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Rush Goaltender Danny Battochio Named CHL Rookie Of The Year

March 18, 2010 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Rapid City Rush News Release


(Rapid City, SD) - On Thursday, the Central Hockey League (CHL) announced that Rush goaltender Danny Battochio earned 2009-10 Rookie of the Year honors. This is the first major end of the year award in the history of the Rapid City Rush. Just two days earlier, the All-Star was named to the All-Rookie team.

The rookie also appeared in the 2010 CHL All-Star Game, was named Goaltender of the Week on January 18th and earned Goaltender of the Month honors on February 4th.

"This is a tremendous honor for Danny and one that is certainly deserved," said Rush Head Coach Joe Ferras. "He is the consummate professional. His approach to the game and his professionalism is a true testament to the character of this young man and well beyond his years. We are very proud of all of Danny's accomplishments this year from a coaching staff, organization, and fellow teammates."

Battochio has had a stellar year in net for Rapid City, helping the young franchise punch its first ticket to the post-season. The Lively, Ontario native has posted a remarkable 28-5-3 record to go along with a 2.57 goals against average (GAA) and.918 save percentage (sv%). Among the league's leaders, Battochio ranks 2nd in wins, 3rd in GAA and 4th in sv%. From November 25th through January 19th, the netminder won 12 straight decisions and on February 16th, Battochio made 36 saves and collected his first career shutout in a 1-0 overtime win against the Colorado Eagles.

The 5'10", 180-pound goaltender began this season with the Peoria Rivermen of the American Hockey League, the AAA affiliate of the NHL's St. Louis Blues.

"It's an honor to named Rookie of the Year, especially with the great talent in this year's rookie class," said Battochio. "We've got so many guys on this team that have helped me throughout the season and have contributed to my success. It's not always easy to come into your first year pro since you don't know what to expect. But everyone from coaches, to players, to the off-ice crew has made my transition so much easier and much more enjoyable."

Back on October 24th, Battochio picked up the first win of his young career as he stopped 40 of 43 shots and helped kill off six of Arizona's seven powerplay chances for a 4-3 overtime victory. He also notched an assist in that contest, the first of his career.

Battochio played the last 3 years with St. Francis Xavier University as their starting goaltender and was co-MVP for the 2008-09 season. The netminder posted a record of 15-11-0-2 last season and was an Atlantic University Sport (AUS) 2nd team All-Star. Battochio led all AUS goalies in games played with 26 and was 6th in the AUS with his 3.30 goals-against average. He also ended up 2nd in the AUS in both shutouts (2) and saves per game (26.12 avg/game). Battochio was awarded CIS Athlete of the Week honors the week of Jan. 11, 2009.

Other Rush News:

Flex Packs are available for as little as $160, call the Rush office to learn more. Quarter and Half Season Ticket passes are available starting at just $100.

Group tickets are available and start at $11. Groups of 15 or more receive two complimentary tickets to the same game. Contact the Rush office at 605.716.7825 for more information.

Stay informed on Rush happenings through the official Rapid City Rush team website, www.RapidCityRush.com.


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