CHL Colorado Eagles

Eagles get first ever win in Prescott Valley

January 25, 2008 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. - The Colorado Eagles defeated the Arizona Sundogs 4-3 to earn their first win in franchise history at the Tim's Toyota Center; coming into the game, Colorado was 0-5-1 in Arizona all-time. The Eagles were also able to gain valuable ground in the division as every other team in the Northwest suffered a loss - including Rocky Mountain, 5-3 to Youngstown.

The Eagles escaped the first period tied at one - escaped being the operative word because they allowed the league's top power play unit to have four chances, including some time with a two-man advantage. It was that 5-on-3 chance that led to Arizona's goal when Tyler Redenbach found Alex Leavitt low in the left wing circle on the classic back-door play at 11:01. Colorado answered back at 17:13 when Les Borsheim notched his fifth goal of the year by snapping a shot high on Andrew Gallant from the hash marks.

Colorado took the lead in the second with a power play goal by Seth Leonard and a short-handed tally from Dave Iannazzo. The first marker came at 13:20 when Leonard tapped in the rebound of an Ed McGrane point shot, with Iannazzo creating a screen in front of the Sundogs' goaltender. But Arizona answered just over a minute later when Jason Visser got behind the defense and tapped in an Olivier Latendresse rebound that Marco Emond left in the middle of the low slot. The Eagles got the lead back with 56 seconds left in the period just as 4-on-4 play was turning into another Sundogs power play. Just four seconds after Redenbach was released from the box, Brett Thurston sent a pass to McGrane at the hash marks, but the puck deflected off of McGrane's skate right to Iannazzo who was wide open in the slot. Iannazzo threw the puck past Gallant for his ninth goal of the season and his second point of the night.

The Eagles made it 4-2 less than a minute and a half into the third after Jay Birnie's shot from the high slot hit the post and deflected to Leonard right in front of an essentially empty net. Iannazzo got the second assist on the play, giving him his first three point night as an Eagle. But the Sundogs wouldn't roll over as they answered at 16:44 to make it a one goal game again (every game between the two clubs this season has been decided by just one goal) when Latendresse got his second point of the night by knocking a rebound past Emond. But the rest of the period belonged to the Eagles' goaltender as Emond shut the door on Arizona with two key saves - one at the 10 minute mark and another with four and a half to go - and some solid work on the penalty kill as time winded down.

The Eagles continue their season-long five game road trip with the second of their back-to-back meetings with the ‘Dogs on Saturday night.

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Central Hockey League Stories from January 25, 2008


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