Specialty Teams Vault Colorado to 7-2 Win over Wranglers
Jan 11, 2025
LOVELAND, CO. – Colorado scored three power-play goals and netted a pair of shorthanded tallies, as the Eagles completed a two-game sweep of Calgary with a 7-2 win over the Wranglers on Saturday. Defenseman Jacob MacDonald posted two goals and an assist, while forward Jason Polin added two goals of his own in the winning effort. Colorado goaltender Kevin Mandolese improved to 7-3-0 on the season, making 31 saves on 33 shots.
Calgary would jump out to an early 1-0 lead when forward Martin Frk steered a centering feed in the low slot past Mandolese just 1:51 into the contest.
Colorado would generate an answer 5:03 later when forward Matthew Phillips wrapped behind the net before stuffing home a backhander, tying the game at 1-1.
Still deadlocked at 1-1 as the second period began, the Eagles would capitalize on a power play when Polin finished off a breakaway with a wrister from between the circles, putting Colorado on top 2-1 at the 2:41 mark.
A net-mouth scramble would see Wranglers forward Dryden Hunt force the puck across the goal line, leveling the score at 2-2 with 12:29 remaining in the middle frame.
Calgary would commit multiple infractions in a skirmish in the Wranglers zone, giving the Eagles a two-minute, 5-on-3 power play. Colorado would strike on the front half when MacDonald belted a one-timer from the top of the right-wing circle into the back of the net, giving the Eagles a 3-2 edge at the 12:52 mark of the second stanza.
Colorado would convert again on the subsequent 5-on-4 power play, as MacDonald buried another one-timer from the right-wing circle, pushing the Eagles advantage to 4-2 with 6:52 remaining in the period. Colorado would carry that 4-2 lead into the second intermission.
The Eagles would grow their advantage to 5-2 when forward Oskar Olausson snapped home a wrister off a faceoff at the 13:37 mark of the third period.
MacDonald would take a five-minute major for boarding and the Wranglers would bolster that power play by pulling Ignatjew in favor of the extra attacker. However, it would be Colorado who would strike with an empty-netter off the tape of forward Chris Wagner with only 1:03 remaining in the contest, putting the Eagles up 6-2.
Still on the power play and with Ignatjew back in his crease, a Calgary turnover would allow Polin to light the lamp with a wrist shot from the left-wing circle, rounding out the 7-2 score at the 19:28 mark of the final frame.
Colorado finished the night going 3-for-5 on the power play and a perfect 5-for-5 on the penalty kill. Ignatjew suffered the loss in net, allowing six goals on 39 shots.
The Eagles will be back in action when they take on the Bakersfield Condors on Tuesday, January 14th at 7:05pm MT at Blue Arena. 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.
