Despite a hot start from Lleyton Roed, the Eagles surged back to push Coachella Valley to the brink. Now, the Firebirds face a must-win Game 4.
The Firebirds are now down 1-2 after game three of the Pacific Division Finals. On Sunday, the Eagles once again showed why they were the second-ranked team out of the regular season with a 4-1 victory.
Coachella Valley came out strong. A shorthanded goal from Lleyton Roed at 14:46 in the first period opened the scoring and put the Firebirds in the lead. The Eagles tied it up in the second, and by the end of 60 minutes Colorado had added another three goals to the scoreboard.
Eagles goaltender Trent Miner once again put on a show, stopping 28 out of 29 shots for a .966 save percentage. While Colorado did outshoot the Firebirds, it was not by much: 36 to 29 shots on goal were recorded. In the second period, the Firebirds actually outshot the Eagles 12 to 6.
The teams will meet again on Wednesday, May 20th. It is a must-win contest for Coachella Valley: a loss means an end to their season, while a win would extend the series to game five.