Frenetic 8-7 loss ends Gorillas 2008-09 campaign
March 21, 2009 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Amarillo Gorillas News Release
Amarillo, TX - A season-high crowd of over 3,200 people bid adieu to the Amarillo Gorillas 2008-09 season in a wild 8-7 loss to the Rocky Mountain Rage Saturday night at the Amarillo Civic Center.
The teams combined for a season-high 15 goals, as the Gorillas tied a season high with seven goals. Rocky Mountain was assessed 56 minutes of penalties and had both head coach Tracy Egeland and former Gorilla Domenic Maiani ejected from the game. Still, Daymen Rycroft's five points, including the game-winning goal, were enough to lift the Rage over the pesky Gorillas late.
2008-09 CHL Man of the Year Austin Sutter began the scoring, taking a John Snowden feed and potting the puck by Rage netminder Scott Reid to put the Gorillas on top 1-0. The lead would be Amarillo's only of the game, for minutes later, Rycroft took an Amarillo defensive zone turnover and scored past Gorillas' goaltender A.J. Bucchino to knot the game at one. Moments later, at 6:52 of the period, Nathan Gillies scored on a wrist shot from the high slot to put the Rage up 2-1. The lead would build, as Aaron Davis capitalized on another defensive zone turnover by the Gorillas and scored to put Rocky Mountain on top 3-1 heading into the first intermission.
The Rage would not lift up on the throttle to begin the second period, scoring just 16 seconds into the middle frame. Defenseman Mark Smith slapped a shot by the blocker of Bucchino to put the visitors up by three, and silence the raucous Amarillo crowd. Gorillas' captain Sam Ftorek put Amarillo back within a pair when he slammed a one-timer past Reid with the Gorillas on a 5-on-3 man advantage, getting his 20th goal of the campaign. Rocky Mountain answered less than a minute later, as Simon Watson scored from the low slot to give the Rage a 5-2 lead.
Following penalties to both Egeland and Maiani, and the ensuing ejections, Sutter would tally his second of the game at 6:34 of the period, taking a Gordon Bell feed and depositing the puck by Reid with Amarillo on the power play. The Gorillas failed to capitalize on the newly gained momentum, surrendering a goal to Rocky Mountain's Colt King at the 11:28 mark of the second and another to Scott Wray moments afterward to fall down 7-3. The period would end before the Gorillas were able to answer, giving the visitors a four goal lead heading into the final twenty minutes.
Amarillo's Stuart MacRae would spark a comeback at 2:54 of the final period, tossing home a rebound off a Sam Ftorek shot for his 21st goal of the season. Shortly thereafter, a hit from Amarillo's Warren Galloway sent Rage enforcer Rob Chappell down to the ice. King then attacked Galloway, drawing a penalty. On the ensuing powerplay, Bell scored from Sutter and Ftorek to bring the Gorillas back to within a pair, 7-5. Moments later, King would be assessed a double minor, after dropping his gloves and flailing his fists towards the back of Galloway's helmet, as Galloway attempted to skate away from the would-be fracas. Despite momentum and an excited Civic Center crowd, the Gorillas failed to convert on the power plays, as Rocky Mountain held onto a tenuous lead.
Sutter added his third goal of the game with just 6:01 left in the game, converting on a 2-on-1 rush and sending hats onto the Cal Farley Coliseum ice. With the Gorillas within one and battling for the tying goal, Rycroft momentarily silenced the home fans with a sharp-angle goal that deflected off Bucchino and into the net. Only 11 seconds later, James Jernberg scored his second goal of the season for Amarillo, sending the crowd back to their feet and setting the score at 8-7.
Despite several late chances, the Gorillas could not muster another goal past Reid, who held on for the victory. Amarillo (19-42-3) enjoyed a warm sendoff by the home fans, who witnessed an exciting game to conclude the 2008-09 campaign. The Gorillas will host an end-of-season party for season ticket holders Sunday afternoon, as the team reflects back on their seventh season of hockey in Amarillo.
The AMARILLO GORILLAS are celebrating their seventh season in "The Jungle" by offering special ticket prices to groups and parties! Call the Gorillas ticketing office at (806) 242-PUCK (7825) for more information, or drop by the Gorillas' new office at 901 S. Buchanan in downtown Amarillo.
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