Sundogs Close Out 2007-08 Regular Season with Ninth-Straight Win

March 23, 2008 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Arizona Sundogs News Release


PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. - The Arizona Sundogs and Odessa Jackalopes skated in the second of their two-game weekend series Saturday night at Tim's Toyota Center in Prescott Valley in the Central Hockey League's final night of regular season play. Arizona looked to extend their franchise-best win streak to nine-games heading into the final contest before the start of the 2008 CHL Playoffs. Arizona used goals in each period and two in less than three minutes in the third to close out the regular season with a 5-3 win. Alex Leavitt wrapped up the CHL regular season scoring title with one goal in the game for 128 total points on the season (40g/88a). The scoring title would be his second double-A title, securing the honor in 2005-06 while playing in the ECHL. Cory Urquhart also tallied a goal in the game to extend his goal-scoring streak to ten consecutive games, tying a CHL season-high.

The Sundogs and Jackalopes combined for 11 goals on Friday night, but in their second meeting in as many days, the two teams played a more playoff-style brand of hockey early on. Karl Sellan found the back of the net for the first period's lone goal to give his club a 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission. Tyler Liebel and Barry Horman offered passes to Sellan who beat the Odessa defense and out-maneuvered the Jackalopes' Mike Gorman with a backhand-forehand move for his 21st of the year. Despite the 1-0 first period lead, Odessa outshot Arizona 14-5 in the opening 20 minutes of play.

After just one goal in the opening period, the two teams combined for five goals in the second. Arizona came out and pushed the lead to 2-0 as defenseman Jon Landry gathered a loose puck in his own zone and skated the length of the ice before ripping a slapshot past Gorman from the top of the far circle. The unassisted tally, Landry's ninth of the season, came 4:46 into the frame. Odessa then used two goals in a little over three minutes to pull even at 2-2. Dominic Leveille beat Sundogs goaltender Rob McVicar with a rebound shot for his 32nd of the season from Mario Joly and Olivier Proulx at the 7:15 mark. Collin Circelli registered his seventh of the year just past the midway point of the period on setup passes from Joly and Nathan Ward. The Sundogs answered back 65 seconds later as rookie Dusty Collins fired a shot under the arm of Gorman to regain a one-goal lead for his club. Steve Rymsha assisted on the play for his 10th assist in just six games with the Sundogs. With just 14 seconds to play in the period, Sebastien Thinel grabbed his third goal of the weekend from linemates Proulx and Leveille to tie the game at 3-3 heading into the second intermission.

Cory Urquhart broke the 3-3 tie at 13:37 of the third with a backhand shot over a sprawling Gorman from Chris Bartolone and Landry. With his 20th of the season, Urquhart has notched at least a goal in ten-straight games, tying the CHL's season high. Less than three minutes later, CHL regular season scoring champion Alex Leavitt notched his 40th goal of the season from Rymsha and Mark Kolanos to close out the game's scoring 5-3.

Rob McVicar appeared in net for Arizona and won his sixth-straight decision stopping 39 of 42 shots while Mike Gorman blocked 21 of 26 shots in the loss for Odessa. Neither team was able to find the back of the net while on the man advantage Saturday night with the Sundogs finishing 0-for-2 on the powerplay and the Jackalopes tallying a 0-for-5 mark. With the win, Arizona finishes the regular season with a franchise-best nine-straight wins and a 39-19-6 record. New Mexico topped the Gorillas 5-4 Saturday night and secured a second-round matchup with the Sundogs.

The Sundogs have home-ice advantage in the second round of the playoffs and will play Games 1 and 2 on Friday, March 28 and Saturday, March 29 at Tim's Toyota Center in Prescott Valley. Tickets for the second round of the playoffs are on sale now and can be purchased by phone at 1-866-4-GET-TIX (1-866-443-8846), online at www.gettix.net and in person at the Tim's Toyota Center Box Office.



Central Hockey League Stories from March 23, 2008


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