Sundogs Earn 5-4 Overtime Win, Move into Tie for Fifth Place
March 15, 2011 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Arizona Sundogs News Release
PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. - The Arizona Sundogs and Odessa Jackalopes needed overtime for the fifth time in eight meetings this season skating to a 4-4 tie after 60 minutes of play before rookie Patrick Schafer tallied the game winner 2:54 into extra frame, earning two points in the standings and moving the Sundogs into a three-way tie for fifth place in the Berry Conference.
Chasing its first playoff berth since the franchise's championship season in 2007-08, Arizona increased its lead over the eighth-place Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees to five points and opened a seven-point cushion over the Laredo Bucks with four games remaining in the regular season.
Trailing 3-1 after 20 minutes of play in their final road game of the 2010-11 regular season, the Sundogs struck for three goals in the middle frame to claim its first lead of the contest heading into the third period.
Craig Macdonald extended his point streak to four games with a pair of goals, including a goal and an assist in the second frame as part of a three-goal outburst in just over four minutes.
Macdonald's second man advantage tally of the contest closed Arizona to within one six and a half minutes into the second period. Entering the offensive zone, Macdonald wristed a shot past David McKee after Joey Sides had the puck knocked off his stick between the circles.
Hood gathered his second point of the night and 15th goal of the season midway through the game, tapping a loose puck across the goal line before being thrown into the net by a Jackalopes player. Macdonald assisted on the play recording his third point of the night.
Defenseman Matt Frick intercepted an Odessa outlet-pass 62 seconds later, ringing a shot off the cross bar and past the blocker of McKee for his second goal in eight games with Arizona.
Alex Dunn tied the game at four and eventually forced overtime with his 14th of the year at the third period's midway point, slapping a loose puck past Levente Szuper at the far post on a delayed penalty in which Odessa was already on its third power play of the game.
The trio of Sebastien Thinel, Mike Ramsay and Todd Robinson combined for nine points in the opening frame, each having a hand in the Jackalopes' three first-period markers. Robinson finished with four assists in the loss.
Thinel staked his club to 1-0 lead 7:31 into the game, snapping a shot past Szuper from the slot as the Central Hockey League MVP candidate fell to the ice after an Arizona turnover between the circles.
Macdonald collected his first of two power-play goals on the night and second in as many contests tying the game at one at the game's 9:02 mark. Hood assisted on the play for his league-leading 33rd power-play assist of the year.
Thinel responded with his second goal of the opening frame at 13:26, banking a shot off the back of Szuper before connecting with Ramsay with 2:15 remaining in the first period.
With the win, Arizona improves to 7-3-4 in its last 14 games, finishing its final road trip of the regular season with a 4-1-0 mark.
The Sundogs close out the 2010-11 campaign with four straight at Tim's Toyota Center beginning this Friday at 7:05pm (Arizona time) against the Colorado Eagles. Tickets start at just $12 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 March 15, 2011
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