Sundogs Regain Sole Possession of First Place
February 28, 2008 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Arizona Sundogs News Release
PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. - The Arizona Sundogs traveled to Amarillo, Texas Thursday night to take on fellow Southwest Division team the Amarillo Gorillas. Arizona came into the contest in a two-way tie with the Odessa Jackalopes for first place in the Southwest Division. Arizona and its top-rated powerplay converted on four of seven chances with the man advantage and Alex Leavitt collected one goal and four assists to pull within one point of the CHL scoring lead with 90 points (29g/61a), one back of Laredo's Jeff Bess (91 points). With its 30th win of the season, Arizona regains sole possession of first place in the Southwest Division, two points ahead of second place Odessa and four points ahead of third place New Mexico.
The two teams combined for eight goals in the first period Thursday night in what would more resemble the score of a complete 60 minute hockey game. Arizona used five different skaters to take a 5-3 lead into the first intermission, with three tallies coming on four powerplay chances. The Sundogs and the league's top powerplay took a 1-0 lead just 2:30 into the game as Cory Urquhart grabbed his club's first goal of the night with the man advantage. Alex Leavitt and Dan Laperriere collected assists on the early tally. Amarillo answered back with a powerplay tally of its own less than two minutes later as Austin Sutter found the back of the net on passes from Bill Vandermeer and CHL rookie-leading scorer David Nimmo. The trio of Laperriere, Leavitt and Urquhart teamed up for their second points of the period at the 5:50 mark as the veteran defenseman notched his 13th of the year from Leavitt and Urquhart to regain a one-goal lead. Fifty seconds expired before the Sundogs opened a 3-1 lead on rookie forward Mark Kolanos' 27th goal of the season. Forward-turned-defenseman Jon Landry continued to appear on scoresheets this season with his 23rd helper of the year on the Kolanos goal. Jason Visser gave Arizona a 4-1 cushion 1:07 later as he put a shot past Gorillas netminder Dan McWhinney. Urquhart and Leavitt assisted for their third points of the period. Just past the midway point of the period, Amarillo cut into the Sundogs lead with a Vandermeer shorthanded goal from Nimmo. At 13:17 of the opening frame, Leavitt collected his first goal and fourth point of the period with the Sundogs third goal while on the man advantage. Visser and Chris Bartolone assisted to give Arizona a 5-2 lead. The Gorillas and Keith Rowe quickly countered to pull back within two 26 seconds later as Rowe beat the Sundogs' Marco Emond. Brett McConnachie and Shaun Arvai notched assists on the Rowe goal for their first points on the night, closing out scoring in the offensive first period.
After eight goals in the first 14 minutes of play, fans at the Amarillo Civic Center would see just one in the second period. The Gorillas pulled to within one as Chris Martini made the score 5-4 Arizona with 9:17 to play in the period, collecting his eighth of the year from Vandermeer and Rowe.
The Sundogs gained some breathing room with their fourth powerplay goal of the game with 7:08 to play in the third period as Urquhart grabbed his second goal and fourth point of the night. Leavitt collected his fifth point and fourth assist of the game on the play along with Tyler Liebel. While on the penalty kill, Amarillo continued to fight and grabbed its second shorthanded goal of the night as Nimmo battled in the Sundogs defensive zone and fed a trailing Sutter who fired a shot past Emond to pull back to within one with five minutes to play in regulation. The remaining five minutes would tic away and Arizona would skate away with the 6-5 victory.
Marco Emond was between the pipes for the Sundogs and stopped 29 of 34 shots in the win while Dan McWhinney appeared in net for Amarillo and blocked 25 of 31 shots in the loss. Arizona continued to dominate on the powerplay, finishing 4-for-7 with the man advantage while holding the Gorillas to just one goal on five powerplay chances.
Arizona now heads north to New Mexico for a crucial Friday night matchup against the Scorpions. New Mexico sits just four points back of the Sundogs who lead the Southwest Division with 65 points and a 30-17-5 record. Game time is set for 7:15pm (Arizona time) and can be heard live on 96.7 FM The Wolf, the Official Broadcast Home of the Arizona Sundogs.
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Central Hockey League Stories from February 28, 2008
- Special Teams the Difference in Rage's 4-1 Loss - Rocky Mountain Rage
- Sundogs Down Gorillas 6-5 - Amarillo Gorillas
- Sundogs Regain Sole Possession of First Place - Arizona Sundogs
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