LOVELAND, CO. – Colorado scored three straight goals to erase a 2-0 deficit but surrendered the game-winning goal 3:20 into sudden-death overtime, as the Eagles fell to the Coachella Valley Firebirds 4-3 on Sunday. Eagles forward Jayson Megna led the offense with a pair of tallies, but Coachella Valley forward Oscar Fisker Molgaard notched two goals and two assists, including the game-winner, to lead all skaters on the ice. Goalie Victor Ostman earned the win in net, making 24 saves on 27 shots.
Coachella Valley would strike first, as forward Lleyton Roed stuffed home a rebound at the top of the crease, putting the Firebirds on top 1-0 at the 8:32 mark of the first period.
A 2-on-1 rush would then set up Coachella Valley defenseman Ty Nelson to light the lamp with a wrister from the left-wing circle, pushing the Firebirds advantage to 2-0 with 6:39 remaining in the opening frame.
Colorado would jump on the scoreboard when Megna darted into the zone and buried a shot from the left-wing circle, trimming the deficit to 2-1 just 37 seconds into the second period.
A power play late in the middle frame would see forward Alex Barre-Boulet drive down the end line before curling to the top of the crease and tucking home a wrister, tying the game at 2-2 with 1:39 remaining in the period.
Still deadlocked at 2-2 as the puck dropped on the third period, the Eagles would flip the script on the penalty kill, as Megna netted a shorthanded goal on a breakaway at the 7:37 mark of the final frame, putting Colorado on top, 3-2.
Coachella Valley would respond just 5:12 later when Fisker Molgaard lit the lamp with a shot from the side of the net, evening the score at 3-3.
As the game shifted to sudden-death overtime, the Firebirds would cap off a 2-on-1 rush when Fisker Molgaard collected a pass at the side of the crease before steering the puck into the back of the net, giving Coachella Valley the 4-3 victory at the 3:20 mark.
Miner suffered the loss in net, allowing four goals on 35 shots. Colorado finished the afternoon going 1-for-3 on the power play and a perfect 4-for-4 on the penalty kill.
