The New Mexico Scorpions utilized a dominating special teams performance Friday night to win their fifth straight victory, handing visiting Arizona a 6-5 loss in the opening game of a two game series at the Santa Ana Star Center. All six Scorpions goals came on specials teams, with center Chris Robertson providing much of the spark, converting twice on the power play and chipping in with a shorthanded score to record the first hat-trick at the new facility.
CHL Friday Results
Arizona 5 @ New Mexico 6
Five power play scores and a shorthanded tally was the difference in the Scorpions fifth straight victory. The struggling Sundogs are now winless in their last six games.
ARZ: Kelly (2), Steeves, DaSilva, Stillman
NMX: Robertson (3), Hartinger, MacInnis, Reeder
Rio Grande Valley 2 @ Amarillo 3
All three Amarillo goals came in a span of 9:05 early in the second to help the Gorillas snap a four game winless stretch.
RGV: OLeary, Carrigan
AMA: Bastien, Sutter, Hughes
Lubbock 2 @ Corpus Christi 3 (SO)
Kevin Watters tied it and then won it, first converting a power play opportunity in the second period then scoring the game winner in the shootout.
LUB: Weisgerber, Callahan
CRP: Watters (2), Carter
Austin 1 @ Laredo 5
The Bucks scored the first four goals of the contest and cruised to their 14th win of the season.
AUS: Kuster
LAR: Bes (2), Agarunov (2), Elliott
Odessa 1 @ Oklahoma City 2 (SO)
Marty Standish forced a scoreless overtime by tying the contest with just 1:12 left in the third, allowing Garrett Prosofsky to score the shootout game winner.
ODE: Swiniarski
OKC: Standish, Prosofsky
Youngstown 4 @ Tulsa 2
the SteelHounds burst out to a 4-0 lead and controlled the contest, limiting Tulsa to just 21 shots. A pair of late Jaroslav cesky goals ended David Curries bid for his second shutout of the season.
YNG: Richards, Christian, Shaffer, Patterson
TUL: Cesky (2)
Colorado 4 @ Rocky Mountain 3 (OT)
Ryan Tobler's second goal of the game, and 10th of the season, 2:09 into overtime gave the Eagles their fifth straight win.
COL: Tobler (2), Nelson, Strain
RMR: Rosychuk (2), Little
Wichita 2 @ Memphis 6
With four assists, Derek Landmesser took over the franchise career assist mark as the RiverKings outshot the Thunder 47-15.
WIC: Koning, Wiebe
MEM: Kozak, Sessa, Banga, D. Campbell, R. Campbell, Stoddard