Eagles Kick Off Road Trip with 3-2 Shootout Win at Coachella Valley
Nov 20, 2024
PALM DESERT, CA. – Colorado goaltender Trent Miner made 29 saves on 31 shots and stopped four of the six skaters he faced in a shootout, as the Eagles began a three-game road trip with a 3-2 victory over the Coachella Valley Firebirds on Wednesday. Forwards Jere Innala and Oskar Olausson lit the lamp in regulation, while defenseman Jack Ahcan netted the game-winner as the sixth and final shooter in the shootout.
Colorado would jump on top just 1:08 into the contest when Innala swept home a one-timer from the top of the right-wing circle, giving the Eagles an early 1-0 advantage. Forwards Tye Felhaber and Jayson Megna would pick up the assists on the tally.
Just over a minute later, Colorado defenseman Keaton Middleton and Firebirds forward Ian McKinnon would each earn five-minute majors after dropping the gloves in the Coachella Valley zone. The Eagles would kill off the only power play of the first period and carried their 1-0 lead into the first intermission.
The second period would see Firebirds forward John Hayden streak through the slot on the rush before snapping a wrister past Miner. The goal was Hayden’s second of the season and tied the game at 1-1 at the 4:14 mark of the middle frame.
Coachella Valley would earn a penalty shot with 3:20 remaining in the second stanza, but forward Eduard Sale would send a backhander wide of the net, leaving the game deadlocked at 1-1.
The Firebirds would eventually hop into the driver’s seat when a turnover at the bottom of the left-wing circle was smashed home by forward Luke Henman, putting Coachella Valley on top 2-1 at the 17:30 mark of the period.
Colorado failed to convert on three separate opportunities on the man-advantage in the second period and left for the intermission still trailing 2-1.
The Eagles generated an equalizer just 2:01 into the third period when Olausson buried a wrister from between the circles, tying the game, 2-2.
With 60 minutes proving to not be enough to determine a winner, the game would shift to sudden-death overtime. Colorado earned a power play midway through the extra session but would not be able to capitalize and the game transitioned to a shootout.
Megna, Olausson and Ahcan would all light the lamp in the shootout, while Miner shutdown four consecutive shooters to give the Eagles the 3-2 win.
Ales Stezka suffered the shootout loss for the Firebirds, allowing two goals on 31 shots. Colorado finished the night 0-for-4 on the power play and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill.
The Eagles will be back in action when they travel to take on the Bakersfield Condors on Friday, November 22nd at 8:00pm MT at Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield, California. Season tickets for the 2024-25 season are on sale now and can be secured with a deposit of just $100 per seat. Click here to place your deposit.
