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Sundogs Notes

March 21, 2011 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Arizona Sundogs News Release


The Arizona Sundogs (25-30-9) have qualified for the 2011 Central Hockey League Ray Miron Presidents' Cup Finals, clinching their third playoff berth in five seasons and first since the team's championship season in 2007-08.

The Sundogs currently sit in seventh place in the Berry Conference, five points ahead of eighth place and the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees and seven points in front of the Laredo Bucks with two games remaining in the regular season.

On Tuesday, Arizona and Odessa 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. Trailing 3-1 after 20 minutes of play in their final road game of the regular season, the Sundogs struck for three goals in the middle frame en route to their fourth win in five contests.

Quick strikes in the first and second periods and 36 saves by Kyle Jones helped the Turner Conference-leading Colorado Eagles to a 2-0 win over the Arizona Sundogs Friday night at Tim's Toyota Center in Prescott Valley.

On Saturday, the visiting Eagles proved opportunistic jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first period on three goals in less than four minutes before Arizona responded with three goals in the first half of the second period to pull even. Holding a 4-3 lead after 40 minutes of play, Colorado out-scored the Sundogs 4-1 in the final frame as Kevin Ulanski recorded a hat trick with three third-period scores, all of which produced multiple-goal leads for the Eagles.

Arizona closes out the regular season with a pair of contests against the defending CHL Champion Rapid City Rush beginning Friday at 7:05pm (Arizona time).

Quick Facts:

All-Time Record: 320 GP (149-143-28)

Season Record: 64 GP (25-30-9, 59 points)

Home Record: 31 GP (13-17-1, 27 points)

Road Record: 33 GP (12-13-8, 32 points)

Overtime: 5-6

Shootout: 1-3

Record Last 5: 2-3-0

Record Last 10: 6-4-0

Streak: L2

Berry Conference Standings: 7th Place

CHL Standings: 15th Place

Goals For/Goals Against: 199/244

Power Play: 70/397 (17.63%, 9th)

Penalty Kill: 78/369 (78.86 %, 18th)

Sundogs Storylines:

- On Sunday, Head Coach and General Manager Marco Pietroniro waived goaltender Michel Robinson. Robinson appeared in three games with Arizona compiling a 1-2-0 record, 5.37 goals against average (GAA) and a .866 save percentage (SV%).

- A win by Arizona or a regulation loss by Rio Grande Valley will guarantee the Sundogs the seventh seed in the 2011 CHL Playoffs. If Arizona secures the seventh seed, they could face any one of three teams in the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, the Texas Brahmas or the Tulsa Oilers.

- Levente Szuper has just two regulation losses in his last 10 appearances, going 5-2-1 in that span. Szuper is 18-13-6 on the year with a 3.38 GAA and .904 SV%. The netminder is tied for the franchise record for most wins in a single season in team history. Marco Emond also had 18 wins during the 2007-08 season, but 13 came with the Colorado Eagles in the first half of the season. Doug Groenestege also had 18 wins during the 2009-10 season, but eight were while he was with the Missouri Mavericks. Szuper also owns the franchise record for most appearances in a single season (41).

- Arizona was shut out for just the second time this season in a 2-0 loss to the Colorado Eagles on 3/18.

- Adam Smyth has recorded a career-high for penalty minutes in a single season (304) with two games remaining in the regular season. Smyth leads the CHL in PIM and major penalties (24).

- Mark Kolanos earned his fourth multiple-goal and sixth multiple-point game of the season with a pair of markers in a 8-4 loss to Colorado on 3/19. Kolanos finished plus-1 on the night.

- Jason Visser tallied a goal and an assist and finished plus-2 in a 8-4 loss to the Eagles on 3/19. On the year Visser has 34 points (10g/24a) in 49 games.

- Kyle Hood leads the team in scoring with 69 points (15g/54a). His 54 assists also lead the team while his 33 power-play assists are tops in the CHL.

- Joey Sides leads the CHL in shorthanded goals (5) and points (8) and his three shorthanded assists are tied for fourth-most in the CHL. Sides ranks third on the team in scoring with 60 points (26g/34a).

- Brett Blatchford has five points (1g/4a) in seven games with the Sundogs. Blatchford appeared in seven combined games with the Central Hockey League's Texas Brahmas and the ECHL's Toledo Walleye this season before joining Arizona.

- Arizona is the second-most penalized team in the CHL with 1,547 penalty minutes.

- Arizona owns a 1-5-1 mark against the defending Ray Miron Presidents' Cup Champion Rapid City Rush this season. Kyle Hood leads his club in scoring against the defending champs with 10 points (5g/5a).

- The Sundogs are 19-14-5 against fellow Berry Conference opponents but are just a 6-16-4 against teams from the Turner Conference.

- Arizona is 13-2-4 when leading after one period, 16-2-3 when leading after two periods, 8-8-2 when tied after 20 minutes, 5-3-3 when tied after two periods, 4-20-3 when trailing after the first period and 4-25-3 when trailing after 40 minutes of play.

- The Sundogs are 8-16-3 when outshooting its opponent and 17-13-6 when being outshot in a game.

- Central Hockey League Commissioner Duane Lewis named the Arizona Sundogs as the hosts of the 2012 CHL All-Star Game in a pregame ceremony on Friday, March 4. Additional details will be announced at a later date.

Scoring Streaks:

POINTS

GOALS

ASSISTS

n/a

n/a

n/a

Statistical Leaders:

Goals: Erickson (36)

Assists: Hood (54)

Points: Hood (69)

Plus/Minus: Frick (+4)

Penalty Minutes: Smyth (304)

Power-Play Goals: Erickson (14)

Power-Play Assists: Hood (33)

Shorthanded Goals: Sides (5)

Shorthanded Assists: Sides, Butler (3)

Game-Winning Goals: Erickson (6)

Goaltending Leaders:

Games Played: Szuper (41)

Minutes Played: Szuper (2,341)

Wins: Szuper (18)

Shutouts: n/a

Goals Against Average: Szuper (3.38)

Save Percentage: Szuper (.904)

Upcoming Games:

- Friday, March 25 (7:05pm) vs. Rapid City Rush

- Tickets start at just $12

- By phone: 1-866-4-GET-TIX (1-866-443-8849)

- Online: www.GetTix.net

- Saturday, March 26 (7:05pm) vs. Rapid City Rush

- Tickets start at just $12

- By phone: 1-866-4-GET-TIX (1-866-443-8849)

- Online: www.GetTix.net

Upcoming Appearances/Promotions:

- Tuesday, March 22 - Arizona Sundogs Coaches Show

- Fans, don't miss the last Arizona Sundogs Coaches Show of the 2010-11 regular season on Tuesday, March 22 from 5:00-7:00pm at Tailgaters Sports Grill in Prescott Valley. Players and coaches will be on hand from 5:00-6:00pm to talk with fans and will go on the air with Sundogs radio broadcaster from 6:00-7:00pm. If you can't make it, tune into KQNA 1130AM to listen live.

- Tuesday, March 22 from 5:00-7:00pm at Prescott Brewing Company

- Stop by Prescott Brewing Company in Prescott on Tuesday, March 22 from 5:00-7:00pm. Arizona Sundogs players and mascot Burnie will be on hand to talk with fans, take photos and sign autographs. Prescott Brewing Company is located at 130 W. Gurley Street in Prescott.

- Thursday, March 24 from 4:30-6:30pm at Texas Roadhouse

- Stop by Texas Roadhouse in Prescott on Thursday, March 24 from 4:30-6:30pm. Arizona Sundogs players will be on hand to talk with fans, take photos and sign autographs. Fans who show tickets to the Sundogs home game on Friday, March 25 will receive one (1) free Cactus Blossom. Texas Roadhouse is located at 3310 Gateway Boulevard in Prescott.

- Thursday, March 24 from 6:00-8:00pm at Buffalo Wild Wings

- Stop by Buffalo Wild Wings in Prescott Valley on Thursday, March 24 from 6:00-8:00pm. Arizona Sundogs players will be on hand to talk with fans, take photos and sign autographs. Buffalo Wild Wings is located in the Prescott Valley Entertainment District across from Harkins Theatres.

- Saturday, March 26 - Cancer Awareness Night

- The Arizona Sundogs and American Cancer Society have teamed up to host 'Hockey for Hope' on Saturday, March 26 as the Sundogs take on the defending Ray Miron Presidents' Cup Champion Rapid City Rush in the team's 2010-11 regular season finale at Tim's Toyota Center in Prescott Valley. Supporting the fight against cancer, the Sundogs will wear special American Cancer Society themed jerseys and will hold a live jersey auction following the game with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the American Cancer Society. Select Sundogs players will also use purple sticks during the game which will be auctioned off along with the specialty jerseys following the game. The American Cancer Society will be selling $10 'Hockey for Hope' t-shirts on the concourse during the game with a portion of sales benefitting ACS.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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