Scorpions blank Odessa for 3rd straight win

By Eric Maddy
The SCORE

There is almost no way the New Mexico Scorpions can catch the Odessa Jackalopes for the Southwest Division lead in the Central Hockey League season ends.

But that didn’t prevent the Scorpions from winning its third game in the row – the longest streak of the season – with a 5-0 shutout of Odessa on Wednesday.

It was the first time Odessa was shut out all season.

Though only 1,773 fans saw the game at the Santa Ana Star Center, most were in fear for the home after the first period when star center Chris Robertson limped from the ice with what turned out to be a bruise to his right thigh.

Robertson said after the game he was “fine,” though it didn’t seem like it at first. Robertson, who entered the night tied for second on the team in goals with 21 and second in points (50), did not emerge from the locker room for the start of the second period.

Robertson skated to the New Mexico bench during a break in play with 15:28 remaining in the second period. He spent a few minutes hopping and stretching behind the bench in an attempt to loosen up, and skated in small circles during a break 2:03 later before finally taking a shift with 11:30 remaining in the period, apparently with no long-lasting effects.

New Mexico jumped to a 1-0 lead after one period with the help of a jumpy puck.

Torren Delforte was awarded a penalty shot on a questionable call as referee Thomas Luxmore ruled he was pulled down from behind on a breakaway scoring attempt by Philippe Plante less than three minutes into the game.

Delforte’s penalty shot was just as fortunate. Ase went in on the right side of goalie Juha Toivonen, the puck bounced up and hit the heel of Delforte’s stick. The Scorpions’ center followed though with a golfer’s chip shot, lifting the puck over the goalie’s shoulder and into the net with 17:22 left in the period.

Two other possible penalty shots that could have been called against Odessa, including one in the final two minutes on a Craig Macdonald breakaway, were not called as the officiating crew seemed to back off after the initial call.

The Scorpions stretched their lead to 2-0 with 5:04 left in the second period on a rebound goal by Neil Trimm, then put it away in the final period with goals by Macdonald and Trimm 34 second apart, followed later by a goal by Jordan Foote in a 5-on-3 situation.

Goalie Kyle McNulty stopped 29 shots for New Mexico.

With the victory the Scorpions now have 38 points, 27 points behind Odessa in the division race. But more importantly New Mexico is in seventh place in the Southern Conference, which is made up of the four-team Southwest and Southeast divisions.

Only the top five teams make the conference playoffs. To make the postseason, New Mexico must pass defending league champion Arizona (45 points) and Corpus Christi (44).

Teams are awarded two points for a victory and one point for achieving overtime. New Mexico has 18 games left, including one at Corpus Christi and four with Arizona (three of which are at home).

Arizona lost 4-3 at Colorado on Wednesday, while Corpus Christi did not play.

New Mexico has three more games left in its six-game homestand, the longest of the season. Laredo is in town for games Friday and Saturday, and the Scorpions will play a makeup game for a December snow-out at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

Tuesday’s morning game, where the Scorpions invite school children from the area, is already a sellout.

Ticket information for the weekend games is available at www.ScorpionsHockey.com. Complete statistics and standings are available at www.CentralHockeyLeague.com.