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CHL Colorado Eagles

Eagles Comeback Falls Short Against Oilers

January 29, 2008 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


TULSA, Okla. - The Tulsa Oilers beat the Colorado Eagles 5-4, handing the President's Cup champs their first loss in Tulsa since October 25, 2003 (the team's first meeting against the Oilers) and just their second ever loss in Tulsa. Bryan Bridges got the start for Colorado, but fell victim to too many bad bounces as the opportunistic Oilers held on for the win.

The Oilers owned the first period, out-shooting the Eagles 14-6 on the way to a 2-0 lead. The first goal came halfway through the period when David Beauregard scored a power play marker on the back-hand. Beauregard would then get his second point of the period - an assist - on Kai Magnussen's goal in the final minute. Bridges was able to stop a deflected shot and sweep the rebound aside, but Magnussen picked it up in the right-wing circle and put it past the Eagles' goaltender.

Momentum see-sawed in the second. Les Borsheim got the Eagles on the board 11 seconds into a power play, scoring his 6th goal of the season - a career high. Borsheim deflected a Riley Nelson one-timer off Guy St. Vincent's blocker. Momentum took its biggest turn about four minutes into the period when both Greg Pankewicz and Kris Wiebe missed open-net chances only to have Darren McKague score for the Oilers half a minute later. Tulsa got another goal just 50 seconds after that when a Robin Richards' shot from the point pin-balled off an Eagles player and then Curtis Voth for a 4-1 lead. Colorado cut the lead in half at 12:05 after Aaron Schneekloth kept the puck in at the blue line and passed to Jay Birnie who spun and fired the puck past St. Vincent. But Jeff Christian extended his league high scoring streak to 23 games four minutes later when the puck took another Oilers bounce. Bridges went behind the net to play the puck, but it took a bad bounce out of the corner and deflected right to Christian in front of the empty net.

The Eagles battled back in the third, dominating the period and out-shooting Tulsa 15-4. Steve Haddon cut the Oilers' lead to 5-3 at 3:23 when he dug the puck out of the corner and fought his way through a check on the way to the net before stuffing the puck past the Oilers' goaltender. And at 8:07, Brett Thurston got his first professional goal in his 38th regular season game (he also went goal-less in 25 playoff games last year). Dave Iannazzo got the assist, extending his point streak to nine games (5-8-13). Colorado had their chances to tie it up at five, but Tulsa killed two Eagles power plays and St. Vincent shut the door as the period wound down to net the win for the Oilers - their first against the Eagles in over two years (January 4, 2006).

The Eagles will finish up their five-game road trip with two games this weekend. They play in Oklahoma City on Friday and in Texas on Saturday. Colorado's next home game is February 8 against Odessa.

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Central Hockey League Stories from January 29, 2008


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