'Dogs Fall 4-3 in Overtime for Second Straight Night, Maintain Hold on Final Playoff Spot

Published on February 26, 2011 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Arizona Sundogs News Release


PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. - For the second consecutive night, the Arizona Sundogs fought back from a two-goal deficit to force overtime only to fall short in the extra frame, 4-3 to the Odessa Jackalopes Saturday night at the Ector County Coliseum in Odessa, Texas.

Odessa's Jeff Pierce tallied the game winner with 1:54 remaining in the overtime session.

Arizona is now winless in 11 straight road games (0-7-3).

Despite the loss, the Sundogs (19-26-8) maintain their hold on the Berry Conference's eighth and final playoff spot, three points ahead of the Laredo Bucks.

Stretching his club's lead to two, Todd Robinson looked to have put the game out of reach with his second goal of the contest with 2:49 remaining in regulation but Luke Erickson and Cam Keith each found the back of the net in the game's closing moments, tying the game at three.

Erickson's third goal in two games 37 seconds after Robinson's tally closed Arizona back to within one and Keith collected his second goal of the game with Levente Szuper off the ice in favor on an extra attacker with 65 seconds remaining in the contest.

Skating on defense for the second straight night with Jim Driscoll out of the lineup, Hood extended his point streak to four games with an assist on the late equalizer.

Odessa needed just 17 seconds to jump out to a 1-0 lead Saturday night as Sebastien Thinel and Robinson entered the offensive zone 2-on-1 leading to the early tally. Collecting a Thinel pass at the top of the left circle, Robinson earned his 22nd goal of the year beating Levente Szuper on the first shot of the game.

Thinel finished with three assists and a plus-1 rating.

David McKee preserved his club's one-goal cushion later in the opening frame, diving across the goal crease to deny an Erickson one-time effort.

Keith knotted the score at one 3:42 into the second period with a harmless centering attempt that fooled McKee, slipping beneath the netminder's leg pads.

Alex Dunn reclaimed a one-goal lead for Odessa just shy of the third period's four-minute mark. Szuper got a piece of the effort with his glove but the puck bounced off the post and across the goal line.

Referee Dan Dreger whistled the two teams for seven combined penalties in the first period. Arizona was 0-for-2 with the man advantage while Odessa was scoreless on five power plays including two consecutive shortened 5-on-3 chances in the period. The Sundogs held the Jackalopes without a goal on eight power play chances on the night and finished 1-for-6 with the man advantage.

Arizona closes out a five-game road trip with its third game in as many days tomorrow afternoon at 3:00pm (Arizona time) against Laredo. Listen to the game live online at www.cattlecountryradio.com and on KDDL ‘Cattle Country' 94.3FM, the Official Radio Home of Arizona Sundogs Hockey.

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Central Hockey League Stories from February 26, 2011


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