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ECHL Colorado Eagles

Game Recap --- Garbowsky's Natural Hat Trick Drives Eagles to 6-3 Win

January 21, 2017 - ECHL (ECHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


RAPID CITY, SD. - Eagles forward Matt Garbowsky registered a natural hat trick in the third period, his third hat trick in six games, as Colorado rallied to defeat the Rapid City Rush 6-3 on Saturday. The Eagles scored a season-high four goals in the third period to collect the win, which also secured the "Crystal Cup" for Colorado, the traveling trophy which is awarded to the winner of the season series between the Eagles and the Rush.

Colorado grabbed a 1-0 lead when forward Casey Pierro-Zabotel pounded a rebound in the slot past Rush goalie Adam Morrison at the 10:45 mark of the first period. The goal was Pierro-Zabotel's 16th of the season.

Later in the first frame and with Colorado on the power play, defenseman Jake Marto would fire a wrist shot from the right circle into the back of the net, extending the Eagles lead to 2-0 with just 1:40 remaining in the first period of action.

Rapid City would come charging back in the second period, as forward Terrence Wallin would snag a rebound at the bottom of the left circle and snap it past Eagles goaltender Clarke Saunders to trim the Eagles lead to 2-1 at the 6:11 mark of the middle frame. Just 2:20 later, Wallin would slap a rebound out of midair in the crease and into the net to knot the game at 2-2.

Rapid City would claim their first lead of the night with a power-play goal on the rush, as forward Mark Cooper redirected a pass into the cage with only 3:47 remaining in the second period.

Trailing 3-2 heading into the final period of regulation, Colorado would unleash an offensive explosion in the final 20 minutes, scoring a season-high four goals. The first of those goals tied the game at 3-3, when defenseman Matt Register unfurled a shot from the top of the left circle through traffic that lit the lamp at the 4:59 mark of the third period.

Less than four minutes later, Garbowsky cruised into the Rapid City zone and snapped a wrister past Morrison to give the Eagles the 4-3 lead. With Colorado facing a penalty kill late in the third period, Garbowsky turned a Rush turnover into a breakaway, culminating with Garbowsky firing the puck into the net and giving Colorado the 5-3 lead with 3:57 left in the final frame. The goal was Colorado's league-leading 11th shorthanded tally of the season.

The Eagles would earn a power play of their own in the closing minutes of the contest and Garbowsky would complete his hat trick with a deflection of a shot from the point that rocketed past Morrison and gave Colorado the 6-3 advantage with just 17 seconds remaining in regulation.

Saunders claimed the win in net, stopping 19 of Rapid City's 22 shots in the victory. The Eagles finished the night going 2-for-4 on the power play.

The Eagles will conclude their three-game set with the Rapid City Rush on Sunday, January 22nd at 3:05pm MT at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City, South Dakota.

Season tickets for the 2016-17 season are on-sale now and can be reserved with a $50 deposit per seat by calling the Eagles ticket office at 970-686-SHOT (7468). A complete schedule can be found at www.ColoradoEagles.com.

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