Gorillas Battle Back, but Lose in Shootout
February 29, 2008 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Amarillo Gorillas News Release
Austin, TX 2/29/08 - In a game steeped with playoff implications, the Amarillo Gorillas and Austin Ice Bats played as though their seasons were on the line. The game had a playoff like atmosphere from start to finish, and fittingly would require a shootout to determine a winner, with Austin going on to win by the final score of 4-3. Amarillo would have to battle through thirteen Austin power-plays, and would do so by scoring two short-handed goals in the third period, forcing the game into overtime.
Austin would jump out of the gates early, with John Ronan's 15th goal of the season just :18 into the game. With two fights in the first period, the energy on both clubs was sky high, and strong goaltending from Amarillo's Dan McWhinney and Austin's Miguel Beaudry would hold the 1-0 score until 17:53 of the second period. Austin's Brendan Cook scored his team leading 27th goal of the season to put Austin on top 2-1, until Amarillo's David Nimmo would notch a power-play goal just one minute later to send the game into the third period with a 2-1 score. Nimmo is the first Gorilla to reach thirty goals on the season.
The third period would see the Bats score another early goal at 1:38 when John Ronan got his second tally of the night putting Austin up 3-1. Amarillo would then see a bevy of penalties go against them, but rose above the referee and scored two short-handed goals to send the game into overtime. Matt Miller would get the first at 3:18 as he had a partial breakaway and drug the puck all the way in front of Beaudry on his forehand, slipping it past the outstretched net-minder for his 16th goal of the season. The Gorillas continued to pressure, even on the penalty kill, and Austin Sutter would ultimately tie the game at 16:49, as his wrist shot from the right point found its way through traffic and into the top right corner of the net.
Amarillo came out flying in overtime, but could not get anything past Beaudry, despite out-shooting the Bats 4-0 in the extra session. Both clubs would go 2-5 in the shootout, sending it to a sudden death situation, and after Matt Miller missed on his chance, John Neal would beat McWhinney to give Austin the 4-3 win. With the win, Austin now sits two points ahead of Amarillo in the race for the fifth playoff spot in the Southern Conference.
The Gorillas will be in action again tomorrow night, with a game in Odessa, Texas against the Jackalopes. Game time is set for 7:05 PM and it will be shown at Beef O'Brady's restaurant in Amarillo.
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