Sundogs Tally Season-High Seven Goals, Szuper Nearly Perfect in 7-1 Rout of Rio Grande Valley
December 4, 2010 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Arizona Sundogs News Release
PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. - The Arizona Sundogs scored a season-high seven goals and goaltender Levente Szuper turned away 38 of 39 shots in a 7-1 rout over the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees Saturday night at State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas.
Darcy Campbell spoiled Szuper's shutout bid 6:58 into the third period, his team's lone goal coming on the power play. With his fourth win of the season, Szuper jumps to the top of the Central Hockey League goaltender standings, ranking first in both save percentage (.940) and goals against average (2.07).
Arizona chased Juliano Pagliero from the game after the starting goaltender surrendered five goals on 18 shots through two periods of play. Backup netminder Dan Rosen allowed two goals on seven shots in 20 minutes of relief action.
Skating in the third game of a six-game road trip, the Sundogs improved to 5-0-3 in their last eight games away from Tim's Toyota Center. Arizona has now earned points in nine of its last 11 contests, going 6-2-3 in that span.
The Sundogs finished 3-for-7 with the man advantage and added a shorthanded marker for the second straight night.
Defenseman Billy Bezeau extended his point streak with a goal and an assist, and now has picked up two goals and five assists in his last four games.
Joey Sides gave Arizona an early 1-0 lead with his second goal in as many nights, one-timing a rebound into the open net just 1:16 into the contest. Jason Visser and Bezeau assisted on the early marker.
The Sundogs recorded a season-high four goals in the second period and tallied a pair of power-play goals early in the middle frame after a spearing double-minor to Kyle Radke just over two minutes into the period.
Visser picked up his second goal in his last four games at the 3:40 mark as defenseman Tyler Butler sent a pass from below his own goal line to Visser at the far blue line. Visser gained the offensive zone and faked a slap shot, forcing a Killer Bees player to the ice, before pushing a backhand across the goal line.
Luke Erickson stretched his club's lead to three 1:18 later, converting on a 5-on-3 power play for his seventh goal and team-leading 17th point of the season. Butler collected his second assist in less than two minutes, firing a shot on net that found its way onto the stick of Cam Keith at the far post before Keith set-up Erickson in the slot.
Bezeau extended Arizona's lead to 4-0 with 1:15 to play in the second period, joining Kyle Hood and Sides on a 3-on-2 rush after exiting the penalty box and lifting a rebound past the blocker of Pagliero.
Karl Sellan gave his club a commanding five-goal cushion 12 seconds later, lifting a backhand effort past a diving Pagliero after Joel Irving and Adam Smyth forced a turnover at the far circle.
Arizona finished a combined plus-19 in the game and had 12 of 16 skaters collect at least a point in the win. Sides (2g/1a) and Butler (0g/3a) led the way for the Sundogs, each registering three points.
Sides netted his team-leading second shorthanded goal and fourth shorthanded point of the season, lifting a backhand over Rosen from Jason Williams and Maxime Renaud 3:16 into third period
With Arizona on its sixth man advantage of the game, Erickson gathered his second goal of the night with 5:58 to play in the contest, shelving a shot over the shoulder of Rosen.
Arizona (8-9-3) moves into a two-way tie for fifth place in the Berry Conference with the Laredo Bucks and sits just three points back of third-place Texas. In the midst of a six-game road trip, the Sundogs next take on the Odessa Jackalopes (8-12-1) Tuesday at 6:05pm (Arizona time). 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 December 4, 2010
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