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Sundogs' Playoff Hopes Still Alive

March 21, 2009 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Arizona Sundogs News Release


RIO RANCHO, N.M. - With their playoff lives on the line and after nearly an hour-and-a-half delay, the Arizona Sundogs and New Mexico Scorpions battled one and other Friday night at the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho in a what turned out to be a playoff elimination game for the losing club. Leading late, Arizona held on for the 2-1 win, earning Head Coach and General Manager Marco Pietroniro's 100th regular season victory and keeping their playoff hopes alive. Corpus Christi fell 3-1 to Rio Grande Valley earlier in the night.

Despite playing a more conservative type of game because of the poor ice surface, each club gathered quality scoring chances in the opening period Friday night. The Sundogs outshot the Scorpions 11-8 in the frame and grabbed a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes of play, converting on a chance between the circles following an offensive zone faceoff. Veteran Dwayne Hay netted his sixth of the year at the 13:47 mark from Kyle Hood and A.J. MacLean to give Arizona an important one-goal lead.

The playoff-like intensity expected in Friday night's contest picked up in the second period, specifically late in the frame as the two teams skated end-to-end looking to grab an advantage heading into the third period. New Mexico pulled even at one near the midway point as Arizona gave up its first power play goal on its last 22 chances through the last four games. Gistedt made the initial save on a Craig Macdonald shot and thought he had it covered up for a whistle but Leonard poked the puck across the goal line from behind the rookie netminder for his 29th of the season. Arizona held a 24-17 advantage in shots through 40 minutes of play as shots were 13-9 in favor of the visiting Sundogs in the second.

Joel Irving's team-leading 35th of the season seven minutes into the third period reclaimed a one-goal lead for Arizona. Pressure from Tyler Liebel to the right of Kyle McNulty forced a turnover as a New Mexico player forced a pass through the slot. Irving fired an uncontested wrist shot past McNulty from between the circles to give the Sundogs a 2-1 lead with just over 12 minutes remaining in regulation. While on the power play late in the contest, New Mexico looked to have tied the game at two with 1:46 to play, but referee Mark Lemelin waived it off. Then with 6.9 seconds on the clock, the Scorpions again found the back of the net but not before the goal was knocked from its posts. Craig Macdonald was handed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty as a result in protest of Lemelin's ruling.

Gistedt turned aside 27 of 28 shots to keep his team's playoff hopes alive while McNulty allowed two goals on 34 shots in the loss. Arizona finished 0-for-6 with the man-advantage and allowed one goal on five New Mexico power play chances.

The Sundogs (27-31-5) remain in playoff contention and sit one point back of Corpus Christi for the Southern Conference's fifth and final playoff spot. With an Arizona win and an IceRays regulation or overtime loss, the Sundogs will earn their third-straight playoff berth.

Arizona closes out its regular season in Rio Rancho tomorrow night against the Scorpions at 6:15pm (Arizona time). The game can be heard live on 96.7 FM The Wolf, the Official Broadcast Home of the Arizona Sundogs.

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