Falcons Acquire Goeckner-Zoeller from Bombers

August 27, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Fresno Falcons News Release


FRESNO, CALIF. - The Fresno Falcons announced today that the team has traded defenseman Joe Van Culin to the Dayton Bombers in exchange for left wing Grant Goeckner-Zoeller.

The 25-year-old Goeckner-Zoeller split last season with the Augusta Lynx and the Dayton Bombers, appearing in just 43 games due to injuries. The 6-foot-1, 215-pounder, tallied five goals and added 13 assists for 18 points in his first professional season.

A native of Los Angeles, Goeckner-Zoeller played his college hockey at Princeton University, where he was a teammate of Falcons' defenseman Daryl Marcoux. He finished his collegiate career ranked fifth in school history with 73 assists, and twice during his four-year career he led the team in scoring.

"Grant was a highly-touted scorer coming out of college, and a couple of injuries last season hampered his production," Falcons head coach and general manager Matt Thomas said. "We look forward to him being an impact scorer this season. His size will play a factor in opening up the ice for himself and his teammates."

Van Culin appeared in 65 games as a rookie for the Falcons last season, scoring four goals and adding 21 assists.

Opening Night 2008 at Selland Arena is set for Friday, October 24, when the Falcons host their arch-rivals, the Bakersfield Condors, at 7:35 p.m. Season Ticket packages start at just $432, and are now available by calling the Falcons at (559) 485-7825.

Began in 1988-89 with five teams playing in four states, the Premier ‘AA' Hockey League has grown into a coast-to-coast league that will have 23 teams in 16 states and British Columbia playing 828 games from Oct. 17, 2008 to Apr. 4, 2009. Eighteen of the 23 teams have played at least five years in their current city.

The third-longest tenured professional hockey league behind only the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League, the ECHL averaged 4,174 per game last season, marking the fourth year in row and the 16th time in the last 18 years that the league has averaged over 4,000 fans. The league has drawn over four million fans each of the last five years and 11 times in the past 12 seasons.



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