LOVELAND, Colo. – Although they will have to wait until later this week to learn if their opponent in the Mountain Division Finals will be the Idaho Steelheads or the Allen Americans, the Colorado Eagles know they have earned their position as the top seed with home ice advantage in the Division Finals series.
In the semi-final round, Colorado took the first three games of the series but Wichita was a formidable opponent determined to create a tough challenge for last year’s Kelly Cup winners. Games four and five on the Eagles home ice were victories for the Thunder and Game six back in Wichita was a competitive and physical game that could have easily yielded a different outcome.
No doubt Colorado is pleased with the 5-3 win and the chance to continue their quest to defend the Kelly Cup, but there are no weak opponents at this level of hockey and as good a team as the Eagles are they will need to remember the challenge that Wichita presented to them and never take any team lightly.
Starting in goal for the Eagles was Lukas Hafner, who won 14 of the 16 playoff games necessary to win the ECHL Championship last season.
Mark Macmillan
Hafner allowed the first goal of the game, a power-play goal off the stick of Thunder forward Mark MacMillan at 3:37, while saving 10 of the 11 shots he faced before he appeared to experience some discomfort making a play late in the first period and was replaced by Joe Cannata in the first intermission.
Colorado quickly tied the game with a J.C. Beaudin wrist shot beating Shane Starrett at the 4:39 mark in the first period.
J.C. Beaudin
At 6:58 of the second period Eagles speedy defenseman, Jake Marto, outdistanced his Thunder counterparts to give the visitors the 2 -1 lead on the power play. It was the first successful power play goal in the previous 14 opportunities for the Eagles.
Jake Marto
Much like Game five, the Eagles and the Thunder see-sawed back and forth taking turns scoring goals with no team really able to dominate the other. Just a couple minutes after Marto’s goal Chad Butcher tipped a shot past Cannata to restore a tie game at 2-2.
With less than two minutes to play in the middle frame the second member of the top line, Michael Joly, busted out a patented move to glide around the net and slide the puck by Starrett before he could get over to the opposite post to defend it. The Eagles headed into the second intermission up 3 -2.
Michael Joly
Both teams played smart, careful hockey the first half of the third period. Colorado tried to defend the lead but be aware of the need to stay aggressive. Whereas the Thunder needed that game-tying goal – much like the Eagles late in game five.
Evan Polei for the Thunder got credit for the tying goal in a scramble in front of the net that saw the puck appear to slip by several players and into the Eagles net at 12:24 of the third.
As time ticked down to another possible overtime game the third member of the top forward line, Joey Ratelle, found a rebound of a Joly shot and slammed it home for the game-winner at 3:37 in the final frame.
With Starrett on the bench for the extra attacker, Eagles captain, Matt Garbowsky threw a puck into the empty net for the final score of 5-3 to send the Eagles on to the next round of the playoffs.
The next Eagles game will be Saturday, April 28th at 7:05 P.M. MDT in Loveland, Colorado at the Budweiser Events Center with the opponent to be determined.
Article and Photos Courtesy of terry.sanford@prohockeynews.com
You must be logged in to post a comment.