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CHL Colorado Eagles

Eagles Tie Franchise Record with Nine Goals Against Gorillas

January 9, 2009 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


LOVELAND, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles matched a franchise high with nine goals in their 9-2 win against the Amarillo Gorillas. Seven players had multi-point games as Ed McGrane led the way by tying his own career high with five points (all assists). The Eagles scored three power-play goals in the first period and a short-handed tally in the third while out-shooting the Gorillas 48-20.

Colorado's league-leading power play came to life in the first period after going 2-19 in their past three games, scoring three man-advantage markers to build a 3-1 lead after 20 minutes of play. Riley Nelson got the scoring started at 4:29 from in front off a feed from Kevin Ulanski, but the Gorillas evened the score at 8:12 when John Snowden tipped a Stuart MacRae pass over Andrew Penner from the low slot to cap a short rush into the Colorado zone.

Nelson restored the Eagles' lead at 17:54 with his second power-play goal of the first period by converting in the first half of a four minute major-aided 5-on-3. McGrane picked up the first assist, increasing his point-streak to 10 games (tied for second-longest of his career). And Konrad Reeder finished the first period power-play splurge by scoring in the second half of the penalty with a lunging shot from the right circle that got past AJ Bucchino's glove.

The Eagles kept pouring it on in the second, scoring four goals to take a 7-2 lead into the second intermission. Their first goal came after a couple minutes of sustained pressure in the Amarillo zone when Scott Polaski's shot from the point was kicked aside by Bucchino, but Ryan Tobler used his long reach to snare the rebound and slip it inside the left post from in front at 10:59. Reeder made it 5-1 at 12:21 with his second goal of the game when he one-timed an Erik Adams pass past the Gorillas' goaltender from the inside left hash marks.

And just 32 seconds later, Tobler added another on a goal similar to his first while falling to the ice. Brad Bonello scored Amarillo's second goal of the game with a great individual effort at 16:04 when he deked Adams between the circles and tucked a backhander past Penner. But at 18:07, Colorado made it 7-2 when McGrane sped down the left wing and sent a cross-ice pass to Ulanski in the right circle for his first goal of the calendar year.

Greg Pankewicz made it 8-2 at 7:16 with a laser from the right circle over Bucchino's right shoulder. McGrane picked up the assist, giving him five points on the night and tying a career high. And at 12:39, Colorado tied their franchise record by scoring their ninth goal -- this one short-handed -- when Steve Haddon skated down the left wing and sent a cross-ice pass to a wide open Brett Hammond crashing the net.

The Eagles will take on their Front Range rival Rocky Mountain Rage Saturday night; the Rage are trailing Colorado in the Northwest Division by 16 points despite going 11-3-1 over their past 15 games.

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Central Hockey League Stories from January 9, 2009


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