Eagles Complete Sweep of Iowa with 6-2 Victory
Dec 30, 2023
DES MOINES, IA. – Six Colorado skaters registered multi-point efforts, as the Eagles completed a two-game sweep of the Iowa with a 6-2 victory over the Wild on Saturday. Colorado posted a season-high 54 shots on goal, while the team’s six goals tied the season’s high-water mark. Forward Cal Burke led the way with two goals and one assist, while fellow forward Spencer Smallman netted a pair of goals. Justus Annunen claimed the win in net, turning aside 30 of the 32 shots he faced.
A power play would vault the Eagles onto the scoresheet first, as defenseman Brad Hunt stepped into a slapshot from the point that would light the lamp and give Colorado a 1-0 edge just 6:02 into the contest. The Eagles would go on to outshoot the Wild 18-12 in the first period and carried their 1-0 advantage into the first intermission.
Iowa would even the score at the 6:02 mark of the second period when defenseman Carson Lambos beat Annunen with a wrister from the slot to tie the game at 1-1.
The Eagles would generate a quick response, as Smallman smashed home a rebound at the top of the crease to put Colorado back on top 2-1 with 10:17 remaining in the middle frame.
Forward Ivan Ivan would stretch the lead only 1:14 later when he snapped a wrister on the rush, beating Wild goalie Hunter Jones and giving the Eagles a 3-1 advantage.
A power play would allow Iowa to chip away at the deficit, as forward Nic Petan fed home a wrist shot from the right-wing circle to trim Colorado’s lead to 3-2 at the 12:19 mark of the second stanza.
Still leading 3-2 as the puck dropped on the third period, the Eagles would collect an early goal when Smallman flushed home a rebound from the top of the crease, putting Colorado up 4-2 at the 1:19 mark.
Burke would net the first of back-to-back goals when he capitalized on a power play with a redirect in the slot that would light the lamp and expand the Eagles advantage to 5-2 with 14:11 remaining in the contest.
Colorado would put one final mark on the board when Burke capped off a 2-on-1 rush when he fielded a cross-slot pass and directed the puck past Jones, pushing the lead to 6-2 at the 12:02 mark of the final frame.
Colorado outshot the Wild by a final count of 54-32, as the Eagles finished the night going 2-for-5 on the power play and 4-for-5 on the penalty kill. The victory also extended Colorado’s road point streak to a league-best seven games.
The Eagles will be back in action when they travel to take on the Milwaukee Admirals on Friday, January 5th at 6:00pm MT at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Tickets for all regular season games are on sale now and start at just $23. You can find more information on ticket packages, theme nights, and promotional offers, by visiting ColoradoEagles.com or by calling the ticket department at (970) 686-7468.
