January 30, 2010
Sundogs beat Odessa in SO, 6-5
PRESCOTT VALLEY – Playing with just 14 skaters and trailing by two late in the contest, the Arizona Sundogs responded with a pair of tallies to force an eventual shootout, topping the Odessa Jackalopes by a 6-5 mark Saturday night at the Ector County Coliseum and snapping a season-long seven-game winless streak in the process.
Doug Groenestege turned aside four of five skaters in the shootout and 29 of 34 shots through 65 minutes of play to earn his first win in a Sundogs uniform and Chad Hinz was credited with the game-winner, reaching a forehand effort around Juha Toivonen in the shootout's fifth round.
Linus Fagemo had two goals and an assist in the contest, his second marker tying the game at five with 54 seconds to play in regulation.
Hinz collected three assists in addition to his shootout winner, leading the Sundogs with four points while Konrad Reeder, Kyle Hood and Marc Belanger each tallied a goal and an assist in the win.
The Sundogs built a 2-0 lead through the first half of the game and carried a 3-2 lead into the third period before three power-play goals in the final frame's first six minutes staked the Jackalopes to a 5-3 lead with 14 minutes to play in the contest.
Belanger pulled Arizona back to within one with 3:18 to play in the game on passes from Hood and Hinz before Fagemo converted with the extra attacker inside the game's final minute.
Sebastien Thinel assisted on each of his club's three man-advantage markers in the third period.
Collin Circelli netted two of the Jackalopes' man-advantage tallies from the slot, the first coming 1:44 into the third from Thinel and Alex Dunn before connecting again two minutes later from Jeff Pierce and Thinel to give Odessa its first lead of the contest.
Pierce tacked on the third power-play goal with his third point of the night at 6:07 of the final period, firing a shot through traffic off several bodies and past Groenestege for a two-goal cushion.
Reeder gave Arizona a 1-0 lead for the second straight night, converting on a first-period power-play chance with just seven seconds remaining in the opening frame for his team-leading 19th goal of the season.
Along the boards, Jason Visser gathered a Fagemo pass behind the Odessa net before finding Reeder in the slot late in opening period.
The Sundogs controlled play in the first half of the second period, opening a two-goal lead on a Fagemo power-play goal 8:37 into the middle frame.
A Dominic Leveille wrist shot over the shoulder of Groenestege from the right faceoff circle midway through the second cut Arizona's lead back to one before a penalty shot chance – the fourth against the Sundogs in the last six games – by Brian Swiniarski evened the score at two with 3:04 to play in the middle frame.
Entering the zone along the bench-side boards, Swiniarski cut across center and delayed a wrist shot over the Sundogs' goaltender.
Hood's team-leading second shorthanded goal of season with 45 seconds to play in middle frame regained a one-goal lead for Arizona, 3-2, heading into the third period.
Hinz calmed an Evan Shaw clearing attempt inside the offensive zone before sending a rink-wide pass to Hood who blasted a slap shot low far side off the post and past Toivonen.
The Sundogs finished 3-for-8 with the man-advantage while the Jackalopes converted on three of six power-play chances.
With the win Arizona (14-24-4) remains 10 points back of the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees and the Southern Conference's fifth and final playoff spot.
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