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CHL Colorado Eagles

Short-Benched Eagles Fall to Horrell, Thunder

February 15, 2008 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


VALLEY CENTER, Kan. - Jon Horrell backstopped the Wichita Thunder to a 6-3 win over the short-benched and short-handed Colorado Eagles, stopping 45 of 48 shots for his first victory since December 14 and just his second win of the year. Bryan Bridges got the start after beating the Rage in Colorado's previous game, denying Sebastien Laplante a chance to return in net against his former club, but the Eagles - already short-benched - put themselves behind the 8-ball by taking 10 penalties on the night.

Wichita and Colorado skated to a 3-2 score after the first period, with three power play goals between the two clubs. The Thunder got the first goal at 3:18 when Brad Thompson out-muscled an Eagles defenseman in front of the net, spun and snuck a shot under Bridges. Stan Yanchishyn made it 2-0 just 47 seconds later when the Thunder took advantage of Brad Williamson pinching in the offensive zone to create a 3-on-2 chance the other way. The Eagles finally got on the board at 7:13 when Seth Leonard skated the puck through the Wichita zone on the power play and hit Ed McGrane who beat the Thunder goalie. Former Eagle, Mike Lukajic, restored the two-goal cushion for the Thunder when he scored on a 5-on-3 power play, just 12 seconds before the first Colorado penalty would have expired. Leonard, though, got that one back at 17:18 when he scored his second power play point of the period with a goal of his own.

The Thunder expanded their lead to 6-2 in the second before Riley Nelson got a power play goal at the 16:39 mark to make it 6-3 after two periods. At the 7:50 mark, Bruce Richardson fought through a hook as he skated into the offensive zone before getting off a shot, and David Victor put in the rebound. Jason Duda then got Wichita's second power-play goal of the night on a shot that deflected multiple times before evading Bridges. At 12:55, Todd Paul skated down the left-wing boards and threw the puck on net where it was deflected past the Eagles netminder again, this time by Kyle Bruce. Nelson scored for the Eagles just seconds into a double-minor penalty on Cedric Bernier to extend his point streak to nine games.

Laplante started the third period in net for the Eagles, making a delayed debut in front of his former home crowd. He was thrown right into the fire too, facing a 5-on-3 short-handed situation. He snuffed the Thunder power plays and stopped all eight shots he faced in the period, but Colorado couldn't beat Horrell despite putting 19 shots on net in the final frame.

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Central Hockey League Stories from February 15, 2008


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