CHL Colorado Eagles

Colorado Eagles Week in Review

Published on October 25, 2010 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


Wednesday, October 20; Eagles, Country Financial Team Up For Halloween Fun

The Colorado Eagles are ghouling "all-out" for our game against the Tulsa Oilers on Friday, Oct. 29th, and the folks at Country Financial are helping us spook up the night! In addition to encouraging fans to come to the game dressed in their Halloween costumes, Country Financial has come up with several fun activities leading up to the game.

If you follow Country Financial's Facebook page, you can share your favorite Halloween story or costume, as well as learn how to get FREE Trick-or-Treat goodies. The Country Financial crew will also be handing out prizes for costumes at their booth behind Section E (there will be a giant pumpkin there grown and donated by Colorado Kitchen & Bath*), and the first 500 fans in the doors will get a free koozie courtesy of Country Financial.

Individual tickets for all Eagles home games can be purchased by visiting the Budweiser Events Center box office, calling 1-877-544-TIXX (8499) or online at www.ComcastTix.com. Special group rates are also available by calling the Eagles' office at 970-686-SHOT (7468).

* - Great pumpkins are available for purchase at The Windsor Gardener (6461 Hwy. 392, Windsor) and at Colorado Kitchen & Bath (32933 WCR 39, Lucerne).

Thursday, October 21; Eagles Place Two on IR, Sign Sgroi

WINDSOR, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles announced today that they have placed forward Adam Hogg on the 10-day IR and defenseman Aaron Schneekloth on the 30-Day IR. To help fill out their roster, the team has signed veteran forward Mike Sgroi (pronounced: Sg-Roy).

Sgroi (6-foot-5-inch, 230-pounds) has spent most of his career at the AHL and ECHL levels. Over his 10 seasons of professional hockey, the well-traveled winger has registered 169 points (84-85-169) and 1,644 penalty minutes in 476 games.

Thursday, October 21; Eagles' Annual Military Appreciation Night

WINDSOR, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles announced today the details of their annual Military Appreciation Night. For the third year in a row, the team has asked its season ticket holders and corporate partners to donate their tickets for their game on Wednesday, Nov. 10 (the day before Veterans Day) at the Budweiser Events Center as the team tries to fill the venue with military members and their families. The game will also be broadcast on Altitude Sports & Entertainment, allowing those that donate their tickets the chance to still see the game.

In addition to the military ticket donations, the Eagles will again be wearing special military-themed jerseys when they take on the Rapid City Rush. The game-worn military jerseys will be auctioned off during the team's following home game on Friday, Nov. 12 (proceeds will benefit military veterans in Northern Colorado). This year's special edition jersey will be unveiled that night and on sale at the merchandise counter on the concourse.

The game night will again feature several military-centric details from the off-ice entertainment to special offers for military members from Ovations Food Services. Special food and beverage tokens will be randomly handed out on the concourse to military personnel, and they will also receive 15% off all food and beverages (excluding alcohol) in the Executive Club restaurant on the suite level.

Thursday, October 21; Choooose This Year's Cowbell Color

Hey Kids,

Here's your chance to help choose this year's Meadow Gold Cowbell color!

Children 13 and under can pick their favorite cowbell from the options provided (download the voting form below), with the winning cowbell to be produced and given away on Friday, November 12th when the Eagles take on the Tulsa Oilers!

One lucky kid who submits a winning vote will be chosen to receive 6 tickets to the November 12th game and one of this year's game-worn military-themed jerseys too! Entries must be received by the end of business on Monday, November 1st.

Friday, October 22; A.J. Hau Placed on IR, Chris Hau Signed

WINDSOR, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles announced today that they have placed forward A.J. Hau on the 10-day IR and signed his older brother, defenseman Chris Hau, to help fill their roster.

The two are local products who came up through the Northern Colorado Youth Hockey program and played at Colorado State University. Both were invited to the team's preseason camp, with Chris being waived last Friday before the season opener. A.J. did not play in either of Colorado's games last weekend.

Friday, October 22; Eagles Hand Rush First Loss of Season

LOVELAND, Colo. - A short-benched Colorado Eagles squad knocked off the defending President's Cup champion Rapid City Rush, 5-2, on the strength of a Scott May hat trick and Kyle Jones' 30 saves in net. The loss was the Rush's first of the season as the teams met for the first game of a home-and-home series (they will meet a total of 12 times this season).

The Eagles looked like the defending champs in the opening period, out-shooting Rapid City 17-12 and out-scoring them 3-1 with several other near-goals. Scott May opened the scoring 2:44 in when he picked up an errant Rush bank-pass off the boards at center ice, skated to the top of the left circle, used a defenseman as a screen and snapped a shot past the glove of Jimmy Spratt.

Scott Wray tied the game at 4:13 after a faceoff win in the left circle of the Rush's offensive zone led to a point shot from Scott Kalinchuk and a deflection past the Eagles netminder. Just over two minutes after that, Riley Nelson one-timed a pass from Kyle Peto half a minute into a Colorado 5-on-3 advantage to put the Eagles back on top. And at 9:38, defenseman Kip Workman took a shot from the right point and Steve Haddon banged home the rebound on his second try to make it 3-1 for the home team.

The Rush pushed back in the second period, out-shooting the Eagles 11-8 and keeping much of the play in their offensive zone. And although Rapid City got a power-play goal of their own in the frame to cut Colorado's lead to 1, May got his second goal of the game with a late tally to push the Eagles back up by 2.

Three minutes into the second period, Daymen Rycroft lost an edge at his own blue line, leading to a 2-on-1 break for the Rush, but Jones made a sprawling glove save on Ryan Menei to keep the Eagles on top 3-1. But at 15:59, the Rush would get the aforementioned man-advantage marker when Kalinchuk skated past Workman on the left wing, took the puck toward the net and placed a shot under the crossbar.

Then with 31.9 seconds left in the frame, Rycroft worked the puck up the right wing from his own zone and found May in the neutral zone. His Ohio State University teammate took the puck into the offensive zone and buried a shot from the right circle past Danny Battochio who had entered the game a few minutes into the second period after being a late starting scratch due to an equipment issue.

The third period was evenly played with the Rush holding a 9-8 edge in shots. The Eagles held on as Rapid City pulled Battochio for the final minute and a half, and May iced the game with his third goal at 19:33. He won a footrace down the left wing and put a shallow-angle shot into the empty cage to become the eighth player in franchise history to record a hat trick (the 28th hat trick overall).

The two teams will travel overnight to Rapid City for a game Saturday night.

Saturday, October 23; Eagles Spoil Rush's Party With Another Win

RAPID CITY, S.D. - A short-benched Colorado Eagles squad defeated the defending champion Rapid City Rush for the second night in a row with a 7-4 win in their first road game of the season. The victory spoiled the Rush's home opener as they held a pre-game celebration, raising four banners to the rafters and handing out their championship rings.

The Rush began the game with plenty of momentum from the pre-game ceremonies, out-shooting the Eagles 13-7 in the opening frame, and controlling much of the play. But Andrew Penner turned aside all 13 of Rapid City's shots and Steve Haddon got his second goal in as many games to put Colorado on top 1-0 at the first intermission. On the goal, University of Denver alumnus Matt Glasser fed Haddon from behind the net for a backhand score (the assist representing the rookie's first professional point).

Andrew Martin got Rapid City on the board 2:30 into the second period with an end-to-end rush that resulted in a 2-on-1 breakaway and a shot past Penner. The Eagles, however, answered with a pair of goals by the 15 minute mark to hold a 3-1 lead. But Rapid City took advantage of a 5-on-3 power-play opportunity late in the frame to tie the game heading into the second break.

Colorado's second goal came after a turnover in the Rush zone, when Haddon sent a shot from the right dot and defenseman Brett Thurston knocked home the rebound as he pinched down the slot in support. Penner stopped Les Reaney a minute later on a quick breakaway to keep the momentum on the Eagles' side, and the red-hot Scott May added the team's second goal of the period at 14:49 with a power-play blast from the high slot on a one-timer from Kevin Ulanski.

The Rush, though, evened the score before the second buzzer by scoring a 5-on-3 goal at 18:55 and another power-play goal just 19 seconds later. On the first, Vladimir Hartinger struck from the hash marks after a faceoff win in the left circle. On the second, Colt King found Ryan Menei from behind the cage for a quick equalizing strike.

Colorado won the final frame, and thus the game, as they out-shot Rapid City 12-10 and out-scored them 4-1 (with two empty-net goals) in the final 20 minutes of play. Daymen Rycroft put the Eagles up 4-3 at 12:49 by converting an assist from May after he brought the puck out of the left wing corner along the goal line.

Then, under a minute later, Derek LeBlanc deflected a Hartinger point shot just four seconds into another Rapid City power play -- the second time they struck so quickly on the night -- to knot the game back up at 4. But Rycroft would counter once more with a power-play goal of his own a minute and a half after that when he put home a Riley Nelson rebound from the same spot as his previous tally.

And for the second night in a row, with time winding down, the Rush pulled Danny Battochio for an extra attacker and May deposited the puck into the empty net with 63 seconds left. Nelson would add another with just three ticks left to account for the final score.

The Week Ahead

Tuesday, Oct. 26; Eagles Travel to Tulsa

The Eagles continue on their first road trip of the season, taking a three-game winning streak into Tulsa for the first of five meetings against the Oilers this year. All-time, the Eagles are 28-7-2 against the Oilers, including 13-3-1 in Oklahoma. Last year Colorado went a perfect 5-0 against Tulsa, out-scoring them 31-19 despite the first three contests being decided by just one goal.

Friday, Oct. 29; Tulsa Returns the Favor

The Oilers and Eagles will head to Loveland for the second half of an extended home-and-home set. In a scheduling quirk, it will be the only Friday all season that the Eagles don't have a game the following night. Colorado has just as much success -- if not more -- against Tulsa at home with a record of 15-4-1, while out-scoring the Oilers 99-48.

Notable Numbers

RAPID START - The Eagles and Rush will square off a dozen times this season, with half of those meetings coming before December. Colorado took the first two contests despite being able to dress just 15 skaters (due to suspensions) and playing without All-Star defenseman Aaron Schneekloth and hard-hitting forward Adam Hogg (among other injuries).

PLAYER OF THE WEEK - First year Eagle Scott May has earned the CHL's Player of the Week honors after posting seven points and a +5 rating in the weekend's home-and-home series against the defending champion Rapid City Rush. His hat trick on Friday night proved to be the difference in the Eagles' 5-2 win, and he backed that up with a four-point night (2-2-4) Saturday to help spoil the Rush's celebratory home opener. He enters this week tied for the league lead in goals with six.

THEY DON'T ASK HOW... - With just three seconds left on the clock Saturday night, Riley Nelson scored the Eagles' second empty-net goal of the game. Although trivial as far as the game's outcome, that goal extended Nelson's goal-scoring streak to five games -- dating back to last season -- which ties the fourth-longest goal-scoring streak in team history (done six other times). If he scores in a sixth game, he'll tie the team's third-longest goal streak (held by him).

STEADY, BOY - Eagles Captain Riley Nelson is a model of consistency. He's riding a six-game point streak dating to last season and has tallied at least two points in each game this season (the only player in the CHL to do so). That should come as a shock to no one as he's the owner of three of the franchise's five longest point-scoring streaks (lengths of 19, 17 & 17 games respectively).

ONE MORE FOR NELLY - Riley Nelson -- who ranks among the CHL's all-time leaders in goals and points -- is one point away from 600 as a Colorado Eagle. The franchise's all-time leader in points has registered 599 (235-364-599) in 437 games.

LIKE OIL & WATER - The Eagles are 28-7-2 all-time against the Oilers. That all-time winning percentage of .784 is Colorado's highest against any opponent still active in the CHL that they've played more than 10 times. Last year Colorado went a perfect 5-0 against Tulsa, out-scoring them 31-19 despite the first three contests being decided by just one goal.

Check out the Colorado Eagles Statistics

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Central Hockey League Stories from October 25, 2010


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