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CHL Colorado Eagles

CHL All-Stars Top Rapid City Rush, 11-6; Colorado's Kyle Jones

January 12, 2011 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


RAPID CITY, S.D. - A team made up of Central Hockey League All-Stars defeated the host Rapid City Rush, 11-6, in the 2011 CHL All-Star Game. The All-Star team win marked the first time in the three years since the league adopted a host team vs. All-Star team format -- a tweak initiated by the Colorado Eagles in 2009 -- that the league's squad came out victorious.

The high-octane first period started with a goal by the CHL All-Stars 3:17 in. Bloomington's Jason Dale got the opening goal, knocking the puck into a wide open net from the crease, off a pass from CHL assist leader Sebastien Thinel. Andrew Smale -- who had no goals coming into the game -- countered for the Rush at 4:39, converting on a breakaway by backhanding a shot past Kyle Jones.

Wichita's Matt Robinson then took over, recording a natural hat trick in less than four minutes to make it a 4-1 lead for the All-Stars. Robinson's first score came at 6:36 as he took a pass up the left wing, cut to the net and beat Danny Battochio with a backhander. Robinson got his second 35 seconds later by cashing in on an odd-man rush. And at 10:31, he notched his third goal with a deflection from the doorstep off a pass from Nick Sirota along the right midboards.

Derek LeBlanc cut the All-Stars' lead in half with a tally at 11:51 by snapping a shot from atop the left circle past a screened Jones. The Eagles' netminder stonewalled the Rush the rest of the period, making his finest stop with 4:44 left when Les Reaney found Colt King on the doorstep. At the other end of the ice, Battochio heated up as well, keeping his team in the game with several strong saves late in the first frame.

The Rush stormed out in the second period, notching their first goal just 19 seconds in and putting their first three shots past Missouri's Rob Nolan. Ryan Menei got the first two goals of the period, tying the game at 4, with a second score 44 seconds into the stanza. And just 11 seconds later, former Eagle Konrad Reeder gave Rapid City its first -- and only -- lead of the game with a breakaway goal.

At 4:11, David Strathman tied the game at 5 for the All-Star team when Thinel found him cruising through the slot for a backhander. Both netminders stepped up their game after the early flurry of goals, making several solid stops. But Evansville's Brian Bicek notched the period's next two goals -- at 10:38 and 17:28 -- giving the All-Stars a 7-5 lead heading into the second intermission.

Action slowed in the third period, but not before Bicek could record his own natural hat trick just 21 seconds in on the first shot against Terry Dunbar, who had come into the game in place of Battochio. Brendon Hodge got that goal back for the host Rush at 9:38, converting a feed from King below the goal line from the slot.

At 16:26 of the final frame, Jason Krischuk made it 9-6 for the All-Star team on a similar play. And Dale and Nathan Lutes would score a pair of late goals for the All-Stars (at 18:15 & 19:54) to account for the final margin.

The league will resume regular season play on Friday, with the Eagles taking on the Odessa Jackalopes at the Budweiser Events Center.

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