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Bees Ink Van Nynatten

August 1, 2007 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees News Release


HIDALGO, TEXAS --- The Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees of the Central Hockey League today announced that the team has signed goaltender Jeff Van Nynatten for the 2007-08 Fifth Anniversary season.

"Jeff adapted well to the professional game last season, and really came into his own as we battled for a playoff spot late in the season," said Killer Bees Head Coach Paul Fixter. "We expect he'll pick up where he left off and be an important piece of our team."

The 25-year-old native of Stratford, Ontario, went 11-12-3 in 32 regular season games for the Bees in 2006-07. Van Nynatten was particularly strong as the regular season ended, starting seven of the team's final 12 games to post a 4-1-2 mark in the month of March, along with a 2.04 GAA and .933 save percentage.

He saw his goals against average steadily dip over the final two months of the season, going from a 3.15 GAA on January 28 to his season ending total of 2.70. His save percentage steadily rose in the same time, going from .899 on January 28 to his final total of .912. Van Nynatten collected one shutout in the regular season, a 25-save outing over Austin on March 20. The shutout came on his father's birthday with his family in attendance. Van Nynatten earned Oakley Goaltender of the Week honors for Week 14 of the CHL season after posting consecutive victories on Jan. 19 and 20.

He continued his strong play in the first round of the President's Cup Playoffs, stopping 58 of 61 shots in Rio's 4-3 win over Laredo in Game 1 of the Southern Conference Quarterfinals. He followed that up one night later with a 36-save performance in a 4-1 loss in Game 2. Van Nynatten's playoff totals include a 1-3 record, 3.04 GAA and .920 save percentage.

"When the season ended, it became my No. 1 priority to get re-signed with the Bees," Van Nynatten explained. "I really enjoyed the fan support and the way things were run. The team and I made some improvement as we went along and I want to build on last year and get deeper in the playoffs."

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound netminder was named the College Hockey America (CHA) first-team goalie and CHA Tournament MVP in 2004 after leading the Niagara Purple Eagles to the playoff championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. In 2005, he once again led his club to the CHA Finals but lost to Bemidji State. En route, he shattered the conference record by stopping 59 shots against Minnesota on Jan. 7, 2006, and a set CHA record for career wins (54), overtaking former Wayne State keeper David Guererra.

Van Nynatten completed his career at Niagara with a 54-40-8 record in 111 games played. He turned aside 2,956 shots in four seasons to set a Purple Eagle record, and set the single-season mark with 1,076 saves during the 2005-06 campaign. He is ranked first on the CHA charts in career wins and minutes played (6237:56).

An eight-time CHA Defensive Player of the Week, Van Nynatten was named to the CHA All-Academic team twice and registered five career shutouts. He went on to post an overall GAA of 3.10 and save percentage of .902. In CHA-only contests, Van Nynatten had a 37-15-5 mark with a 2.77 GAA and a save percentage of .908. He turned pro at the end of the 2006 season with the Fresno Falcons (ECHL) and appeared in one game there.

Killer Bees season tickets are available now for the team's fifth season in the Central Hockey League. The CHL schedule is expected to be released in early August.

For ticket and sponsorship information, call 956-843-PUCK (7825).

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