CHL Colorado Eagles

Colorado Eagles Weekly Update

Published on March 21, 2011 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


The Central Hockey League (CHL) announced on Tuesday the five finalists for the CHL Man of the Year award. Teams nominated one player from their clubs and provided support materials detailing that player's role within the local community. Of those submissions, five finalists were selected with the winner to be announced on Tuesday, March 22.

The CHL Man of the Year award is 'presented annually to the Central Hockey League player adjudged to have best exemplified strong leadership qualities on and off the ice, while making significant and noteworthy humanitarian contributions to his community'.

The five finalists for the 2011 CHL Man of the Year award are Adam Hogg of the Colorado Eagles, Liam Huculak of the Allen Americans, Jeff Jakaitis of the Dayton Gems, Zak McClellan of the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees and Simon Watson of the Missouri Mavericks.

2011 CHL Man of the Year Finalists Adam Hogg, Colorado Liam Huculak, Allen Jeff Jakaitis, Dayton Zak McClellan, Rio Grande Valley Simon Watson, Missouri

CHL Man of the Year (previous winners, since 2001) 2010 - Justin Quenneville (Corpus Christi) 2009 - Austin Sutter (Amarillo) 2008 - Stacey Bauman (Oklahoma City) 2007 - Riley Nelson (Colorado) 2006 - Paul Fioroni (Lubbock) 2005 - Paul Fioroni (Lubbock) 2004 - Don Parsons (Memphis) 2003 - Anthony Donskov (Lubbock) 2002 - Scott Hillman (Odessa)

Tuesday, March 15; Eagles Power Past Rush in Fight for First Place

RAPID CITY, S.D. - The Colorado Eagles defeated the rival Rapid City Rush, 7-3, on the strength of four power play goals. The win puts the two teams in a tie for first place in the Turner Conference, however Colorado has a game in hand. With the win, the Eagles went 9-3-0 in the season series against the defending champs.

Colorado jumped out to a 2-0 lead in just over six minutes. The Eagles struck first at 1:31 on the power play when Scott May was able to put home an Adam Chorneyko rebound from the right side of the crease. And the two connected again at 6:06 when May found Chorneyko down the left wing on a 3-on-2 rush before the rookie forward beat Danny Battochio from below the left circle.

After the Eagles had out-shot the Rush 13-7 in the first period, four power plays helped Rapid City to a 12-6 shot advantage in the second period. It was Colorado, however, that struck first with its second power-play goal (in as many chances) on the night. At 4:32, Adam Hogg, stationed in front of the net, was able to deflect a Kyle Peto point shot past Battochio.

Tim Boron then replaced Battochio in net for the Rush after the latter had stopped 13 of 16 shots in 24:32 of action. It marked the second game in a row between the two teams that the Eagles had chased the CHL's reigning Rookie of the Year.

Rapid City, however, was awarded a full 5-on-3 shortly thereafter, and it took them just 18 seconds to take advantage and get on the scoreboard. At 6:27, Colt King poked home a rebound off a Brendon Hodge blast from the left point. Colorado went back up by three at 13:31 when Daymen Rycroft swooped through the slot and cleaned up a Kevin Ulanski rebound. But at 18:44, Gio Flamminio sent the puck on net from the right point and Scott Wray was able to deflect it past Kyle Jones to cut the Eagles lead in half heading into the third period.

Rapid City drew within a goal at 1:08 of the third period when Wray got his second goal in a row off another deflection in front of the net -- this one off a Dave Grimson point blast. But that's as close as the Rush would get as May picked up his second goal of the night -- and made Colorado a perfect 3-for-3 on the power play -- with a nearly identical goal as his first, midway through the final frame.

The Eagles continued to pull away, making it 6-3 at 14:12, when May won a faceoff in the left circle of the offensive zone and Dan Sullivan tipped home a Peto blast from the point. Chorneyko capped off the scoring with his second goal of the game at 17:24 when he took a pass from Ulanski and skated to the high slot before picking his spot past Boron for the Eagles' fourth power-play marker.

With the score 7-3, a series of fights broke out in the final minute of play between the heated rivals.

Wednesday, March 16; Ulanski, Jones Lead Eagles into Sole Possession of First - Eagles, Fans Celebrate 300th Consecutive Sellout in Style

LOVELAND, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles defeated the Laredo Bucks, 5-0, in the Eagles' regular season home finale, which also happened to be the 300th consecutive sellout (including playoffs) in franchise history -- continuing Colorado's minor pro hockey record. Kevin Ulanski had five points on the night (2-3-5) while Kyle Jones recorded his third shutout of the season, pushing Colorado into sole possession of first place in the Turner Conference.

The Eagles got on the board quickly when Jason Beatty struck with a slap-shot from the left point off a faceoff win in the right circle. The Bucks had plenty of puck possession in the period, but struggled to get shots on net (getting their first at the six minute mark). Despite having the only three power plays of the opening frame, Laredo managed just two shots with the man advantage.

Colorado out-shot Laredo 13-7 in the second stanza and struck for three goals to take a 4-0 lead into the final frame. At 7:24, Ulanski set up Joe Grimaldi for a shot from atop the right circle, and Daymen Rycroft ended up being in the right place at the right time as the rebound was kicked right out to him in the low slot.

The Eagles made it 3-0 at 15:15 when Riley Nelson sent a pass across the top of the circles to Ulanski, who then found Grimaldi crashing the slot. Grimaldi skated in on Pier Pelletier and picked his spot top-shelf.

And just 31 seconds later -- after Nelson started the play out of his own end with a nifty move -- Kyle Peto hit Ulanski cutting to the crease. Ulanski was able to put home his own rebound, making it 4-0 heading into the second intermission.

At 15:24 of the third, Ulanski picked up his fifth point of the night -- becoming the second Eagle in as many nights to record a 5-point night -- with his second goal of the game. Nelson pulled up at the top of the right circle and found the CHL's reigning MVP skating through the left circle. Ulanski then beat the Bucks' goalie from in close to make it 5-0. Ulanski had recorded a total of five points (all assists) in his four previous meetings against Laredo all-time.

Jones stopped all seven of Laredo's shots in the third, giving him 25 saves on the night. It was his third shutout of the season and the 33rd regular season shutout in franchise history. The win was his 26th on the year, tying him with Danny Battochio for the league lead.

Thursday, March 17; Eagles Playoff Fly-Off: With Travel Agent Panks

Eagles Fans, To help celebrate the upcoming CHL playoffs, we've teamed up with Allegiant Airlines to award a lucky fan with FREE airline tickets*! Throughout the day on Monday, March 21st, Assistant Coach Greg Pankewicz will be at different locations (outlined below) throughout Northern Colorado, helping fans register for their chance to win. Second and Third place winners will win FREE 2011 playoff tickets! The registration process is simple: Just meet "Panks" at any of the specified locations (below) during the day, fill out the registration card he provides (or drop off your business card), and you're entered for a chance to win roundtrip tickets on Allegiant Airlines. The second-place winner will receive a pair of tickets to Games 1 & 2 of the upcoming CHL playoffs. The third-place winner will receive a pair of tickets to Game 1 (dates, times and opponents are TBD). Fans can enter their name at each of the five locations throughout the day to increase their chances of winning, but only one entry per person, per location will be accepted. Our radio home, 107.9 The Bear, will be helping fans keep up with Panks throughout the day, announcing his locations and helping to inform winners. The 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place winners will be drawn at the end of the day Monday during the final segment of the Colorado Eagles Coach's Show at Lucky Joe's in Ft. Collins. Fans that are not in attendance can tune in to find out if they've won (sometime between 6:45 and 7 p.m.). You do not need to be present at Lucky Joe's to win; winners will be contacted via their registration information. Only fully-completed/legible entry cards (or business cards) will qualify.

Greg Pankewicz's Monday Schedule: 8:30-9:30: Greeley - Starbucks on 9th St. & 43rd Ave. 10:15-11:15: Windsor - King Soopers Noon-1:15: Ft. Collins - Qdoba on College & Harmony 3:30-4:30: Loveland - Dick's Sporting Goods (Centerra) 6-6:15: Ft. Collins - Lucky Joe's (entries not accepted after 6:15) *Must be at least 18 years of age to win airline tickets. --- Playoff tickets for all home games at the Budweiser Events Center go on sale Friday, March 18 at 10 a.m. Game dates, times and opponent are yet to be determined, as final playoff seedings won't be known until the end of the regular season (March 27). Stay tuned to www.ColoradoEagles.com for the latest playoff information. Playoff tickets will start at $18 (plus applicable fees), and can be purchased online at www.ComcastTix.com, over the phone at 1-877-544-TIXX (8499), at the Budweiser Events Center box office or at any ComcastTix outlet.

*Eagles Season Ticket Holders* Please use your RED, ROUND 1 playoff tickets, located at the back of your ticket books. Since the first round of the playoffs is a best-of-five format, no more than three games can be played at the BEC; Round 1 Games 1-3 coincide with tickets for Round 1 Game A, B, & C respectively in your ticket books.

Friday, March 18; Chorneyko Named to All-Rookie Team

(LEAGUE RELEASE - TEMPE, AZ - March 18, 2011) - The Central Hockey League (CHL) announced today the six member All-Rookie Team for the 2010-11 season, selected through balloting of all 18 CHL head coaches. Receiving recognition on the team are forwards (LEAGUE RELEASE - TEMPE, AZ - March 18, 2011) - The Central Hockey League (CHL) announced today the six member for the 2010-11 season, selected through balloting of all 18 CHL head coaches. Receiving recognition on the team are forwards Adam Chorneyko of Colorado, Aaron Lewicki of Rio Grande Valley and Gary Steffes of Tulsa. They are joined by defensemen Alan Mazur of Bloomington and David Strathman of Allen and goaltender Wayne Savage of Texas.

2010-2011 All-Rookie Team F: Adam Chorneyko, Colorado Eagles F: Aaron Lewicki, Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees F: Gary Steffes, Tulsa Oilers D: Alan Mazur, Bloomington PrairieThunder D: David Strathman, Allen Americans G: Wayne Savage, Texas Brahmas

Adam Chorneyko, Forward (Colorado Eagles): Adam Chorneyko is tied for sixth among all rookies in scoring with 30 points (13-1730). He has played the fewest games among all rookies (37 GP) on the team as he did not sign with the Eagles until early December. After scoring just four points (1-34) in his first 13 games with the Eagles, the St. Albert, Alberta native caught fire recording seven goals and four assists in his next eight games. Since that time, Chorneyko has been a consistent threat playing solid two-way hockey and having a plus or even rating in a majority of the games he plays.

Aaron Lewicki, Forward (Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees): Aaron Lewicki has been a constant offensive threat for the Killer Bees since he had seven points (3-47) and was a +6 in the teams first seven games of the season. The Livona, Michigan native led all players in the voting process appearing on 16 of the 18 submitted ballots and was selected as a member of the 2011 CHL All-Star Team. Lewicki currently leads all rookies in scoring with 50 points and 22 goals. The former Ferris State player has recorded five multiple-goal games and is tied for third in scoring for the Killer Bees. His four game winning goals are tied for the most among first year players and his strong play earned him a call-up to the Houston Aeros (AHL) earlier in the season.

Gary Steffes, Forward (Tulsa Oilers): Gary Steffes has played a big part in the resurgence of the Tulsa Oilers and them making the playoffs for the first time in a handful of years. The Grand Blanc, Michigan native is third among all first year players in scoring with 37 points (15-2237) and among the rookie leaders with four power play goals and 15 goals overall. After a four year career at the University of Miami (Ohio), Steffes jumped right into his pro career scoring two goals in his second professional game.

Alan Mazur, Defenseman (Bloomington PrairieThunder): Alan Mazur has stepped up and become one of the top defensive players on one of the top defensive teams in the league. The first year defenseman is third among all rookie d-men in scoring with 29 points (6-2329) and his +10 plus/minus rating is fifth among all freshmen players. After a high-scoring college career at R.I.T., the Burnaby, British Columbia native hasn't slowed down a bit ranking as the top scoring defensemen on the PrairieThunder.

David Strathman, Defenseman (Allen Americans): David Strathman became one of the top threats on the best team in the CHL quickly during his rookie season after he recorded a six-game point streak in mid-November. The former Northeaster University star leads all rookie defensemen in scoring with 40 points (13-2740) and ranks second overall among all rookie players. The Tempe, Arizona native played for the CHL All-Star Team in January and shortly after went on a tear scoring 11 points (3-811) over an eight game stretch, he was also a +7 during that span.

Wayne Savage, Goaltender (Texas Brahmas): Wayne Savage was recruited by the Brahmas after playing at the University of Prince Edward Island last season and during his first professional weekend stopped 83 of 88 shots (.943 save percentage) showing his talent. The St. Thomas, Ontario native is 20-14-3 on the season with a 2.84 goals against average and a .912 save percentage. The first year net minder had a torrid month of February going 9-3-0 allowing just 27 goals over that stretch.

The All-CHL Team will be announced on Monday, March 21 and the CHL Most Valuable Player recipient will be announced on Monday, March 28.

2011 CHL Awards that have already been announced are: CHL Athletic Trainer of the Year - George Bullock, Jr, Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs CHL Gunner Garrett Equipment Manager of the Year - Romeo Vivit, Rapid City Rush

Friday, March 18; Jones' Records Second Straight Shutout as Eagles Top 'Dogs

PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. - The Colorado Eagles shut-out the Arizona Sundogs, 2-0 in the first of back-to-back games this weekend. The red-hot Kevin Ulanski (12 points in his past six games) picked up his league-leading 10th game-winning goal early in the first period, and Dan Sullivan added an insurance tally early in the second to account for the game's only goals. After a 25-save shutout against Laredo on Wednesday, Kyle Jones extended his steak of perfection to 138:52.

Ulanski got the only goal Colorado would need on their first shot of the game at 2:05 of the first period. Jones stood firm in net, stopping every attempt by the Sundogs, with 11 saves going into the first break of the evening.

Sullivan made it 2-0 with another early-period strike by capitalizing on a back-door play at 1:52 of the second period. Jones again stopped 11 Sundogs' shots in the second, with his biggest save coming when he stone-walled All-Star Joey Sides on a penalty shot attempt. Arizona's netminder, Levente Szuper, who was also strong on the night, stopped 13 of 14 Eagles' shots during the second period.

Arizona out-shot Colorado 14-7 in the final frame, but the Eagles were able to hold off the 'Dogs attack, helping Jones to the first back-to-back shutouts in franchise history by the same goaltender. The Eagles had multiple good scoring chances of their own during the third period, but Szuper was able to stifle them and keep the game close.

Saturday, March 19; Ulanski's Hat Trick Helps Eagles Stay on Top of Turner Conference

PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. - The Colorado Eagles maintained their lead in the Turner Conference with an 8-4 win against the Arizona Sundogs. Kevin Ulanski continued his torrid pace (15 points in his past seven games), with a third period hat trick that included his second game-winning goal in as many nights.

The Eagles took a 3-0 lead in the first frame with a flurry of goals during the period's second half. Adam Chorneyko picked up the opening tally at 13:14 when he took a feed from Dan Sullivan behind the net and roofed a shot from the doorstep. Adam Hogg made it 2-0 just 51 seconds later by knocking home a loose puck from the right side of the 'Dogs' cage. Riley Nelson then made it 3-0 at 16:52 with a power-play goal from the low slot just four seconds into a power play.

The Sundogs stormed back in the second stanza -- with the help of a penalty shot and a pair of power-play goals -- but the Eagles answered with a man-advantage marker of their own, taking a 4-3 lead into the final frame.

Arizona got its first goal at 5:45 of the second period when Jason Visser beat Kyle Jones on a penalty shot, snapping the Eagles' netminder's scoreless streak at 164:37 after posting shutouts in his past two games.

The 'Dogs tied the game up by taking advantage of a Joe Grimaldi double-minor, cashing in on power-play goals 29 seconds apart midway through the second session. Mark Kolanos picked up the first on a shallow-angle shot from below the right circle, while Patrick Schafer's came off a deflection.

Colorado, however, would re-gain the lead by taking advantage of an Arizona double-minor when Hogg picked up his second score of the game at 12:47 with a "garbage goal" from the doorstep.

The Eagles stretched their lead to 5-3 at 8:53 of the third period when Ulanski scored from in front of the net. But the feisty 'Dogs kept coming as Kolanos got his second score of the game less than two minutes later by putting a rebound past Jones.

From there, the red-hot Ulanski took the game into his own hands, netting two more goals at 11:19 and 15:33 to record his third hat trick of the season. Scott May would add an eighth Eagles goal at 17:18 by knocking home his own rebound to ice the contest.

The Week Ahead

Friday, March 25 & Saturday, March 26; Eagles Wrap Up Regular Season With Pair Against Komets The Eagles will look to continue their four-game winning streak -- and maintain the top spot in the Turner Conference -- when they end the regular season with a pair of games in Fort Wayne. Colorado took the first and only meeting against the Komets, 6-1, on March 11th. This weekend could easily turn into a preview of a first round playoff match-up as the Eagles hold a two-point lead in the conference, while the Komets are tied for the eighth-and-final playoff spot.

Notable Numbers

POSSIBLE PLAYOFF PREVIEW - The Eagles enter the final week of the regular season in first place in the Turner Conference, owning a two-point lead over Rapid City. Fort Wayne and Dayton are tied for the eighth-and-final playoff spot with 65 points. Colorado will close out the season with a pair of games against the Komets this weekend in what could be a potential first round playoff match-up. The Eagles won the only prior meeting against Fort Wayne, 6-1. PRIMED FOR THE PLAYOFFS - Kevin Ulanski has been on quite a tear recently, accumulating 15 points (7-8-15) during his current seven-game point streak. Included in that streak has been a five-point game, a hat trick and a pair of game-winning goals (increasing his league lead in that category to 11). His surge has also pushed him into the team lead in points (93) and into third place overall in the CHL. HOME FOR THE FIRST ROUND - The Eagles have wrapped-up one of the top four seeds in the Turner Conference, securing home ice advantage in at least the first round of the playoffs. Colorado is looking to lock-up home ice throughout the playoffs by holding on to the top spot they currently occupy with 82 points (39-21-4). Playoff opponents and dates will be announced as soon as they are determined. AND THE NOMINEES ARE... - The Eagles have three players up for the CHL's yearly awards. Riley Nelson is a finalist for the league's MVP award. Kyle Jones is a finalist for the Most Outstanding Goaltender. And Adam Hogg is a finalist to be named the CHL's Man of the Year. The winners of each league award will be announced within the next week. OTHER AWARDS - Adam Chorneyko became just the fourth player in franchise history to be named to the CHL's All-Rookie Team; he joins Tyler Weiman and Kevin Marsh (2004-05) along with Craig Strain (2006-07). Riley Nelson also picked up an honor, being named to the All-CHL Team for the third straight season.

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Central Hockey League Stories from March 21, 2011


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