CHL Colorado Eagles

Eagles Intra-Squad Game Ends in Shootout

October 11, 2007 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


GREELEY, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles held their annual charity intra-squad game at the Greeley Ice Haus, were the Gold team held on to beat the Black team 4-3 in a shootout. The event drew its largest crowd ever, with each $5 ticket going to the Greeley Youth Assistance Fund.

In their first semi-game action of the season, the teams of 12 were coached by Eagles staff members. The winning Gold team was coached by broadcaster Tori Holt and Ticket Sales Account Executive Ben Peal, while the Black team was led by Head Athletic Trainer Chris Porowski and Equipment Manager Tony Deynzer. The game was played in three 20 minute periods of running-time.

Clayton Pool, former starting goaltender for the Muskegon Fury of the UHL, played the whole game in net for the Black team, while Marco Emond started for the Gold team. Ian Keserich, a former 7th round pick of the Colorado Avalanche (in 2004) took over for Emond halfway through the game.

The game was so evenly matched that the final shot total read 28-28, and it remained fairly even throughout the game. However, it was the Gold team that struck first and hardest. The line of Ed McGrane, Dave Iannazzo and Ryan Tobler dominated for stretches and put up the first 2 goals of the game.

McGrane opened the scoring off a nice cross-crease feed from Tobler in the first period; Iannazzo earned the second assist. In the second, McGrane centered a pass from the side boards to a wide open Iannazzo in the crease. Iannazzo skated in on Pool, Pool stacked his pads for the save, but Tobler came swooping in to chip in the game's second tally.

Tobler had a hand in the third goal of the game as well, as the Gold team jumped out to a 3-0 lead by the end of the second period. On the power play, after holding the puck deep in the attacking zone, Polaski scored on a feed from Tobler with Les Borsheim getting the secondary assist.

After the third goal, Jay Birnie and Tyson Terry dropped the gloves in a solid skirmish before Terry's jersey slipped off and both players fell to the ice (the unofficial jerseys did not have fight straps).

In the third period, the Black team finally got on the board as Riley Nelson scored an unassisted power play goal from a sharp angle, going top shelf over Keserich. The rookie goalie continued to have a busy third as the Black team kept coming hard.

With about four minutes to go, Captain Greg Pankewicz fired a shot under Keserich's right arm from the right faceoff dot to inch his team closer. And with time winding down, Aaron Schneekloth tied the game at three, converting on a feed from Pankewicz and Seth Leonard.

The game moved straight into a best-of-three shootout. McGrane got it started by beating Pool. Keserich then stoned Hartsburg to put the Gold team up 1-0. Tobler put the puck past Pool on his turn, but it was matched when Leonard got his puck past Keserich. With the game on his stick, developmental player Mike Lukajic fired a quick shot that beat Pool five-hole, notching the 4-3 win for the Gold team.

The two rosters were as follows:

Black Team

Goal: Pool

Defenders: Esdale, Schneekloth, Beatty, Birnie, Lounsbury

Forwards: Leonard, Hartsburg, Haddon, Filipic, Nelson, Pankewicz

Gold Team

Goal: Emond, Keserich

Defenders: Adams, Borsheim, Thurston, Williamson

Forwards: Lukajic, Polaski, Terry, Iannazzo, Tobler, McGrane

Check out the Colorado Eagles Statistics



Central Hockey League Stories from October 11, 2007


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