Danny Battochio Named To CHL All-Rookie Team
March 16, 2010 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Rapid City Rush News Release
(Rapid City, SD) - On Tuesday afternoon, the Central Hockey League announced its 2009-10 All-Rookie Team and making the final squad was Rush goaltender Danny Battochio. The Lively, Ontario native has been a key component for the Rush, helping secure the first playoff spot in franchise history.
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.
"With Danny being selected as a member of the All-Rookie Team, this is a great honor not only for Danny, but for the entire Rush program," said Head Coach Joe Ferras. "For a player to step in and have the type of success he has had in his first year pro, especially as a goaltender, is a difficult thing to do. After making the opening night roster with the Peoria Rivermen after attending training camp on an AHL tryout, Battochio flourished at the CHL level from day one. He has been an impact player all year long for our club, as well as dominant force throughout the entire league."
Battochio is 26-5-3 on the season and has posted a 2.66 GAA and.915 sv%. Among the league's goaltending leaders, Battochio is tied for 2nd in wins, 6th in goals-against and 5th in save percentage. Battochio had a very impressive stretch where he won twelve straight decisions from November 25th through January 19th. The Lively, Ontario native adds the award to an already long list that includes Goaltender of the Week, Goaltender of the Month and an All-Star nod.
"It's quite an honor to be recognized as one of the top rookies in the CHL," said Battochio. "There are a number of very strong rookie goaltenders this year and to be chosen as the top one is a humbling experience. This is a small individual recognition, but the main goal is for our team to succeed in the post season."
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 members of the All-Rookie Team include forwards Ryan Garbutt of Corpus Christi, Sean Muncy of Rio Grande Valley, and Nick Sirota of Missouri. The defensemen are Sean Erickson of Tulsa and Jake Obermeyer of Amarillo.
Garbutt leads all rookie scorers in goals (22), points (48), rating (+26) and penalty minutes (200), while Muncy and Sirota are tied for second in rookie scoring with 44 points each.
Jake Obermeyer attended Rush training camp at the beginning of the season before being traded to Amarillo. The defenseman currently leads all rookie d-men with seven goals and is second in points with 24. Erickson has collected 18 points in 56 games for the Tulsa Oilers.
The Rush play their final regular season home games on Tuesday and Wednesday against the Texas Brahmas. Tickets are still available for both games.
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.
Central Hockey League Stories from March 16, 2010
- IceRays Fall 6-3 To Comeback Driven Killer Bees - Corpus Christi IceRays
- Mudbugs Dethrone 'Kings, Clinch Third Place - Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
- Battochio Shines As Rush Top Brahmas 5-1 - Rapid City Rush
- Texas Shushed Against Rush, Fall 5-1 - Fort Worth Brahmas
- Mudbugs Blast RiverKings In Bossier - Mississippi RiverKings
- Obermeyer Makes 2009-2010 CHL All-Rookie Roster - Amarillo Gorillas
- Danny Battochio Named To CHL All-Rookie Team - Rapid City Rush
- CHL Announces 2009-10 All-Rookie Team - CHL
- CHL Honors Oiler Rookie - Tulsa Oilers
- RiverKings Playoff Ticket Packages Now Available - Mississippi RiverKings
- McNulty Earns Performance Of The Week Award - Mississippi RiverKings
- Kyle McNulty's Effort Voted CHL Performance of the Week - CHL
- Americans Partner With Marit Peterson Fund For Melanoma Research - Allen Americans
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