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CHL Colorado Eagles

Beatty's Game-Winner Improves Eagles' Lead to Three

March 12, 2008 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


LOVELAND, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles, with a record of 4-13-2 when trailing after two periods coming into the game, overcame a third-period deficit for a 4-2 victory over the Rocky Mountain Rage in a game with playoff atmosphere and implications. The victory increased the Eagles division lead over the Rage to three points with five games remaining for each squad.

The power play made all the difference in the first as the Rage took advantage of their only chance to take a 1-0 lead into the locker rooms. The Eagles dominated play in the first, spending most of the first 10 minutes in the Rage zone; Rocky Mountain didn't register their first shot until 11:15 of the opening period. But the Eagles couldn't take advantage of their two power plays and the Rage did a good job bottling up their scoring chances, limiting the Eagles to just 10 shots despite the decided edge in play. Daymen Rycroft got his league-leading 47th goal of the season at 14:15 when he lunged to poke home a rebound between the right circle and the crease for the period's lone goal.

Colorado went 0-4 with the man-advantage in the second, but got on the board when Ed McGrane scored his team-leading 32nd goal of the year (and team-leading 82nd point) at 5:16 on a give-and-go play with Kris Wiebe. The Rage almost went ahead again at the six minute mark on the power play when the puck bounced off the left goalpost and fell into the crease where Sebastien Laplante fell backward to freeze it with a snow angel. However, Rocky Mountain eventually went up 2-1 when Rob Chappell got his second goal of the season - and second in two nights against the Eagles - at 14:56 when his shot from the slot snuck between Laplante's arm and body and into the goal.

The Eagles tied it up at two with a Ryan Tobler goal at 7:22 of the third when Scott Polaski sent a pass from behind the net for the power forward's one-timer in the left circle. With the score knotted, Laplante got stronger, making several key saves as the period went along. And at 14:39, the Eagles got the go-ahead goal on a spectacular individual play from an unlikely source. Jason Beatty, who came into the game with just five points on the year (3-2-5), stole the puck at center ice, skated through three Rage players and then beat Dunbar with a shot from low in the right circle. Colorado sat on the lead and added an empty-netter by Greg Pankewicz for some insurance.

The Eagles will play two more games at the Budweiser Events Center this weekend (New Mexico on Friday and Tulsa on Saturday) before their regular season comes to a close with three games on the road against the SteelHounds next week.

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