Eagles Keep Pace With 4-2 Win

PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. - The Colorado Eagles defeated the Arizona Sundogs, 4-2, in the first of three meetings between the teams as the regular season wraps up this week. Ed McGrane added to his league-leading goal total with his second game-winner in a row as Colorado remains three points behind the Rapid City Rush in the Northern Conference.

Neither team was able to find the back of the net in the first period as both goaltenders made some solid saves. Doug Groenestege stopped 11 shots, including two great shorthanded chances for the Eagles, and Andrew Penner stopped nine at the opposite end of the ice.

That trend changed in the second period as the teams combined for three goals, and Colorado put the first shot of the period into the back of the net just 38 seconds in. The goal came on a great individual effort from defenseman Jim Jackson, who picked up a loose puck behind his own net, skated it down the ice and dumped it in at the far blue line. He then picked it back up behind the Arizona net and stuffed it inside the post before Groenestege could get back in the crease.

Joey Sides tied the score with a great effort of his own at 13:51. After winning a faceoff forward in the right circle of his offensive zone, he took the puck across the crease and roofed it past Penner to make it 1-1.

But the Eagles answered right back, just over a minute later, when Steve Haddon found Adam Hogg with a pass from behind the net to the low slot for a lead heading into the third period.

The red-hot McGrane struck just 14 seconds into the final frame -- giving him a six-game goal streak that ties the second-longest in franchise history -- as he beat Groenestege 5-hole with a shot from the left dot.

But former-Eagle Konrad Reeder cut the Colorado lead down to 1 once more with a shorthanded goal at 4:03. On the play, Reeder stole the puck at his own blue line and raced in alone on Penner before beating him in close with a backhand-forehand move.

The game remained tight as time expired, with each team killing off several penalties, before Brett Lutes converted on a pass from Haddon with 25 seconds left to ice the game. The two teams will finish the regular season with a pair of back-to-back games Friday and Saturday in Arizona.