CHL Colorado Eagles

Colorado Eagles Weekly Update

Published on May 2, 2011 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


Week in Review

Tuesday, April 26; Special Playoff Pepsi 4-Packs!

Eagles Fans,

The Colorado Eagles have teamed up with Pepsi & Ovations Food Services to offer a special family-friendly value for Game 3 of the Turner Conference Finals on Tuesday, May 3rd. For just $88*, you can get 4 Tickets, 4 Hotdogs, 4 Drinks, & 4 Bags of Chips.

* - Pepsi 4-Pack tickets are for limited sections only. Limited number of seats available. Service charges may apply.

Individual tickets for Eagles home playoff 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).

Thursday, April 28; FlyBall Dogs to Perform During Game 4 on May 5th

Eagles Fans,

Back by popular demand, the RUFF Flyball Dogs will be performing during the first intermission of Game 4 of the Turner Conference Finals on May 5th. The non-profit club, which features teams of dogs racing in relay fashion, performed previously during the Feb. 19th Eagles game and was a big hit with the crowd.

Friday, April 29; Eagles Calling for a Whiteout at the BEC; Fans Encouraged to Wear White to Home Games vs. Rush

Eagles Fans,

We're calling for a whiteout at all home games during the Turner Conference Finals, and we need you to participate! Help the Eagles "Flush The Rush" right out of the playoffs and show your support by wearing white to games at the Budweiser Events Center during this round of the playoffs.

In addition to that white Eagles jersey or t-shirt you might already own, we're here to help as well! We'll be selling specially-priced, $15 Eagles T's just for the occasion (available at the merchandise stand starting May 3), as well as handing out white pom-poms to every fan. So wear your white and help the Eagles in their pursuit of another Presidents' Cup...because Nothing Else Matters!

Friday, April 29; Rush Take 1-0 Series Lead in Turner Conference Finals

RAPID CITY, S.D. - The defending Central Hockey League champion Rapid City Rush took a 1-0 series lead with a 3-1 win over the Colorado Eagles in Game 1 of the Turner Conference Finals. The rivals played a low-scoring game before Rapid City added an empty-net goal in the final seconds to account for the final score. Rapid City out-shot Colorado 18-10 in the first period, while going 1-3 on the power play to take a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. The score could have easily been more lopsided if not for the stellar work of Kyle Jones in Colorado's net.

On the opening period's lone score, Les Reaney took over the league lead in goals at 13:52 when he received a diagonal pass through the offensive zone from Vladimir Hartinger and unleashed a shot from low in the right circle.

The second period saw much of the same as the Rush out-shot the Eagles 13-6 and got the only goal. At 5:33, Jesse Schultz sent a long lead pass to spring a rush into the offensive zone. After a drop pass between the circles, Jones was able to stop Reaney, but couldn't prevent Josh Beaulieu from sweeping in the rebound.

Colorado finally got on the board at 4:08 of the third period when Steve Haddon, stationed on the doorstep, deflected an Adam Chorneyko shot from atop the right circle on the Eagles' third-and-final power play opportunity of the night.

With Jones pulled for an extra attacker as the Eagles tried to tie the game late in the final frame, Colt King scored into the empty net from the right wing boards to ice the game for the home team.

Saturday, April 30; Eagles Even Series With 4-3 Win

RAPID CITY, S.D. - The Colorado Eagles evened their Turner Conference Finals series against the Rapid City Rush at one game apiece with a 4-3 win at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. The penalty-filled game between the rival clubs was chippy throughout, with three goals -- including the game-winner -- coming on power plays. Colorado used a pair of goals from Adam Hogg to build a 2-0 lead early in the first period, but the Rush would answer in the second half of the frame with three goals of their own, using traffic in front of Andrew Penner to help take the lead.

Hogg opened the scoring at 6:36 after taking the puck into the offensive zone and angling toward the left midboards before chipping it behind the net. Adam Chorneyko picked it up there and sent it to Steve Haddon at the right side of the low slot before Haddon found Hogg again with a back-door pass for a one-timer past Tim Boron. And just under two minutes later, Hogg picked up his second goal by putting home a Haddon rebound from the doorstep.

But at 10:56, Riley Weselowski cut Colorado's lead in half when Konrad Reeder took a pass from Colt King and circled behind the Eagles' net before finding Weselowski in the high slot for a shot past Penner.

And just under two minutes after that, Rapid City tied the game when Derek LeBlanc was able to pick up a loose puck at the right side of the crease and quickly put it into the cage. Then, at 16:03, Kevin Harvey deflected a Weselowski shot from the right point to make it 3-2 for the home team.

The Eagles carried the majority of the second period's momentum, out-shooting the Rush 13-7, and tying the game at 3 with the frame's only goal. That tally came at 8:23 after Dan Sullivan took the puck hard to the net and Aaron Schneekloth swooped in to poke home the rebound from the right side of the crease.

Both goaltenders were stellar in the third period, with Penner stonewalling the Rush on several power play chances, and Boron stopping CHL MVP Riley Nelson on a shorthanded breakaway midway through the period.

But with the Eagles working a 4-on-3 power play late in the frame, Kevin Ulanski -- who led the league in the regular season with 11 game-winning goals -- wasted little time (just eight seconds) into the advantage, scoring the deciding marker at 16:59.

Games 3 & 4 of the best-of-seven series will be played Tuesday, May 3 & Thursday, May 5 at the Budweiser Events Center. Game 5 will be back in Rapid City on Saturday, May 7.

The Week Ahead

Tuesday, May 3 (Game 3), Thursday, May 5 (Game 4) & Saturday, May 7 (Game 5); Turner Conference Finals Continue Between Colorado & Rapid City After splitting the first two games in South Dakota, the Eagles and Rush will play Games 3 & 4 of the best-of-seven Turner Conference Finals in Colorado during the week before the series shifts back to Rapid City for Game 5 on Saturday. If necessary, Games 6 & 7 would then flip-flop between Colorado and South Dakota once more. The winner of the series will earn a spot in the Ray Miron Presidents' Cup Finals against the winner of the Allen Americans & Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs series (currently tied at 1 game apiece).

Notable Numbers

FEELING RIGHT AT HOME - With their win in Game 2, Colorado handed Rapid City its first home loss of the 2011 playoffs, but that shouldn't come as much of a surprise. The Eagles should have plenty of confidence playing at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center after going 4-2-0 there during the regular season and owning an all-time record of 9-6-2 in the building.

OVERCOME THE INITIAL RUSH - The Eagles need a strong effort out of the gates in the Turner Conference Finals against the Rapid City Rush, as the defending champs lead the league in first period goals, having scored 18 of their 38 total tallies in the initial frame of the game. Rapid City has also scored the game's opening goal seven times (most in the league) and are a playoff best 6-1 when scoring first.

THE GOOD GUYS VS. THE BAD GUYS - The Eagles have the lowest penalty minute average of any team left in the 2011 playoffs, ranking 12th overall at just 13.6 PIMs-per-game. The Rush, on the other hand, have the highest penalty minute average of any team left in the postseason at 23.1 PIMs-per-game.

STRONG IN NET - Colorado's netminders should prove to be a strength in this series as Andrew Penner is on top of his game, having risen to the top of the league in the playoffs, ranking in the top three in every statistical category. His partner between the pipes, Kyle Jones, posted equally-outstanding stats during the regular season, especially against the Rush, going 8-1-0 with a 1.91 GAA and a .942 SV%. Combined, the Eagles have the lowest goals-against per game in the 2011 playoffs at just 2.40.

A POWERFUL NEW FEELING - The Eagles have scored 10 power-play goals in the 2011 playoffs, and exactly half of them have come from players with no previous power-play tallies on their playoff resumes. Steve Haddon, in fact, leads the team -- and is tied for the league lead -- with four power-play goals after never scoring on the power play in four previous playoff runs. Adam Hogg, who recorded the first nine power-play goals of his career during the regular season, picked up his first in the playoffs on Saturday.

CLUTCH PERSONIFIED - Kevin Ulanski led the entire CHL during the regular season with 11 game-winning goals, and so far in the playoffs, the 2009-10 CHL MVP has proven that his clutch scoring hasn't run out. Ulanski leads the team with two game-winners through 10 playoff games (seven wins), and is tied for second-most in the league.

Check out the Colorado Eagles Statistics

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Central Hockey League Stories from May 2, 2011


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