CHL Colorado Eagles

Eagles Soar Into First Place With 4-2 Win

Published on March 3, 2008 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


LOVELAND, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles can claim something they haven't been able to claim all season after their 4-2 victory over the Arizona Sundogs - sole possession of first place. The win pushed the Eagles past the Rocky Mountain Rage and into the top spot in the Northwest Division as Greg Pankewicz helped power the offense past former-Eagles netminder Marco Emond who received a rare cheer from the crowd at the Budweiser Events Center during opponent introductions.

Colorado carried the majority of the play in the opening period, creating multiple scoring chances, but just missing on most of them. They finally broke through at 10:42 when Dave Iannazzo put in a Steve Haddon rebound while skating through the low slot.

The Eagles stretched their lead to 3-1 with a pair of power-play tallies sandwiched around a Sundogs short-handed goal in the second period. Ed McGrane made it 2-0 with the period's first goal at 2:48 when he fired the puck past Emond from high in the left-wing circle. Tyler Liebel cut Colorado's lead in half at 12:57 when he beat Sebastien Laplante with a fore-hand, back-hand, fore-hand move on a breakaway. The goal was just the 6th shortie of the season for Arizona and just the 5th given up by Colorado. Pankewicz made it 3-1 at 18:02 when he swooped through the right side of the Arizona zone before curling into the crease and slipping a shot by the Sundogs' goaltender before toppling over him.

Colorado hung on against the league's top power play unit in the third, killing three of four Arizona power play chances. In fact, it was a dominating Eagles short-handed situation that led to the Sundogs only goal of the final frame. Riley Nelson and Seth Leonard were controlling the puck in the Arizona zone on the penalty kill when Nelson was leveled from behind along the boards by Alex Leavitt; Nelson took exception and tackled Leavitt, leading to a 5-on-3 advantage for Arizona. Chris Bartolone scored on the ensuing chance at 9:15 to make it a 3-2 Colorado lead. But Pankewicz countered with the team's third power play goal of the night after taking a long lead pass from Aaron Schneekloth and skating in all alone on Emond at 14:59. The Eagles captain made Emond make the first move before extending the play by skating to the right of the cage and then flipped the puck over the down-and-out netminder. And with time running out, Pankewicz missed a golden opportunity to record his second hat trick in as many games by missing an empty net from the high slot.

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Central Hockey League Stories from March 3, 2008


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