Eagles Soar Past SteelHounds, 7-3
February 22, 2008 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release
LOVELAND, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles defeated the Youngstown SteelHounds 7-3 in Ryan Tobler's first game back since October 30. All seven of Colorado's goals came in the final two periods after being held to a season-low four shots in the first. The win runs the Eagles' record against the SteelHounds to 9-1-0 all-time in the regular season and 5-0-0 at the Budweiser Events Center.
Both teams did a good job bottling up the other's attack in the first as the SteelHounds held the Eagles to a season-low four shots in a period (Tobler registered half of Colorado's with two), blocking several attempts with skates and sticks in shooting lanes. The lone goal of the opening frame came after an Eagles turnover, when Kevin Jarman snapped one of just six Youngstown shots past Sebastien Laplante from the left faceoff dot at 7:30.
The second period was a different game as the teams combined for 28 shots - 18 for the Eagles - and five goals. The signs of an offensive explosion came early when Seth Leonard and Riley Nelson broke in on a two-on-one rush just 25 seconds in before Leonard rung a shot off the crossbar. Colorado got their first power-play chance of the night at 4:05 and Kris Wiebe tied the game at one just two seconds into the man-advantage. Riley Nelson won the faceoff in the right-wing circle and the puck fell below the hash-marks where Wiebe beat Andy Franck on the stick-side. Greg Pankewicz scored again just 27 seconds later on the Eagles' eighth shot after a give-and-go with Ed McGrane in the right circle; the goal snapped the longest goal-less streak in Pankewicz's Eagles career (eight games).
Dave Iannazzo made it 3-1 for the Eagles at 8:07 of the second after Aaron Schneekloth kept the puck in along the left-wing boards at the blue line and hit Iannazzo streaking behind the SteelHounds' defense. Franck fought off the first shot, but couldn't stop the second as Iannazzo toppled over. Jarman helped set up the 'Hounds second goal at 16:19 when Youngstown converted a three-on-two power-play rush. Jarman chipped a shot on his back-hand from in close that slipped under Laplante's arm and fell on the goal line where Eric Przepiorka tapped it in. But Iannazzo restored the Eagles' two-goal lead under two minutes later when Leonard hit him with a cross-ice pass through the neutral zone, sending Iannazzo on a clear breakaway. The right-winger then cut to the middle of the slot and slipped a shot 5-hole on Franck for his second of the period.
Colorado expanded their lead at 6:51 when the puck came out of a scrum in front of the benches at center ice and right to Steve Haddon who headed into the offensive zone on a two-on-zero break with Fraser Filipic trailing the play. Haddon swiftly beat the SteelHounds netminder for a 5-2 lead. Youngstown answered with another goal by Jarman halfway through the period after Brad Williamson fell down at his own blue line, allowing the sharp-angle chance to develop out of the left-wing corner. But the Eagles put the game away with two more goals - the seven goals-against being the most allowed by the All-Star netminder, Franck, all season. Leonard got both scores, with the sixth tally coming at 13:13 when he corralled the puck along the right-wing boards, skated into the Youngstown zone and made a power move to the middle of the ice before slipping a shot inside the far post. Leonard then closed out the scoring when he stopped a Schneekloth shot from the right point, then spun and threw the puck past Franck from the low slot.
The Eagles kept pace with the Rocky Mountain Rage, remaining just two points back as the rivals look to take each other on in a home-and-home series with the Northwest Division lead on the line this weekend.
Central Hockey League Stories from February 22, 2008
- Sundogs Maintain Hold on Division Lead with 6-5 Comeback Win - Arizona Sundogs
- Rayz Pack The House In 6-3 Loss To Laredo - Corpus Christi IceRays
- Eagles Soar Past SteelHounds, 7-3 - Colorado Eagles
- Rage Burn Blazers, 4-0 - Rocky Mountain Rage
- Sundogs Slip Past Scorpions - New Mexico Scorpions
- Third Period Comeback Wins Fifth Straight Division Title For Bucks - Laredo Bucks
- Brahmas busted by 'Bugs - Fort Worth Brahmas
- Hounds Fall To Eagles 7-3 - Youngstown SteelHounds
- Mudbugs Win Hard Fought Battle With Brahmas in Texas - Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
- Cook's Hat Trick Power Bats to 5-3 Win - Austin Ice Bats
- Oilers Top Gorillas 6-5 in Shootout - Amarillo Gorillas
- NYTEX Sports Introduces New Texas Brahmas Youth Hockey Association - Fort Worth Brahmas
- Join the Mudbugs in Helping Abused Kids - Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
- RiverKings Support the Troops - Mississippi RiverKings
- Riverkings Attendance Continues Climbing - Mississippi RiverKings
- Tonight is Gorillas Trading Card Night - Amarillo Gorillas
- Bucks Go For Division Tonight In Corpus - Laredo Bucks
- Bucks Can Clinch Division Tonight Vs. Rayz - CHL
- Ice Bats Go Back To School In February - Austin Ice Bats
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