Komets Dominated, Eagles Take Series

LOVELAND, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles defeated the Fort Wayne Komets, 6-1, to take the week's three-game set, two games to one. Colorado held the Komets to just 14 shots in the contest, setting a new season low for shots allowed, while they scored their six goals on 30 shots.

The Eagles ended the first frame with the same number of goals as the Komets had shots: 3. Colorado got the scoring started just 91 seconds in when Kevin Ulanski -- wearing a full facemask after suffering a severe stick to the face the night before -- circled behind the net and found Cody Sol for a one-timer from the high slot.

Less than a minute later Dylan Hood doubled the home team's lead when he picked up a turnover in the offensive zone and wristed a shot past Charlie Effinger from the left circle. Then at 16:35, it took Colorado's top-ranked power play just 17 seconds to convert on their first man advantage opportunity of the game when Sol one-timed home his second goal of the game with a blast from the right circle.

Three more goals were tallied in the second stanza, the first two belonging to Colorado before the Komets got on the board in the final minute of the session. The Eagles stretched their lead to 4-0 in the first minute of the frame when Isaac Smeltzer's pass into the low slot was deflected by Joey Sides. The forward's deflection was heading wide to the left of the net, but it banked off of a defender and past the Komets' goalie.

Colorado made it 5-0 at 4:41 when Steve Haddon forced a turnover at the Eagles' own blue line and skated down the ice on a 2-on-1 shorthanded rush with Kyle Ostrow. Haddon looked off Effinger, pretending to wait for the perfect time to feed Ostrow, before firing his own shot into the net.

With time winding down on a scoreless third period, Michael Forney sent the home crowd home happy by adding a sixth marker with 1:14 left in the game. The Eagles next games will come next weekend in Bakersfield, Calif. (Friday & Saturday) before they take on the Ontario Reign Sunday afternoon.