Sundogs Win Second Straight, Top Jackalopes 3-2 in Shootout
November 1, 2008 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Arizona Sundogs News Release
PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. - The 2008 Central Hockey League Ray Miron President's Cup Champion Arizona Sundogs traveled to Odessa, Texas Saturday night to take on the Southwest Division-leading Odessa Jackalopes in the second game of a three-in-three set. The Sundogs carried a 1-0 lead into the third period but fell behind 2-1 before pulling back even and sending the game to a shootout. Joel Irving scored the eventual game winner to help his club improve to 3-4-0 on the season. With the win, Arizona sits three points back of Odessa and the division lead.
Arizona carried a 1-0 lead into the first intermission on Saturday night as Derek Legault tallied the opening period's lone goal for his first of the season 8:12 into the contest. Legault sent a rebound chance past Odessa netminder Alexandre Vincent following a Jon Landry shot from the point. Andre Selander also registered an assist on the play for his first point of the year. The Sundogs were unable to convert on five first period man advantage opportunities while Odessa failed to take advantage of their one power play chance. The Jackalopes outshot Arizona 7-5 in the opening frame.
The Jackalopes were recipients of a 5-on-3 power play early in the second period following consecutive hooking penalties to Legault and Kyle Hood. Despite being down two men for 1:40, the Sundogs maintained their 1-0 lead after 40 minutes of play as neither team was able to find the back of the net in the second period. Arizona goaltender Marco Emond remained perfect through the first two periods turning aside 11 shots while Vincent stopped Arizona's eight attempts. Odessa held a 18-13 advantage in shots through two periods of play.
Odessa's Kory Karlander tied the game at 1-1 early in the third period on his club's sixth power play opportunity of the night. Dominic Leveille collected a rebound to the right of Emond and sent a pass across the top of the crease to an open Karlander on the near post. Sebastien Thinel was also credited with an assist on the equalizer 3:13 into the third period. Immediately after the ensuing puck drop, Selander and Jean Borbeau traded punches for the period's second fight in less than two minutes. Karl Sellan and Garrett Gruenke exchanged blows 1:39 into the frame. Thinel notched his second point of the game two minutes later to give his club their first lead of the game. Thinel controlled a rebound and sent a shot past Emond for his fourth goal of the year from Russ Moyer and Jonathan Labelle at the 5:11 mark. Nearing the halfway mark, veteran Joel Irving and rookie Peter Cartwright snuck behind the Odessa defense, skating in 2-on-0 on Vincent. A patient Irving forced Vincent to commit before sending a pass across to Cartwright who converted for his first marker of the season. Legault notched his first multiple-point game of the year, adding an assist on the play. The Jackalopes' Dave Van Drunen was whistled for hooking with 2:09 to play in regulation giving Arizona its eighth power play of the game but the Sundogs were unable to convert, sending the game to overtime.
The game would be sent to a shootout to decide the winner after neither team found the back of the net in the five-minute overtime period. Odessa's Jeff Pierce scored for his club in the shootout while Legault and Irving scored for Arizona for their second-straight win on the road. In the shootout, Irving skated in on Vincent from the left and waited for the netminder to go down before lifting a forehand shot into the net.
Emond got his second-straight start in net for Arizona and stopped 26 of 28 shots to improve to 3-2-0 on the season. Vincent dropped his first game of the year, blocking 22 of 24 shots in 65 minutes of play Saturday night. The Sundogs were held scoreless on eight power play opportunities while Odessa finished 1-for-7 with the man advantage.
Arizona improves to 3-4-0 on the year and travels back to Amarillo for a Sunday afternoon matchup against the Gorillas, their final road contest before a five-game home stand at Tim's Toyota Center in Prescott Valley. The Sundogs topped the Gorillas by a 6-3 mark Friday night. Sunday afternoon's game can be heard live at 3:05pm (Arizona time) on 96.7 FM The Wolf, the Official Broadcast Home of the Arizona Sundogs.
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