Iowa Rallies for 3-2 Overtime Win over Eagles
Dec 29, 2021
DES MOINES, IA. – Iowa forward Marco Rossi scored the game-tying goal late in the third period and converted a penalty shot in overtime to propel the Wild to a 3-2 win over the Colorado Eagles on Wednesday. Eagles defensemen Nate Clurman and Rob Hamilton each netted a goal in the loss. Iowa controlled the battle on specialty teams, going 2-for-4 on the power play and 4-for-4 on the penalty kill.
The Wild would get on the board midway through the first period when the game’s first power play set up forward Kyle Rau to tip a puck into the back of the net from the top of the crease. The goal was Rau’s team-leading seventh of the season and put Iowa on top, 1-0 at the 12:23 mark of the opening 20 minutes of play.
Still trailing 1-0 as the teams hit the ice for the second period, Colorado would generate an equalizer when Clurman lunged across the bottom of the left-wing circle to blast a rebound into the back of the net. The goal was Clurman’s first AHL tally and evened the score at 1-1 with 5:30 left in the middle frame. The Eagles would go on to outshoot Iowa, 16-6 in the period and the two teams would head to the second intermission still deadlocked at 1-1.
Colorado would get a boost early in the third period when Hamilton buried a shot from the blue line to give the Eagles a 2-1 edge just 38 seconds into the final frame. The goal would also signify the final shot of the contest for Colorado, as the Wild outshot the Eagles, 12-1 in the final 20 minutes of regulation.
The persistent effort would pay off for Iowa, as a late power play would lead the Wild to pull goaltender Andrew Hammond to create a 6-on-4 man-advantage. The ensuing power play would see Rossi snap a wrister from the left-wing circle that would tie the game at 2-2 with only 28 seconds left to play in the contest.
As the game shifted to a sudden-death overtime, Rossi would slice down the slot, absorbing contact and drawing a penalty shot with 3:50 remaining in the extra session. Rossi would beat goaltender Peyton Jones from the top of the crease on the penalty shot to secure the win for Iowa, 3-2.
Jones suffered the overtime loss in net for the Eagles, making 30 saves on 33 shots. Hammond collected his sixth win of the season by turning aside 22 of the 24 shots he faced.
The Eagles will be back in action when they take on the Iowa Wild on Friday, December 31st at 1:00 pm MT at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa. Tickets for all regular-season games are on sale now and start at just $19. You can find more information on ticket packages, theme tickets, and promotional nights, by visiting ColoradoEagles.com or by calling the ticket department at (970) 686-7468.
