Evansville IceMen Weekly

January 20, 2013 - ECHL (ECHL)
Evansville IceMen News Release


RUNDOWN LOWDOWN: As they reach the All-Star break in their inaugural campaign in the ECHL, the Evansville IceMen have displayed vast amounts of improvement since the inception of the 2012-13 season. Under the direction of third year General Manager/Head Coach Rich Kromm, the IceMen have been confronted all season long with an overabundance of adverse circumstances spawned from an unprecedented and unparalleled spate of injuries as well as incessant player changes stemming from the protracted NHL lockout which has at long last ended. Nevertheless, despite this constant lack of roster stability and continuity and downtrodden 7(0-6-1) debut to the season, the "Kromminator" contingent has endured, and at times, truly excelled. In fact, since the date of December 1st, the IceMen "Icers" have assembled a record which exceeds the .500 barrier. In the last 22-games, Evansville's hockey pros have compiled a mark of 22(10-9-3); going 13(5-6-2) in December and 9(5-3-1) thus far, for the opening month of the new calendar year of 2013. Through 43-games, the hometown team has fashioned a season mark of 43(16-23-4) totaling 36-points and fifth place in the Eastern Conference North Division alliance. The IceMen will embark on the upcoming weekend of 3-games in 3-days trailing fourth place Kalamazoo 40(17-19-4) 38 by 2-points. With 29-more games on the season's regular season schedule, the "Icers" have only 11-more games remaining at home and still 18-more excursions abroad. Friday night, the IceMen journey to Cincinnati to be hosted by the first place Cyclones before returning to the Ford Center for their lone home appearance of the week, hosting Fort Wayne on Saturday night. Sunday, the IceMen close the weekend's workload with a trek to Toledo to be hosted by the Walleye.

FORT WAYNE AT THE FORD: In their lone home game for this upcoming weekend, the IceMen will renew hostilities with archenemy Fort Wayne this Saturday night at 7:15 pm at the Ford Center. The world renowned "Russian Bar Trio" will be in the IceMen house to entertain. It's the third consecutive week in which the Komets have traveled to Evansville to hold court with the IceMen.

"ICEMEN LIVE PRESENTED BY COORS LIGHT": It's yet another fun-filled, entertaining two hours' edition of the IceMen ever-popular Monday night radio show this week. It's "IceMen Live Presented by Coors Light!" Show host, Terry Ficorelli's special guests will be team captain TODD ROBINSON and defenseman PHILIPPE PLANTE. It's "IceMen Live Presented by Coors Light," Monday night from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm live from Show-Me's East and on IceMen flagship home, "Magic 98.5 FM" and 1400 AM WEOA as well as world-wide on the internet at magic985fm.com and 1400amweoa.com.

MOON OVER LOVELAND: The IceMen center/right wing Nathan Moon will be representing Evansville in the 20th ECHL All-Star Game set for this Wednesday night, January 23rd in Loveland Colorado, the home of this year's mid-season showcase league event and the host team Colorado Eagles. The Eagles will collide with the League All-Stars with IceMen fans having the opportunity to watch it live on America One Sports. In 35-games thus far this season, Moon has engineered 28-points on 12-goals, 16-assists with 4-PPG, 5-PPA, 3-FG and 1-GWG. In his last 16-games; 16(7-8-15).

WRAP THE RECAP: The IceMen capped a 3-games in 4-nights homestand at the Ford Center with a 3(1-2-0), allowing only 6-GA but mustering only 5-GF of their own with all 3-clashes being within their own North Division and decided by a scant 1-goal differential. The past Wednesday night, the IceMen endured an agonizing 1-0 setback against archrival Fort Wayne. It was the fourth time this season that the IceMen have been shutout. Evansville outshot the Fort Wayners, 36-26 in defeat. Friday night, the IceMen failed to secure a 3-1 advantage before ultimately prevailing over Kalamazoo, 4-3 in OT. Kevin Baker's PPG at 2:48 of the extra session laid claim to the conquest. Josh Beaulieu (1-1-2)PPG/TBG, A. Gens (1-1-2)GTG and Jason Dale also made connection in the direction of victory with Todd Robinson the architect of 3-crafty assists. Saturday night, the IceMen were edged by Toledo, 2-1. Josh Beaulieu (FG/PPG) accounted for the lone home team strike.

RECORD AT RECESS: At the ECHL All-Star break, the IceMen have authored a season record of 43(16-23-4) for 36-points. Since the beginning of the New Year, they have assembled a mark of 9(5-3-1); since the genesis of the season's second-half, they are 7(4-2-1). They are 4(1-2-1) in their last 4-starts. Longest win streak of the season has been 3-in a row; longest undefeated streaks have been 6(4-0-2) to begin the month of December and 4(3-0-1) to launch January. Longest losing streak has been 4-in succession; longest winless slide has been 7(0-6-1), coinciding with the initial 7-games of the current campaign. The monthly numbers: October 7(0-6-1); November 14(6-8-0); December 13(5-6-2); January 9(5-3-1).

HOMESTAND STREAK STOPPED: Facing a momentous and monumental 3-games in 4-nights homestand the past week against fellow fractious foes from their own North Division delegation, the IceMen managed a mark of 3(1-2-0). In the process, their 3-game home win skein was scotched and scuttled, falling one win shy of their season-high of 4-wins consecutively at the Ford Center. For the season, through 25-appearances, the IceMen home mark stands at 25(11-14-0). They are 13(8-5-0) on home ice against their own North Division and 12(3-9-0) against the Eastern Conference Atlantic and South Divisions combined.

18 MORE TO SCORE MORE: With 29-games still remaining on their regular season slate, the IceMen will be active road warriors as 18 of those remaining outings will be abroad. Evansville's pro hockey sextet has essayed an overall foreign ice composite log of 18(5-9-4), having recently severed a lingering, languishing 8-game winless hiatus in foreign territory; 8(0-5-3) with a 4-3 OT triumph, January 12th in Elmira. Their road record in their own North Division: 12(3-6-3); against the Atlantic and South Divisions combined: 6(2-3-1).

THE DIVISION MISSION: The IceMen record by division: North Division; 25(11-11-3); against the Atlantic Division; 11(3-7-1): against the South Division; 7(2-5-0). The combined record against the Atlantic and South Divisions reads at 18(5-12-1).

STAUNCH AND STINGY: Since the nativity of the New Year, the IceMen defensive improvement has been masterful. Through their first 9-games in January, the Coach Kromm club has grudgingly surrendered a mere 22-GA for a GAA of 2.44. Moreover, in their first 7-games of the second half of the campaign, Evansville's aggregation nation has permitted a paucity of strikes numbering only 14 for a GAA of an avarice 2.00. The IceMen have been even stingier in the GA department on home ice where they have allowed only 9-GA in 6-games for a GAA of a minuscule and microscopic 1.50.

DEBONAIR EXTRAORDINAIRE: Center Todd Robinson 35(2-34-36) continues his ascent among those on the league elite street. His 34-assists rank as third most in the loop while his 19-PPA pace the ECHL and his 19-PP/Points rank 4th best of the rest in the league. Left wing Josh Beaulieu 43(17-22-39) ranks among the top 20 in league-wide point production while his 8-PPG list him as fourth best and his 5-GWG rank tied for third most in the ECHL.

BEAU "A-GO'GO": Veteran left wing Josh Beaulieu continues to be the absolute embodiment of consistency, continuity and congruity. The past week, Evansville premier point-making meister collected 3-points in 3-games on 2-PPG and 1-assist. In Friday night's 4-3 OT victory verdict over Kalamazoo, he delivered 1-goal (TBG/PPG) and 7-SOG before being the artisan of his team's lone goal, the game's FG, on another PPG in the IceMen 2-1 Saturday night setback incurred against Toledo. With 20-points in his last 18-games; 18(6-14-20), Beaulieu is the IceMen nomination for ECHL Player of the Week.

SAVE SHARK "KARP": First year goaltender Paul Karpowich has been earning his keep in recent IceMen action. With Paul Dainton on recall to AHL Springfield, the Clarkson U. standout has been Evansville's "Iron Man" in goal with 5-consecutive starts with 3 of those games prolonged to extra time. In that span, he has registered a record of 5(2-2-1), yielding only 12-GA for a GAA of 2.35. In 3-straight starts this past week, he posted a mark of 3(1-2-0) with a GAA of a nifty and thrifty 1.99 and SPCT of a gaudy .938, rebuking 90 of 96-SOG. Karpowich is the IceMen nomination for ECHL Goaltender of the Week.

INSISTING TO ASSISTING: Center Todd Robinson's performance has been enormous in recent IceMen vintage at this juncture of the season. It was yet another banner week for the playmaking prince pre-eminent. "T. Rob" orchestrated assists on 4 of his team's 5-goals for the 3-game week with 3 of those helpers hatched on Evansville's vaunted power play. In Friday night's spellbinding, spine-tingling 4-3 OT triumph over Kalamazoo, the IceMen captain maestroed 3-crafty assists including the primary arrangement on linemate's Kevin Baker's GWG/PPG at 2:48 of the extra session to capture the conquest. In his last 9-games, Robinson has amassed 13-points on 1-goal, 12-assists.

DISCOVER BROTHER: First year pro defenseman Aaron Gens has emerged from his injured older brother Matt Gens shadow with his best hockey of the season. The U. of Alaska-Fairbanks product was acclaimed the game's #1 Star in Friday night's 4-3 OT victory over divisional foe Kalamazoo. In that contest, he fired the game's GTG before adding an assist for a productive 2-points performance. In his last 9-games, the younger brother is averaging a point a game; last 9-games; 9(2-7-9).

SPECIAL TEAMS TIMELY: The IceMen special teams continue to be consistently bright constellations among the Evansville hockey nation thus far this season. On the power play, over the last 2-games, the IceMen are 3 for the last 6 for a proficiency rating of a prolific terrific 50%. The IceMen are 5 for the last 19; 26.3% and 8 for the last 31; 25.5%. Meanwhile, the penalty-killing ensemble cast continues to be extremely effective. The opposition is 2 for the last 27; 92.6% efficiency rating and 21 for the last 146; 85.6%.

THE ALMANAC WRACK: Kevin Baker played in his 500th pro career game the past Saturday night on home ice against Toledo. Josh Beaulieu played in his 300th pro career game the past Wednesday night on home ice against Fort Wayne. Beaulieu is the lone IceMen player to see action in all 43-games thus far this season. Head Coach Rich Kromm (388) is 12-wins away from coaching win #400.

FEW FUN FAST FACTS FROM "FIC": For their 2-home games the past weekend, the IceMen attracted 12,077 fans for an average of 6,039. Three of the IceMen last 5-games have been decided in OT with the IceMen winning the latter 2 to enhance their OT mark for the season to 3(2-1). The third period has been the IceMen nemesis, being outscored 61-36 overall and 39-19 at home. When the IceMen score 4 or more, their record is 14(13-1-0). The IceMen best period has been the second stanza at home, outscoring the visiting team, 29-19. The past 3-game homestand saw the IceMen outscored in the third period, 3-0 with 2 of those being GTG and the third being the ultimate TBG/GWG.

THE ICEMEN GAME CALENDAR FOR THIS WEEK:

FRIDAY, JANUARY 25TH THE ICEMEN AT CINCINNATI 6:30 PM

For the eighth time this season, the IceMen and Cyclones will lock antlers in a clenching, wrenching tango. From the Evansville perspective, the series is balanced at 7(3-3-1). The IceMen are 4(1-2-1) in Cincinnati where they are actually winless in their last trio of appearances; 3(0-2-1). In the last clash back on January 6th in Evansville, the IceMen prevailed, 4-1.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26TH FORT WAYNE AT THE ICEMEN 7:15 PM

The IceMen trail in the season series at 6(2-3-1) with home ice advantage representing no advantage whatsoever for the two in-state Indiana foes. The IceMen are 3(1-2-0) in 3-home decisions against the Komets including a Fort Wayne 1-0 blanking of them last Wednesday night. Since moving into the Ford Center with the beginning of the 2011-12 season, the IceMen overall record at home against the K's stands at a drab and dreary 9(3-6-0). At the same time, the IceMen have dropped only 1 of their last 7-outings at Memorial Coliseum; last 7(4-1-2).

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27TH THE ICEMEN AT TOLEDO 4:00 PM

In a Sunday matinee presentation, the IceMen and the Walleye engage in an encore performance from the past Saturday night in Evansville. This is Evansville's third trip to the Toledo house of the Huntington Center where they posted their first road win as an ECHL member club back on November 3rd, 4-1. However, in their last appearance in the Ohio city back on December 15th, the IceMen 3-game win streak against the Walleye came to a brusque halt in absorbing a 4-0 shutout setback. Since prevailing in those first 3-games of the season series, the IceMen have dropped the last pair, being outscored, 6-1.

THE ICEMEN ON THE NEW "MAGIC 98.5 FM" WEOA/WEOA-AM 1400 & THE ICEMEN RADIO NETWORK:

All of the IceMen game broadcasts are on flagship stations; the all-new "Magic 98.5 FM, WEOA as well as on WEOA-AM 1400. Also, they are on the world-wide internet at 1400amweoa.com and magic985fm.com as well as the IceMen Radio Network. WLME-FM 102.7, "The Game" in Owensboro, KY; WMSK-AM 1550, Morganfield, KY and WVLN-AM 740 in Olney, IL broadcast the complete schedule of IceMen games while WITZ-AM 990 and WITZ-FM 104.7, Jasper, IN carry a select schedule of games, numbering 23-30 for the season.

THE ICEMEN DAILY UPDATES ARE EVERYWHERE ON THE AIR: The IceMen daily update reports can now be heard on 18-different radio outlets throughout the Tri-State region. Flagship WEOA-FM 98.5 and WEOA-AM 1400 program the IceMen report at 4:200 pm Monday through Friday. The Townsquare Media family of stations; WGBF-AM 1280, WGBF-FM 103.1, WKDQ-FM 99.5; WJLT-FM 105.3; WKDS-FM 106.1; WBKR-FM 92.5, Owensboro, KY and WOMI-AM 1490, Owensboro, KY present the report every afternoon in drive time between 4:00 pm and 5:00 pm. Elsewhere, WITZ-AM 990 and WITZ-FM 104.7 in Jasper, IN; WSON-am 860 and WSON-FM 96.5 in Henderson, KY; WMSK-AM 1550, WMSK-FM 101.3 in Morganfield, KY; WRAY-AM 1250 in Princeton, IN; WLME-FM 102.7, "The Game" in Owensboro KY and WYFX-FM ESPN Radio 106.7, Mount Vernon, IN.

THE ICEMEN TICKET INFORMATION: IceMen single game tickets for all 36-home games are on sale at the Ford Center Box Office and at Ticketmaster.com or by contacting the IceMen offices for various season ticket plans and great group rates at (812) 421-GOAL (4625). Visit the IceMen website at www.evansvilleicemen.com.



ECHL Stories from January 20, 2013


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