LOVELAND, CO — The Colorado Eagles captured the CHL Northern Conference Championship with a 6-3 win over the Memphis RiverKings in game six of the conference finals series Tuesday night at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, CO.  The Eagles win the series 4-2 and will advance to play the Laredo Bucks in the 2007 President’s Cup Finals beginning this weekend.   

The RiverKings came out of the gate and controlled the game early.  They held a 7-1 shots advantage in the opening minutes, with one of those shots finding the back of the net.  A diving Tyler McGregor directed in a Ryan Held centering pass on a rush at 2:48 for his sixth of the postseason and a 1-0 RiverKings lead.  The RiverKings outshot the Eagles 11-7 in the opening stanza.

The second period would be a different story as the Eagles outshot the RiverKings 14-3 and would score three times.  The first of those three came on a penalty shot awarded to Ryan Tobler at 7:29.  Then at 13:14, Ed McGrane chased down a penalty kill clearing pass that RiverKings goalie Larry Sterling could not play as it stayed in the corner no-play zone.  McGrane wrapped the puck around from left to right for a shorthanded goal.  Riley Nelson then converted on the power play with a pinpoint wrist shot from the left dot at 16:32 to make the score 3-1. 

The teams combined for five goals in the third period.  The Eagles’ Aaron Schneekloth put home a rebound 53 seconds into the third period to push the Colorado lead to 4-1. The RiverKings, as they have done all season, would not give up.  Jason Sessa cut the lead back to two as he steered in a Louis Dumont rebound at 3:49 of the third.  Then, with Sterling pulled for the extra skater, Derek Landmesser made it a one goal game with a seeing-eye wrist shot that found its way through traffic with 2:09 remaining.  Unfortunately, two empty net goals by the Eagles at 18:06 and 18:53 would seal the game.

Marco Emond was the winning goalie, finishing with 22 saves.  Sterling stopped 27 shots in the loss.  Louis Dumont added a pair of assists.  Greg Pankewicz had an empty net goal and two assists with Brad Williamson also finishing with a pair of assists.     

 
Game 5, May 5, 2007

SOUTHAVEN, MS — The Memphis RiverKings stayed alive in the CHL playoffs Saturday night with a 3-2 win over the Colorado Eagles in game five of the Northern Conference Finals at the DeSoto Civic Center. 

Derek Landmesser scored the game-winning goal and added an assist as the RiverKings rebounded from the overtime loss the night before in game four. The Eagles lead the series 3-2 as the teams head back to Colorado for game six Tuesday, May 8 at the Budweiser Events Center at 8:05 CDT.

The game started quickly, but not for the victorious RiverKings.  Just 11 seconds after the opening face-off, Colorado’s Riley Nelson took a shot from the left half-wall that snuck between RiverKings goalie Larry Sterling’s right pad and the pipe.  After that, it was all Memphis.

The RiverKings outshot the Eagles 35-20 for game and scored all three of their goals in the second period.  Phil Aucoin tipped in Derek Landmesser’s shot at 1:31 on the power play to tie the game at one.  Then, just 18 seconds later, Tyler McGregor gave the RiverKings a lead they wouldn’t give up as he put home a Derek Campbell pass from behind the Eagles’ net. Landmesser’s game winner was an unassisted wrist shot from the high slot at 18:27.

Riley Nelson completed a two score night and narrowed the lead with a goal with the extra attacker with 34 seconds remaining. 

Sterling stopped 18 shots to improve his record to 7-7 on the season.  Eagles netminder Tim Boron made 32 saves as he suffered his first loss of the series.  The RiverKings converted on one of six power play opportunities while the Eagles went 0-2. 

Game 4 May 05, 2007

SOUTHAVEN, MS —  Colorado’s Greg Pankewicz scored with 13 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game and Brent Hughes then won it in overtime as the Eagles defeated the Memphis RiverKings 3-2 Friday night in game four of the  Northern Conference Finals at the DeSoto Civic Center. The win gives the Eagles a 3-1 lead in the best of seven series. 
 
After the teams went without scoring a goal in the first period, Ed McGrane scored on the power play off a rebound at 8:24 of the second to put Colorado up 1-0.  The RiverKings Travis Banga evened the contest with a power play goal of his own 2:57 later. 
 
Ryan Campbell gave the RiverKings their first lead 14:40 into the third as he steered in a Louis Dumont centering pass from the right wall.  The score remained in favor of the RiverKings until a holding the stick call on the RiverKings put the Eagles on the power play.  With the goalie pulled the extra attacker, Pankewicz tied the game on a wrist shot from the slot with officially 13.4 seconds remaining on the DCC clock. 
 
Hughes’ game-winner was a poke in attempt after the puck was carried to the crease by Steve Haddon from behind the RiverKings net.  Earlier in the overtime, the RiverKings had the potential game winning goal waved off when it was ruled that the net had been jarred loose before Tyler McGregor’s shot crossed the goal line.  
The game was the second of the series to go to overtime as the RiverKings won game one in the extra session.

The team’s alternated the lead in shots each period.  The RiverKings outshot the Eagles 11-6 and 11-7 in the first and third periods, respectively.  Meanwhile, the Eagles had 17-10 and 12-2 advantages in the second and overtime periods.  The Eagles finished the game with a 42-34 edge in shots. 

Colorado goalie Tim Boron won his third straight with a 32 save performance while Memphis’ Larry Sterling made a team high 39 saves in the loss.

Game 3, May 2, 2007

 
SOUTAHVEN, MS —  Colorado Eagles netminder Tim Boron stopped all 33 Memphis shots leading his team to 3-0 shutout of the RiverKings in game three of the Northern Conference Finals at the Desoto Civic Center Wednesday night.  The Eagles take a 2-1 lead in the best of seven series with game four slated for the DCC on Friday night at 7:05.
 
Early on, the Eagles had the advantage.  They outshot the RiverKings 18-5 in the first period and scored a pair of goals. 
The only goal that Boron would need was scored by Steve Haddon on a delayed Memphis penalty. 

RiverKings goalie Larry Sterling made a save on a Brent Hughes shot, but the puck popped up and Haddon swatted it in with what was close to being a high stick for a 1-0 lead. 
 
The other first period goal came just 1:28 later.  Fraser Filipic flicked a wrist shot from atop the right circle of a face off win by Sean Robertson.  The puck sailed over a screened Larry Sterling’s right shoulder to make the score 2-0. 

After the first period, the momentum switched heavily in the RiverKings’ favor.  After the 18-5 shots disadvantage in the first period, the home team outshot the Eagles a combined 28-12 in the final two periods for a 33-30 edge at the final horn.  

But each time the RiverKings had a quality scoring chance that looked like a sure goal in those final two periods, Boron would be there for the save or the puck would strike a pipe, something that occurred on at least three occasions.   
 
The scoreboard remained stats quo at 2-0 until Ryan Tober scored his third of the series and eighth of the postseason into an empty net from the neutral zone with 1:16 remaining in the game.
 
Boron’s shutout was his second of the postseason in five appearances, improving his playoff record to 3-1.  Sterling was the tough luck loser in the RiverKngs’ net with 27 saves on 29 shots.

Game 2, Sunday, April 29, 2007

LOVELAND, CO — The Colorado Eagles Brad Williamson assisted on all four of his team’s goals as the Eagles came back from a 2-0 deficit and defeated the Memphis RiverKings 4-2 Sunday night in Loveland, CO, tying the best of seven Northern Conference Finals at a game apiece.  

Like Friday’s game, the Eagles came out and had the early shots advantage, but it would be the RiverKings that would get on the board first.  Tyler McGregor got to a loose puck that Eagles goalie Tim Boron couldn’t control off a face-off and put it in for his fourth of the postseason at 5:08.  The Eagles outshot the RiverKings 13-7 in the period and were held scoreless on four power play chances, including a double minor, with RiverKings goaltender Larry Sterling making several key saves to keep the Eagles off the board.    

The RiverKings would make it 2-0 on a power play marker from Travis Banga 1:35 into the second period.  The goal was the end result of tic tac toe passes from Jason Tessier and Ryan Campbell. 

The Eagles would get on the board and score the first of four unanswered at 6:00 of the second on Ryan Tobler’s seventh of the postseason.  Scott Polaski would follow at 16:18 with Aaron Schneekloth then scoring on the power play with just .5 seconds remaining in the period to send the game to the third with a 3-2 Colorado lead, despite being outshot in the period 17-9.
T
he only goal of the third period was an empty netter by Riley Nelson with :31 remaining. 

Tim Boron made 31 saves to get the win while Larry Sterling saw his three game personal winning streak snapped with 33 saves on 36 shots. The RiverKings went 1-5 on the powerplay with the Eagles going 1-7.  The Eagles edged out the RiverKings in the shots department 37-33.

Game 1, April 27, 2007

LOVELAND,  CO —  Jason Sessa scored a power play goal 2:54 into overtime to the send the Memphis RiverKings to a 3-2 win over the Colorado Eagles in game one of the Northern Conference Finals Friday, April 27, in Loveland. CO.  Larry Sterling continued his sharp play with a 37 save performance to give the RiverKings a 1-0 series lead heading into game two Sunday night at 8:05 CDT.

Colorado took a 1-0 lead with a late first period goal.  Fraser Filipic tipped in Aaron Schneekloth’s shot from the point at 17:53.   Both teams had good scoring chances in the first period with the Eagles finishing the period with a 16-9 shots advantage. 

The teams exchanged goals in the second period.  Travis Banga tied the game with his fourth of the playoffs on the power play after tipping in a Derek Landmesser wrist shot at 4:41.  Ryan Tobler gave the lead back to the Eagles at 16:55.  The RiverKings controlled the majority of the second period, finishing with an 11-9 shots advantage. 
The RiverKings tied it in the third with Ryan Campbell capitalizing on a steal and scoring his team leading seventh postseason goal unassisted at 1:41.  Both teams had good chances to take the lead in overtime, but Sterling and Eagles netminder Marco Emond played outstanding the final period of regulation.
The Eagles finished with a 39-37 shots advantage.  The RiverKings went 2-5 on the power play while Colorado went 0-5.

The win was the RiverKings’ fourth straight on the road and it also marked the ninth straight series that the franchise has won game one of a series.  p