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Colorado Eagles

Eagles Beat Odds, Blazers to Cap Off 2008

December 30, 2008 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


Oklahoma City, Okla. - In what's shaping into a classic series this season, the Colorado Eagles defeated the Oklahoma City Blazers, 4-3, in another close contest that took more than 60 minutes to decide. This one took overtime to finish, while both previous meetings this season between the two Northern Conference powers ended in shootouts.

Colorado avoided losing back-to-back games for the first time all season by battling back with three unanswered goals in just over the final eight minutes of play. Andrew Penner, meanwhile, improved his league-leading win total to 15 and hasn't lost a game in regulation since Nov. 1 -- the team's first loss of the season. The Eagles not only overcame the Northeast Conference leaders, but they overcame a sluggish first period and a power-play discrepancy of 2:7, with none in the final half of the game.

The ice was tilted heavily in the Blazers' favor in the first -- as almost all of the period's pressure was applied to Penner and the Eagles -- and the 15-5 edge in shots could have been much worse if not for the solid job done by Colorado's defensemen of clearing bodies and loose pucks from around the net. But it was one of those rare instances that led to Oklahoma City's lone goal in the opening period when DJ Jelitto took a shot from between the circles and Chad Hinz put home the rebound on one of the Blazers first two power plays.

The Eagles evened the play in the second period, and evened the score at 4:39 with a power-play goal of their own. It took just six seconds of their first man-advantage chance of the game for Riley Nelson to win the faceoff in the right circle back to Erik Adams who passed it back to Nelson for a blast from the top of the circle that got by Doug Groenestege.

The Blazers didn't back down, however, and nearly made it 2-1 at the 13:30 mark, but Jay Birnie stopped the puck and swept it down ice from the middle of the crease with Penner out of position. Then with just 61 seconds left in the period, Ted Vandermeer did convert with a great individual play as he beat an Eagles defenseman at the point and snapped a shot past Penner from the left circle.

Leslie Reagan made it 3-1 for the home team at 2:05 in the third when he scored from the inside portion of the left circle for the Blazers' second power-play goal of the night. But at 12:43, Ryan Tobler started the Eagles' improbable comeback with the first of three unanswered goals as the veteran power forward slapped an Aaron Schneekloth rebound past Groenestege from the left circle. And Brett Hammond forced overtime at 16:07 when he beat the Blazers' goalie with a wraparound score just moments after Jason Murfitt almost scored at the other end of the ice.

In the extra frame, Kevin Ulanski notched his second overtime winner in a row at 2:11 after picking up a Nelson rebound and scoring from the inside right hash mark. Colorado ends the calendar year with a CHL-leading record of 23-5-1 (47 points).

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Central Hockey League Stories from December 30, 2008


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