Reeder's Two-Goal Night Leads Eagles Over Rage
LOVELAND, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles defeated the Rocky Mountain Rage tonight, 6-4, withstanding a three-goal third period outburst by their in-state rival. The Eagles held Rocky Mountain to just 18 shots on the night -- tying the third lowest total for shots allowed in franchise history -- and got multiple-point games from six different players on the way to their league-leading 14th win.
Wednesday's Scoreboard
Rocky Mountain struck first with their second short-handed goal of the year at 6:46 when David Morelli capped off a nice play by Colt King on a 2-on-1 rush. King held onto the puck all the way past the right side of the net and dished a backhand pass back toward the slot from below the goal line and Morelli knocked in the loose puck from the crease.
The Eagles answered at the 10 minute mark when a Rage player's clearing attempt hit Greg Pankewicz just outside the blue line, setting up a quick Colorado rush into the offensive zone. Marty Magers stopped Pankewicz's shot from the top of the left circle, but sent the rebound right to Konrad Reeder skating alone down the slot for the put-back.
The Eagles scored three times in the second period to take a 4-1 lead into the second intermission. Riley Nelson scored the first goal of the period at 5:06 on a great individual play. Starting at center ice, the veteran forward carried the puck into the Rage zone down the left wing and then deked Chris Brannen to the inside before beating Magers with a backhander from in front.
Adam Hogg made it 3-1 at 11:07 when he stuffed home a Ryan Tobler rebound from in front, and Erik Adams made it 4-1 with a power-play goal at 16:27 off another Tobler assist. Adams picked up the goal after circling behind the net and picking up Tobler's rebound low in the left circle before beating the Rage netminder top shelf from in front.
The Rage mounted a comeback in the third, scoring three goals on eight shots, but it wasn't enough as Scott Polaski and Reeder scored in the period for the Eagles. Polaski scored just 55 seconds in after Colorado chipped the puck around behind the Rocky Mountain net and Hogg dished a pass out into the slot where the defenseman one-timed it home.
Aaron Davis made it 5-2 with a power-play goal at 5:44 when he was able to poke a Scott Wray rebound past Morgan Cey just before the Eagles' goaltender could smother the puck with his glove on the doorstep, and the goal seemed to spark the Rage. At 13:07, Simon Watson circled from below the Colorado goal line, up the left wing boards, and to the center of the ice before sending a shot on net that was deflected by Wray at the left post.
Late in the frame, with the score 5-3, Rocky Mountain pulled Magers for an extra attacker and the move paid off when Pat Sutton's shot from the point found its way into the goal with 38 seconds left. But Reeder iced the game 15 seconds later with an empty-netter from high along the left wing boards.
