Loveland – With thousands clad in plastic orange vests intended to resemble hunting gear, the stands at the Budweiser Events Center on Tuesday night looked like a convention of highway construction workers.
That made a nice metaphor for what happened in front of them, as the Colorado Eagles won Game 1 of the Central Hockey League finals with a blue-collar brand of hockey against the Laredo (Texas) Bucks. Colorado’s 2-1 victory gave it a jump on Laredo in the best-of-seven series, which continues tonight with Game 2.
Bucks goalie David Guerrera made several sensational stops in preserving a 1-0 lead into the second period. But the Eagles came alive on two Kevin Marsh goals, and goalie Tyler Weiman did the rest.
“I knew once we got our power play going, we’d be OK,” said Weiman, the Avalanche prospect who made 23 saves.
Marsh, a right wing from Androssan, Alberta, put home an easy rebound power-play goal at 9 minutes, 51 seconds of the second period to tie the game at 1-1. Laredo got a power-play goal from Brent Cullaton late in the first period.
Marsh would get the game- winner at 14:39, converting a pass from Brad Williamson.
“My job is just to go out there and work hard, maybe chip in a little offensively and I was fortunate tonight,” Marsh said. “But they’re a really good team. It’s going to be a long series. Tonight we just tried to stick with our system, and it paid off.”
Weiman kept it a 1-0 game with a pair of spectacular saves in the second period. It wasn’t long before Marsh capitalized on the momentum for the equalizer, when he tapped in the rebound of Matt Desrosiers’ shot while camped just outside the right crease.
The Eagles outshot Laredo 30-24 but had the better scoring chances the longer the game went. That especially pleased coach Chris Stewart.
“We played a good, strong defensive game,” Stewart said. “We tracked the puck extremely well. It was a hard-fought game, and this series is going to be hard. But that’s the way it should be.”
Laredo did a good job on the Eagles’ top line of Riley Nelson, Greg Pankewicz and Ryan Tobler, blanking them on the scoresheet. Asked the difference in the game, Tobler pointed toward Weiman’s locker.
“That kid over there stole us the hockey game,” said Tobler, also gesturing toward Marsh’s locker. “We don’t have much time to celebrate.”
Adrian Dater can be reached at 303-820-5454 or adater@denverpost.com.
