CHL Colorado Eagles

Eagles Week In Review

December 8, 2008 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


Week In Review

Thursday, December 4; Don't Miss the December NoCo Hockey Show

Fans,

The December edition of the Colorado Eagles NoCo Hockey Show premiers Monday on Altitude Sports & Entertainment. The half-hour monthly show enters its second season of bringing you the best of Eagles entertainment. The Voice of the Eagles, Tori Holt, hosts the show along with Kevin McGlue as reporters Lauren Gardner and Ben Huelsing take a look at the team both on and off the ice.

This month's show features: a look back at our very successful Military Appreciation Game on Veterans Day (Thank You Eagles Fans!), a one-on-one interview with the newest Eagle, Konrad Reeder, Kevin Ulanski mic'd up, Ed McGrane in another hilarious edition of "Don't Quit Your Day Job," Lauren Gardner takes you through the Eagles' newest community contribution at Windsor's Boundless Playground at Boardwalk Park and a local six-year-old defeats cancer and celebrates with Slapshot and an Eagles game...you won't want to miss a minute!

Below is a full list of this month's airings:

Monday, December 8: 10 p.m.

Thursday, December 11: 1:30 p.m.

Friday, December 12: 10:30 a.m.

Sunday, December 14: 6:30 a.m.

Monday, December 15: 10:30 p.m.

Wednesday, December 17: 1:30 a.m.

Wednesday, December 17: 6:30 p.m.

Friday, December 26: 10:30 a.m.

Be sure to check your local listings for Altitude Sports & Entertainment and additional Colorado Eagles hockey coverage!

Tickets for all home dates at the Budweiser Events Center can be purchased through the Budweiser Events Center box office, www.ComcastTix.com, 1-877-544-TIXX (8499), the Eagles' Office in Water Valley or through any ComcastTIX Outlet.

Friday, December 5; Hey Kids! Become a Junior Colorado Eagles Chick

The Pioneer Press Eagles Chicks will be holding their annual Junior Eagles Chicks Dance Clinics during the months of January & February 2009, and we're looking for dancers in grades Kindergarten-6.

For a registration fee of just $95, you'll not only receive three clinic sessions with the Pioneer Press Eagles Chicks as your instructors, but you'll get the unforgettable experience of performing with the Chicks during an actual Eagles game.

In addition to the clinics and performance date, each Junior Eagles Chick will also receive: a uniform top, a set of pom-poms, a photo with the Pioneer Press Eagles Chicks and a DVD commemorating your performance.

For a list of clinic and performance dates, and to register, please follow the link below. Space is limited, so don't delay!

- CLICK HERE -

Friday, December 5; Holt & McGlue, Huntington & Swanson To Cover Game

(LEAGUE RELEASE) - The Central Hockey League (CHL), in conjunction with the Colorado Eagles, announced today the broadcast teams for the 2009 CHL All-Star Game, presented by Poudre Valley Health System. The teams will be comprised of Colorado's Tori Holt, Kevin McGlue and Scott Swanson and Bossier-Shreveport's Travis Huntington.

The game will be broadcast nationally on Altitude Sports and Entertainment (Dish Network channel 410 and DirecTV channel 681) with Eagles play-by-play broadcaster Tori Holt calling the game for the television audience (Holt served as the CHL Network play-by-play voice during last year's all-star game played in Broomfield, Colorado). He will be joined in the booth by Kevin McGlue who serves as one of the Eagles color analysts and fill-in play-by-play broadcaster during the regular season. The duo also performs the same roles during the Eagles regular season and playoff games on Altitude and they serve as co-hosts on the Colorado Eagles NoCo Hockey Show.

In addition to Altitude Sports and Entertainment, the game will be broadcast LIVE on KPAW 107.9, The Bear (a Clear Channel broadcast station) with Bossier-Shreveport's Travis Huntington serving as the play-by-play voice. He will be joined by former Colorado College star Scott Swanson who serves as the Eagles color commentator in the Eagles radio booth during the regular season. The former NHL draft selection of the Washington Capitals (1995) played with the Eagles during the team's inaugural season. The radio broadcast team will also serve as the voices, via simulcast, for The CHL Network which will carry the game LIVE (blackout restrictions apply in the states of Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, South Dakota, Wyoming and Utah) and also offer all the action on a tape delay in the days following the game.

"We are very excited to have such a dynamic group of broadcasters for the CHL All-Star Game," said Bob Hoffman, CHL's Director of Communications. "The Eagles have one of the best, if not the best, broadcast teams in all of minor pro hockey and Travis (Huntington) is one of the bright, young broadcasters in the CHL. He has quickly established himself as one of the best voices in the league and rightfully deserves this appointment."

The All-Star Game will be played on Wednesday, January 14th, 2009 with a team of CHL All-Stars taking on the host Colorado Eagles.

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In a separate announcement, the CHL announced that the coaching staff for the CHL All-Star team will be determined by which team in each conference has the highest win percentage after the games of December 23rd. The all-star co-coaches will select the players that will represent the CHL in the game and select the support staff for the game including the team's equipment manager and athletic trainer. The current leading contenders (as of December 4th, 2008) are Oklahoma City's Doug Sauter (.833), Laredo's Terry Ruskowski (.706) and Odessa's Paul Gillis (.684).

2009 CHL All-Star Game Broadcast Teams Biographies

Altitude Sports and Entertainment

Tori Holt (play-by-play) - Holt has been the Eagles play-by-play broadcaster since the team's inception, broadcasting nearly every game in the team's history. Born in Burnsville, Minnesota, the Saint Cloud State graduate has worked on the broadcast team for Eagles games on Altitude Sports and Entertainment over the past few seasons and serves as an analyst on the NHL's Colorado Avalanche post-game show. Holt and his broadcast crew won a Colorado Broadcaster's Association Award for "Best Sports Coverage by a Major Market" in 2007.

Kevin McGlue (color analyst) - McGlue serves as the color analyst for Tori Holt during games broadcast on Altitude and as Holt's play-by-play back-up on 107.9, The Bear. In addition, the Evans, Colorado native co-hosts the Colorado Eagles NoCo Hockey Show and heads up the Eagles Foundation. He currently serves as the assistant news director at Clear Channel of Northern Colorado and acts as a sideline reporter during Colorado State University football broadcasts.

KPAW 107.9, The Bear & The CHL Network

Travis Huntington (play-by-play) - Huntington is in his second season as the radio voice of the Mudbugs. His rookie season saw him nominated as one of three finalists for the CHL Broadcaster of the Year award. Originally from Colorado, Huntington will be returning home to call the all-star game. The Colorado State University graduate previously worked with the Eagles on their radio and television broadcasts and also worked as a reporter/anchor for Clear Channel radio in Northern Colorado.

Scott Swanson (color analyst) - Swanson has provided color commentary for the Eagles radio booth for the past three season. Born and raised in Cottage Grove, Minnesota, Swanson earned a scholarship to Colorado College where in four seasons he stared tallying 159 points in 170 games. During his senior season, Swanson earned All-American honors leading all defensemen in the nation with 52 points. As a professional, Swanson was drafted in the NHL's Entry Draft by the Washington Capitals in 1995 and played for the Eagles during the team's inaugural season.

Saturday, December 6; Early Burst Sets Up Eagles Win vs. Rage

LOVELAND, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles scored two goals in the first 2:03 of play on the way to a 4-2 win over the Rocky Mountain Rage. Greg Pankewicz led all scorers with a four-point night and Konrad Reeder, Ed McGrane and Riley Nelson each added a pair of points in the Eagles' win. Andrew Penner stopped 31 of 33 shots to backstop the victory.

After not playing in a week, the Eagles started out flying and carried play for the first half of the period. Goals by Scott Polaski just 1:23 in and Pankewicz at 2:03 put Colorado out to an early advantage, and they could have easily had two or three more scores with the way they were creating scoring chances. The Rage stabilized after that, but failed to create many scoring opportunities of their own.

Polaski's goal came on the power play when his drive from the top of the left circle deflected off a Rage defenseman at the left hash and beat Marty Magers low. Pankewicz and McGrane picked up the assists. Just forty seconds later, Pankewicz scored one for himself off assists from Reeder and McGrane again. After a big save by Penner, the play moved down the ice and Pankewicz and Reeder entered the zone at center ice before the Eagles' captain cut across the doorstep from left to right and put the puck past the Rage goaltender.

Rocky Mountain dominated play in the second period, out-shooting the Eagles 15-5; Colorado didn't register their first shot until the 10:23 mark. But the Rage still had difficulty beating Penner who even snuffed a 2-on-0 rush at 11:10. Colt King added to his team-leading point total with a rebound goal at 12:49 after the Eagles couldn't clear the puck from low in the right circle and the Rage finally put it in the net on their third crack. But despite the lopsided period of play, Nelson evened the second period scoring on the Eagles' fourth shot of the period at 19:40 when he burst into the offensive zone on the right wing, cut to the middle of the ice and beat Magers from the slot.

The Rage cut Colorado's lead to 3-2 at 3:43 of the third when Simon Watson banked a pass off the bench boards to send Nathan O'Nabigon on a successful short-handed breakaway. Magers kept the Rage in the game, coming up with several big stops throughout the third, with possibly his biggest save coming on a Reeder and McGrane rush. But with the clock ticking down, Magers was pulled from the net and Pankewicz added his second goal -- and fourth point -- of the night with 10 seconds left to seal the victory.

The Week Ahead

Wednesday, December 10; Eagles Look For First Win in Rapid City

Colorado will take a quick road trip up to Rapid City, looking to avenge their only loss of the year to the Rush. The expansion franchise won their home opener with a 4-0 shutout against the Eagles on November, 29. The Eagles are 5-1-0 against the Rush this season.

Friday, December 12; Amarillo Makes First Visit to BEC This Season

The Gorillas enter the week with the fewest points in the league (12), good for fourth place in the Southwest. The Eagles won the only previous meeting this season against Amarillo with a 6-2 road win. The two teams will face-off a total of four times before the end of January.

Saturday, December 13; Arizona Returns Again to "Scene of The Crime"

The Sundogs make their second trip of the season to the BEC, a place where they lifted the President's Cup earlier this calendar year. The Eagles won the previous meeting 7-5 and hold an all-time record of 8-1-0 at home against the 'Dogs.

Notable Numbers

TOP HEAVY - The Eagles have seven players with over 20 points on the year; that's seven more than Rocky Mountain, Oklahoma City and Bossier-Shreveport combined. No other team has more than five players with at least 20 points. The players are Greg Pankewicz (29), Riley Nelson (29), Ryan Tobler (27), Kevin Ulanski (25), Ed McGrane (22), Scott Polaski (21) and Konrad Reeder (20).

DOWN, BUT NOT OUT - The Eagles boast the league's top power play (23.5%), but it's their penalty-killers who have been the real story lately. They've gone a perfect 21-21 over the past three games and a combined 45-47 (95.7%) over the past seven. For the season, Colorado now ranks third in the CHL at 86.3% overall.

ALL-STAR CALIBER - Defenseman Aaron Schneekloth - an All-Star starter last season - leads the CHL in plus/minus with a +22, with the next closest player at +17. He also leads CHL blueliners with three game-winning goals. He's currently tied for eighth in scoring among defensemen with 14 points (5-9-14).

MOVING ON UP - Both Aaron Schneekloth and Scott Polaski are on the verge of moving up the team's all-time scoring list. Schneekloth is currently tied for eighth with Chris Hartsburg and Seth Leonard with 120 points. Polaski (131) is two points shy of surpassing Sean Robertson into sixth place.

SPECIAL PANKS - With a four point night on Saturday, Captain Greg Pankewicz moved into a tie with Riley Nelson for the team lead with 29 points. Pankewicz also leads the league in goals (17) - including three hat tricks - and the team, in multi-point games (10), PIMs (68) and game-winning goals (3, tied with two others).

POWER-play-FORWARD - Veteran power forward Ryan Tobler leads the league in power play goals with 10 (eight of which have come at home), and leads the Eagles in special teams points (10-7-17). Those man-advantage markers have helped him on the way to having the second-best shooting percentage in the CHL among players with 50 or more shots (.228).

PENNER, PENNER, CHICKEN DINNER - Goaltender Andrew Penner is riding a six game winning streak and ranks among the league's top netminders in several key categories. Among goalies with at least 10 games, Penner is tied for second with 9 wins, second with 25 goals-against, third in SV% (.927) and fourth in GAA (2.48). Penner has allowed two or fewer goals seven of his 10 starts.

Check out the Colorado Eagles Statistics



Central Hockey League Stories from December 8, 2008


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