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CHL Colorado Eagles

Colorado Eagles Weekly Update

January 31, 2011 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


Week in Review

Tuesday, January 25; Eagles Top Tulsa to Move into Second Place

TULSA, Okla. - The Colorado Eagles ended the Tulsa Oilers' four-game winning streak with a 4-1 victory at the Bank of Oklahoma Center. The Eagles are now alone in second place in the Turner Conference after starting the day in a four team tie. Colorado netted a pair of goals in the first and final frames while out-shooting Tulsa 42-25 on the night.

The Eagles jumped out to a 2-0 advantage with goals 50 seconds apart midway through the opening period on the way to out-shooting the Oilers 19-6 in the frame, despite Tulsa having the period's only power play.

Adam Chorneyko got the game's opening goal at 10:05 off a feed from Dan Sullivan. And just 50 seconds later, Kevin Ulanski threw the puck toward the net from below the right circle as Aaron Schneekloth was cruising through the low slot to make it 2-0.

The teams played a scoreless second period, each with nine shots on net. Tulsa's shot total was helped by a pair of power plays as Colorado again held the edge in overall play.

Colorado made it 3-0, 3:46 into the third period, when Adam Hogg deflected a Chorneyko shot top-shelf from the doorstep. At 7:19, Tulsa would finally get on the board when Jack Combs scored from the right side of the net on a power play. But Riley Nelson would get a hard-earned empty-net goal to ice the game in the final minute, finding a loose puck after a ferocious forecheck and backhanding a no-look shot into the net from high in the right circle.

Wednesday, January 26; Colorado Eagles Scout Night: Friday, Feb. 18th

Hey scouts (both boys & girls)!

Help spread the word, and come join us on Friday, Feb. 18th when we host Scout Night at the Colorado Eagles game! Specially-priced tickets are available for scouts and their families for this game only (download this flyer for details); the first 200 scouts in uniform will receive an exclusive Colorado Eagles Scout Badge (shown below)!

Also, as part of the evening, scout groups will also be able to take a pre-game tour of the Budweiser Events Center.

For any questions, or to take advantage of this great night of fun and entertainment, contact Curtis Sullivan at 970-686-SHOT (7468); this offer is only available through the Eagles' office. Scouts are encouraged to sign up as groups to ensure seating in the same sections. Both boy scouts and girl scouts are eligible to enjoy this offer!

Wednesday, January 26; Feb. 2nd is "Adam GroundHogg" Night

While the rest of the country celebrates Feb. 2nd as Groundhog Day with fury prognosticator Punxsutawney Phil at center stage, in Eagles Country we'll be celebrating GroundHogg Night with our own lovable Adam Hogg at center ice! Fans are encouraged to come to the game early as the first 2,500 in attendance will receive an Adam Hogg bobblehead, courtesy of the Loveland Reporter-Herald.

In addition, the night will have a festive feel with "Groundhog Day" themed in-game entertainment -- including flying groundhogs -- and musical performances from two local children's groups. The Kinard House Band will be performing during the first intermission and the Greeley Children's Chorale will be performing the National Anthem.

Be sure to check your daily Loveland Reporter-Herald to answer their Groundhog Day trivia questions between Wednesday, Jan. 26-Sunday, Jan. 30. Three lucky winners will each receive a pair of tickets to the Feb. 2nd game, with one winner getting the chance to drop the ceremonial first puck!

Friday, January 28; Introducing: Borsh's Breakdown

Eagles Fans,

Welcome to Borsh's Breakdown, where you'll find inside insights from a former players' perspective and point of view. Every other week, I'll be sharing my view of Eagles hockey and the CHL as a whole. If you've got a topic you'd like me to discuss - anything from something about the current team to how things happen on the road or inside the locker room - feel free to share your topic ideas and requests by emailing me at lborsheim@hotmail.com.

This week, I'll be talking about the parity in the league and the grind of a hockey season.

Oh, The Parity

If you look up parity in the dictionary, you'll see the 2010-11 CHL hockey season listed as an example of it! This is particularly interesting with the merging of two different leagues this year, as the IHL joined the CHL.

Now, I played in the United Hockey League with the Quad City Mallards, which was turned into the IHL with the addition of a couple of new expansion teams. At that time, they had a higher, looser salary cap, more veterans and more games played during the season. I had played in the CHL with the Oklahoma City Blazers before Quad City, so I had played in both leagues and had experience in each league (and since I spent most of my time in the penalty box or riding the pine on the bench I had a front row seat).

So, when I heard both leagues were combining to create one league I was concerned about the effect it would have on the parity of the CHL. With my experience in both leagues I had a personal opinion that the CHL was a better, slightly more skilled leagueand I was wrong.

Obviously if you look at the standings in the Turner Conference there has never been a tighter race for first place, or for that matter, last place. On any given night, with any team's win, loss or overtime loss, you can fall or jump 5 spots, making every night, every point, every game that much more important. In turn, you the fan, spending your hard-earned money on a ticket, is getting the highest level of competition, excitement, intensity and competition on every given night throughout the CHL.

Competition breeds your best performance in anything in life, and that's what it's going to take every night to see your team at the very top of the standings. So good luck, and bring your fight every night because it's going to be a parity.

The Good ol' Grind

We have reached the point in the hockey season where we're done with Santa, Christmas, family, food and a little break. All of the pre-Madonna, high-skilled players have had their pretty little All-Star break and settled back in. Now the reality of a long, hard finish of a grueling season, and fight for position in playoff seeding has set in.

Bumps on top of bruises and stitches on top of stitches begin to build up, and the body begins to feel its age. The excitement of playoffs is in view, but is so far away, and with every night, every point making such a difference in the standings, bringing your "A" game every night begins to become the true test of a champion.

When you look back on a season there are always those games/points you let slip through your fingers, and now more than ever with that increased parity in the league, every season can be won and lost on every night in the grind.

Especially with our boys on their longest road trip of the year, the ol' dog (a.k.a. Bus, referring to greyhound) starts to smell, arenas and hotels become a blur and look all the same, and your good friend and roommate begins to annoy you (even Ed McGrane, as likable as he is). But this is where you find out so much of the character, courage and strengths of your teammates and team.

So grind on Eagles, it will only make you stronger in the long run, and that cheap champagne will taste even sweeter when you're drinking it out of that championship cup!

As for me, you can follow my grind and recovery at "Team Borsheim" on Facebook. I look forward to your suggestions, topics, and comments. Go Eagles!

Small Steps. Big Prayers.

- Borsh 33 -

Friday, January 28; Eagles, Jones Overcome Szuper Effort in Arizona

PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. - The Colorado Eagles defeated the Arizona Sundogs, 4-1, in the first of three games in as many days at the Tim's Toyota Center. Colorado's third line accounted for two of their goals and Riley Nelson netted the other pair, powering the Eagles into a first place tie in the Turner Conference. The score could have easily been more lopsided if not for the work of Arizona goaltender Levente Szuper who stopped 38 of 42 shots; Kyle Jones was also stellar, stopping 34 of 35 for Colorado.

The teams played an evenly matched, fast-paced first period. Arizona held a slight edge in shots (11-8) and had the period's only power play. Despite the good flow, neither team scored, as both netminders were strong in net.

Both goalies were strong again in the second period, but unlike in the first, they were not impenetrable. At 4:38, Adam Chorneyko got the scoring started as the Eagles' third line continued to click since his return to the lineup. The rookie forward took a feed in the low slot from Dan Sullivan below the goal line to make it 1-0. The Sundogs tied the game up at 15:31 with a power-play goal when Patrick Schafer knocked home a loose puck from the crease.

But with 27 seconds left in the second stanza, Colorado converted on its first power play of the night to take a 2-1 lead into the third period. On the play, Kevin Ulanski threw the puck on net from the left wing boards and Nelson deflected it into the cage as Szuper tried to get back into position after going behind the net to play the puck.

Nelson made it 3-1 with his second goal in a row just 32 seconds into the third period. The Eagles' captain skated in on Szuper on a breakaway and had his first shot from the slot stopped, but was able to put home his own rebound from the left side of the crease. Then at 9:43, at the tail end of another strong shift for Colorado's third line, Sullivan made it 4-1 with a shot from between the circles.

Saturday, January 29; Colorado Comes Back for Third Win in a Row

PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. - The Colorado Eagles battled back again and again -- and again -- to earn a 6-4 win against the Arizona Sundogs. The victory, Colorado's third in a row, kept the Eagles in a first place tie in the tight Turner Conference. They'll wrap up their season-long, seven-game road trip Sunday afternoon with their third game in as many days in Arizona.

Arizona started strong with the opening goal two minutes in. The Eagles suffered a defensive breakdown in their own zone, allowing PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. - The Colorado Eagles battled back again and again -- and again -- to earn a 6-4 win against the Arizona Sundogs. The victory, Colorado's third in a row, kept the Eagles in a first place tie in the tight Turner Conference. They'll wrap up their season-long, seven-game road trip Sunday afternoon with their third game in as many days in Arizona. Arizona started strong with the opening goal two minutes in. The Eagles suffered a defensive breakdown in their own zone, allowing Joey Sides to walk in on Kyle Jones from the right dot and beat him top shelf. But at 10:26, Colorado tied the game when Kevin Ulanski beat Doug Groenestege from the right dot. In a statistical oddity, there were 46 penalty minutes in the first frame, but not a single power play.

The second period saw five combined goals and 16 shots per team. Karl Sellan made it 2-1 for the 'Dogs at 5:14 after collecting the puck along the left wing in the neutral zone, skating in on Jones and converting from the left faceoff dot. Just over two and a half minutes later, Kyle Hood was denied on a short-handed breakaway, but put Arizona up by two nonetheless with a great move on a questionable penalty shot ruling.

Colorado countered with a pair of their own goals, the second coming while short-handed as well. The first came at 11:03 when Ulanski sent a backhand pass from the right wing into the slot where Adam Chorneyko beat Groenestege from in close. And at 16:18 -- after an Arizona player fell down at the left point -- Steve Haddon and Aaron Schneekloth converted an odd-man rush to tie the game at 3. But four seconds after that Arizona power play expired, Billy Bezeau put the Sundogs back on top when Sides found him with a cross-slot pass, making it 4-3 heading into the second intermission.

The Eagles tied the game back up at 4 at 1:43 of the third period when former Sundog Matt Hanson picked up his first goal as an Eagle with a shot from the point. With five minutes left in the third, Arizona nearly got another short-handed goal to take the lead for a fourth time, but Sides was stopped by Jones on a 2-on-0 breakaway.

The All-Star netminder's teammates would make that save even more important moments later when, with the teams skating 4-on-4, Riley Nelson gave the Eagles their first lead of the night by swooping past the right side of the crease to put home a Schneekloth rebound after the defenseman unloaded a shot from the slot. Nelson would set up Daymen Rycroft for an empty-net goal with 39.5 seconds left in the game to ice the contest.

Sunday, January 30; Eagles Sweep 'Dogs, Stewart Gets 400th Win

PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. - The Colorado Eagles closed out their season-long, seven-game road trip with a 5-2 victory against the Arizona Sundogs. The win was Colorado's third in as many days against the 'Dogs and left them with a 5-2-0 record on their trek away from home. Riley Nelson picked up the team's fifth hat trick of the season, helping secure the 400th win in Head Coach Chris Stewart's CHL career; he ranks third on the league's all-time list.

Colorado out-shot Arizona 18-9 in the first period, but a late goal by the Sundogs -- on their ninth shot, in the final minute -- sent both teams to the first intermission tied at 1. Nelson opened the scoring at 8:42 when he carried the puck out from behind the Arizona net, circled into the low slot and beat Levente Szuper. But with 41 seconds left in the stanza, a turnover inside Colorado's blue line led to Patrick Schafer skating down the slot and finding a wide open Luke Erickson standing at the left side of the crease for a tap-in, tying goal.

Colorado continued to win the shot battle in the second period, out-shooting Arizona 21-11, but it was the Sundogs that appeared to get the second frame's first score when Jason Williams had an apparent goal waived off by referee Boone Bruggman. And just a minute later, Colorado went up 2-1 when Nelson got his second goal of the night four minutes in when Kevin Ulanski found him between the hash marks with a pass from along the left wing.

The Eagles made it 3-1 at 8:07 after Matt Glasser calmly controlled a loose puck in the high slot and found Steve Haddon skating through the left circle for a shot past Szuper. But Colorado would soon get into penalty trouble and the 'Dogs converted on a two-man advantage when a pass was deflected in the slot to Tyler Butler for a blast past Kyle Jones at 15:18.

Giving a strong push in the final frame, Arizona out-shot Colorado 15-10, but it was the Eagles that got the period's only goals. At 2:37, Ulanski snared the puck in the neutral zone and sent it to Nelson entering the offensive zone. The Eagles' captain took a shot from the left circle that was kicked out to the right circle for Daymen Rycroft to put home for a 4-2 lead.

As the period wound down, the Sundogs had their chances when Colorado again found itself in penalty trouble. But the 'Dogs couldn't take advantage, and it was Nelson who notched the fifth hat trick of his Eagles career (his first since the 2007-08 season) with an empty net shot from just outside his own blue line just before time expired.

Colorado returns to the Budweiser Events Center to take on the Missouri Mavericks on Wednesday, Feb. 2. In honor of Groundhog Day, the Eagles will be celebrating Adam Hogg; in addition to Groundhog Day themed entertainment, the first 2,500 fans will receive a bobblehead of the Eagles player.

The Week Ahead

Wednesday, Feb. 2; Eagles Play Only Home Game in 12-Game Span

Colorado comes home for a single game after a season-long, seven-game trip. The Eagles went 5-2-0 on the trip, winning their last four. After their meeting with the Missouri Mavericks on Groundhog Day, Colorado will head back on the road for another four contests. So far this season, Colorado is 1-2-0 against the Mavs, dropping both games played at the BEC.

Friday, Feb. 4 & Saturday, Feb. 5; Colorado Gets Back on the Bus With Pair in Odessa

The Eagles travel to Odessa for a pair of games against the Jackalopes. The Eagles have played the Jacks five times already this season, going 3-1-1, with each of the past three meetings being decided by a single goal (two after regulation). Colorado won the only previous meeting in Odessa this season, and holds an all-time record of 4-3-1 at the Ector County Coliseum. The weekend set will close out the season series between the two teams.

Notable Numbers

OLD DOG, NEW TRICK - Eagles captain Riley Nelson recorded eight points in Colorado's three game, weekend sweep of the Sundogs -- highlighted by two game-winning goals in the first two games and a hat trick in the third. He's the team's all-time leader in points against the 'Dogs, registering 56 points (22-34-56) in 30 games. The hat trick was the fifth for the Eagles this season and the 32nd in franchise history. Nelson has five of those 32, but this was his first since March 21, 2008!

WINNING WAYS - Sunday's win was the 400th for Eagles Head Coach Chris Stewart in his professional career, all coming in the CHL. The three-time league champion entered the season with the highest winning percentage in league history (.678) and trails only Doug Sauter (544) and Scott Muscutt (417) in wins. His record with Colorado is 237-92-28, good for a winning percentage of .686!

SWINGING BY THE HOUSE - After a season-long, seven game road trip (on which they went 5-2-0), Colorado will get a quick respite from the road with a home game Wednesday against the Missouri Mavericks. But they should probably just keep the bus in the parking lot, as the Eagles will head right back on the road for another four games before they can settle in back home. Six of their seven games after returning will be at the BEC.

TAKING MORE SHOTS - Colorado has been tossing tons of rubber on opposing nets recently, racking up 134 shots in the three games in Arizona over the weekend (an average of 45 per game), including a season high 49 on Sunday. The Eagles have actually recorded 40 or more shots in each of their past four games, and in seven of their past 12. Their season average for shots-per-game is 33.67.

SHOWING HIS STAR POWER - Over his past eight games -- all since starting in the CHL All-Star Game -- goaltender Kyle Jones has gone 6-2-0 with 15 goals allowed and a cumulative save percentage of .940 (233-248). He's on a four-game winning streak that has pushed his numbers back toward the top of the league's goalie charts: tied for 3rd in wins (17), 3rd in goals-against average (2.57) and 4th in save percentage (.921).

MOVEMENT AT THE TOP - With his eight-point weekend, Kevin Ulanski moved into fifth place on Colorado's all-time points list with 255 points (82-173-255). He passed defenseman Brad Williamson (251) and now trails Ed McGrane (347). Williamson will soon be knocked down to seventh as Aaron Schneekloth (246) is on his way to becoming the highest scoring defenseman in team history.

Check out the Colorado Eagles Statistics

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Central Hockey League Stories from January 31, 2011


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