SUNDOGS WIN SECOND-STRAIGHT, TOP RAGE 5-4 IN SHOOTOUT
Sellan Tallies Two Including Shootout Game-Winner

BROOMFIELD, Colo. – In the midst of a season-long seven-game road trip, the Arizona Sundogs faced off against the Northwest Division’s Rocky Mountain Rage Wednesday Night at the Broomfield Event Center in Broomfield, Colorado. Karl Sellan tallied two goals including the game-winner in the shootout to give his their second-straight victory. Marco Emond stopped 39 of 43 shots in regulation and all five skaters in the shootout, earning the 5-4 win.

Arizona/Rocky Mountain Box Score

Tallying the game’s first goal for the first time since November 28, Arizona opened a 1-0 lead on Karl Sellan’s 13th of the year 6:48 into the opening frame. Interrupting a Rage breakout attempt, Martin Gascon settled and directed a loose puck to Sellan below the hashmarks. Sellan outmaneuvered netminder Marty Magers in close with a shot off the near post and in. Defenseman Rob Lehtinen also collected an assist on the go ahead tally. Rocky Mountain pulled even four minutes later as David Morelli was credited with his sixth of the season as a group of players gathered at the top of the Arizona goal crease. The puck found its way off of the bodies in front of the net and past Marco Emond. Converting on their third power play opportunity of the period, the Rage took their first lead of the game with 2:28 to play in the first. Crashing the net, Daymen Rycroft redirected a Colt King centering pass for his sixth of the year to give his club a 2-1 lead. Arizona answered with just 50 seconds remaining in the period to send the game tied 2-2 into the first intermission. Tyler Liebel collected an Adam Perry pass down low and sent a backhand effort on net but Magers was unable to control the rebound allowing defenseman Jon Landry to pinch from his defensive position for his fifth of the season. Shots were 14-11 in favor of Rocky Mountain in the opening 20 minutes of play Wednesday night.

The Rage regained a one-goal cushion to open the second period as Brent Cullaton picked up an Aaron Davis drop pass and sent a wrist shot past Emond from the top of the near circle just eight seconds in. Rob Chappell also assisted on the play. The visiting Sundogs pulled even at the two-minute mark with their first power play goal of the evening. Gascon recorded his second helper of the night, finding Mark Kolanos between the Rage d-men. Kolanos skated in 1-on-0 and slipped a forehand shot through Magers’ legs, extending his current point streak to seven games. Arizona regained a one-goal lead with 5:22 to play in the middle period as Landry registered his second goal and his club’s second power play goal of the period. With the puck below the Rage goal line, Liebel found Landry open between the circles for a low one-time effort. Joel Irving also worked into the scoring with an assist on the go ahead goal. Shots were an even 13-13 in the second with the Rage maintaining a three-shot advantage, 27-24.

Trailing by one through much of the third period, Rocky Mountain tied the game at four goals apiece with less than two minutes remaining in regulation. On the man advantage, Butler knocked a puck from the air and into the back of the net for his second point of the night, sending the game into overtime. Cullaton and Davis also gathered their second points of the game on the late equalizer.

With neither team was able to find the back of the net in the five-minute extra session, the game would require a shootout to decide the winner.  Karl Sellan would be the only skater to convert in the shootout, slipping a backhand shot past Magers in the second round.

Emond stopped 39 of 43 shots in regulation and turned aside all five shootout attempts to improve to 7-6-1 on the year. Magers blocked 31 of 35 shots through 60 minutes and three of four skaters in the shootout. Arizona finished 2-for-9 with the man advantage while Rocky Mountain converted on 2-of-7 power play chances.

With the win, the Sundogs improve to 10-13-1 on the season and strengthen their grip on second place in the Southwest Division, four points ahead of third place New Mexico.