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Bloomington Blaze Weekly

November 14, 2011 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Bloomington Blaze News Release


The Bloomington Blaze, presented by Mid-Illini Credit Union, continue their first road trip of the season with three games this week before returning home for the first time in two weeks this Saturday.

LAST TIME OUT: The Blaze traveled about 13 hours by bus to their first road games, a back-to-back series in North Richland Hills, Texas against the Texas Brahmas, and dropped both contests. Friday's 3-2 shootout win by the Brahmas featured a dramatic end to regulation time when Aaron Dawson stuck in a game-tying goal with only 20.6 seconds remaining in the third period. After a scoreless first period, the teams traded goals just 87 seconds apart, with the Blaze's Travis Granbois answering a Brahma tally by T.J. Fox. Texas scored in the first minute of the third period, but was equalized by Dawson's extra-attacker score with seconds remaining. The Brahmas took the shootout 2-1, as Jason Dale registered the only Blaze shootout goal. The standings point was the first registered by the Blaze in three games.

--On Saturday, the Blaze fell 5-2, with both Bloomington goals registered by Aaron Dawson, giving him a four-point weekend (three goals, one assist). Phil Fox recorded a hat trick for the Brahmas.

NEXT TIME OUT: The Blaze (1-4-2) travel twice this week to their closest geographic rival, the Quad City Mallards (3-5-0), with games on Tuesday and Friday at iWireless Center in Moline, Illinois. The Mallards haven't played at home since November 4, and ended a four-game road trip on Saturday with a 6-2 loss at Tulsa. The Mallards went 1-3-0 on the trip, winning only at Fort Wayne. QC won the only two previous matchups with the Blaze, 6-5 in overtime and 6-2 during the last weekend of October in Bloomington. Brandon Marino leads the Flock with 11 points, and is one of four Mallards with a team-leading four goals, along with Jared Brown, Eric Giosa and John Snowden. The games at Moline are sandwiched around a Friday night contest at Dayton.

FLICKERS: Aaron Dawson has taken over the team lead in goals with five, and is tied with Jason Dale for tops on the Blaze in scoring with seven points ‚¬Â¦Dale has only one point in the last five games, an assist collected on Friday night, although he scored the team's only shootout goal in that contest at Texas ‚¬Â¦Dawson now leads all CHL defensemen with five goals, and is tied with six others for second place in defensive scoring with seven points ‚¬Â¦Zane Kalemba has the most saves in a single game in the CHL so far this season with 52 ‚¬Â¦the Blaze power play has climbed to fourth, converting 24.2 percent ‚¬Â¦ the Blaze are 11th in goals per game (2.71) and are last in goals against (4.57) ‚¬Â¦Craig Cescon has been sent to the penalty box in each of the seven Blaze games and holds the team PIM lead with 22 ‚¬Â¦the Blaze have been penalized the least in the CHL with 99 minutes, and is 13th out of the 14 teams with 14.14 penalty minutes per game ‚¬Â¦Bloomington has extended the league's longest winless streak to six games ‚¬Â¦.the Blaze are tied for the highest-scoring first and second periods with their three-goal opening period on October 28 and their four-goal second period on opening night.

PUT AWAY THE RAZOR: Blaze players are participating in the Movember initiative, the hockey world's effort to raise funds and improve awareness for men's health issues. The players started November clean-shaven, and are growing moustaches as natural ribbons in support of men who have fought prostate cancer and other diseases. Defensemen Doug Krantz spearheaded the Bloomington effort through his work with Hockey Players 4 Kids. More information is on the team page at http://mobro.co/hp4k. Blaze players are asking fans to donate to the cause and learn more by visiting www.movember.com.

SHAKING IT UP: The Blaze return home on Saturday, November 19 at 7:05 p.m. to face the Dayton Gems. Special guest is Zendaya Coleman, who plays Rocky Blue in the Disney Channel show "Shake It Up." Zendaya will meet fans and sign autographs (one per person) from 6 till 9 p.m. on the concourse at U.S. Cellular Coliseum, and she will also sing the national anthem.

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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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