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CHL Colorado Eagles

Eagles Top Undefeated Rage in OT, Spoil Rosychuk's Hat Trick

October 30, 2007 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


BROOMFIELD, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles defeated the Rocky Mountain Rage 4-3 in overtime, handing the Rage their first loss of the season. The Eagles now trail the Rage in the Northwest Division, nine points to seven. The puck seemed to follow Rage forward Nathan Rosychuk all night long, as he recorded a natural hat trick, but in the end, it was the Eagles' veteran duo of Greg Pankewicz and Riley Nelson that powered the defending champs past their in-state rival.

The Rage were the only team to get on the board in a quiet first period when Rosychuk made a nice individual effort 8:56 in. After gathering the puck in the right wing circle and cutting through the crease, he tucked the puck past Clayton Pool who was moving from his left to his right deep in the crease. Scott Wray (Rocky Mountain's leading scorer, tied for third in the league coming into the game with 10 points (4-6-10)) and Tyler Butler got the assists. Both teams were successful on the penalty kill in the first: Colorado killed three penalties in the opening period, while the Rage killed one.

Rosychuk scored his second of the night by being in the right place at the right time when the puck squirted free after a collision in front of Pool and the forward threw the puck over the goaltender's left shoulder. Rosychuk completed his natural hat trick just over six minutes into the second when two Eagles defenders stopped in the high slot to take Nick Harloff; two Rage players skated behind them -- one of which was Rosychuk -- and the Rage forward swept in the rebound for his third goal of the night.

Colorado began to climb back into contention when Riley Nelson took the puck out of the right-wing corner, skated uncontested into the faceoff circle and shot a laser top shelf. Seth Leonard got his first point of the season with the assist. Then, at 13:55, Pankewicz charged out of his own end, took a pass from Nelson along the left-wing boards at center ice, used his momentum to carry him behind the Rage defenders, cut across the front of the net and kept going before throwing the puck back at Rage goalie Terry Dunbar; the puck found its way into the net for a power play goal and cut the Rage lead to 3-2.

Nelson and Pankewicz connected again to tie the game 7:54 into the third when, from the left of the Rage goal, Pankewicz threw a backhand pass along the goal line to Nelson on the other side of Dunbar. Nelson snapped the puck top shelf to knot the game at 3. That's how the period would end.

Nelson and Pankewicz then finished the scoring -- and the game -- 1:12 into the extra period to hand the Rage their first loss (albeit in OT) of the season. Nelson threw a lead pass into the Rage zone as the Eagles' captain raced into the open space. It became a race between the veteran right winger and the Rage goaltender. Once Pankewicz corralled the puck, he juked the back-pedaling Dunbar out of position and slid the puck into the empty net for the game-winner.

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Central Hockey League Stories from October 30, 2007


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