CHL Colorado Eagles

Pankewicz's Hat Trick Leads Eagles Into First Place Tie

Published on March 1, 2008 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


RIO RANCHO, N.M. - Greg Pankewicz and Sebastien Laplante led the Eagles over the New Mexico Scorpions, 5-2, and into a tie with Rocky Mountain for first place in the Northwest Division as the Rage lost 5-4 to Mississippi. Laplante was sharp, stopping 30 of 32 shots and Pankewicz had a four-point night to help power the offense with Ed McGrane (three points).

The Scorpions scored the game's first goal at 4:57 when they took advantage of an Eagles line change and Christopher Robertson beat Laplante from the right circle for his team-leading 29th goal of the season. Aaron Schneekloth countered for Colorado at 11:31, off a faceoff in the left-wing circle, by sending a knuckle-ball-of-a-shot from the left point that eluded New Mexico goaltender, Mike Minard.

The Eagles were out-shot 12-11 in the second period, but Laplante helped them out-score the Scorpions 2-0 to take a 3-1 lead into the third. McGrane got his team-leading 29th goal when he put in a Ryan Tobler rebound at 3:02. Laplante then turned his game up a notch, stopping a short-handed, odd-man rush by New Mexico's two leading scorers Robertson and Konrad Reeder in the middle of the period. Pankewicz made it 3-1 with a power play goal at 15:28 after playing catch low in the right-wing circle with McGrane.

Pankewicz got his second goal of the night just 19 seconds into the final frame after McGrane got a turnover deep in the Scorpions zone and drew Minard to the right side of the net before he threw a pass to a wide open Pankewicz at the lip of the crease. Craig Macdonald cut the Eagles lead to 4-2 with a power play goal at 6:43 when a Reeder rebound bounced off of Steve Haddon and right to Macdonald at the side of the net. Pankewicz closed out the scoring with just 52 seconds left by netting his first hat trick of the year (and sixth of his Eagles career) with an empty-net goal.

Colorado heads home for a game against the Arizona Sundogs on Monday night; the game will be televised by Altitude Sports & Entertainment.

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Central Hockey League Stories from March 1, 2008


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