Central Hockey League: Circelli lifts Jackalopes into Southern Conference Finals

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS For the second straight season, the Odessa Jackalopes got a handshake on the ice of the NYTEX Sports Centre.

This time, however, it’s the Texas Brahmas making tee times.

Collin Circelli, on a feed from Jeff Pierce, drove deep to the right post and lifted a backhand over Texas goaltender Brett Jaeger just 2:04 into overtime Monday as the Jackalopes clinched the Southern Conference semifinal series with a 5-4 victory.

“This is awesome,” Circelli said in a raucous Jackalopes’ locker room. “I faked a shot and then went to the backhand, and it was the greatest feeling when it went in.

“To come back in this series against a very good team means a lot. And that handshake was so much better this year.”

The Jackalopes won the best-of-7 series 4-2 after losing the first two on home ice. They also came out of 2-0 holes last year against Laredo and in 2006 against Amarillo.

The Jackalopes now await the winner of the Laredo-Allen semifinal series. Laredo holds a 3-2 advantage heading into tonight’s Game 6 in Allen.

Either way, Odessa will open the Southern Conference Finals at 7:05 p.m. Friday at the Ector County Coliseum. Game 2 is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Saturday.

Kenny Bernard, Pierce, Kory Karlander and Sebastien Thinel also scored for the Jackalopes.

Pierce finished with a pair of assists and the biggest theft of the season. He stopped a clearing attempt by Texas at the right point and then fed Circelli as he drove toward the net early in overtime.

“I thought I might have a breakaway, but their guy came right at me, and Collin started moving toward me,” Pierce said. “So I just passed the puck and watched. It feels so good.”

Jason Deitsch scored a pair of goals for the Brahmas, who saw their reign as Central Hockey League champions come to a sudden end after they led 4-2 going into the third period.

After the Brahmas scored twice in the second period for a 4-2 lead, Jackalopes head coach Paul Gillis brought in goaltender Joel Martin to relieve Juha Toivonen.

In the third period, Jordan Cameron was called for a five-minute charging major that left Odessa defenseman Philippe Plante flat on the ice. The additional game misconduct put the Jackalopes on a three-minute power play, and they cashed in.

Alex Dunn started the play by carrying the puck up the right wing and slid a pass through a defenseman’s skate to Karlander, who snapped it above Jaeger’s left shoulder 5:04 in to the third period.

Then, at the 7:38 mark, Thinel — the Jackalopes’ all-time leading scorer  — snapped a pass from Jean Bourbeau inside the left post for a 4-4 tie that forced overtime.

“I thought this was a very good hockey game,” Gillis said. “I think we were running out of gas a little in the third period, and we had to get a big penalty kill, but I thought we controlled a lot of the play for most of the game.

“We had a lot of chances, and their goalie played great again, and we were fortunate. It was a good series, and we’ll take it.”

>> Jackalopes 5, Brahmas 4 (OT)

SOUTHERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

Game 6

At North Richland Hills

Odessa                   2       0      2       1      —   5

Texas                      2       2      0       0      —   4

First Period—1, Odessa, Kenny Bernard (Mike Ramsay, Kory Karlander) 3:43 (pp). 2, Texas, Jason Deitsch (James Hiebert, Lee Jubinville) 6:22. 3, Texas, Lee Jubinville (Luke Sellars, Justin Kinnunen) 8:56 (pp). 4, Odessa, Jeff Pierce (CollinCircelli, Sebastien Thinel) 13:40. Penalties—Kevin Seibel, Texas (slashing), 1:44; Garrett Gruenke, Jackalopes (tripping), 7:18; Tyrell Mason, Texas (holding), 11:31.

Second Period—5, Texas, Jason Deitsch (James Hiebert, Lee Jubenville) 3:01. 6, Texas, Jordan Cameron (AJ Gale, Ross Rouleau) 15:57. Penalties—Kevin Seibel, Texas (tripping), 4:17; James Hiebert, Texas (elbowing), 7:12; Brian Swiniarski, Jackalopes (goaltender interference), 11:36; Kenny Bernard, Jackalopes (hooking), 12:59; Garrett Gruenke, Jackalopes (slashing), 18:51.

Third Period—7, Odessa, Kory Karlaner (Alex Dunn, Dominic Leveille) 5:04 (pp). 8, Odessa, Sebastien Thinel (Jean Bourbeau, Jeff Pierce) 7:38. Penalties—Dave Van Drunen, Jackalopes (abuse of officials), 1:22; Jordan Cameron, Texas (charging major), 1:22; Jordan Cameron (charging game misconduct), 1:22; Brian Swiniarski, Jackalopes (roughing), 19:23

Overtime—9, Odessa, Collin Circelli (Jeff Pierce) 2:04.

Shots on Goal—Odessa, 18-13-12-1—44. Texas 8-11-5-0—24.

Power-play opportunities—Odessa 2 of 4. Texas 1 of 5.

Goalies—Odessa, Juha Toivonen. Texas, Brett Jaeger. A—2,200 (2,300).

Referee—Ryan Hersey. Linesmen—Jordan Crowell, Chris Petrin.

>> Central Hockey League

CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

(Best-of-7)

— Northern Conference —

Rapid City 4, Missouri 0

Saturday, March 27: Rapid City 5, Missouri 1

Sunday, March 28: Rapid City 2, Missouri 1

Wednesday, March 31: Rapid City 4, Missouri 1

Friday, April 2: Rapid City 7, Missouri 6 (OT)

Bossier-Shreveport 4, Colorado 0

Friday, March 26: Bossier-Shreveport 4, Colorado 3 (OT)

Saturday, March 27: Bossier-Shreveport 4, Colorado 3

Tuesday, March 30: Bossier-Shreveport 3, Colorado 1

Thursday, April 1: Bossier-Shreveport 4, Colorado 2

— Southern Conference —

(x-if necessary)

Odessa 3, Texas 2

Friday, March 26: Texas 5, Odessa 2

Saturday, March 27: Texas 3, Odessa 2 (OT)

Wednesday, March 31: Odessa 6, Texas 3

Friday, April 2: Odessa 5, Texas 1

Saturday, April 3: Odessa 2, Texas 1

Monday, April 5: Odessa 5, Texas 4 (OT)

Laredo 3, Allen 2

Friday, March 26: Laredo 4, Allen 3

Saturday, March 27: Allen 3, Laredo 2

Tuesday, March 30: Allen 4, Laredo 1

Thursday, April 1: Laredo 4, Allen 3

Saturday, April 3: Laredo 5, Allen 1

Tuesday, April 6: Laredo at Allen

x-Wednesday, April 7: Laredo at Allen

CONFERENCE FINALS

(Best-of-7)

— Northern Conference —

Saturday, April 10: Bossier-Shreveport at Rapid City, 8:05 p.m.

Sunday, April 11: Bossier-Shreveport at Rapid City, 6:05 p.m.

Wednesday, April 14: Rapid City at Bossier-Shreveport, 7:05 p.m.

Friday, April 16: Rapid City at Bossier-Shreveport, 7:05 p.m.

Saturday, April 17: Rapid City at Bossier-Shreveport, 7:05 p.m.

Tuesday, April 20: Bossier-Shreveport at Rapid City, 7:35 p.m.

Wednesday, April 21: Bossier-Shreveport at Rapid City, 7:35 p.m.