Slattengren Gets Game-Tying & -Winning Goals in Eagles’ OT Win
ONTARIO, Calif. – The Colorado Eagles, playing their third game in as many nights, defeated the Ontario Reign in overtime, 4-3, in the teams’ first meeting. The Eagles got two goals from defensemen, scored on three power plays, and bounced back from a record-trying loss the night before thanks in large part to Aaron Slattengren’s two tallies.
A night after giving up four goals to a single player — including two in the first period — the Eagles were again tortured by a single player for a pair of goals in the opening frame as Derek Couture helped the Reign to a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes of play.
Couture’s first goal came at 15:34 after Ontario won a battle for the puck in the right corner of their offensive zone and he jammed home a rebound from the crease. His second tally came in the final minute of the first period after C. J. Stretch picked up a rebound off the end boards and fed Couture as he crashed the crease again.
Colorado cut Ontario’s lead in half with a power-play goal at 4:41 of the second period when Jack Combs found Jon Landry crashing the net. The Eagles’ second power play of the period, however, didn’t go as well. Not only did they fail to register a shot on the man-advantage, Dylan Yeo out-skated the defense and scored on a shorthanded breakaway midway through the period.
The Eagles’ power play got clicking again in the third period as the team scored a pair of man-advantage markers to force overtime. Aaron Schneekloth got the first tally at 3:19 with a backhand shot from the low right slot. And then Slattengren went to work, tying the game at 8:33 when his pass attempt from the right side of the crease deflected off a defender and past Jean-Francois Berube.
Colorado took advantage of that good fortune to secure the second point in overtime. Just over midway through the extra session, Jake Marto cruised into the offensive zone and through the right circle before finding Slattengren in the high slot for the winner.
The teams will meet again next weekend for a pair of games at the Budweiser Events Center.