Sundogs Hold On for 4-3 Victory, Win Back-to-Back Home Games for First Time this Season
Published on February 4, 2009 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Arizona Sundogs News Release
PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. - In the lone contest in the CHL Wednesday night, the Arizona Sundogs and Amarillo Gorillas skated in the first of a three-game set at Tim's Toyota Center in Prescott Valley. Arizona saw its four-goal lead dwindle down to one in the closing seconds but held on for the 4-3 victory, winning back-to-back games at home for the first time this season. Recently-acquired forward Dwayne Hay tallied his first three points with Arizona - one goal, two assists - in the win.
Arizona skated out to a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes of play Wednesday night on goals by rookie forward Peter Cartwright and former Hay. Cartwright and Kyle Hood extended their current point streaks to three and four games respectively as Cartwright one-timed a backdoor feed from Hood past A.J. Bucchino for his 11th of the year and third in two games midway through the period. Hay also assisted on the play for his first point of the period. With the Sundogs on the power play, Hay tallied his second point and first goal with the Arizona club less than two minutes later, redirecting a Chris Bartolone shot through traffic past Bucchino. Rob Lehtinen was also credited with an assist on the man-advantage tally to close out scoring in the first. Arizona held an 11-8 advantage in shots in the opening period.
The Sundogs stretched their lead to 4-0 before Amarillo and Sam Ftorek ended Joel Gistedt's shutout bid late in the middle frame. Joel Irving opened scoring in the second with his league co-leading 28th of the year from Lehtinen and Hay seven minutes into the period. Lehtinen collected a pass from Hay before finding Irving near the far faceoff dot. Arizona took a commanding four-goal lead five minutes later with their seventh shorthanded tally of the season following a Jason Lawmaster hooking penalty. Skating in 2-on-1, Cartwright recorded his second point of the night as A.J. MacLean redirected a centering pass through Bucchino for his ninth of the year. Ftorek got his team on the board at the 16:27 mark, lifting a shot just under the crossbar and over Gistedt to cut Amarillo's deficit back to three. Mark Carragher and Jamie McKinven assisted on the play. The visiting Gorillas outshot Arizona 14-8 in the frame for a two-period 22-19 advantage through 40 minutes.
Amarillo cut Arizona's lead to two 8:54 into the third period on Joe Guenther's 18th of the year from Jake Morisette. Guenther crashed the net and slammed home the loose puck as Gistedt made the initial glove save but was unable to hold on. The Gorillas pulled to within one with two seconds remaining in the contest as Morisette knocked a rebound past Gistedt for the final 4-3 result.
Gistedt won his second-straight decision stopping 34 of 37 shots while Bucchino turned aside 22 of 26 shots in the loss. The Sundogs finished 1-for-2 with the man-advantage while holding the Gorillas scoreless on two power play opportunities. With the win, the Sundogs improve to 20-22-3 on the season and sit just three points back of Rio Grande Valley and fourth place in the Southern Conference. They hold a three-point cushion over Corpus Christi for the fifth and final playoff spot.
Arizona and Amarillo square off again on Friday in the second of three-straight at Tim's Toyota Center. Game time is set for 7:05pm. Tickets start at just $14 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.
Central Hockey League Stories from February 4, 2009
- Sundogs Hold On for 4-3 Victory, Win Back-to-Back Home Games for First Time this Season - Arizona Sundogs
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- Bid on Bobby Chaumont's All-Star Game Jersey - Mississippi RiverKings
- RiverKings Sixth in Yellow Book CHL Coaches Poll - Mississippi RiverKings
- Eagles Remain on Top of Yellowbook CHL Coaches Poll - CHL
- Former Sundog David Schlemko Makes NHL Debut with Phoenix in 2-1 Loss to Nashville - Amarillo Gorillas
- Stoddard Four-Goal Final Period First in CHL in Nearly Five Years - Mississippi RiverKings
- Bucks, Cullaton Host Corpus Thursday - Laredo Bucks
- Hockey Day In New Mexico Is Saturday - New Mexico Scorpions
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