Sports stats



CHL Colorado Eagles

Eagles Week In Review

February 23, 2009 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


Week In Review

Monday, February 16; Special Weekend Auctions About to End

Eagles Fans,

Our auction site has some special opportunities for this weekend's games against the Rocky Mountain Rage up for bid. If you've never had the experience of watching an Eagles game from the Benchwarmers Seats or ridden the Zamboni between periods, now's your chance. Both auctions end soon, so don't wait! All proceeds are tax-deductible and benefit the Colorado Eagles Foundation.

Up for bid:

Friday, February 20

Two (2) tickets to the game and the chance for one person to ride on the Zamboni during an intermission

Saturday, February 21

Four (4) Benchwarmers seats (between the two teams' benches): includes food, beer and chance to stretch out in the Eagles' players lounge during intermissions

Two (2) tickets to the game and the chance for one person to ride on the Zamboni during an intermission

Tuesday, February 17; Become the Next Eagles Superfan!

Calling All Eaglesmaniacs!

You now have a chance to show your stuff in front of the whole sold-out Budweiser Events Center crowd. If you've never made it on the "Kiss Cam," or never been noticed doing your best "Cotton-Eyed Joe," now's your chance to shine!

The Loveland Reporter-Herald's SUPERFAN promotion is an opportunity for Eagles fans to get their faces on the Big Screens at the north end of the arena. Simply email your best fan photo to promotions@reporter-herald.com and watch for your super-sized mug to appear on the big projection screens.

All submitted photos will be published in the SUPERFAN gallery on the ReporterHerald.com Photo Store, and the best submissions during the week will appear on the large screens at the BEC during the next home game. Each and every photo will be eligible for a monthly prize drawing, based on the "Super-ness" of the shot. Please be sure to include your name and contact information (phone number and email address).

* All photos become the property of the Loveland Reporter-Herald and the Colorado Eagles for promotional purposes. Your image may be used on screen and/or in print.

Tuesday, February 17; Frustrating Loss Makes Three in a Row

RAPID CITY, S.D. - The Colorado Eagles lost 4-3 to the Rapid City Rush, marking their longest losing streak of the season at three games. The frustrating defeat came in a game that saw Colorado hit five posts, have a goal waived off and out-shoot Rapid City 18-4 in the final period.

The Eagles got on the board first, at 1:11, on a beautiful play all-around. Scott Polaski sent a long breakout pass from the defensive zone to Brett Hammond (playing in his first game since Jan. 24) who left a drop-pass for Adam Hogg after entering the Rush zone. Hogg then snapped a pin-point shot into the upper right corner of the net past Miguel Beaudry. Rapid City answered with a power-play goal at 9:36 when a wide open Matt Zultek backhanded a rebound into the net from the top of the crease. Morgan Cey made several strong saves the rest of the period to keep it 1-1 after one.

Rapid City scored three goals in the second -- two off Colorado turnovers -- to take a 4-2 lead into the third period. The Rush's first goal came at 3:40 after Ed McGrane lost the puck entering the offensive zone, springing a rush the other way where Derek LeBlanc beat Cey from the left circle. But McGrane atoned for the mistake less than three minutes later when he burst down the right wing and passed the puck to Aaron Schneekoth who cut across the slot before sending a shot on net. Greg Pankewicz was camped out on the doorstep and jammed the rebound home for his league-leading 30th goal.

The Rush added two more goals midway through the frame, with the first coming at 8:04 after Jason Goulet fished the puck out of a pileup in the left corner and found Mark DeSantis in the slot. Then, at 12:07, Rapid City capitalized on another Eagles turnover and LeBlanc's pass from the right circle off the ensuing rush was deflected past Cey by Luke Fritshaw to make it 4-2.

The Eagles were forced to kill a partial 5-on-3 in the first five minutes of the third period, but the rest of the final frame was played almost exclusively in the Rapid City zone as Colorado got the final three power play chances. The Eagles thought they had made it a one-goal game midway through the period when Ryan Tobler scored on their second power play of the third, but referee Dan Dreger lost sight of the puck and blew the play dead prematurely. That misfortune would come back to bight Colorado when Tobler scored on their third man-advantage chance -- this time officially -- at 16:48, but it was too little, too late. The goal tied him with Pankewicz for the league lead at 30.

Colorado returns to the Budweiser Events Center for a weekend set against the Rocky Mountain Rage on Friday and Saturday. A sweep of those games would give the Eagles their sixth consecutive Northwest Division championship.

Thursday, February 19; Saturday Night is Mardi Gras Night!

Mardi Gras Day - or "Fat Tuesday" - is not until February 24th in New Orleans. But here in Colorado, the Eagles are kicking it into gear a bit earlier this year as "Mardi Gras Night" hits the Budweiser Events Center this Saturday, February 21st when the Eagles take on their in-state rival Rocky Mountain Rage.

The evening kicks off with an Eagles playing card giveaway and the musical styling of the Fort Collins-based band, the Poudre River Irregulars, lighting up the lobby with their traditional New Orleans Jazz and Swing Music. Celebrate the evening's festivities with a cold Margarita Hurricane special or a bowl of Cajun gumbo, and even enjoy a 16oz. Bud Light for only $5.00 at the Water Valley Tap (while supplies last).

The evening will be littered with Mardi Gras themed promotions and trivia, as well as the chance to catch special strands of beads that can be redeemed for prizes. As if that is not enough, Iron Mountain Autoplex is proud to bring you the Chicago-based "Bucket Boys," showing off their percussive skills (performing synchronized drumming routines on plastic buckets) at center ice during the first intermission.

Mardi Gras has become a carnival of sorts, so feel free to come dressed in your rendition of what Mardi Gras means to you, and simply enjoy Colorado Eagles hockey with a hint of good cheer mixed in.

Friday, February 20; Third Period Comeback Not Enough Again

LOVELAND, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles lost 4-3 to the Rocky Mountain Rage, enduring another loss in spite of a frantic third period comeback. The defeat marked the first time in the Eagles' six year history that the club has lost four regulation games in a row, and just the third time overall they've gone winless in four; Colorado has never lost five games in a row.

The Northwest Division foes played an even first period -- each registering 11 shots and going 0-2 on the power play -- but it was the Rage who got the lone goal. It came at 14:10, on a pretty play, when Simon Watson took the puck out of his own zone, carried it across the offensive blue line, beat Scott Polaski in the right circle and fed a pass through the low slot to Scott Wray crashing the left side of the crease.

The Eagles carried play for most of the second period but couldn't beat Scott Reid -- despite three power plays and an 11-6 edge in shots -- and in fact, trailed 2-0 after the second. Watson gave the Rage their second goal 3:13 into the period after a turnover along the right wing boards in the Eagles' zone. The Rocky Mountain center stepped away from the boards with the puck and walked in all alone on Andrew Penner before slipping the puck inside the left post.

Rocky Mountain made it 3-0 with a Nick Harloff goal from low in the left circle at 9:51 of the third after Penner blockered-aside a Butler slapshot from the point. But at 15:05, the Eagles broke out for a pair of goals within 28 seconds to make it a 3-2 game. The first came after Aaron Schneekloth broke in down the left wing, circled behind the net and tossed the puck into the low slot where Ed McGrane broke the shutout.

Kevin Ulanski assisted on the subsequent score when he sent the puck up the slot from below the goal line, left of the net, to Scott Polaski at the top of the circle. The defenseman was falling to his right and barely got enough on his cross-body shot that managed to slip inside the left post.

Then at 17:18, Rocky Mountain scored a fourth goal that was nearly identical to their first to seemingly stop the Eagles momentum and ice the game. But with just 50.7 seconds left, Schneekloth came down the left wing again and sent an airborne pass to Konrad Reeder who batted it behind the Rage netminder from the doorstep. Colorado would continue to press the envelope as the final seconds ticked off the clock -- including a 6-on-4 advantage near the end -- but couldn't tie the game.

The two teams will play the second game of their weekend set Saturday night at the Budweiser Events Center.

Saturday, February 21; Eagles Double-Up Rage, End Skid

LOVELAND, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles defeated the Rocky Mountain Rage, 4-2, to end their four-game losing streak in a split of the Northwest Division rivals' weekend series. Nine different Eagles registered a point and Andrew Penner stopped 26 of 28 Rage shots in the win.

Things got heated early between the Division foes with three fights within the first 14:10; Jay Birnie was involved in two of them for the Eagles, including the first just 1:15 in. Both clubs went 0-2 on the man advantage, but it was the Rage who struck first while shorthanded. At 16:24, Nathan Gillies' shot from the left hashes banked off the end boards behind the net and took a lucky bounce right out to the right side of the goal where Daymen Rycroft tapped it in.

Rocky Mountain made it 2-0 just over two minutes later when Colt King found Mark Smith on the doorstep with a pass from behind the net. The Eagles cut the Rage lead in half with a score in the period's final minute when Brett Hammond was able to nudge a shot just over the goal line from the right side of the net.

Colorado came out strong in the second and started clicking on the power play as well, scoring two unanswered goals on the man-advantage to take a 3-2 lead into the third. Marty Magers made a great save just 30 seconds into the frame when he slid across an open net from his right to left and stacked the pads to deny a sure goal from Aaron Schneekloth. The Eagles kept pressuring and nearly scored again about four minutes in when the "Triple-H" line's hard work appeared to result in a goal, but Steve Haddon had kicked the puck past Magers.

But Haddon would get a legitimate score at 5:16 -- on the power play -- after Kevin Ulanski broke into the offensive zone along the left wing and found Haddon alone in the right circle for a shot into the top right corner of the goal. Ed McGrane would add another power-play goal at 8:56 with a rifle of a shot from the left circle to give Colorado its first lead of the game.

The scored remained 3-2 through a tightly-played third period until Riley Nelson added an empty net goal in the final minute to secure the win and snap the Eagles' four-game losing streak.

Colorado now heads to the road for a five-game road trip, starting Tuesday night in Tulsa, Okla. Their next home game will be March 6 against the same Rage team.

The Week Ahead

Tuesday, February 24; Eagles, Oilers Square Off For Final Time

The Eagles will try and even the season series against the Oilers at two games apiece on Tuesday night. The Oilers have already taken two of three, with a win on both home ice and at the BEC. Luckily for Colorado, history is on their side as they've posted a 10-3-0 record all-time in Tulsa - a one of their best road records against any club.

Friday, February 27; Colorado Battle Bossier-Shreveport

The Eagles will take on the Mudbugs for the final time in the regular season. Bossier is in a battle for first place in the Northeast Division and has already locked up a playoff berth. Colorado leads the season series 2-0, taking the only previous meeting this year on the road by a score of 3-2. Andrew Penner started both of those games for the Eagles and has a combined GAA and SV% of 1.50 and .959 respectively against the 'Bugs.

Saturday, February 28; Eagles Look To Get On Track Against RiverKings

Colorado will try to get some revenge against the RiverKings after Mississippi became the first opposing team since 2005-06 to sweep a weekend set at the Budweiser Events Center. Mississippi is in a battle with Bossier-Shreveport (and to a lesser extend, Oklahoma City) for the Northeast Division crown, and has already earned a playoff spot. The RiverKings have already won the season series, taking three of the four games played out of five so far, and have historically given the Eagles trouble. Colorado is just 8-10-1 all-time against the 'Kings, their worst overall record against any opponent all-time.

Notable Numbers

WIN MILESTONE - Colorado's 4-2 win over the Rocky Mountain Rage on Saturday night was the 250th in franchise history. In just under six seasons, the Eagles have a combined record of 250-89-28 for a .719 winning percentage. In those 367 games, Colorado has outscored their opponents by exactly 400 goals (1420:1020). Their record at the Budweiser Events Center is 144-31-11, making 57.6% of their wins on home ice.

GOAL MILESTONE - Colorado Captain Greg Pankewicz sits at 199 career goals as an Eagle and will become the first player in team history to 200 with his next score. He currently sits in 17th place all-time on the CHL's goal scoring list, and would need to match Chris Richards (231, still active with CRP) to break into the top 10. Another Eagles veteran, Riley Nelson, has a better chance at doing that; he's currently in 11th place with 211 career goals in the CHL (he had 20 goals with the Columbus Cottonmouths in 2000-01).

NOTHING NEW - Two of the top goal scorers in the entire CHL are also the two eldest members of the Colorado Eagles. Veterans Greg Pankewicz (an 18-year pro) and Ryan Tobler (a 12-year pro) are tied for third in the league with 30 scores - one off the league lead - although they have reached the mark in extremely different ways. Pankewicz has scored 12 of his goals via four hat tricks, while Tobler has notched a league-leading 18 goals on the power play. Moreover, for their Eagles careers, 20% of Panks' goals have been game-winners (40-199), and 41% of Toblers' scores have come on the man advantage (61-148).

TWO OF A KIND - First-year Eagle Kevin Ulanski and veteran Eagle Riley Nelson have put up surprisingly similar stats this season. Heading into the week, both are tied with Greg Pankewicz for the team lead in points (65), but that's just where the parallels begin. Here are the two players' stat lines with Nelson's numbers listed first: goals (21:19), assists (44:46), plus/minus (24:27), power-play goals (5:4), power-play assists (19:18), shorthanded goals (2:3), shorthanded assists (4:4) and game-winning goals (5:4).

HADDON AND HOGG REACH NEW HEIGHTS - Several Eagles players are putting up career highs this season, but maybe none more so than Steve Haddon. Haddon has already surpassed his previous high in points by eight, his previous high in power-play goals by six and will match his career high in goals with his next score. Helping him reach those new highs has been linemate Adam Hogg who has also surpassed all his major numbers from last season's rookie year in Corpus Christi.

Check out the Colorado Eagles Statistics



Central Hockey League Stories from February 23, 2009


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central