ECHL Colorado Eagles

Sides' First Career Hat Trick Not Enough to Keep Eagles Perfect

January 5, 2013 - ECHL (ECHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


DALY CITY, Calif. - The San Francisco Bulls defeated the Colorado Eagles, 4-3, behind a strong third period. The win was their first all season when trailing after two periods and their first in six meetings with the Eagles. Three unanswered goals in a span of three and a half minutes ruined a strong night from Joey Sides, who provided all of Colorado's offense by tallying the first hat trick of his career.

The teams picked up where they left off Wednesday night with the goaltenders leading the way to what looked to be another low-scoring affair. But the Eagles used their league-leading power play to score the frame's only goal just over 17 minutes in when Sides deflected home a Collin Bowman shot from the point.

San Francisco controlled most of the play in the second period, out-shooting Colorado 17-8, which helped them tie the game just over 14 minutes in. Like the Eagles in the opening period, the Bulls also scored on their first man-advantage opportunity of the game when Dean Ouellet knocked the puck home from the doorstep at 14:12.

But the Eagles were able to counter -- and take a lead into the third period -- when Sides scored his second goal of the game in the final minute of the second stanza. The forward carried the puck into the offensive zone along right wing wall and worked it into the corner. After the biscuit bounced around below the goal line, Sides recollected it again near the right post, skated it into the low slot and snapped it home to make it 2-1.

San Francisco out-shot the Eagles 17-8 again in the third period, and made the most of their scoring chances to net the comeback win. Rob Kwiet took a back-door feed from Ouellet at 6:44 to make the Bulls 2-for-2 on the power play. And less than a minute later, following a faceoff win in the left circle of the offensive zone, the rebound from Jordan Morrison's point shot was picked up by Peter Sivak and roofed past Adam Brown to give the home team its first lead of the game.

And just two minutes after that, Sivak got his second goal in a row by taking advantage of a bad break for the Eagles. Brown had lost his stick, only to have Arthur Bidwill loan him his, and moments later, the defenseman was unable to clear a loose puck from the low slot before Sivak pounced on it and put it past the goaltender.

Colorado put forth a strong final push with an extra attacker, but could only come within a goal when Sides scored off a nice feed from Michael Forney with just over a minute to play. The Eagles will close out their six-game road trip Saturday night in Stockton, Calif. before returning home for a three-game set against the Thunder next week (Wednesday, Friday & Saturday).

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