Gorillas comeback falls short in 4-3 loss to Sundogs
February 5, 2009 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Amarillo Gorillas News Release
Prescott, AZ 2/4/09 - A slow start hindered the Amarillo Gorillas Wednesday night in a 4-3 loss to the Arizona Sundogs, despite three unanswered goals to close the game.
Arizona got on the board first, after a Kyle Hood shot attempt deflected right to Peter Cartwright in the slot area. Cartwright wristed the puck past the blocker of Gorillas' netminder A.J. Bucchino to give the Sundogs the first lead of the game. Less than two minutes later (at 11:18 of the first period), Arizona struck again, as Dwayne Hay deflected a Chris Bartolone shot past Bucchino with the Sundogs on the power play. The second goal of the first period would be the last, as the Sundogs left the ice after one period up 2-0.
The second period scoring would begin with Arizona's Joel Irving, who put a shot by Bucchino at 6:54 of the middle frame. Though the Irving shot was originally thought to hit the post and deflect away from the net, the puck was judged to have crossed the goal line, giving Arizona a 3-0 lead. A.J. MacLean scored next for the Sundogs, on a shorthanded 2-on-1 break, giving the hosts a 4-0 advantage.
Sam Ftorek would spark the comeback charge for Amarillo, blazing a wrist shot by Arizona goaltender Joel Gistedt while on a rare shift at forward. The Gorillas' captain drew the Gorillas within three goals on his 13th of the season-currently tops amongst all defensemen in the CHL.
The visitors would get numerous chances in the third period to draw closer. Amarillo managed 15 shots in the final twenty minutes, compared to just seven shots on net for the Sundogs. Joe Guenther popped a Jake Morissette shot by Gistedt at 8:54 of the third to continue the Gorillas' comeback efforts. Gistedt was able to stave off several late Amarillo chances, though, as the Sundogs maintained a 4-2 lead until late in the game. With just over two seconds remaining, Morissette would score after tipping a John Snowden shot into the mesh, setting the final score at 4-3, Arizona.
Gistedt stopped 32 of Amarillo's 35 shots to earn the victory, while Amarillo (12-28-1) dropped their second straight, despite a 22-save performance from Bucchino (2-6-0). The two teams will face off again on Friday, with an 8:05 PM scheduled face-off. Coverage of the game in the Amarillo area will be on 1010 AM 'The Canyon', while the CHL Network will carry a free video feed of the game online.
The AMARILLO GORILLAS are celebrating their seventh season in "The Jungle" by offering special ticket prices to groups and parties! Call the Gorillas ticketing office at (806) 242-PUCK (7825) for more information, or drop by the Gorillas' new office at 901 S. Buchanan in downtown Amarillo.
• Discuss this story on the Central Hockey League message board...
Central Hockey League Stories from February 5, 2009
- Bucks Smoke Ice Rays 7-1 In Cullaton's Return - Laredo Bucks
- IceRays fall to Bucks, 7-1 - Corpus Christi IceRays
- You Could Watch the 'Bugs from a Luxury Suite! - Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
- RiverKings Update - Mississippi RiverKings
- Take The Kookamonga Challenge - Mississippi RiverKings
- Time Running out to Reserve Game-Worn Komen Jerseys - Amarillo Gorillas
- Texas' Scott Sheppard Wins Oakley Three Star Award for January - CHL
- Sheppard Wins Award, Brahmas Make Trade, Predators Cancel Practice - Fort Worth Brahmas
- RiverKings Game Supports DeSoto County Museum - Mississippi RiverKings
- Gorillas comeback falls short in 4-3 loss to Sundogs - Amarillo Gorillas
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.
