CHL Colorado Eagles

Colorado Aces Final Preseason Tune-Up, 6-0

Published on October 11, 2008 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


LOVELAND, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles defeated the Rapid City Rush, 6-0, in both teams' final preseason game of the 2008-09 season. The Eagles established the tone of the game early - both with their sticks and with their fists - and they continued to carry the play for the majority of the game, finishing the night with a 47-11 edge in shots. Andrew Penner got his first start in net with the Eagles, earning the shutout.

The opening frame saw three Colorado goals and four fights. The scoring started with the Eagles' third power play goal in four periods of preseason play when Ryan Tobler carried the puck down the left wing on a two-on-one break. The Rapid City defender did a great job trying to cancel the rush by sprawling to the ice, but Tobler showed excellent patience by holding the puck all the way past the goal line before throwing it back into the crease where a trailing Erik Adams knocked it in at 5:51. The first fight came just moments after the ensuing faceoff when Adam Knight dropped the gloves with Derek LeBlanc; Knight came out on top.

Greg Pankewicz and Chris Diubaldo squared off with just over five minutes left in the first with each landing some solid blows in a quick fight. And immediately after the following puck-drop, Knight and Kyle Sheen took part in a lengthy fight at center ice. Colorado made it 2-0 at 15:09 when Aaron Schneekloth tried to stick-handle between the circles from the point, but had the puck knocked off his stick, right to Steve Haddon who snapped a shot top-shelf. Less than a minute later, Tobler accounted for the fourth fight of the period when he tangled with Luke Fritshaw in front of the Rush net. And Riley Nelson got his third goal of the preseason at 18:43 after Jon Jankus skated down the left-wing boards before throwing a pass through the crease for a chip-in goal.

The Eagles made it 4-0 with a goal just 1:59 into the second period when Steve Haddon won a faceoff in the right circle of the Rush zone and sent it back to Tom Reimann at the point. Reimann's shot was then deflected just in front of the net by Adam Hogg.

Tobler notched two goals in the third period to account for the final score, both coming on similar plays where he put the puck in from the right side of the crease off of cross-crease passes - the first from Pankewicz, and the second from Ed McGrane. The latter was the Eagles' second short-handed goal in two games.

Colorado finished the preseason with a 2-0 record and opens the regular season on Friday, October 17 against the same Rapid City Rush team.

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Central Hockey League Stories from October 11, 2008


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