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IceMen Weekly

January 16, 2011 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Evansville IceMen News Release


ICEMEN MATTERS: Through their initial 4-games of the second-half of their 66-games' regular season schedule, the Evansville IceMen of the Central Hockey League have demonstrated some excellent improvement, having compiled a record of 4(2-2-0) in that span. Under the direction of General Manager/ Head Coach Rich Kromm, the IceMen are residing in 8th place in the CHL Turner Conference standings with a record of 37(12-20-5) totaling 29-points. With 29-games remaining on their season's slate, the IceMen will play 13 more at home and 16-more in enemy territory. This past week, the IceMen embarked on the post All-Star Game break schedule by posting a mark of 2(1-1-0); capturing one conquest abroad before bowing at home. Ranked 17th in the overall 18-team standings, the IceMen confront their most demanding road test thus far in their inaugural AA/CHL campaign this week. It will consist of a three games' Western road swing which will transport them to Colorado for a date with the perennial power-house Eagles on Wednesday night before the next sojourn to Rapid City and the home of the reigning CHL Champions, Rush for a pair of weekend duels. The IceMen will be guested by the Rush both Friday and Saturday nights to close-out the expedition. Evansville does not return back to the home base until the final weekend in January when they play host to the torrid, white-hot first place Quad City Mallards, Friday night, January 28th and the Dayton Gems on Saturday night, January 29th with both games on the docket for Swonder Ice Arena.

UPCOMING PRIMO PROMOS: When the IceMen do eventually return home to Swonder Ice Arena, more premium promotional activities are planned for the overall game festivities. On Friday night, January 28th when Quad City brings its first place act to town, it will be the IceMen's first-ever "Friends and Family Night." All season ticket holders, sponsors and families of the IceMen receive a special opportunity to obtain discounted tickets to the game. On Saturday night, January 29th, that night Dayton is here, it has been designated "Mascot Night." All area business mascots will be in attendance and participate in many of the event night activities including a special, entertaining Broomball game during the first intermission.

"ICEMEN LIVE:" Due to the IceMen travelogue this week, the growingly-popular Monday night radio show, "IceMen Live" will be on hiatus for this upcoming Monday night. "IceMen Live" does return for its regular Monday night show, January 24th from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, live from Show Me's East and on the exclusive radio flagship home for IceMen pro hockey action, WEOA-AM 1400 and on the world-wide internet at 1400amweoa.com.

THE KIOSK AT THE MALL: The IceMen organization's special Kiosk is still present and prominent near the food court of Evansville's Eastland Mall. All of the latest lines of merchandise are there including the IceMen new replica jerseys. The IceMen Kiosk will remain in Eastland Mall until January 31st.

THE IMPROVE GROOVE: Having divided a pair of encounters during the past All-Star week, Evansville's pro hockey work force is playing vastly improved hockey in recent action. Through the first 4-games of the second half of their schedule, the club has registered a record of 4(2-2-0) totaling 4-points. The IceMen are 2(0-2-0) at home and 2(2-0-0) on the road. For the season, the record stands at 37(12-20-5) for 29-points. For a second consecutive Friday night, they traveled to Fort Wayne in a key, crucial rivalry clash and conquered the always-formidable Komets, 4-3 in an OTSO. The last 3-overall Evansville triumphs have all been gained on the road; last 17-games; 17(3-11-3). The overall record breakdown at this juncture of the season; last 10(2-6-2); last 22(4-14-4); last 24(5-15-4); last 26(6-16-4). The longest win streak has been 3-in a row; 3(3-0-0); the longest losing streaks have been 5-consecutively and 4-straight. The monthly earnings: October 6(2-3-1); November 12(6-6-0); December 13(2-7-4); January 6(2-4-0).

SWONDER SWAN: Though showing significant improvement, the local icers remain bewitched and bedeviled on home ice at Swonder Ice Arena. This past Saturday night, despite a stirring and spirited come back from a 3-1 third period deficit, the IceMen, again, swooned late in ultimately bowing to Mississippi, 5-3. In the process, the IceMen saw their losing streak on home ice reach 5-in a row; last 5(0-5-0) and their winless swan at Swonder reach 6(0-5-1). Evansville's last home ice success was attained back on December 3rd when the hometown team dispatched Dayton, 3-2. For the season, the home mark is at 17(6-9-2); last 10(1-8-1); last 12(2-9-1). The IceMen actually launched the current campaign with an impressive, imposing 5-game unsullied skein; 5(4-0-1). The longest win streak at home has been 3-consecutively; 3(3-0-0).

BETTER ABROAD: The IceMen have been gaining superior results abroad as compared to the home base place in recent action. To amplify and verify, they have prevailed in their last pair of pilgrimages away from home bay with both victory verdicts extracted from the archrivals Komets over the past two Friday nights. The two game road win streak matches their longest of the season. In the last 8-dates on foreign ice, the IceMen have achieved the coveted .500 barrier for road warrior warfare at 8(3-3-2). The last 3-IceMen victories overall have been attained abroad. For the season, the road record stands at 20(6-11-3). The longest unblemished skein abroad has been 3(2-0-1) and 3(1-0-2).

CONFERENCE REFERENCE: With their 4-3 OTSO triumph Friday night at Fort Wayne, the IceMen have improved their Turner Conference mark to 28(9-14-5). The 9-wins have been accomplished accord-ingly; Dayton 3-times; Fort Wayne 3-times; Quad City 3-times. Outside the conference boundaries, the IceMen are 9(3-6-0) against Berry Conference foes. After winning the first trio of inter-conference collisions, the IceMen have dropped in 6-in a row. Two of the 3-victories have come against Mississippi as have 5 of the 6-defeats.

AMMO DYNAMO: On the attack, the IceMen have also evinced considerable improvement. In fact, in their last 5-games, they have percolated 19-GF for a GFA of a highly-proficient 3.80. The Evansville offensive armada has produced a minimum of 3-GF for the last 5-consecutive games. The club is 5(2-3-0) in that span. Defensively, the club has been less than exemplary, having munificently permitted 43-GA in the last 9-games for a GAA of 4.78; the last 15-games, 71-GA for a GAA of 4.73. Evansville ranks 17th in the CHL with a GAA of 3.70 for the season.

DISTINGUISHED DISTINCTION: Center Nicklas Lindberg is ranked 11th in CHL league-wide point productivity with 37(12-31-43). Brian Bicek has also ascended into the league's top 25 elite with 37(17-19-36). Bicek is tied for the CHL leadership in SHG with 4. Mario Larocque is 11th in CHL defense scoring with 37(8-14-22). Larocque leads the league defensemen in SOG with 133. His 8-goals rank as 5th most among this year's rearguards. Braden Desmet is 11th in CHL rookie scoring with 31(3-13-16); Lee Zalasky is 16th; 37(6-6-12). Jordan Lane's 9-major penalties top all CHL rookies. The IceMen still maintain the top 3 in the league in minor penalties; 1- Mario Larocque (38); 2- Jordan Little (37); 3- (tied) Nicklas Lindberg (29).

TWO FOR TWO: Ace goaltender Jeff Harvey has been bedazzling in his first two performances in the IceMen goal. The past Friday night, for a second straight Friday night, the former U. of Saskatchewan standout frustrated and flustered Fort Wayne in the Komets own home lair with another masterpiece. Making 28-saves through regulation and overtime, the IceMen newest goaltending discovery saved his best for last in the OTSO, rebuking the last 3-consecutive shooting salvos to lead the team to its first extra time, extra session victory in 6-tries this season. In his first 2-starts, both on the road and both in Fort Wayne, Harvey is impeccably perfect at 2(2-0-0) with a miserly, microscopic GAA of 1.92 and SPCT of a sky-rocketing .931.

"POCKET ROCKET" IN THE SOCKET: High-flying left wing Brian Bicek completed one of the most pre-eminent, productive weeks of his three-year pro career. "Ice-Bice-Baby" emanated the week with a brilliant 3-goal natural "hat trick" in the CHL All-Star Game the past Wednesday night in Rapid City where the All-Stars vanquished the Rush reigning champions, 11-6. For the night, The "Pocket Rocket" collected 4-total points and a scintillating +4 rating. The IceMen's second leading scoring architect sustained his scoring scourge and sorcery with 3-goals and 4-points in a pair of weekend assignments for his Evansville employer. The Western Michigan U. product dynamically delivered the key, clutch TBG in Friday night's OTSO win at Fort Wayne before stashing the all-important cinching, clinching goal in the extra session. He then proceeded to unleash a pair of critical, pivotal GTG Saturday night on home ice against Mississippi, earning the IceMen "Star of the Game" honors for the latter contest. In his last 12-games, Bicek is flourishing with 12(7-8-15).

"THE SURMS" SERIAL: His body of work is being expressed in an expanding, exponential exercise of goal-scoring prominence and prowess. Center Damian Surma's latest goal-scoring streak has advanced to 3-games; 3(3-2-5) with his total output of 19-snipes snapped foremost on the club. In his last 7-games; 7(7-3-10); last 14-games; 14(11-4-15). Evansville's third leading scoring artisan tops the team in GWG with 3 and multiple goal games with 4.

PIERCE POSITIVE PREMIERE: The latest team newcomer, left wing Matt Pierce enjoyed a highly-successful IceMen coming-out party Friday night in Fort Wayne. The recent acquisition from the Texas Brahmas emerged as his new team's scoring hero as he fired the ultimate GWG with the flair and touch of the thrilling theater of the OTSO in the 4-3 OTSO victory. It was Pierce's 6th goal of the season and his first with Evansville.

THE "Z-MAN" CAN: Rookie right wing Lee Zalasky has quietly but most efficiently contributed mightily to his club's recently-enhanced goal-scoring production. The product of the U. of Alberta and the WHL collected scoring points in both games this past weekend. In the process, he has pushed his personal point-scoring streak to 5-games; last 5(2-4-6). Zalasky's 5-game point streak ranks as the second longest on the club this season. Nicklas Lindberg has engineered two 7-game streaks of the same genre.

SPECIALTY SPLOTCHED: The Evansville special teams have been operating somewhat below the higher standards which were established so superlatively earlier in the season. The power play did scotch and scuttle the ignominy and anomaly of an 0-17 famine Saturday night in the 5-3 setback ingested against Mississippi. The 1 for the last 18 present mark leaves the IceMen with a 5.6% rate of proficiency. For the season, the power play is ranked 15th in the CHL, operating at 16.0%; 30-188. As far as the penalty-killing cast is concerned, flaws have been found with the opposition being 5 for the last 17; 29.4%; 9 for the last 28; 32.15 and 12 for the last 39; 30.8%. On the campaign itself, they are rated 10th in the league; 42-234 for an efficiency mark of 82.1%. The IceMen's 9-SHG tie them for second most in the league.

MILESTONES STORY: Damian Surma celebrated his 500th pro career game Saturday night with 1-goal, 1-assist for a 2-points night. Defenseman Jordan Little (297) is 3-games away from pro career 300. Jeff Nelson (1,096) is 4-points from pro career 1,100-points. Damian Surma (341) is 9-points away from 350. Mario Larocque (195) is 5-assists away from 200.

FEW FUN FAST FACTS FROM "FIC": The IceMen 4-3 OTSO win Friday at Fort Wayne was their first extra time/extra session victory of the season in 6-tries; OT: 4(0-4); OTSO: 2(1-1). In the same game, the IceMen claimed only their 5th win in 16-one-goal decisions this season. In their 12-wins this season, the IceMen have been outshot in 10 of them. In their 6-road wins, the IceMen have allowed only 9-GA for a GAA of 1.50. Evansville's's best day of the week is Friday; 12(7-5-0). The Saturday record: 13(1-10-2) with the last, lone victory coming back on October 23rd, the home opening night and a 6-3 triumph over Quad City.

THE ICEMEN GAME CALENDAR FOR THIS WEEK:

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19TH THE ICEMEN AT COLORADO 8:00 PM

For the first time ever the IceMen and the Eagles will tangle. This will be the lone meeting of the season for both clubs. The Eagles, a perennial league powerhouse, begin the week tied for third place in the Turner Conference alignment with Rapid City, the IceMen's other opponent on this Western road excursion. Colorado is 33(19-12-2) for 40-points and 20(11-7-2) at home.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 21ST THE ICEMEN AT RAPID CITY 8:00 PM

SATURDAY, JANUARY 22ND THE ICEMEN AT RAPID CITY 8:00 PM

The IceMen make their first ever trip to the home of the reigning CHL Champions, The Rush. Previously, the two teams clashed in a two-game series in Evansville with the Rush prevailing in both contests, 2-1 on December 10th and 4-2 on December 11th at Swonder Ice Arena.

THE ICEMEN "PUMP IT UP" ON WEOA-AM 1400: The New IceMen Cometh this season with all of the game broadcasts, home and away, play-by-play, all the way on "the Pump," WEOA-AM 1400 in Evansville, the exclusive radio home for the IceMen. The two-hour Monday night radio show, "IceMen Live," comes your way every Monday night from 7:00 p to 9:00 pm, live from Show-Me's East, also on WEOA-AM 1400 and on the world-wide internet at 1400amweoa.com. "The Voice of the IceMen," Terry Ficorelli has all of the action all season long. The IceMen can also be watched live on CHL-TV.

THE ICEMEN DAILY UPDATE REPORTS: Tune in every day even when there is not a game as Terry Ficorelli brings you up to date with "The IceMen Hockey Update," Monday through Friday at 4:20 pm on WEOA-AM 1400 and at 1400amweoa.com. There are also IceMen daily reports throughout the day on the Townsquare Media family of radio stations; WGBF_FM 103.1 at 4:45 pm; WKDQ-FM 99.5; WJLT-FM, "Superhits 105.3" and WDKS-FM "Kiss 106," all at 4:50 pm.

THE ICEMEN TICKET INFORMATION: IceMen tickets for all home games are on sale through the IceMen offices or by phone at (812) 435-8971. Also IceMen tickets may be purchased in advance through Ticketmaster Centers in Evansville; downtown at The Centre Box Office; Schnuck's West Side or at Roberts Stadium Box Office; or by phone (812) 476-1383.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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