Buzzards Set for Texas Showdown
December 5, 2002 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
El Paso Buzzards News Release
EL PASO, Texas â The El Paso Buzzards look to curb their road blues and pull out a win against the Odessa Jackalopes at 7 p.m., Friday in Odessa, Texas. This is the first of a two-game road trip for the Buzzards. The Buzzards enter the match-up having lost all three of their previous contests to Odessa in highly contested games.
This game is the battle between the hunter and the hunted. The Buzzards, 5-13-1 overall, 1-5-1 on the road, remain in fourth place in the Southwest Division, but are ready to make up some ground in the standings. The Buzzards snapped an eight-game losing streak on Nov. 29 against San Angelo with a 7-4 win. The Jackalopes come in with an overall record of 13-5-3, 6-3-1 at home, and in first place in the Southwest Division.
Friday's game for the Buzzards is a featured a rematch of the first round of the 2002 President's Cup playoffs. In the previous contest between these two clubs, Odessa forward Travis Kennedy scored two goals and forwards Sebastien Thinel and Mike Rutter collected two assists apiece as the Jackalopes defeated the Buzzards 4-1 this past Saturday in El Paso. The Buzzards scored their lone goal on the power play by right winger Derek Reynolds. Reynolds has scored in four consecutive games.
WHERE THEY STAND
BUZZARDS - Coming into Friday's action, the Buzzards (11 points) are in fourth place in the Southwest Division, but are just 10 points behind New Mexico for third place. The Buzzards are 1-5-1 on the road and 4-8-0 at home. El Paso has 49 goals for and has allowed 73. Buzzards center Jeff Scharf leads the team in scoring with 10 goals and 11 assists (21 points). Buzzards' left wingers Russ Guzior and Troy Linna are back from being sidelined with shoulder injuries. The Buzzards are eleventh in the league on the power play with a 13.7 percent success rate and thirteenth in the league on penalty kill opportunities with a 79.5 percent rate. Also, the Buzzards lead the league in major penalties with 40.
ODESSA â The Jackalopes (16 points) come into the game 13-5-3 overall, 6-3-1 at home, are in first place in the Southwest Division. The Jackalopes are fifth in the CHL on the power play with a 17.6 percent success rate and fifth in the league on penalty kill situations with an 87.7 percent success rate. Odessa is led in scoring by Mike Rutter, who has 7 goals and 13 assists in 21 games. Odessa's goaltender Mike Gorman is fourth in the league in goals against average (2.03) and in wins (nine).
Central Hockey League Stories from December 5, 2002
- Bucks Sign Defenseman Picard - Laredo Bucks
- Oilers Forward Named CHL Player of the Month - Tulsa Oilers
- Buzzards Set for Texas Showdown - El Paso Buzzards
- CHL Names November's Best - CHL
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