Sundogs Fall in OT in Back-and-Forth Battle

Published on January 23, 2009 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Arizona Sundogs News Release


PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. - The Colorado Eagles traveled to Prescott Valley Friday night to face off against the Arizona Sundogs for a two-game set at Tim's Toyota Center, marking their first trip to Arizona since the 2008 Central Hockey League President's Cup Finals. Arizona never trailed in the contest and held four separate one-goal leads before falling in overtime, 5-4. Linemates Joel Irving, Adam Perry and Rob Lehtinen combined for three goals and six points in the loss.

All-Star forward Joel Irving opened scoring in the contest Friday night to give his club a 1-0 lead midway through the opening period of play. Skating 5-on-3, Adam Perry sent a centering feed through the goal crease to Irving who lifted a one-timer over a sprawling Morgan Cey for his league-leading 26th of the season. Setup man Martin Gascon recorded his 37th assist of the season on the power-play tally. Colorado pulled even with a power-play goal of its own two minutes later with Riley Nelson netting his 18th of the season. Collecting a through pass from Kevin Ulanski, Nelson skated in alone on Marco Emond and slipped a backhand past his former teammate. Defenseman Erik Adams also helped on the equalizer. Adam Perry answered 22 seconds later with his 13th of the season, regaining a one-goal lead for Arizona. Applying pressure down low, Irving sent a quick turn-around shot off the far post before Perry slammed home the rebound. Rob Lehtinen also collected an assist on the play for his seventh point in nine games since making the switch from defense to forward. The visiting Eagles and Adam Hogg tied the game at 2-2 on a controversial goal with 1:03 to play in the period. Emond made what seemed to be a routine glove save late in the frame but referee J.P. Sylvain ruled that he pulled the puck from behind the goal line. The Sundogs out-chanced Colorado in the first 20 minutes with an 18-10 advantage in shots.

The two teams traded goals in the second but it would be Arizona skating into the final intermission with a 4-3 lead. With their second power-play goal of the game, the Sundogs took a 3-2 lead as Lehtinen gathered his second point of the night and seventh goal in nine games, sending a Mark Kolanos cross-ice feed past a reaching Cey with four-and-a-half minutes remaining in the middle period. Kyle Hood was also credited with an assist on his club's second man-advantage goal of the game. Konrad Reeder was credited with his 20th marker of the year with 2:13 to play in the second with a shot that deflected off a defenseman's stick and into the net but the Sundogs' A.J. MacLean converted on a delayed penalty to give his club their fourth one-goal lead of the contest less than a minute later. With an extra attacker heading to the ice, Peter Cartwright and Hood combined to find MacLean for his eighth of the season late in the period.

Ryan Tobler tallied the third period's lone goal, a power-play marker from Schneekloth, his second assist of the game at the 7:22 mark to force overtime.

The Sundogs received a one-minute man-advantage early in the extra session following an Adams holding penalty but were unable to convert. Adams then converted 22 seconds after being released from the penalty box to give his club a 5-4 overtime victory. Tom Reimann was credited with the lone assist on the game-winning tally.

Emond stopped 35 of 40 shots in the overtime loss, falling to 13-10-3 on the season while Colorado's Cey turned aside 28 of 32 shots in the win to improve to 10-5-0 on the year. Both clubs converted twice on the power play with Arizona finishing 2-for-7 and the Eagles finishing 2-for-6. Colorado outshot the Sundogs 40-32 in the contest.

With the overtime loss, Arizona falls to 17-20-3 on the season and maintains a one-point lead over Corpus Christi for the Southern Conference's fifth and final playoff spot. The Sundogs and Eagles close out their two-game set tomorrow night at 7:05pm. Tickets 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 January 23, 2009


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