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ECHL Colorado Eagles

Eagles Win Game 5, 7-4, to Force Game 6 Friday in Idaho

April 9, 2013 - ECHL (ECHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


LOVELAND, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles kept their playoff run alive with a big, 7-4, victory over the Idaho Steelheads in Game 5 of their Western Conference Quarterfinals series. Six different Eagles scored in the win, forcing a Game 6 in Idaho Friday night. If the Eagles win, Game 7 will be Saturday night (also in Idaho).

The Eagles jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period, aided by a power play that went 2-for-3. Chad Costello got the game's first goal at 4:46 when he flipped a blind, back-hand shot past Tyler Beskorowany from the right circle.

Colorado went up 2-0 at 10:51 when Kevin Ulanski snapped home a shot from the left circle on a power play. Then at 15:15, Michael Forney stormed down the left wing and made a power move toward the crease -- drawing a delayed penalty in the process -- after which Kyle Ostrow was able to put home a loose puck to make it 3-0 with another power-play tally.

Josh Robinson replaced Beskorowany in the Steelheads' net to start the second stanza, after the latter stopped nine of 12 shots in the first frame. The switch did little to slow the Eagles' offense, which scored two more goals on 12 shots in the period.

The home team went up 4-0 at 11:11 when Ulanski found defenseman Jake Marto blazing down the left wing, and he beat Robinson's glove from the left circle. Daavettila made it 5-0 for the home squad at 16:37 when he found a loose puck in the slot and put it home; the point was his 7th of the playoffs, moving him into a tie for the playoff scoring lead.

But less than half a minute later -- after a premature whistle from referee Joe Sullivan put a faceoff in the Eagles' end -- the Steelheads got on the board following a draw when Austin Fyten beat Kyle Jones from the left circle.

Colorado kept pouring on the offense in the third period before the Steelheads made a late comeback attempt. One shift after Greg Gardner had a near-goal snuffed out on the goal line, he helped set up Brock Nixon for a goal from the low slot that just trickled over to make it 6-1 at 4:38.

But just over a minute later, Austin Smith got the first of two consecutive goals only 28 seconds apart to quickly cut Colorado's lead down to 6-3. And at 10:38, Ben Ondrus one-timed a shot past Jones to make things really interesting at 6-4 with nearly half a period still to play. The Steelheads couldn't score again, however, and with Robinson pulled for an extra attacker, Costello scored his second goal of the game into the vacated net to ice the contest.

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