Stezka Turns Away 30 Shots, as Eagles blanked by Firebirds, 2-0
Jan 12, 2024
LOVELAND, CO. – Coachella Valley goaltender Ales Stezka stopped all 30 shots he faced, as the Firebirds defeated the Colorado Eagles 2-0 on Friday, handing Colorado its third-consecutive shutout loss. Forwards Cameron Hughes and Jacob Melanson each netted a goal for Coachella Valley in the victory. Eagles goalie Justus Annunen suffered the loss in net, allowing two goals on 32 shots.
An early power play would set up Coachella Valley to grab the first goal of the game, as Hughes fired a shot from the right-wing corner that would catch the inside of the leg pad of Annunen and spill into the back of the net. The goal was Hughes’ ninth of the season and gave the Firebirds a 1-0 edge just 6:25 into the contest. Coachella Valley would go on to outshoot the Eagles 15-9 in the first period and carried it’s 1-0 advantage into the first intermission.
The second period would see Colorado earn three power play opportunities, including 31 seconds on a 5-on-3. Despite the extra time on the man-advantage, the Eagles would not be able to light the lamp in the middle frame and the two teams headed to the second intermission with the Firebirds still on top, 1-0.
Coachella Valley would stretch its lead when Melanson stationed himself on top of the crease and deflected a shot from the point into the back of the net, giving the Firebirds a 2-0 advantage at the 9:35 mark of the third period.
The Eagles would pull Annunen in favor of the extra attacker in the final two minutes of the contest, but would come no closer, falling by a final score of 2-0.
Colorado was outshot by Coachella Valley by a final count of 32-30, as the Eagles finished the night going 0-for-4 on the power play and 4-for-5 on the penalty kill.
The Eagles will be back in action when they take on the Coachella Valley Firebirds on Saturday, January 13th at 7:05pm MT at Blue Arena. 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.
