4-3 OT Win Gives Eagles 2-1 Series Lead

LOVELAND, Colo. – A hard fought 4 to 3 Overtime victory versus the Toledo Walleye put the Eagles up two games to one as the Eagles return home for games three, four, and five in the seven game series to determine who will move on to represent the Western Conference in the ECHL Kelly Cup Championship series.

Game three started out with a bang – literally – as pyrotechnics welcomed the Eagles first goal of the game from Shawn St-Amant a mere 14 seconds into the first period.

Toledo would even the score at 11:08 with Kyle Bonis firing a shot from the blueline that found it’s way through Colorado Goalie Luke Hafner’s stalwart defense.

Next up for the Walleye was Tylor Spink with an artful move to deposit the puck behind Hafner while crossing unmolested in front of the goal crease to give the visitors their first lead of the game at with 5:24 left in period one.

Alex Belzile and Julien Nantel

Not to be outdone Eagles forward Alex Belzile, of the stunning playoff scoring numbers, grabbed a ricochet off the diminutive Toledo goalie, Jeff Lerg, and fed it past him to reinstate the tie late in the first period.

The 2 to 2 tie held throughout the second period. Although Colorado had numerous chances to break the tie no pucks breached the Toledo net.

Period three saw two defenseman doing the scoring honors as each team had a blueliner

tally a goal. Sergei Boikov hammered a one timer from the blueline that changed

Matt Caito, Lukas Hafner

directions on the Toledo netminder after deflecting off a Walleye defender. A power play goal from defenseman Matt Caito allowed Toledo to even the score at 3 goals a piece at the 12 minute mark of period three.

An additional period of play was needed to determine a winner and Eagles rookie forward Julien Nantel obliged his team mates with a nifty wrist shot for the game winner just one minute and twenty seconds into the first overtime period.

Lukas Hafner collected the win with 9 saves on a total of