Sundogs Hold on for 5-4 Win Over Killer Bees

Published on March 11, 2011 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Arizona Sundogs News Release


PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. - The Arizona Sundogs held on for their fourth straight win Friday night at State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas, topping the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees by a 5-4 mark after leading 4-0 after 40 minutes of play.

Arizona looked to be cruising to victory but Rio Grande Valley stormed back to within one in the game's final minute with four goals in the third period.

The Sundogs closed out their season series against the Killer Bees with a 7-1-0 mark overall and a perfect 5-0-0 record at State Farm Arena in South Texas.

After going 0-7-5 in a 12 straight road games from mid-December to late-February, Arizona has won three straight away from Tim's Toyota Center to move into a tie for sixth place in the Berry Conference with the Mississippi RiverKings, one point back of fifth-place Odessa.

The Sundogs remain seven points ahead of the Laredo Bucks and stretch their cushion over the eighth-place Killer Bees to five points.

Recently-acquired defenseman Brett Blatchford extended his point streak to three games with a pair of assists on Arizona's two first-period goals. The rookie now has tallied at least a point in each of his first three games with the Sundogs, amassing four points (1g/3a) in that span.

Adam Smyth picked up his third point in as many contests, scoring the game's first goal 8:45 into the opening frame to gave Arizona a 1-0 lead. Smyth beat Jerad Kaufmann with a low slap shot inside the near post from the far circle for his fifth tally of the season. Jamie VanderVeeken also assisted on the play for his first of two helpers on the night.

Jason Visser stretched the Sundogs' lead to two with a power-play marker late in the first period, redirecting a Kyle Hood shot past Kaufmann who was screened on the play for his first of two goals in the win.

Hood pushed the score to 3-0 in favor of Arizona midway through the second period, skating through the low slot and knocking a rebound past Kaufmann who was unable to hold onto a Tyler Butler shot.

Corey Laurysen gave the Sundogs their second four-goal lead in as many games against the Killer Bees with 1:14 remaining in the middle frame, collecting his second shorthanded goal of the year, tapping a VanderVeeken feed through the slot past Kaufmann as the two skated in 2-on-1.

Visser's second goal of the game with 6:46 remaining in the contest reclaimed a three-goal lead for the Sundogs after Tomas Klempa and Brett Wilson each beat Levente Szuper in the first half of the final frame.

Darcy Campbell pulled his team back to within two at the 14:51 mark and Dominic D'Amour cut Arizona's lead to one with an extra attacker goal from Zak McClellan and Bo Cheesman with 1:03 remaining in the game.

Cheesman was awarded a penalty shot with just over eight minutes to play in the contest after Laurysen shoved the net off its moorings but Szuper denied the attempt, steering the puck into the corner.

Szuper finished with 31 saves on 35 shots to earn his 17th win of the year.

Arizona continues its final road trip of the 2010-11 regular season tomorrow at 6:30pm (Arizona time) against Laredo. Listen to the game live online at www.cattlecountryradio.com and on KDDL ‘Cattle Country' 94.3FM, the Official Radio Home of Arizona Sundogs Hockey.

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Central Hockey League Stories from March 11, 2011


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