CHL Colorado Eagles

Panks Helps Power Eagles Past Oilers

Published on November 12, 2008 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


LOVELAND, Colo. - Greg Pankewicz's second hat trick of the season helped the Colorado Eagles defeat the Tulsa Oilers 7-3 tonight in front of a special Veterans Day crowd at the Budweiser Events Center. The 199th consecutive sellout - made up almost entirely of military members and their families thanks to the Eagles' season ticket holders generous donations - was treated to a game full of offensive firepower and special military tributes.

The Eagles came out flying in the first, building a 4-0 lead with their first goal coming just 26 seconds into the game. Kevin Ulanski controlled the puck down the left wing and into the offensive zone where he dished a pass to Scott Polaski between the circles. Polaski then tapped the puck to Pankewicz at the right doorstep for the goal. Colorado kept coming, ringing two shots off the goalposts within the first half of the period, before finally finding the back of the net again. Aaron Schneekloth made it 2-0 at 11:48 when he took the puck off the left wing boards, cut toward the net and then abruptly across the slot before backhanding a shot top shelf.

Colorado struck again at 16:24 with their third shorthanded goal of the year when Steve Haddon beat Kevin St. Pierre from the right dot. Haddon had a hand in the fourth goal as well just five seconds before the end of the period. Stationed below the goal line to the right of the Tulsa net, Haddon sent a pass diagonally through the crease to Brett Hammond below the left circle where he beat St. Pierre for his second goal of the year. The assists marked the first time in his career that Haddon has registered back-to-back multi-point games.

Both teams scored a pair of goals in the second period, the Eagles' courtesy of Pankewicz - giving him his second hat trick of the season. The Eagles captain notched his second goal of the evening at 11:05 when he got a second chance at a shot from the slot and was able to tee up from the left hash marks, beating St. Pierre high on the glove side for a power-play goal. St. Pierre was replaced after the score by Guy St. Vincent after allowing five goals on 31 shots.

The change in net seemed to spark Tulsa as Jake Riddle scored a shorthanded goal at 15:38. The Oilers forward created a breakaway for himself after blocking a point shot in his own end and then skated down the ice and beat Andrew Penner low on the blocker side. Pankewicz answered by scoring his third tally at 18:39 with a shot from the left faceoff circle off a cross-ice pass from Ed McGrane. But just before the period ended, Jeff Christian restored his club's four goal deficit by banging a shot past Penner with two seconds left.

Both teams registered a goal in the final frame with Tulsa cutting the Eagles' lead in half at 10:54 when Bobby Reed used a nice backhand shot to finish off a give-and-go with Chris Kovalcik. But Colorado again restored their four goal margin with their second short-handed goal of the game with 3:39 left. Riley Nelson was able to keep his franchise record point streak alive - extending it to 19 games - by beating St. Vincent from inside the left circle after taking a drop pass from Ulanski entering the offensive zone.

The two teams will meet again on Friday night, in the second of three total meetings this season. The win pushed the Eagles all-time record against the Oilers to 13-3-1 at home (23-5-1 overall) where they've out-scored Tulsa 78-35.

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Central Hockey League Stories from November 12, 2008


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