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ECHL Colorado Eagles

Eagles Capture Mountain Division Title with 5-2 Win over Utah

April 5, 2018 - ECHL (ECHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


LOVELAND, CO. - The Colorado Eagles defeated the Utah Grizzlies 5-2 on Wednesday to secure the Mountain Division championship for Colorado, the Eagles second ECHL division title and eighth in franchise history. Sam Brittain made 30 saves on 32 shots in the win, while forward Ryan Olsen netted a pair of goals. Colorado finished the night going 1-for-3 on the power play and a perfect 5-for-5 on the penalty kill.

The Eagles would grab the game's first goal when defenseman Jake Marto skated down the left wing boards in transition, before snapping a shot from the left circle that would beat Utah goalie Brandon Wildung and put Colorado in the lead, 1-0 at the 11:03 mark of the first period.

The home team would stretch its lead to a pair early in the second period when forward Brady Shaw tracked down a rebound in the slot and slid the puck past Wildung to make it a 2-0 Eagles advantage just 2:58 into the period.

Minutes later, Colorado would earn its second power play of the game and they would take advantage as forward Joey Ratelle fired a wrister from the right circle that would light the lamp and grow the Eagles lead to 3-0 at the 7:43 mark of the middle frame.

Colorado would find itself forced to kill off four straight Utah power plays late in the second period, including two separate 5-on-3 opportunities on the man-advantage. Brittain and the penalty kill would stand tall, killing off each of those power play chances. However, Utah would break through when forward Jake Marchment tucked a shot from the side of the cage into the back of the net to trim the Colorado's edge to 3-1 with 2:36 remaining in the second period.

The Eagles would waste little time getting back on the scoreboard, as Olsen would snag a rebound in the low-slot and sweep the puck into the net to extend Colorado's lead to 4-1 just 1:22 into the third period.

Utah would continue to battle, as the Grizzlies would slice the Eagles lead to 4-2 when forward Brendan Harms snagged a rebound on top of the crease and fed the puck past Brittain at the 7:20 mark of the final frame. Utah would pull Wildung in favor of the extra attacker in the final minutes of the contest, but it would be Colorado who would capitalize when Olsen stuffed home an empty-netter with 53 seconds left in the contest to give the Eagles the 5-2 win.

The Eagles return to action when they host the Wichita Thunder at the Budweiser Events Center in on Friday, April 6th at 7:05pm MT.

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