Ice Dogs Down Roadrunners 3-1

by Andrew Nordmeier
Published on February 19, 2007 under ECHL (ECHL)
Phoenix RoadRunners


The only running the Phoenix Roadrunners have been doing as of late is into brick walls. Phoenix has been decimated by injuries and call-ups as of late and a faltering power play and dropped Phoenix to 1-6-2 in the month of February with their 3-1 loss to the Long Beach Ice Dogs Sunday afternoon at the US Airways Center.

"We're a little depleted and it was a big game," Phoenix Assistant Coach Brad Church said, "We're trying to fill some holes. It's that time of year where there's 20 games left and we're trying to make a playoff push"

Long Beach (19-27-3) started the scoring with Mark Hurtubise's 12th goal of the season 8:01 into the game with a wrapround shot that deflected off of the crossbar and in.

Ash Goldie scored his 21st goal of the season at 2:22 of the third period when he beat Rudkowsky to give Long Beach a 2-0 lead. Phoenix responded six seconds later with Tommy Maxwell's backhander that banked off the inside of Brett Jaeger's pad into the net to make it 2-1.

Ryan Bennett tipped home a Gary Gladue bullet from the point with 7:20 left in the third period to give Long Beach some breathing room. Phoenix pulled Rudkowsky with 1:36 left for the extra attacker but failed to convert.

The Roadrunners' power play has ground to a halt by connecting on just one of its last 48 chances in the last eight games and has been kept out of the net in the last five games.

""We've lost some key components and we're asking guys to play outside their elements," Church said, "We had two five on threes for over a minute and a half and we've got to get more scoring chances on it."

Phoenix (23-24-4) hosts Alaska Tuesday night and Bakersfield Friday night to close out a five-game homestand.

"We have to go day-by day here and the schedule doesn't get easier. It's a gut check for us," Church said, "We have to figure out ways to get some wins and points down the stretch."

Thee Stars of the Night

3. Maxwell-PHX Lone goal for Phoenix

2. Gladue-LBH Played hard at both ends of the ice.

1. Goldie- LBH Game-winning goal.

Notes: Long Beach finished a nine-game road trip with six wins and took two out of three games each of the last three weekends and has won seven of its last 10 on the road...Kyle Orr and Mat Snesurd were signed earlier today to help fill in the holes in the roster...Long Beach won the season series 5-4 and is 9-5-2 all-time against the Roadrunners...Long Beach is now 3-12-0 in two-goal games this season...Attendance was 3,925.

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ECHL Stories from February 19, 2007


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