CHL Colorado Eagles

Colorado Eagles Week In Review

Published on January 4, 2010 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


Monday, December 28; Help Vote Panks' Retirement Top Sports Story of '09

Eagles Fans,

The Fort Collins Coloradoan's annual "Top 10 Sports Stories of The Year" ballot is out, and Greg Pankewicz's retirement is on the list.

You can turn in your results via e-mail ( sportsnews@coloradoan.com), fax (970-224-7899) or mail to 1300 Riverside Ave. / Fort Collins, CO / 80524. Hurry, because voting ends soon!

Tuesday, December 29; Nelson, Schneekloth Voted All-Star Starters

LOVELAND, Colo. - The Central Hockey League announced today the starters for the 2010 CHL All-Star team, and two Colorado Eagles were voted into the opening lineup. Colorado captain Riley Nelson and defenseman Aaron Schneekloth will be joining head coach Kevin McClelland in Laredo, Texas for the midseason showcase on Wednesday, Jan. 13.

All-Star team starters were voted on by league coaches, communications staffs and select media members from local markets. Additional members of the team could be announced this Thursday when the league releases the rest of the All-Star team's roster.

Not counting last season -- when the Eagles took on the All-Star team -- the selections mark the second and third CHL All-Star Game for Nelson and Schneekloth respectively. It is Nelson's first time being voted in as a starter and Schneekloth's second (he joined Greg Pankewicz in Broomfield in 2008).

Nelson was named to the All-CHL Team and voted the league's "Best Overall Player" by his peers last season. He is currently second in the league in scoring, trailing only teammate Kevin Ulanski.

Schneekloth was also named to the All-CHL Team last season in addition to being named the CHL's "Most Outstanding Defenseman." He's currently the league's second-highest scoring defenseman while leading the entire CHL with a +24 plus/minus rating.

Tuesday, December 29; Dec. 26 Game Rescheduled For Feb. 28

LOVELAND, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles, along with the Central Hockey League and the Rapid City Rush, announced today that the game between the two teams that was postponed on Saturday, Dec. 26, 2009 has been rescheduled for Sunday, Feb. 28, 2010. The game will take place at the Budweiser Events Center at 7:05 p.m. All tickets from the Dec. 26 date will be honored at the Feb. 28 game.

Wednesday, December 30; Eagles Present Rocky Mountain Faceoff: UNC vs. CSU

(LOVELAND, Colo.) - For the second year in a row, the Rocky Mountain Face Off, presented by the Colorado Eagles, will take place at the Budweiser Events Center. On Friday, February 5, at 7:05 p.m., the Colorado State University and University of Northern Colorado club hockey teams will square off with proceeds from the event benefiting youth hockey in Northern Colorado, as well as collegiate club hockey.

Chairman of the Ram Hockey Group, Brett Tatman, described the goal of the event as twofold. "The reason we started this event was to bring attention to ice hockey at the youth and collegiate level here in Northern Colorado. It would eventually be nice to have enough support for ice hockey here in Northern Colorado to demand a Division I ice hockey program at Colorado State University." He added that, "A wonderful side effect of the Rocky Mountain Face Off is that we are able to donate the net profit proceeds of the game to help grow youth hockey and collegiate hockey locally. Working closely with the Colorado Eagles and The Ranch has allowed us to produce a first-rate hockey event that just wouldn't be possible otherwise."

"We're happy to be the title sponsor for this event for the second year in a row at the Budweiser Events Center," said Colorado Eagles president & general manager Chris Stewart. "Through our partnership with Northern Colorado Youth Hockey, we're always interested in helping hockey grow in Northern Colorado."

Said director of The Ranch, Bob Herrfeldt, "The Rocky Mountain Face Off is an outstanding way to display the talent of these two distinguished university hockey clubs. The Ranch is very proud to be a part of the partnership that has been assembled with the Colorado Eagles and the Ram Hockey Group that has led to this event."

Tickets, priced at $11, $16, and $21 (plus applicable fees), go on sale Monday, January 11 at 10 a.m. at www.ComcastTIX.com 877-544-TIXX (8499), the Budweiser Events Center Box Office, Fort Fun in Fort Collins, the Colorado Eagles Office in Windsor, and Woody's Newsstand & Cafe in Greeley. Specially priced student and childrens ticket prices are available at the Budweiser Event Center Box Office only.

Thursday, December 31; Three Eagles Named to All-Decade Teams

(LEAGUE RELEASE - Tempe, Arizona) - The Central Hockey League (CHL) formally announced today the collective group of players that have been selected as the CHL All-Decade Team (2000-09). Throughout the week, the various positions have been introduced on www.centralhockeyleague.com.

The First Team is comprised of forwards Jeff Bes, Travis Clayton and Greg Pankewicz along with defensemen Derek Landmesser and Bernie John and goaltender Ken Carroll.

The Second Team consists of forwards Jason Duda, Riley Nelson and Don Parsons, defensemen Hardy Sauter and Aaron Schneekloth and goaltender Rod Branch.

CHL All-Decade Team First Team F- Greg Pankewicz Had 464 points in 304 games in the decade and had 95 points in six playoff seasons F- Travis Clayton The CHLs all-time leader in games played and second all-time in points F- Jeff Bes Has 542 points in 361 games in the decade along with two MVPs D- Derek Landmesser Named CHL Most Outstanding Defensemen in 2001, had 489 points in the decade D- Bernie John Had 377 points in 354 games in the decade and was CHL Most Outstanding Defenseman in 2004 G- Ken Carroll Two time CHL Most Outstanding Goaltender and CHL Shutout King with 30 career shutouts

Second Team F- Don Parson Scored 290 goals in 367 games in the decade and was a part of two championship teams F- Riley Nelson Has 586 points in 465 games along with helping Colorado win two championships F- Jason Duda Third on the all-time CHL list in points, goals and assists D- Hardy Sauter Had 290 points in 315 games during the decade D- Aaron Schneekloth The 2009 CHL Most Outstanding Defenseman has 268 points in 315 games in the decade G- Rod Branch Compiled 106 wins and 16 shutouts in 202 games played in the decade

Visit www.centralhockeyleague.com for complete breakdowns of all players selected to the All-Decade Team.

Thursday, December 31; Ulanski Joins Other Eagles as All-Star

LOVELAND, Colo. - The Central Hockey League announced today the reserves for the 2010 CHL All-Star team, and forward Kevin Ulanski will be joining the team in Laredo, Texas. Ulanski is the fourth member of the Eagles to earn an All-Star spot; Head Coach Kevin McClelland will also have forward Riley Nelson and defenseman Aaron Schneekloth as familiar faces on his squad.

Not counting last season, when the Eagles took on a team of CHL All-Stars, this will be the second-year CHL player's first All-Star selection. Ulanski was named one of three forwards on the All-CHL Team last season, and was voted the league's "Best Defensive Forward" by his peers. He is currently the league's top scorer with 45 points (16-29-45) in 26 games.

All-Star team reserves were selected by the All-Star team's coach and the CHL's Hockey Operations Department. Every team in the league is represented with at least one player.

Thursday, December 31; Mole, PK End '09 on High Note

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. - The Colorado Eagles celebrated New Year's Eve with a 5-1 win against the Missouri Mavericks in their first trip to the Independence Events Center. Colorado had five different goal scorers while Mike Mole stopped 44 of 45 shots and the Eagles' penalty-killers went a perfect 14-14 -- coming up huge in a game where the Mavericks held a 14-5 edge in power plays.

The Eagles jumped out to an early lead with a pair of goals just 40 seconds apart in the early going. Ed McGrane got the game's first goal after Ryan McLeod found him crashing through the slot 1:39 in. Then, at 2:19, Colorado's top line tallied as Kevin Ulanski padded his league-leading point total with a goal from down low.

Colorado then took a 3-0 lead into the first intermission when Jim Jackson put home a McLeod rebound on the power play at 17:54. The Eagles not only scored a power-play goal of their own, but their penalty-killers stymied all three Mavericks' opportunities in the opening frame.

Aaron Schneekloth, who was voted an All-Star starter earlier in the week -- and named to the CHL's All-Decade 2nd Team earlier in the day -- made it 4-0 with the team's second power-play goal 1:24 into the second period by firing a puck past Alexandre Vincent. But veteran Jeff Christian cut into Colorado's lead with a goal at 9:35 when he was able to backhand a shot past the Eagles' goalie after being left alone in the low slot.

Colorado's penalty-killing units continued to excel in the final frame in which Eagles players were called for all six of the period's penalties. Mole continued to come up big in net as well, stopping all 19 Mavericks' shots in the stanza. And at 11:31, Adam Hogg sent a cross-slot pass to Alex Penner for a 5-1 lead.

Friday, January 1; Ulanski Interviewed About Days at DU, With Eagles Tonight on FSN

The CHL's leading scorer and recently-named All-Star, Kevin Ulanski, will be featured in an interview during tonight's broadcast of the DU/Nebraska-Omaha hockey game on Fox Sports-Rocky Mountain. Ulanski was an assistant captain on the University of Denver's back-to-back national championship teams in 2004-05. In the interview, the second-year Eagle talks about his time at DU and with the Eagles.

FSN-Rocky Mountain is available on DirecTV, Dish Network and Comcast Cable. Check your local listings for tonight's Wells Fargo Denver Cup.

Friday, January 1; Allen, Whitley Flip Script on Eagles

ALLEN, Texas - Chris Whitley stopped 44 of 45 shots to backstop the Allen Americans over the Colorado Eagles by a score of 5-1, one night after Mike Mole had the same stat line for Colorado in a 5-1 win in Missouri. While Whitley proved strong at one end of the ice, the Americans' offense was opportunistic at the other in a meeting of two of the CHL's top teams.

The first period saw some of the best hockey of the season played as both clubs showed off their well-rounded games. Neither, however, could score, despite the Eagles having the better of the chances and an 18-9 advantage in shots.

Both offenses finally got on the board in the second period with Nino Musitelli putting the home team on top at the 2:20 mark by sweeping home a loose puck from the left side of the crease. But Colorado answered just under four minutes later, four seconds after an abbreviated power play had expired, when Aaron Schneekloth threaded a point shot through traffic and into the net.

The Americans, however, would put up two more scores in the period to take a 3-1 lead into the second intermission. Jarret Lukin put Allen back up at 8:11 as he skated through the low slot and backhanded the puck past Andrew Penner. Then Ryan Fairbarn snapped a goal past the Eagles' goalie just under four minutes later when a blocked pass from Bruce Graham ended up on his stick between the hashes.

Allen added two more goals in the final frame to account for the final score. The first came when Lukin found Colton Yellow Horn wide open between the hashes with a pass from the left corner at 9:25. The last came with just over five minutes to play in the game when Graham sent a pass from the right point to Nathan O'Nabigon alone behind the defense in the low slot.

Saturday, January 2; Brahmas Score Late Goal on Way to OT Win

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, Texas - The Colorado Eagles gained a point in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Texas Brahmas in their first trip to the NYTEX Sports Centre since last year's President's Cup Finals. The game featured playoff-type tension as the Eagles -- playing their third game in as many nights -- allowed an extra-attacker goal with just 33 seconds left before falling in the extra frame; both of Colorado's overtime losses this season have come against the Brahmas.

The Eagles were skating up hill early in the opening period as they had a goal waived off in the first minute of play when referee Jon McIsaac blew the play dead as he lost sight of the puck uncovered in the crease. Jordan Cameron then scored a power-play goal at 3:01 to put the defending champs in the lead. But Colorado proved resilient and struck back with a power-play score of their own when Kevin Ulanski 's cross-crease pass deflected past Joe Palmer at 17:08.

Both teams scored a goal in the second period to enter the third tied up at 2. Fraser Filipic put Colorado in the lead at 15:04 by banging home an Alex Penner rebound. But that lead was short-lived as Tyler Skworchinski evened it up just 42 seconds later with a wraparound goal after a turnover behind the Eagles' net.

The Eagles dominated the first half of the third period, but looked to tire down the stretch. Jay Birnie put them in the lead once more at 8:05 with a shot from the top of the circles after Steve Haddon forced a turnover just inside the blue line. But with an extra attacker on the ice in the final minute of regulation, Ross Rouleau 's shot from the right point found its way through traffic and into the net with just 33.5 seconds left on the clock to force overtime.

Kevin McLeod ended the game, securing the second point for Texas, 2:17 into the extra frame as he followed his own rebound into the left faceoff circle and beat the Eagles' netminder.

The Eagles will now get the week off as they prepare to finish their five-game road trip with games against Laredo and Rio Grande Valley next Friday and Saturday. Their next home game will come on Friday, Jan. 15 against the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs.

The Week Ahead

Friday, January 8; Colorado Looks for Two Points in Laredo The Eagles will continue their five-game road trip with a game in Laredo, Texas on Friday. It will mark their first visit to the Laredo Entertainment Center since Jan. 6, 2008, but four members of the team (Riley Nelson, Aaron Schneekloth, Kevin Ulanski and Kevin McClelland) will be returning next Wednesday for the CHL All-Star Game. The Bucks enter the week in fourth place in the Southern Conference with a record of 14-10-7, just two points behind the Texas Brahmas.

Saturday, January 9; Eagles Wrap Up Road Trip in Rio Grande Valley Colorado will end it's extended trip away from the Budweiser Events Center with a game at the Dodge Arena in Rio Grande Valley, Texas. It will mark the Eagles' first game against the Killer Bees since the 2007-08 season. They went 2-0 against them that year and are a perfect 9-0 against them all-time. In four meetings in Rio Grande Valley, the Eagles have out-scored their expansion sibling by a 12-4 margin. The 'Bees enter the week just one point behind the Bucks with a record of 15-12-4.

Notable Numbers

IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME - The Eagles will wrap up their five-game road trip with a weekend set in Laredo and Rio Grande Valley on Friday and Saturday. It will mark Colorado's first visit to each city in over two years. The Eagles played the Bucks just once last season -- in Loveland -- and their last meeting in Laredo was a 5-3 loss on Jan. 6, 2008. The Eagles didn't play the Killer Bees at all last season, and their last meeting in Rio Grande Valley ended up a 3-2 overtime win on Jan. 5, 2008.

HOT KILL - The Eagles' penalty-killing units are red hot and have jumped all the way to #3 in the league (86.5%) with their recent performances. After stringing together two perfect nights last Thursday and Friday -- including 14-of-14 on Thursday in Missouri -- the Eagles had killed 21 in a row heading into Texas on Saturday. They then killed seven of eight that night to make it 28 of their past 29 (96.6%).

ONE-TWO PUNCH - Kevin Ulanski (83 points) and Riley Nelson (82 points) put up nearly identical numbers across the board last season, and the two are at it again in 2009-10. Through 29 games, the first line forwards rank first (18-30-48, +17) and tied for second (16-29-45, +20) respectively in the league's scoring race and again have shockingly similar stats. Both were named to the All-CHL Team last season and both will represent the team at this year's All-Star game in Laredo (Nelson as a starter, Ulanski as a reserve).

BLUELINE SPECIAL - Eagles defenseman Aaron Schneekloth has had quite a run lately. Two weeks ago he was named the CHL's Oakley Player of the Week, and last week, he was voted an All-Star starter and named to the league's All-Decade 2nd Team. On top of all that, the league's reigning "Most Outstanding Defenseman" is on an 11-game point streak (7-7-14) and ranks second in the CHL among d-men in scoring (28 point on the year) while leading all players in +/- (+22).

NEXT WIN SETS NEW MARK - With his next win, goaltender Andrew Penner will set a new franchise record for most wins in a career (44). He's currently tied with Paulo Colaiacovo at 43. For his Colorado career, "Coco" went 43-17-5 with a.916 save percentage and a goals-against average of 2.57 while helping the Eagles to their first President's Cup in 2005; his shutout in Game 5 clinched the championship over Laredo. Penner has gone 43-9-4 with a.912 SV% and a GAA of 2.78 while helping the Eagles to the President's Cup Finals in his first season with the team last year.

ALL-STAR-STUDDED - The Eagles' roster is home to four men that will be going to the 2010 CHL All-Star Game in Laredo, Texas. Head Coach Kevin McClelland will be joined by voted-in starters Riley Nelson and Aaron Schneekloth, who were joined yesterday by the league's leading scorer, Kevin Ulanski.

Check out the Colorado Eagles Statistics

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Central Hockey League Stories from January 4, 2010


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