LOVELAND, Colorado — The longest road trip of the season for the Colorado Eagles was followed by a return to the home arena for a clash with the best team in the Central Hockey League.
Colorado Eagles goalie Andrew Penner kicks out the final shot in the shootout to cement the win against Odessa.
Seven games in 15 days away from home included back-to-back games with the Arizona Sundogs, a one night stand versus the Tulsa Oilers and a three games in three nights in two cities stretch, starting with Thursday night against the Mississippi RiverKings and a two-game weekend set against the Wichita Thunder. A lone contest in Amarillo capped off the journey.
Against the Sundogs, the Eagles came away with two quality wins. On Friday night, the teams skated to a tightly contested 2-1 Eagles victory with Ryan Tobler scoring both Eagles goals.
The following night, the Eagles hammered out a decisive 8-2 win. With the game well in hand, things deteriorated into a penalty-filled third period with numerous minor penalties assessed. Traveling from Prescott Valley, Arizona to Tulsa Oklahoma, the Eagles met up with one of the hotter teams in the CHL. True to their record, the Oilers fought hard and nearly came back to tie the game in the third period, after being down 7-4, but the Eagles held on for the 7-6 win.
Odessa Jackalopes Mike Ramsay celebrates his first period goal with team mates.
On Saturday night in Wichita, after an overnight trip from Mississippi, the Eagles played a tame and workman-like game against the Thunder, resulting in a 3-1 victory followed by a 3-2 shoot out victory against this same team on Sunday. With the last game on the road swing to be played in Amarillo the following Friday, the Eagles came home for the intervening 4 days. The quick trip down to play the Gorillas resulted in another game added to the win column in a very tightly contested game. The Eagles managed to get a regulation win on Kevin Ulanski’s goal at the 19:40 mark of the third period.
Returning to the Budweiser Events Center after a 6 and 1 road trip that added 12 points to their totals, the Eagles were set to face the Odessa Jackalopes. The Jacks are at the top of the Southern Conference with the best record in the entire league at 16-4-2 with 34 points in 22 games. It was truly a game of best on best with the Eagles on top of the Northern Conference with a record of 15-4-1 for 31 points in 20 games played.
These two teams are also the highest scoring teams in the league with 6 out of 7 top goal scorers belonging to either the Eagles or the Jackalopes. It would be expected that a game between these teams would have a good chance of being a very high scoring and entertaining contest but instead it was a great demonstration of the both team’s stellar goaltending and defensive capabilities.
Mike Ramsay scored first for Odessa on the power play at 8:28 of the first period and Jim Jackson of the Eagles recorded a power play goal at the 16:14 mark of the second to tie the game. Those were the only regulation goals scored.
Eagles Captain Riley Nelson congratulates Jim Jackson on his second period goal.
Nothing was decided in the subsequent overtime period, so the shoot out was to be the deciding factor. Domenic Leveille scored on the Jack’s first attempt and Riley Nelson was able to match that. The next two shooters failed to score for their perspective teams but the in the third round, Eagle Ed McGrane beat Odessa goalie Joel Martin for what turned out to be the game-winner as the next two Jackalopes failed to score.
The Colorado Eagles are currently leading the Northern Conference with 33 points in 21 games compared with second place Rapid City’s 31 points in 22 games. With a three-game series against the Rush coming up later this month, December’s schedule looks to continue the excitement for Eagles fans.
Contact the author/photographer at terry.sanford@prohockeynews.com
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