Sundogs Clinch Playoff Berth Despite 8-4 Loss to Eagles
Published on March 20, 2011 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Arizona Sundogs News Release
PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. - The Arizona Sundogs clinched their third playoff berth in five seasons and first since the team's championship season in 2007-08 despite falling to the Colorado Eagles, 8-4, Saturday Night at Tim's Toyota Center in Prescott Valley.
The Laredo Bucks' 3-1 loss to the Rapid City Rush earlier in the night mathematically secured the Sundogs a spot in the 2011 Central Hockey League Ray Miron Presidents' Cup Playoffs. Arizona currently sits in seventh place in the Berry Conference, five points ahead of the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees and seven points in front of Laredo with two games remaining in the regular season.
The visiting Eagles proved opportunistic jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first period on three goals in less than four minutes before Arizona responded with three goals in the first half of the second period to pull even.
A missed assignment in the near corner in the second half of the first period resulted in the game's first goal. Circling below the goal line, Dan Sullivan floated a pass to Adam Chorneyko in the low slot for a 1-0 lead at the 13:14 mark.
The Eagles stretched their lead to two less than a minute later as Adam Hogg was credited with his first of two goals on the night, tapping a loose puck across the goal line after the initial save by Levente Szuper popped high into the air and landed at the near post.
Riley Nelson tallied his club's first power-play goal of the game four seconds into a late man advantage opportunity, snapping a shot stick side past Szuper after a defensive zone faceoff trickled into the slot with 3:08 to play in the period.
Szuper left the game in favor of backup netminder Michel Robinson just over two minutes into the middle frame after awkwardly falling to the ice while making an early save.
Jason Visser ended Kyle Jones' shutout streak at 164:37 after being awarded the Sundogs' second penalty shot in as many games just shy of the second period's six-minute mark. Stick handling in close, Visser collected his 10th of the season, lifting a forehand effort over Jones' right leg pad.
Mark Kolanos cut his team's deficit back to one with a power-play goal midway through the middle frame before rookie Patrick Schafer tied the game at three 29 seconds later, redirecting a Tyler Butler shot from the point past Jones in the second half of a Joe Grimaldi double-minor.
Holding a 4-3 lead after 40 minutes of play, Colorado out-scored the Sundogs 4-1 in the final frame as Kevin Ulanski recorded a hat trick with three third-period scores, all of which produced multiple-goal leads for the Eagles.
Szuper finished with 11 saves on 14 shots while Robinson suffered the loss allowing five goals on 26 shots.
Prior to the game Head Coach and General Manager Marco Pietroniro activated defenseman Maxime Renaud and waived forward Morgan MacLean.
Arizona (25-30-9) hosts the defending CHL Champion Rapid City Rush for a pair of contests at Tim's Toyota Center to close out the regular season beginning Friday, March 25 at 7:05pm (Arizona time). Tickets start at just $12 and are available by phone 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.
Central Hockey League Stories from March 20, 2011
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- IceMen Weekly - Evansville IceMen
- Sundogs Waive Goaltender Michel Robinson - Arizona Sundogs
- IceMen Weekly Notes - Evansville IceMen
- Sundogs Clinch Playoff Berth Despite 8-4 Loss to Eagles - Arizona Sundogs
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