Sundogs Fall in Shootout, 6-5, Earn Five of Six Points against Jackalopes

Published on January 23, 2011 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Arizona Sundogs News Release


PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. - Trailing 5-2 early in the second period Saturday night at Tim's Toyota Center, the Odessa Jackalopes battled back to force extra time before Mike Ramsay secured the 6-5 win, snapping a wrist shot past the glove of Doug Groenestege in the second round of the shootout.

Despite the shootout loss, the Sundogs have earned points in five straight games at Tim's Toyota Center, going 4-0-1 in that span.

With Arizona clinging to a one-goal lead in the game's final minutes, Kenny Corupe evened the score at five, gaining the offensive zone and sending a wrist shot low past the left leg pad of Groenestege for his 15th of the season with 1:20 remaining in regulation.

Jackalopes backup netminder Michel Robinson turned aside all 20 shots faced in relief of starting goaltender David McKee before denying all five Arizona skaters in the shootout. McKee was chased from the game after allowing five goals on 16 shots in just over 24 minutes of action.

Looking for their fifth consecutive win at Tim's Toyota Center, Arizona built a 4-2 lead after 20 minutes of play and stretched its cushion to 5-2 with four straight power-play goals, matching a season-high.

The two teams combined to score five goals in a four-minute span early in the first period.

Odessa struck first for a 1-0 lead just 2:22 into the contest but Joey Sides extended his scoring streak to eight games with his CHL-leading fourth shorthanded goal and seventh shorthanded point of the year 34 seconds later, knotting the score at one.

Jeff Pierce tallied his first of two points in the opening frame with his 15th goal of the season, slamming a rebound across the goal line at the left post for the early lead but less than a minute later Sides lifted a backhand attempt over McKee after collecting a Tyler Butler outlet pass at center ice after a defensive zone faceoff.

Todd Robinson reclaimed a one-goal lead for Odessa at the 4:42 mark, one-timing a pass through the slot past Groenestege for the first of four power-play markers in the period but Luke Erickson's CHL-leading 26th goal of the year a minute later while on a lengthy 5-on-3 advantage pulled Arizona back even.

Jason Visser capitalized on the remaining power-play time 19 seconds after Erickson tied the game at two to give Arizona its first lead of the contest, beating McKee with a wrist shot from the far faceoff circle.

Sides' second of the game midway through the opening frame stretched the Sundogs' lead to two. Netting his club's third power-play goal of the period, Sides redirected a Kyle Hood shot-pass beneath McKee.

Trailing 5-2 early in the second period, the Jackalopes closed to within one through 40 minutes of play on goals by Ramsay and Darryl Bootland.

Jamie VanderVeeken collected Arizona's fourth man advantage tally of the game 4:40 into the second period, blasting a slap shot under the arm of McKee from between the circles, ending the goaltender's night.

Ramsay cut Odessa's deficit to 5-3 at the 10:56 mark before a bad angle shot from Bootland at the side of the cage snuck between Groenestege and the near post with 3:19 to play in the middle frame.

Cam Keith extended his CHL season-best point streak to 14 games with an assist in the shootout loss.

Prior to the game, Sundogs Head Coach and General Manager Marco Pietroniro activated forward Karl Sellan and placed Mark Kolanos on 10-day injured reserve.

Arizona (17-18-5) continues a season-long nine-game homestand with three games in three days against the Colorado Eagles (21-14-2) beginning Friday, Jan. 28 at 7:05pm. 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 January 23, 2011


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