Sundogs top bees in high scoring affair

December 21, 2007 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Arizona Sundogs News Release


PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. - The Arizona Sundogs and Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees faced off Friday in front of 4,280 fans at Tim's Toyota Center in Prescott Valley Friday night. The two teams combined for 16 goals and nine in the final period but it would be Arizona that would skate away with the 10-6 victory. With the win, Arizona improves to 18-6-1 on the season and holds a three-point advantage over second place Odessa in the Southern Conference.

Rio Grande Valley opened scoring early in the contest, capitalizing on their first powerplay chance of the night as Jon Landry was tagged with a tripping call 2:45 into the period. Jon Hedberg intercepted a Sundogs clearing attempt and rifled a slapshot off the glove of netminder Bill Zaniboni for a 1-0 lead. Arizona pulled even at the 11:20 mark as defenseman Chris Bartolone picked up a rebound off an Alex Leavitt shot and wristed the puck into the unprotected net for his sixth of the year. Jason Visser was also credited with an assist on the goal. Arizona took its first lead of the game with 51 seconds remaining in the first as Leavitt tallied his first goal and second point of the game on passes from Bartolone and Olivier Latendresse. The Sundogs held a 22-10 advantage in shots through the first 20 minutes of play.

Arizona took a 3-1 lead just 22 seconds into the middle period as Alex Leavitt collected his second goal of the game, taking a cross ice feed from Latendresse and lifting the puck into the open net. Defenseman Sean Sullivan also notched an assist for his 15th of the year. Forward Rob Lehtinen gave his club a three-goal lead at the 9:12 mark, pushing a loose puck through Rio Grande Valley goaltender David Lemanowicz. Chris Greene and Latendresse set up the loose puck goal and were credited with assists. At 10:52 of the second, the Killer Bees were awarded a penalty shot but Rob Voltera fired the puck high and wide. Despite failing to convert on the penalty shot, the Killer Bees scored their second powerplay marker of the game just five seconds later, cutting Arizona's lead back to two. Travis Banga gathered his eight of the year on passes from Jeremy Van Hoof and Dennis Maxwell. Much like the close of the first period, Arizona tallied with one minute to play in the second, regaining its three-goal advantage. CHL rookie-leading scorer Mark Kolanos tipped a Chris Bartolone shot past Lemanowicz for his club's first powerplay tally of the night. Sullivan also helped on the play for his second assist of the night to close out scoring in the middle frame.

Killer Bee forward Lance Herauf pulled his club back to within two 3:18 into the third as he took a pass in front of the net from Mike Tuomi and out-maneuvered Zaniboni for his seventh mark of the year. Rio Grande Valley continued to pressure and cut the Sundogs' all-but-secure lead to one as Zaniboni couldn't control a rebound, allowing for Nick Warriner to take advantage for his second tally of the season. Voltera assisted on the play along with Maxwell, his second of the night. With 8:48 to play, Arizona regained a two-goal cushion as Dusty Collins gained the zone and skated hard to the front of the net. His backhand shot squirted free and Jason Visser pushed the puck home for his fourth of the season. Defenseman David Schlemko was also credited with an assist on the play. The Killer Bees answered back eight seconds later with two goals separated by less than a minute, tying the game for the first time since a 1-1 tie late in the first period. Lance Herauf grabbed his club's fifth goal of the game from Tuomi and assisted on the sixth with Van Hoof, scored by Josh Bonar. Twenty-four seconds later, Jon Landry regained a one-goal lead for Arizona as he pushed a loose puck over the line while a crowd screened a sprawling Lemanowicz. Karl Sellan and Dan Laperriere collected assists on Landry's go-ahead goal. Kolanos, Latendresse and Sellan all tallied in the final 90 seconds for the 10-6 final.

Bill Zaniboni started in net for Arizona but was replaced following the Killer Bees' sixth goal. The Rookie goaltender made 32 saves on 38 shots prior to being replaced by fellow-rookie Andrew Gallant who made two saves on two shots for the win. David Lemanowicz appeared in goal for Rio Grande Valley and blocked 43 of 53 shots in the loss. The Killer Bees bettered Arizona on the powerplay, finishing 2-for-3 with the man advantage. The league's top-rated powerplay was able to convert on just one of six chances. The Sundogs outshot Rio Grande Valley by a 53-40 margin.

The two teams face off again on Sunday at 6:00pm at Tim's Toyota Center in Prescott Valley. Tickets are still available by phone at 1-866-4-GET-TIX (1-866-443-8849), on the internet at www.gettix.net and in person at the Tim's Toyota Center Box Office.



Central Hockey League Stories from December 21, 2007


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