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Delforte Rookie Finalist, Scorpions Among the Best in CHL

March 10, 2009 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
New Mexico Scorpions News Release


[RIO RANCHO, N.M.]- It's award time in the Central Hockey League and the Scorpions are once again well represented. Torren Delforte is among the five finalists CHL coaches, communication directors and media members will vote on.

Delforte is currently fourth in rookie scoring with 51 points. His 21 goals and 30 assists rank him fifth among all first year players.

The forward is not shy about taking the puck to the net as his 204 shots are tops among rookies. Delforte is up against Laredo's Darryl Smith, Odessa's Jeff Pierce, Rio Grande Valley's Nicolas Dumoulin and Arizona's Adam Perry.

BEST OF THE BEST POLL

Every year the teams in the CHL are asked to rank the Best of the Best in 46 different categories. The Scorpions have placed in the top three in five categories.

For the second straight season, Chris Robertson and for the third time, Aaron MacInnis make an appearance in the face-off and hardest shooter category respectively. Robertson moves up one spot from last year's poll to the second best draw man in the league.

Fans in New Mexico know how great of a player Robertson is on the ice. Many fans of the CHL have apparently overlooked the Owen Sound, Ontario native over the years. This year's poll shows Robertson is the "Most Underrated Player" garnering 10 more first place votes than his closet competitor.

When hockey fans hear the name MacInnis, hard slap shot usually comes to mind. For the third time in as many years the Scorpions' captain has been awarded as having the hardest shot. It is the second straight season the defensemen has won this honor while placing third two seasons ago.

The hardest shooter was the closet contested of all categories. MacInnis edged out Colorado's Greg Pankewicz by one vote and Amarillo's Sam Ftorek by two votes. The difference came down to first place votes as MacInnis collected 20, five more than Ftorek and double that of Pankewicz.

In a possible preview for the official Rookie of the Year in the CHL, Delforte finished third in this poll. He fell behind Smith and Dumoulin in total points, but collected more first place votes.

Before the starting lineups are announced at Scorps' home games, Stanley the Scorpion is introduced as "your favorite mascot." According to the voters, New Mexico's mascot is third best in the CHL.

Stanley's sting fell just short of Rio Grande Valley's Sir-Sting-A-Lot who was tops and second place ThunderDog in Wichita. This is the first time the Scorpions loveable Stanley has cracked the top three.

Adam Dunivan of the Loveland Reporter has written a full roundup of the poll. Visit www.reporterherald.com or www.centralhockeyleague.com to read Dunivan's article.

UPCOMING GAMES

New Mexico is back in action Friday night in Arizona before returning home for a pair of game Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.

On Saturday, the Scorpions will host the Sundogs and the first 1,500 fans inside the Santa Ana Star Center receive frisbees courtesy of PETCO. It is also "Non-Profit Night" as the Scorps will donate up to $4,000 to local charities. Help "stuff the Star" as local non-profits who purchase tickets are eligible to win the donations given away during the game. Tickets start as low as $10.

On Sunday, Tulsa makes their first ever visit to Rio Rancho. The Santa Ana Star Casino will give away up to $10,000 in the annual Money Drop. The puck will drop at 3:15 p.m. and anyone in attendance is eligible to win. Call the Scorpions office to find out how to get two-for-one ticket specials.

Group tickets specials are available for as little as 10 people. Call the Scorpions' office at (505) 881-PUCK (7825) or visit www.scorpionshockey.com to find out more information about your professional hockey team. The Scorpions have been named the 2008 Rio Rancho Rotary Business of the Year.

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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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