Sundogs Win Fifth-Straight, Maintain Six Point Lead in Division

March 16, 2008 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Arizona Sundogs News Release


PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. - The Arizona Sundogs and Amarillo Gorillas squared off in game two of their weekend series Saturday night at Tim's Toyota Center in Prescott Valley. The Sundogs topped the visiting Gorillas 7-2 on Friday night as Cory Urquhart became the first player in Sundogs franchise history to tally four goals in one game. The Sundogs' top line of Urquhart, Leavitt and Jason Visser continued its dominance down the stretch Saturday evening, combining for nine points in the game. Leavitt collected one goal and three assists, Urquhart tallied one goal and two assists, and the rookie Visser notched two markers in the 7-4 win.

The tandem of Urquhart and Leavitt picked up where they left off Friday night, teaming up to give their club a 1-0 lead less than eight minutes into the contest. Leavitt sent a backhand pass behind the Amarillo defense to a waiting Urquhart who lifted a shot over Gorillas netminder Dan Bauer for his fifth goal in two games. Forward-turned-defenseman Jon Landry also collected a helper on the play for his 28th helper of the year. Ten minutes later, veteran defenseman Dan Laperriere gave his club a two-goal advantage, finding the back of the net on passes from Karl Sellan and Tyler Liebel for his 18th marker of the season. With the first period coming to a close, Leavitt split the Gorillas' defense but was pulled down before he could get a shot off. Referee Paul DePuydt awarded a penalty shot for the infraction and the league's leading scorer took advantage, beating Bauer with a wrist shot for a 3-0 lead to close out the first period. Each team tallied nine shots on net in the first 20 minutes of play.

Amarillo responded in the second period with three unanswered goals before the Sundogs regained a one-goal lead late in the frame. Matt Miller collected his 18th of the year on a pass from Jason Chafe just 33 seconds into the period to cut the Sundogs' lead to two. David Nimmo then pulled his club to within one with his 40th tally of the season from Austin Sutter at the 12:40 mark. With less than five minutes to play in the middle stanza, Bill Vandermeer was credited with a powerplay tally to tie the game at three goals apiece as his shot bounced off an Arizona Sundogs player and past netminder Marco Emond for his 32nd goal on the season. Nimmo notched his second point of the game with an assists on the Vandermeer tally. After allowing the Gorillas to pull even, rookie forward Jason Visser grabbed his team's first powerplay goal of the night, redirecting an Urquhart shot through the legs of Bauer for his 17th of the year. Leavitt connected with Urquhart prior to the Visser goal for his second assist and third point of the game. The visiting Gorillas held a 24-22 advantage in shots through two periods of play.

The Sundogs pressured Amarillo to start the third resulting in a Nate Fornataro holding penalty 1:19 into the period. The CHL's top powerplay converted for its second goal with the man advantage as Visser found the back of the net 41 seconds later for his second of the game. Urquhart gathered his second assist and third point of the game along with Leavitt, his fourth point of the night. Despite going back down by two goals, the Gorillas continued to work and pulled back to within one as defenseman Shawn Arvai skated down low and slid a shot past Emond for an unassisted goal at 4:43 of the period. The Southwest Division-leading Sundogs took back a two-goal lead at the 12:02 mark as first-year player Dusty Collins skated down the far boards and fired a low wrist shot past Bauer for his 19th goal of the season from Steve Rymsha and Landry, his second assist of the night. Arizona added a seventh goal for the second consecutive game as Barry Horman knocked a rebound home for his third goal of the season. Sellan and Liebel both collected their second assists of the game on the play.

Marco Emond backstopped Arizona to its fifth-straight win, blocking 27 of 31 shots to improve to 18-6-0 on the season and 5-3-0 since joining Arizona. Dan Bauer appeared in net for Amarillo and stopped 27 of 34 shots in the loss. The Sundogs finished 2-for-5 with the man advantage while the Gorillas converted on one of five powerplay chances. With the win, the Sundogs improve to 35-19-6 on the season and maintain a six point lead over second place New Mexico. Odessa was idol Saturday night and sits seven points back of Arizona.

The team now prepares to travel to New Mexico for a Tuesday night matchup against the Scorpions at the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho. Game time is set for 6:05pm (Arizona time) but will be tape-delayed until 7:00pm on 96.7 FM The Wolf, the Official Broadcast Home of the Arizona Sundogs.



Central Hockey League Stories from March 16, 2008


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