Rage Roll Past Thunder, 8-2
Published on February 6, 2009 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Wichita Thunder News Release
Wichita - Simon Watson, Colt King, and Daymen Rycroft each scored two goals as the Rocky Mountain Rage defeated the Wichita Thunder 8-2 at the Kansas Coliseum. The eight goals tied a franchise high, and Rocky Mountain evened its record at 2-2-0 on its current seven-game road trip.
Both teams' power plays were clicking through the first half of the game as the Rage built a 2-1 lead through the opening period. Rocky Mountain's Nick Harloff and Watson struck with the extra man at 5:32 and 13:24, respectively, while Wichita's Joel Hanson lit the lamp on the power play at 8:27.
King then notched his first of the night on the power play to give the Rage a two-goal edge 5:45 into the second. The Thunder answered back at 10:37 to pull back within one when Mike Zbriger scored off a deflection just seconds after a power play expired.
Rather than giving in to Wichita's mounting momentum while the Thunder skated on five consecutive power plays over the final 12 minutes of the middle period, Rocky Mountain instead broke the game open. Watson picked the pocket of a Thunder d-man right on the doorstep to score unassisted at 13:04. Rycroft then made it a 5-2 game when he raced up the right wing before knifing across the low slot to score a short-handed goal top shelf at 15:28.
The Rage did not let up in the third on their way to matching the eight goals they scored on Jan. 27, 2007, in an 8-4 win over the Arizona Sundogs. Nathan O'Nabigon, King, and Rycroft all scored to finish off the club's fifth straight win in the season series against Wichita.
The victory gives Rocky Mountain a record of 24-19-4 with 52 points and keeps the team within six points of the Northern Conference's fourth-place Mississippi RiverKings.
The Rage now face a pair of games in Mississippi on Sunday, Feb. 8, and Tuesday, Feb. 10. Sunday's live play-by-play action will be joined in progress at approximately 4:30 p.m. MST on ESPN Radio 1600. Live audio and video will carried on the CHL Network right from the opening face-off at 4:05 p.m.
Tonight's tilt also began the second leg of a stretch of 12 of 13 for the Rage on the road. Rocky Mountain does not return to Broomfield Event Center until another showdown with the RiverKings on Sunday, Feb. 15, at 3:05 p.m.
Individual tickets for the game on the 15th against Mississippi are available for as low as $5 for kids 12 and under (with the purchase of at least one adult ticket) and cost just $10 for students with a valid ID. Tickets may be purchased at the BEC Box Office, www.Ticketmaster.com, (303) 830-TIXS, and all Ticketmaster retail outlets.
For more ticket information, visit www.rockymountainrage.com, or contact the Rage Ticket Sales Staff at (303) 439-RAGE or tickets@broomfieldsports.com.
Central Hockey League Stories from February 6, 2009
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- Rage Roll Past Thunder, 8-2 - Wichita Thunder
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- Big saves and big goals lead to big win over Colorado - Fort Worth Brahmas
- Riverkings Power Play Beats Odessa, 4-1 - Odessa Jackalopes
- IceRays edge Bucks, 2-1 - Corpus Christi IceRays
- Bucks Road Demons Haunt Them In 2-1 Loss - Laredo Bucks
- Rage Defeat Thunder - Wichita Thunder
- Jaeger Stops 41 of 42 in Brahmas Win - Colorado Eagles
- Listen Live - Tulsa Oilers at Rio Grande Valley - Tulsa Oilers
- RiverKings Meet Odessa Tonight - Mississippi RiverKings
- Rapid City Rush Announce Plans For Pink At The Rink - Rapid City Rush
- New Method Performs on Faith and Family Night - Mississippi RiverKings
- Bucks In Corpus Tonight - Laredo Bucks
- Shots from the Point - CHL
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