Special Teams Play Helps Arizona Top Laredo 7-3

Published on February 28, 2009 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Arizona Sundogs News Release


PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. - Skating in their third game in as many days, the Arizona Sundogs closed out a four-game, five-day road trip against the Laredo Bucks Saturday night at the Laredo Entertainment Center in Laredo, Texas, a place they lost 5-4 in a shootout two days prior. On a night that saw both the Corpus Christi IceRays and New Mexico Scorpions collect wins, the Sundogs topped the Bucks 7-3 to stay one point ahead of the IceRays and four points ahead of the Scorpions for the Southern Conference's fifth and final playoff spot. Arizona was perfect on both the power play and penalty kill Saturday finishing 2-for-2 with the man-advantage and holding Laredo scoreless on five power play opportunities while adding two shorthanded goals.

The visiting Sundogs exploded for three goals in the opening 20 minutes of play Saturday night to take a commanding 3-0 lead into the first intermission. Jon Landry opened scoring for Arizona with his 11th of the year just four seconds after a Steve Weidlich high sticking penalty to give his club an early 1-0 advantage. Matt Craig recorded the lone assist on the early power play marker. Matt Suderman stretched the Sundogs' lead to 2-0 with his second of the season from Kyle Hood two minutes later. Former NHLer Dwayne Hay closed out scoring in the period with his fifth goal in seven games with 2:18 to play in the frame. Chris Bartolone collected his team-leading 36th assist of the year on the late goal. The Bucks held a 13-11 advantage in shots despite trailing by three goals at the end of the first.

Laredo's Alex Goupil ended Marco Emond's shutout streak at 90:27 dating back to Friday night's 1-0 win with his 22nd of the season from rookie scoring leader Darryl Smith 5:27 into the second period. Skating shorthanded after a Bartolone slashing penalty, rookie Adam Perry responded to regain a three-goal cushion for Arizona with his fourth shorthanded tally of the season at the 7:51 mark. Hay registered an assist on the play for his second point of the contest. The Sundogs opened a four-goal lead, their biggest of the game, with their second man-advantage goal of the night as Mark Kolanos beat Sebastien Centomo for his 19th of the season from Landry. Following the Kolanos goal, Centomo and backup netminder Andrew Martin would exchange goaltender duties throughout the remainder of the game. Smith cut Arizona's lead back to three with his second point of the night and 33rd goal of the season with 6:21 to play in the middle frame. Brent Cullaton and Jaye Judd assisted on their club's second goal of the contest. Laredo more than doubled Arizona in shots in the second, 18-8, for a two-period 31-19 advantage.

Regaining a four-goal lead for the Sundogs in the third, Perry netted his second of the game from linemate Joel Irving at the 7:17 mark. Involved in his team's first two goals, Smith moved into a tie for the league goal scoring lead with his 34th of the year from Matt Miller with seven minutes to play in regulation. With Laredo on its fifth power play of the game, A.J. MacLean added an empty net goal late in the contest for his club's second shorthanded goal of the game, all but securing the 7-3 win.

Emond won his second-straight decision with 43 saves on 46 shots to improve to 16-15-3 on the season. Centomo fell to 18-14-2 on the year with 13 saves on 19 shots. Martin turned aside the two shots he faced in nearly 13 minutes of action late in the game. Arizona finished 2-for-2 with the man-advantage, held the Bucks scoreless on five power play opportunities and collected a single-game season-high two shorthanded goals. Landry, Hood, Hay and Perry each picked up multiple points in the win.

The Sundogs (24-28-4) return home to Prescott Valley to close out their regular season home schedule with five-straight beginning on Wednesday, March 4 against the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees. Tickets to all five remaining home games start at just $14 and are available by phone at 1-866-4-GET-TIX (1-866-443-8849), online at www.gettix.net and in person at the Tim's Toyota Center Box Office.

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Central Hockey League Stories from February 28, 2009


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