Irving Hat Trick Overshadowed in 8-3 Loss

Published on December 20, 2008 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Arizona Sundogs News Release


PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. - The Arizona Sundogs and Texas Brahmas closed out a three-game set Saturday night at Tim's Toyota Center in Prescott Valley. Coming into the game, each team had won a contest with the Sundogs topping the Brahmas 3-2 on Wednesday and Texas beating Arizona 4-2 last night. Texas was the better team Saturday night, defeating Arizona 8-3. Joel Irving collected the team's second hat trick of the season in the loss and now leads the CHL with 20 tallies.

Arizona dominated the first few minutes Saturday night courtesy of an early power play opportunity but Texas responded with four unanswered to skate into the first intermission with a commanding 4-0 lead. Jordan Cameron was credited with his team's first 5:43 into the frame. Seven minutes later, Scott Sheppard netted his first of two while on a 5-on-3 power play following an Andre Selander holding penalty and a Chris Bartolone interference infraction. Kevin McLeod collected his seventh assist of the year. Sheppard recorded his second of the period from Marc Belanger with 2:09 to play in the period to give his club a three-goal cushion. Matt Quinn figured into the scoring with his fifth of the season 48 seconds later to give his club a 4-0 lead at the end of 20 minutes of play. Mark Carragher and Matt Burto gathered assists on the late tally. Despite the lopsided score, Texas outshot Arizona by just three shots, 10-7.

Texas stretched their lead to 5-0 just over two minutes into the second period as Matt Hanson recorded his club's second power play goal of the game. Cameron registered his second assist of the game along with defenseman Mike Vellinga. Arizona finally got on the board with 5:17 to play in the middle frame as linemates Joel Irving and Adam Perry combined to cut Texas' lead back to four. Perry chipped a puck past a Brahmas defender in the neutral zone before dropping a feed to Irving who connected for his 18th of the year. Defenseman Derek Legault was also credited with an assist on the play. The Sundogs outshot Texas by a 17-11 mark in the second for a two-period 30-27 advantage.

Belanger, Eric Lundberg and Pete Rouleau all scored for Texas in the final period before Irving answered twice to complete the hat trick effort. Legault and Perry each registered their second helpers of the game on Irving's second and third of the game. The two teams combined for 106 penalty minutes at the 19:05 mark as every player on the ice was involved in a scrap in the Texas zone. After Brahmas netminder David Cacciola left his crease to enter the scuffle, Sundogs goalie Marco Emond raced down the ice. The two came together near center ice and exchanged blows. Backup goaltenders Joel Gistedt and Brett Jaeger came in to finish the final 55 seconds of regulation time.

Emond stopped 23 of 31 shots in the loss before being sent off the ice while Cacciola turned aside 36 of 39 shots in the win. Jaeger was credited with one save in the final seconds Saturday night. Arizona was held scoreless on six power play chances while Texas converted on 2 of 10 man advantage chances. The Sundogs received a season-high 81 penalty minutes in the loss.

Arizona next travels to Rapid City, South Dakota to take on the expansion Rush for two straight on Friday, Dec. 26 and Saturday, Dec. 27. Both games can be heard live beginning at 7:05pm on 96.7 FM The Wolf, the Official Broadcast Home of the Arizona Sundogs.

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Central Hockey League Stories from December 20, 2008


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