight against the Odessa Jackalopes (one of his former teams), wearing number 25. The 6-foot-4-inch, 250-pounder brings a well-rounded, physical game to the team as it prepares for its seventh consecutive playoff appearance.

The blueliner has put up 178 points (44-134-178) and 903 penalty minutes in 245 pro games. Joly is not new to the CHL, accumulating 157 of those points (42-115-157) and 746 of those PIMs in 207 games over four seasons split between the Tulsa Oilers and Odessa.

The Eagles also made three other roster moves today: Defenseman Jason Lundmark and forward Alex Penner were placed on the 14-day injured reserve, while defenseman Felipe Larranaga was activated from the same list.

Wednesday, March 3; Sign Up For the Eagles e-Newsletter!

Eagles Fans,

Have you signed up for the Eagles e-Newsletter? It's a quick and easy way to stay up-to-date with monthly happenings and major team news.

We'll send one out at least once a month with information about the team, merchandise specials, team appearance information and more. In addition to the monthly newsletter, we'll contact you if there's ever any BIG NEWS (game re-scheduling, league awards, playoff information, etc.)!

You can sign up at either www.ColoradoEagles.com (under the "News" tab ) or on our Facebook Fan page (by clicking on the Sign-Up tab).

Wednesday, March 3; Eagles Erupt In Third For Win Over 'Jacks

LOVELAND, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles exploded for five goals in the third period to take a 6-3 win over the Odessa Jackalopes. The victory over the CHL's top-ranked team helped keep the Eagles on pace with the Rapid City Rush in the race for the Northern Conference crown; Rapid City won as well to make the point totals 83-77 for the respective teams.

The period started appropriately for two of the CHL's heavyweights as newly-acquired Mario Joly -- facing his former club -- dropped the gloves with Will Bodine one second in. And 59 seconds later, Ryan Tobler and Garrett Gruenke ended the opening minute with a bout at center ice.

The rest of the period was dominated by power plays, with Odessa -- owners of the league's top unit -- scoring the lone goal 5:24 in when Kenny Bernard deflected Mike Ramsay 's low point shot from the doorstep. Colorado went 0-3 in the frame, including extended time with a two-man advantage.

Colorado controlled much of the second period, out-shooting the 'Jacks 12-8, but each team tallied once to enter the second intermission with Odessa on top 2-1. The Jackalopes' power play struck again 2:19 into the second when Collin Circelli sent a slick backhand pass along the top of the crease to a wide open Jeff Pierce.

The Eagles got on the board at 6:09 after a turnover in their own end almost resulted in another Odessa goal. But the puck rebounded back into the slot and sprung Ryan McLeod and Ed McGrane on a 2-on-1 the other way. McGrane then put the puck into the net past Joel Martin for his team-leading 31st goal (second-most in the league).

Things opened up in the third after Martin was injured and pulled from the game 3:03 in. Juha Toivonen -- who was the scheduled starter, but was injured during pre-game warm ups -- replaced him and allowed four goals on 14 shots.

McGrane added his second goal in a row to tie the game at 2 on the power play at 10:34. On the play, McGrane's initial shot was blocked, but the rebound went right to Riley Nelson, who found McGrane back in the slot for the equalizer.

Then, at 14:22, Brian Swiniarski put Odessa back on top as he worked a 2-on-1 break and sent a shot from the right circle over Penner's glove hand. But Colorado tied it right back up 11 seconds later with the first of four unanswered goals when Nelson got a step behind the 'Jacks' defense and sent a pass across the low slot that Ryan Tobler deposited into the net. Nelson set up another 17 seconds later to make it 4-3 when he picked up the puck behind the Odessa net and found Aaron Schneekloth pinching down the slot. Schneekloth then added his second in a row under two minutes later to make it 5-3. Brett Lutes cemented the game with an empty-netter in the final minute.

Thursday, March 4; Eagles' "NoCo Show" Now on CBS NoCo-5

FORT COLLINS, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles and CBS Northern Colorado-5 (NoCo-5) are pleased to announce that The Colorado Eagles NoCo Hockey Show will now air on the Northern Colorado network. The show will have a set broadcast time of Saturdays at 10 p.m. (MST), beginning with the initial airing this Saturday, March 6.

The half-hour monthly show enters its third season of bringing you the best in Eagles off-ice entertainment. The Voice of the Eagles, Kevin McGlue, hosts the show that gives fans an inside look at the team on and off the ice, with a mix of humorous segments, behind-the-scenes features, interviews and hockey highlights.

"We're really excited about this partnership with NoCo-5 and hope this is the first step in a long, mutually-beneficial relationship," said Eagles manager of communications, J.P. Puma. "Our fans have expressed an interest in more local coverage and a standard time for "The NoCo Show," and this delivers on both fronts."

Northern Colorado 5's local programs and national CBS programming can be found on Comcast Digital in Fort Collins (channel 8), Loveland (channel 8) and Greeley (channel 14), as well as on US Cable (channel 5). The Northern Colorado 5 news at 10 p.m. can also be viewed on DISH Network and DirecTV (channel 3).

About Northern Colorado 5

Northern Colorado 5 -- the CBS affiliate serving Fort Collins, Greeley and Loveland -- started broadcasting in September of 2008. Since then, NoCo-5 has introduced local programs such as the 10 p.m. news, RSM (The Rams Sports Magazine), The Keith and Gail Show on 600 KCOL in the morning and Timberline Church services. The mission of Northern Colorado 5 is to provide local programs, with local faces to the residents of Northern Colorado. More information on the station and its programming can be found at www.NoCo5.com.

Friday, March 5; Sunday's Intermissions Are Action-Packed!

Eagles fans,

This Sunday's game will feature outstanding entertainment during both intermissions!

During the first intermission, "Red Panda" will be making a return to the Budweiser Events Center (she also performed during an Eagles game on November 28, 2008). This Chinese acrobat was voted the #1 Halftime Act in 2004 by GameOps.com for her world-record, dish-flipping performance while on a 7-foot unicycle.

During the second intermission, the first annual WienerNational Championship race at the BEC will be taking place. The race will feature nine dachshund "competitors" that were saved by the Colorado Dachshund Rescue.

There will be three heats on a 50 foot length carpet with three dogs per heat. The three winners from the red, yellow, and green heats will run a championship race to determine the ultimate WienerNational Champion.

The Colorado Dachshund Rescue will have a booth next to the Hot Rod Dog table (located next to the Water Valley Tap). All donations will go to support the Dachshund Rescue Fund. In addition, Hot Rod Dog will award free grooming for a year to anyone who adopts a dachshund. For more information, please visit http://coloradodachshundrescue.org/.

Friday, March 5; Ulanski, Schneekloth Up For League Awards

(LEAGUE RELEASE - Tempe, Arizona) - The Central Hockey League (CHL) announced today the five finalists for each of the four significant CHL awards, selected by the CHL front office following nominations from member clubs. Balloting will take place among CHL Head Coaches, team Communications Departments and selected media members in CHL markets to determine the recipients of the CHL's Most Valuable Player, Most Outstanding Goaltender, Most Outstanding Defenseman and Rookie of the Year awards.

2009-2010 CHL Most Valuable Player candidates include the defending CHL Most Valuable Player, Odessa's Sebastien Thinel, along with Allen's Bruce Graham, Colorado's Kevin Ulanski, Corpus Christi's Chad Woollard and Rapid City's Les Reaney.

The finalists for the Most Outstanding Goaltender include three rookies in Chris Whitley of Allen, Charlie Effinger of Missouri and Danny Battochio of Rapid City. They are joined by Joel Martin of Odessa and Brett Jaeger of Texas.

The selected finalists to receive Most Outstanding Defenseman consideration include the reigning winner of the award in Aaron Schneekloth of Colorado. The other candidates are Bossier-Shreveport's Simon Mangos, Rapid City's Jamie VanderVeeken, Odessa's Alex Dunn and Tulsa's Derek Eastman.

Rookie of the Year honors will be determined amongst Allen's Chris Whitley, Corpus Christi's Ryan Garbutt, Missouri's Nick Sirota, Rapid City's Danny Battochio and Texas' Joe Palmer.

Additional awards to be determined include Coach of the Year, Equipment Manager of the Year and Athletic Trainer of the Year, as determined by their CHL peers, along with six member All-CHL and All-Rookie teams (voted on by CHL Head Coaches). The CHL's regular season point leader will receive the Joe Burton Scoring Champion award, while the CHL front office will determine the recipients of both the Man of the Year Award (for outstanding leadership and contributions to the community) and Rick Kozuback Award (perseverance, determination and commitment to hockey) based on nominations and supporting material from CHL member teams.

Friday, March 5; Mavericks Stampede Eagles, 6-1

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. - The Colorado Eagles fell, 6-1, to the Missouri Mavericks, losing their first game in regulation to the expansion franchise. Missouri went 3-for-9 on the man advantage, while Charlie Effinger stopped 31 of 32 shots in the win. A four-goal third period led to the lopsided score. Missouri got an early goal from Tom Maldonado when his wrister from atop the left circle made its way through a screen in front of Mike Mole 1:16 in. From there, neither team was able to score in the opening frame as the Eagles went 0-3 on the power play and the Mavericks went 0-2.

Each team changed that trend by scoring a power-play goal in the second period. Jim Jackson tied the game at 1 with a point shot midway though. But Toby Lafrance put the Mavs back on top with a man-advantage marker at 18:45 when he threw in a loose puck from the right side of the crease.

Missouri added four goals in the final frame -- two on the power play -- to storm away with the win. Braden Wells made it 3-1 just over four minutes in on the power play before Nick Sirota added another tally with a shot through a screen from the right circle a minute and 20 seconds later. Jordan Foreman made it 5-1 with a breakaway goal at 14:25 before Carlyle Lewis scored the Mavs' sixth -- and third on the power play -- at 16:28.

Saturday, March 6; Eagles Gain Ground With 4-2 Win

LOVELAND, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles defeated the Wichita Thunder, 4-2, and gained ground on the Rapid City Rush (who lost to Texas) in the Northern Conference. Scott Campbell was strong in net for Wichita, stopping 41 of 44 shots, but Riley Nelson scored the game's opening marker and the game-winner to power the Eagles to two points.

Colorado held a 13-9 edge in shots after the first period and controlled even more of the action than that stat would indicate. However, they were only able to get one puck past Campbell, when the Eagles' captain sent a power-play blast top shelf from high between the circles at 17:57.

The second period played out similarly, as Colorado held a 13-6 advantage in shots. However, each team scored one goal to send the Eagles into the second intermission up 2-1. Kevin Ulanski added to his league-leading point total at 7:36 to put the home team up 2-0, when Ryan Tobler forced a turnover along the right midboards and found him skating through the low slot.

But Wichita countered just over five minutes later after a turnover in Colorado's zone allowed Tomas Klempa to send a pass from the right corner to Jason Reese in the low slot. Reese then sent the puck inside the far post, beating Andrew Penner stick-side.

The Thunder tied the game again 5:12 into the final period when Joel Hanson put home a secondary rebound, with a backhander from the right side of the slot as he spun away from the net. But at 12:36, Nelson netted the game-winner with his second score of the night as he took a shot from below the goal line that made its way past Campbell.

Ed McGrane added to his team-leading goal total with his 33rd of the season by launching the puck 180 feet into an empty net with 1.4 seconds remaining in the game to account for the final score.

Sunday, March 7; McGrane's HT Pushes Eagles Past Thunder

LOVELAND, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles defeated the Wichita Thunder, 5-3, as the two teams met for the second night in a row at the Budweiser Events Center. Ed McGrane and Kevin Ulanski added to their already stellar seasons to help Colorado close the gap in the Northern Conference to four points behind the Rush.

Similar to Saturday night, the Eagles controlled much of the first period play, accumulating a 13-6 edge in shots and spending shifts at a time in Wichita's zone. But, unlike the night before, neither team was able to find the back of the net, and the game entered the first intermission in a scoreless tie.

The scoring came in bunches in the second period with four of a total five goals coming via special teams. Wichita got the first goal -- on the power play -- at 4:31, when Kevin Cooper sent the puck toward the net from the left circle and it was deflected top-shelf by Neil Clark from the doorstep.

The Eagles countered at 6:23 with a shorthanded tally as McGrane converted on a 2-on-1, give-and-go with Ulanski. Colorado nearly added another shortie about nine minutes later, but Scott Campbell stopped three breakaways in a row before his teammates made his effort count with another power-play marker at the opposite end of the ice.

At 15:39, Jason Reese sent a pass to Tomas Klempa on a nearly carbon-copy play as their first goal to put Wichita on top again. But just over a minute and a half later, McGrane picked up a loose puck from the right side of the crease and put it home to knot the score back up at 2. And in the final minute of the middle stanza, Ulanski continued to add to his CHL-leading point total with a power-play goal to give Colorado a 3-2 lead heading into the third period.

At 3:23 in the third period, Brett Lutes took the puck hard to the net and McGrane put home the rebound for his third goal of the game and his second hat trick of the season (the previous coming just 15 days prior). The goal ended up being the game-winner and gave him a new personal high for goals in a season with 36.

Ryan Campbell cut Colorado's lead to 1 again at 9:43 when he beat Mike Mole on a rush down the right wing. But Ulanski added his second goal of the game for some insurance at 13:01 as he converted a tape-to-tape-to-tape play by the first line in the offensive end. For Ulanski, the goal gave him 96 points on the year, tying Greg Pankewicz 's franchise record set in 2003-04 -- the organization's inaugural season.

The Eagles will travel to Wichita on Wednesday for their third game in a row against the Thunder before returning home to close out their regular season home dates with back-to-back games against the Tulsa Oilers on March 12 and 13.

The Week Ahead

Wednesday, March 10; Colorado Heads To Wichita For Third Game In A Row Against Thunder The Eagles will play their third game in a row against the Wichita Thunder after taking back-to-back contests over the weekend. On the season, Colorado is a perfect 7-0-0 against Wichita, including 3-0-0 on the road with a goal margin of 12-6. The Eagles have won eight games in a row against the Thunder.

Friday, March 12 & Saturday, March 13; Eagles Close Out Regular Season Home Slate Against Oilers Colorado finishes up its regular season home schedule with a pair of games against Tulsa. So far this season, the Eagles are 3-0-0 against the Oilers, with each game being played on the road. However, all three of those games have been decided by just a single goal (one in overtime). The Oilers are fighting for a playoff spot as they enter the week three points out of the Northern Conference's fifth and final slot. After this weekend, the Eagles will take to the road for the final three games of the season against the Sundogs.

Notable Numbers

THREE IN A ROW - The Eagles and Thunder will end their season series on Wednesday as they meet for the third time in a row. In the two games Saturday and Sunday at the BEC, Colorado out-shot the Thunder by a combined 94-48. On Sunday, Colorado tied a season high with 49 shots in the game and 22 shots in a single period. On the season, the Eagles are a perfect 7-0-0 against the Thunder, out-scoring them 34-15.

LATE SEASON SURGES - Veteran Ed McGrane ranks second in the CHL with 36 goals, one shy of the IceRays' Chad Woollard. The Eagles veteran has been exceptionally hot over the past 12 games, scoring 15 goals in that span. Late season surges are nothing new for McGrane, however. He ended last season on a franchise-record 20-game point streak before leading the team in the playoffs with 19 points and 13 goals. He ended the season before that on an 11-game point streak.

FLYING TO NEW HEIGHTS - Ed McGrane's three-goal night on Sunday was more than just his second hat trick of the season (and his second in 15 days). His third tally ended up being the game-winner and set a new single season career high for the veteran (36). The hat trick was the 27th in franchise history and McGrane's fourth with the Eagles.

RECORD-SETTING SEASON - Kevin Ulanski also had a big night on Sunday as his three points gave him 96 for the season. That mark tied Greg Pankewicz's franchise record for most points in a year, set during the team's inaugural season of 2003-04. The second-year Eagle's 66 assists are already seven more than the previous franchise record of 59 (held by himself last season and Brad Williamson in 2006-07). Ulanski leads the CHL in scoring with a nine point margin over Odessa's Sebastien Thinel.

HIGH 5s - The Eagles have several players in the top-5 of several statistical categories as the season winds down. Kevin Ulanski (1st), Aaron Schneekloth (2nd), Riley Nelson (3rd) and Ryan Tobler (5th) are all in the top-5 in plus/minus. Ulanski (1st), Nelson (3rd) and Ed McGrane (5th) are in the top-5 in the points race. Among defensemen, Schneekloth ranks first in points while Jim Jackson is one point away from a 5th-place tie. Schneekloth also ranks first in goals for d-men and Jackson is tied for 4th.

Check out the Colorado Eagles Statistics

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Central Hockey League Stories from March 8, 2010


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