ECHL Colorado Eagles

Colorado Eagles Weekly Update

Published on March 11, 2013 under ECHL (ECHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


LOVELAND, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles of the ECHL announced today the addition of rookie forward Paul Kirtland to their roster. Kirtland has played a total of seven games this season with two different ECHL clubs after spending the previous three seasons at Ohio State University.

While with the Buckeyes, the 5-foot-8-inch, 185-pound forward recorded three goals in 49 games over three seasons. He's nearly matched that production in just seven games in the ECHL, scoring a goal as a member of the Cincinnati Cyclones and as a member of the Kalamazoo Wings.

Tuesday, March 5; Robinson Leads Idaho Past Colorado, 4-2, in First of Pair

BOISE, Idaho - The Idaho Steelheads defeated the Colorado Eagles, 4-2, in the first of back-to-back meetings between the teams this week. Idaho's Josh Robinson stopped 39 shots -- including all 17 he faced in the third period -- in the win, which moved him into a second place tie with 22 on the season, most among rookies.

Wednesday, March 6; Eagles Split Set Against Steelheads With 2-1 Win

BOISE, Idaho - The Colorado Eagles defeated the Idaho Steelheads, 2-1, doing something they hadn't done all season, and something else most teams haven't done all season. The victory was Colorado's first against Idaho in the teams' eight-game season series, and just the Steelheads' 5th regulation loss at home through 31 games. Adam Brown stopped 25 of 26 shots in the win, as Colorado out-shot Idaho, 41-26.

Friday, March 8; Forney Plays Hero in Eagles' Comeback, OT Win in Utah

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah - The Colorado Eagles defeated the Utah Grizzlies, 4-3, in overtime in the first of three straight meetings between the rivals this weekend. Michael Forney moved within four goals and seven points of the ECHL lead in both categories with a three-point night (2-1-3) that included the game-tying goal in the third period & the game-winning goal just 15 seconds into the extra session.

Saturday, March 9; Grizzlies Hold On For 5-4 Win Over Eagles

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah - The Utah Grizzlies defeated the Colorado Eagles, 5-4, in a back-and-forth contest that's become common between the Mountain Division rivals. After the Eagles staged a comeback win Friday night, the Grizzlies were able to score a pair of goals less than half a minute apart to create enough cushion to keep the same from happening in the second of three straight meetings between the teams.

Sunday, March 10; Eagles Gain Point in Overtime Loss to Grizzlies

WEST VALLEY CITY, UTAH - The Utah Grizzlies scored a power-play goal in overtime to defeat the Colorado Eagles, 3-2. The game was the third between the rivals in less than three days and wrapped up a seven-game road trip for the Eagles, in which they earned seven points (3-3-1).

THE WEEK AHEAD

Wednesday, March 13, Friday, March 15, Saturday & March 16; Playoff Positioning at Stake In Set Against Las Vegas

Colorado returns home from its busiest road trip of the season to face the Las Vegas Wranglers in a three-game set with plenty of playoff seeding implications. The defending Western Conference playoff champs enter the week ranked 5th in the conference with a record of 31-27-5, one point ahead of the 6th place Eagles (30-27-6). So far this season, Colorado is 4-2-0 against the Wranglers, including a perfect 2-0-0 at the Budweiser Events Center. The last time the Eagles played the Wranglers at home, Chad Costello recorded the second shorthanded hat trick in Eagles & ECHL history, helping Kyle Jones take over the team's all-time wins record in the process!

NOTABLE NUMBERS

CLOSE CONTESTS - The closeness of the contests between the Eagles and the Grizzlies when playing in Utah is pretty remarkable. Of the 11 games played between the teams all-time at the Maverik Center, nine have been decided by just a single tally. Of those, five have gone past regulation, four of which went all the way to a shootout.

WELCOME BACK - The ECHL's reigning MVP, Chad Costello, is scheduled to return to the team this week following the longest AHL stint of his career. Costello was leading the league in points (49) & assists (35) in just 27 games before he was called-up to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in mid-December. In 21 games with Bridgeport, Costello registered a dozen points (3-9-12).

GOOD TO BE HOME - Colorado just completed its busiest road trip of the season, playing seven games in a span of 10 days, in four different cities. They compiled a record of 3-3-1 on the trip, an overall improvement on their sub-.500 road record on the whole. They will not undoubtedly be glad to be back in the friendly confines of the Budweiser Events Center where they have established one of the league's best home ice advantages with a record of 19-8-3.

PLAYOFF POSITIONING - With three weeks left in the regular season, Colorado sits in 6th place in the Western Conference, one point behind Las Vegas and seven points behind Stockton (with two games in hand). While the Eagles and Wranglers three-game set this week will go a long way toward the final playoff seeding between the teams, the Thunder will be hosting the San Francisco Bulls on Wednesday before playing a home-and-home series with the Ontario Reign this weekend along with a Sunday matinee game against the Bakersfield Condors.

THIS WEEK'S SERIES - With so much at stake during this week's three-game set against the Las Vegas Wranglers, Colorado can find confidence in the fact that they've gone 4-2-0 against the defending Western Conference playoff champs this season, including 2-0-0 at the Budweiser Events Center. In addition, Las Vegas has been slumping a little bit lately, going just 4-6-0 in their past 10 games.

BIGGEST WINNERS - The Eagles top four scorers in the all-time series against Las Vegas will be healthy and in the lineup for this week's set of games against the Wranglers. Michael Forney has 15 points in as many games, Chad Costello has 13 points in seven games, Kevin Ulanski has 13 points in 15 games, and Steve Haddon has 11 points in 13 games.

NEEDING A CHARGE - Colorado's top-ranked power play was power-less over the weekend in Utah, netting just one goal on 10 tries and going without a tally in the final two games of the three-game set (despite several quality scoring chances). The unit will likely get a charge with the addition of Chad Costello, who is tied for 3rd on the team in power-play points (20) despite playing in just 27 games -- none since Dec. 15.

FORNEY'S ON FIRE - Michael Forney has been on fire recently, which has pushed him right into the mix for the league's points and goals titles. The Eagles' leading point-producer has scored 10 goals & 17 points in his past 12 games -- including a pair of three-point performances over the weekend that have him looking like the favorite to win the league's Player of the Week honor. His 33 goals and 69 points on the season each rank 3rd in the ECHL. In addition, his recent surge has pushed him into a tie for 13th on the team's all-time points list with Chris Hartsburg & Seth Leonard.

MILESTONES - Several Eagles are nearing statistical milestones as the regular season nears its end. Steve Haddon is two goals away from 100 for his Eagles career, Jason Beatty is one point away from setting a new season high, Aaron Schneekloth is two points away from passing Ed McGrane for 5th place on the team's all-time list, and Michael Forney is five points away from passing Fraser Filipic for 12th place.

IMPRESSIVE PRODUCTION - Kevin Ulanski notched his 400th point with Colorado on Sunday afternoon, one game shy of his 300th in an Eagles jersey. In other words, Ulanski has averaged 1.3 points/game during his career in Colorado. He is just 17 points away from passing Ryan Tobler for 3rd place on the team's all-time points list.

OTHER HAPPENINGS

Pot Of Gold - Help change the luck of the Love family this Saturday in our second annual Pot of Gold community fundraiser. Fans can help by simply buying a special ticket, by donating at the game, or by bidding on the special Irish-themed jerseys up for auction that night. Click the following link for complete details!

Scout Night - Our 2nd and final Scout Night of the season will be taking place this Wednesday, March 13. If you're involved in scouting (boy or girl), be sure to get your group together and take advantage of this special night in your honor. Benefits include special pre-game access, reduced-price tickets and a special edition Colorado Eagles patch!

Fan-Wagon - With a spot in the Kelly Cup Playoffs secured, we want you to join our "Fan-Wagon" as we make a final push toward the postseason. Check out www.ColoradoEagles.com for more information on a special "Fan-Wagon" package that includes tickets to the final two regular season home games AND the first playoff game at the BEC!

Kids Club Coloring Contest - Hey Kids! Enter our Coloring Contest and you could win a plush puppy in an autographed Wendy's Kids Club jersey, along with your very own Easter basket full of goodies! Click the following link to access the coloring page. Completed pages must be received by March 20th.

March MAN-ness Men's Health - We've teamed up with University of Colorado Health to promote men's health awareness as part of their March MAN-ness program. The Eagles will be wearing special jerseys during pre-game warm-ups at home this month to help raise awareness for the cause, and one lucky fan will win Aaron Schneekloth's jersey at the final home game of the regular season (Fan Appreciation Night)! ( www.marchmanness.org )

Fans' Vision All-Decade Team - We're down to the final spot on the Fans' Vision All-Decade Team, presented by the Eye Laser Center of Northern Colorado -- the goalie!. Make sure your voice is heard by voting prior to March 18. Those who vote, will not only help decide this historic team, but they could win an awesome prize, highlighted by FREE LASIK!

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