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CHL Colorado Eagles

Rycroft's Hat Trick Helps Eagles into First Place

March 1, 2011 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


WICHITA, Kan. - The Colorado Eagles lost in a 7-6 shootout in Wichita, as the two teams met for the second game in a row and the fifth and final time this season. Fresh off the IR, Daymen Rycroft scored a hat trick that helped the Eagles overcome an early deficit, as the team earned a point that pushed them into the top spot in the Turner Conference. The contest saw a total of seven power-play goals, with Colorado going 4-for-6 with the extra man.

Colorado got the scoring started early when Rycroft blasted a shot past Marc-Antoine Gelinas from the left circle at 1:17 for a power-play marker. But just 25 seconds later, Wichita tied the game after a turnover deep in their own zone turned into a 2-on-1 rush that Steve Kaunisto converted. Each goal came on the respective team's first shot of the game.

The Eagles went back on top at 10:39 with another power-play goal when Riley Nelson stuffed the puck past Gelinas at the right post. But just over a minute later, Alex Penner would be called for a five minute major penalty that allowed the Thunder to grab back the momentum.

At 12:24, Lance Galbraith tied the game at 2 by backhanding a rebound from the doorstep. And Jesse Bennefield got a second power-play goal on the major penalty from a similar spot just 31 seconds later. The Thunder made it 4-2 at 17:06 of the first period after Chris Greene worked hard along the left wing boards before finding Dustin Donaghy open between the hashmarks for a shot past Kyle Jones.

Colorado cut Wichita's lead to 4-3 at 3:59 of the second period when Adam Chorneyko sent a backhand pass from below the goal line through an empty crease and right to Dan Sullivan who was crashing the net. But the Thunder got that goal back exactly eight minutes later when Donaghy picked up his second goal of the game from a similar spot on the ice as his first.

Kory Scoran made it 6-3 for the Thunder at 15:32 when he scored a power-play goal from low in the left circle. But with just eight seconds left in the second frame, Rycroft got his second goal of the night by converting a 2-on-1 rush with Scott May as several players scuffled at the opposite end of the ice with the Eagles working a delayed penalty.

Rycroft picked up his third goal of the game at 4:17 of the third period as he swatted the puck out of mid-air while standing to the left of the crease on a power play. And at 13:53, Kevin Ulanski tied the game with a nifty move through the right circle to create some space for himself before snapping a shot past Gelinas from in close. That goal -- Colorado's fourth power-play marker on the night -- would force the game into overtime.

Neither team scored in the abbreviated overtime session, sending the contest to a shootout. None of Colorado's four shooters were able to put the puck in the net, while Troy Schwab got the game-winner as the first of two Thunder shooters (Aaron Davis was the other) to beat Jones.

The Eagles now return home for a pair of games this weekend against the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees.

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Central Hockey League Stories from March 1, 2011


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