Gorillas big stretch begins Friday night
February 19, 2004 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Amarillo Gorillas News Release
AMARILLO, TX â One of the busiest stretches of the season for the Amarillo Gorillas faces off tomorrow night in Oklahoma City when they meet the Blazers at 7:30 p.m.
That game begins a run of seven games in nine days and will be the longest duration of games in a short amount of time this season.
It will be just the second meeting of the season between the Blazers and Gorillas with Amarillo winning the first one 2-1 in a tight-checking affair at the Ford Center.
The game can be heard live on Hot 99.7 FM KBZD, a division Amigo Broadcasting beginning with Gorillas Game Night at 7:10 p.m. The face-off is set for 7:30 p.m.
The Gorillas continue their busy weekend when they return home to face the arch-rival Lubbock Cotton Kings on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Bank One Jungle. It's State Farm Night and fans who come early receive Owen's Corning flashlight key chains and Wendy's Stomp Buttons.
Amarillo concludes its first part of the stretch on Sunday afternoon with a 4 p.m. match-up with the New Mexico Scorpions. It's Coca-Cola Night and another United Supermarket Super Sunday with tickets just $8 at selected United Supermarket locations.
Tickets for Gorillas games can also be picked up at the Hockey Office located at 1934 Civic Circle; the Civic Center Box Office; all Panhandle Ticket Outlets located at Randy's Music Mart, the WT Event Center in Canyon and United Supermarket. Fans can charge by phone at 378-3096 or on line at www.panhandletickets.com
The magic number for the Amarillo Gorillas to clinch a playoff spot in the Central Hockey League stands at 4.5 games or 9 points. The Gorillas received some help over the weekend when the Austin Ice Bats were beaten by the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees on Sunday afternoon.
The Killer Bees are quickly moving up the ladder and are closing in on the third playoff spot in the Southern Conference. Rio Grande Valley trails the Amarillo Gorillas by eight points for third spot which is the highest they can finish due to playoff seeding. The winner of the Southwest Division automatically gets the second seed, while first place in the Southern Conference has already been locked up by the Laredo Bucks.
DECISION WEEK FOR THE GORILLAS
NOTES ON SEVEN GAMES IN NINE DAYS:
· TWO GAMES VS. OKLAHOMA CITY
· TONIGHT @ FORD CENTER
· THURSDAY @ BANK ONE JUNGLE
Gorillas 1-0 vs. Blazers following 2-1 win at the Ford Center. Amarillo's first ever win at the new facility.
The teams will face each other again in less than a week at the Bank One Jungle where the Blazers haven't faired to well.
· TWO GAMES VS. LUBBOCK
· TOMORROW (SATURDAY) @ BANK ONE JUNGLE
· NEXT SATURDAY @ BANK ONE JUNGLE
Gorillas are 3-3 vs. the Cotton Kings this season. Lubbock halted Amarillo's chance at a CHL record back in November.
Lubbock has played well lately 2-1 in their last three starts.
· TWO GAMES VS. NEW MEXICO
· SUNDAY @ BANK ONE JUNGLE
· FRIDAY @ TINGLEY COLISEUM
The Gorillas are 2-4 vs New Mexico this season. After winning the first two games at the start of the season, Amarillo has dropped the last four including a 3-2 decision where they lost Darren Curry in a game they deserved a better fate.
· ONE GAME VS. ODESSA JACKALOPES
· TUESDAY @ ECTOR COUNTY COLISEUM
The Gorillas have owned the series with the two teams winning all five games (5-0) and the last six dating back to last season. Both Shawn Degagne and Jamie Vandespyker have been sensational in those games.
The Gorillas are:
· 11-9 vs. opponents they will face in the next nine games
· Recent wins against these teams have come against Odessa and Oklahoma City.
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Central Hockey League Stories from February 19, 2004
- Power outage - Corpus Christi IceRays
- Bees Too Much Power for Rayz, Win 3-2 - Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees
- Longest road trip of season begins Friday night - Indianapolis Ice
- Oilers Turn Back The Clock This Weekend - Tulsa Oilers
- Fort Worth Brahmas Slapshot - Fort Worth Brahmas
- Spend Mardi Gras With The Bucks - Laredo Bucks
- Gorillas big stretch begins Friday night - Amarillo Gorillas
- Oilers, Red Cross Team Up For Blood Drive - Tulsa Oilers
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