Innala Nets First AHL Hat Trick in Colorado’s 5-2 Victory over Barracuda
Feb 12, 2025
LOVELAND, CO. – Colorado forward Jere Innala scored three goals, while fellow forwards T.J. Tynan and Jake Wise notched three assists apiece, as Colorado completed a two-game sweep of the San Jose Barracuda with a 5-2 win on Wednesday. Innala’s three-goal night now gives the Eagles hat tricks in back-to-back games and extends Colorado’s point streak to eight games. Goaltender Trent Miner earned his 10th win of the season, stopping 25 of the 27 shots he faced, as the Eagles finished the night 3-for-4 on the power play.
Colorado would convert on the game’s first power play when Innala fielded a cross-slot pass and steered it into the back of the net, giving the Eagles a 1-0 edge just 5:08 into the contest.
A five-minute major assessed to San Jose’s Thomas Bordeleau would allow forward Chris Wagner to camp out at the top of the crease before deflecting a shot from the point past goaltender Yaroslav Askarov. The goal was Wagner’s fifth of the season and stretched Colorado’s advantage to 2-0 with 43 seconds remaining in the first period.
San Jose would strike back when forward Colin White flew down the ice before cutting to the slot and firing a shot past Miner, slicing the deficit to 2-1 at the 6:47 mark of the second period.
Colorado would steal back the momentum when Innala lit the lamp with a wrister on the rush from between the circles, putting the Eagles on top 3-1 with 10:13 remaining in the middle frame.
A 5-on-3 power play would set up Barracuda forward Filip Bystedt to sweep home a shot from the right-wing circle, trimming Colorado’s advantage to 3-2 at the 11:12 mark of the second stanza.
An Eagles power play late in the period would allow Innala to finish off his hat trick, as he belted a one-timer from the right-wing circle past Askarov, extending Colorado’s lead to 4-2 with 1:31 left to play.
Still leading 4-2 as the puck dropped on the third period, the Eagles would add one more tally when forward Oskar Olausson lit the lamp with a wrist shot from the top of the left-wing circle, putting the Eagles up 5-2 at the 10:52 mark of the final frame.
Askarov suffered the loss in net, allowing five goals on 28 shots. San Jose finished the contest going 1-for-3 on the power play.
The Eagles will be back in action when they travel to take on the Abbotsford Canucks on Saturday, February 15th at 8:00pm MT at Abbotsford Centre in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Single game tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at ColoradoEagles.com or by calling or texting the Eagles ticket office at (970) 686-SHOT.
