Arizona Falls to Conference-Leading Odessa 5-3

January 10, 2009 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Arizona Sundogs News Release


PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. - Facing off in the final regular season meeting between the two clubs, the Arizona Sundogs fell to the Odessa Jackalopes 5-3 Saturday night in front of 3,538 fans at Tim's Toyota Center in Prescott Valley. Rob Lehtinen collected two goals and Martin Gascon registered two assists in the loss.

Arizona and Odessa traded goals in the opening period Saturday night but it would be the visiting Jackalopes that would skate into the first intermission with the 2-1 lead on goals by Collin Circelli and Kory Karlander. Circelli opened scoring in the contest with his 12th of the season, converting on his team's second power play opportunity of the period. Sebastien Thinel and Russ Moyer assisted on the game's first tally almost nine minutes in. The Sundogs responded with a power play goal of their own at the 16-minute mark as defenseman-turned-forward Lehtinen corralled a rebound and lifted a forehand shot over a sprawling Jeremy Symington for his fourth goal of the season. Mark Kolanos took the initial shot and was credited with a helper along with leading assist-man Gascon. As was the case the previous night, Odessa found the back of the net inside the first period's final minute, helping them to a one-goal lead after 20 minutes of play. Stationed at the top of the crease, Kory Karlander redirected a waist-high shot above Sundogs netminder Joel Gistedt who had committed low. Moyer collected his second assist of the period along with Dominic Leveille. Shots on net through the first period were 14-11 in favor of the Jackalopes.

Circelli and Thinel grabbed their second points of the game 4:42 into the second period as Circelli sent a shot on goal that found its way onto the stick of defenseman Mario Joly and past Gistedt for a two-goal cushion early in the period. Thinel collected his third point of the game and 25th goal of the season to give his team a commanding 4-1 lead with just over five minutes to play in the middle frame. Trailing behind the play, Thinel picked up the puck on a change of possession and skated in alone before beating Gistedt up high. Lehtinen cut the Jackalopes' lead back to two a minute later with his second of the game. Settling a Joel Irving rebound, Lehtinen sent a bad angle shot on net from the goal line that found its way between Symington and the near post. Adam Perry also assisted on the play. Leveille regained a three-goal lead with less than two minutes to play in the second on a controversial goal that required discussion between referee Kevin Mallin and Linesmen Ken Bonham and Brent Tubbs. Karlander and Mike Ramsay picked up assists on the late-period goal. Odessa doubled-up Arizona 16-7 in shots for a two-period 30-18 advantage.

The Sundogs controlled the third period, outshooting the Jackalopes 12-9 and A.J. MacLean pulled his club back to within two on a setup pass by Gascon from behind the net midway through the final period but Odessa would hold on for the 5-3 win through the final half of the frame.

Appearing in his first game since a 55-second relief effort on December 20, Gistedt turned aside 34 of 39 shots in the loss while Symington stopped 27 of 30 shots for his third win of the year. Arizona was perfect on the power play, finishing 1-for-1 while holding Odessa to a 1-for-9 conversion rate with the man advantage.

Arizona heads into the All-Star break with a 17-18-2 record and sits in second place in the Southwest Division, eight points ahead of third-place New Mexico. The Sundogs now head on the road for two games against Southeast Division opponents the Texas Brahmas and Corpus Christi IceRays next Friday and Saturday. Friday's game against the Brahmas is set for 6:05pm (Arizona time) but will be tape-delayed until 7:00pm on 96.7 FM The Wolf, the Official Broadcast Home of the Arizona Sundogs.



Central Hockey League Stories from January 10, 2009


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