Colorado Opens Home Slate with 3-1 Win over Tucson
Feb 24, 2021
LOVELAND, CO. – Liam O’Brien, Jayson Megna and Greg Pateryn each found the back of the net, while goaltender Hunter Miska stopped 25 of the 26 shots he faced to help push the Colorado Eagles to a 3-1 victory over the Tucson Roadrunners on Wednesday. The loss was Tucson’s first of the season, as the Eagles improved their season mark to 2-3-1 in the team’s home debut.
The first period saw Colorado earn a pair of power-play opportunities, as the Eagles outshot the Roadrunners 16-8 in the opening frame. However, some big saves from Tucson goaltender Ivan Prosvetov would keep Colorado off the scoreboard, as the two teams would head to the first intermission with the game still scoreless.
The scoring would begin to open up in the second period, as O’Brien would snag a drop pass at the bottom of the left-wing circle and snap a shot past Prosvetov to give Colorado the 1-0 edge at the 9:05 mark of the middle frame. The tally was assisted by forward Miikka Salomaki and was O’Brien’s first goal as an Eagle.
The Roadrunners would strike back on the power play when defenseman Victor Soderstrom buried a slapshot from the blueline to tie the game at 1-1 with 6:48 remaining in the second period.
Colorado would quickly jump back on top, as Megna would power a one-timer from between the circles into the back of the net to give the Eagles a 2-1 advantage at the 15:21 mark of the period. Rookie forward Jean-Luc Foudy would pick up the lone assist on the goal for his for point as a professional.
Still on top, 2-1 as the two teams hit the ice for the third period, Colorado would add a little insurance when Pateryn finished off a two-on-one rush by banging the puck past Prosvetov from the side of the crease. The goal would stretch the Eagles lead to 3-1 just 4:05 into the final 20 minutes of regulation.
The Roadrunners would pull Prosvetov in favor of the extra attacker in the final minutes of the contest, but Miska would hold strong and Colorado would skate to a 3-1 victory.
The Eagles outshot Tucson, 32-26 in the contest, as Colorado went 0-for-4 on the power play and 1-for-2 on the penalty kill.
Colorado will return to action when the Eagles host the Tucson Roadrunners on Friday, February 26th at 7:05pm MT. Fans can catch every game this season live on “The Home of the Colorado Eagles,” 92.9 The Bear or on AHLTV.
