Gorillas Break Home Losing Streak with 5-4 Win
January 2, 2009 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Amarillo Gorillas News Release
Amarillo, TX 1/2/09 - The Amarillo Gorillas got five goals from five different players and solid stretch netminding from Mike Gorman to pull out a 5-4 home victory over the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees Friday night.
The Gorillas, who had not won a home game in their previous four contests, got the scoring started with an early powerplay goal when Jake Morissette tipped home a Jamie McKinven shot to give Amarillo a 1-0 lead. Just 3:15 later, former Killer Bee Jason Weitzel scored on a feed from Alex Greig to extend the Amarillo advantage. Christian Boucher, the starting netminder for the Killer Bees, allowed his third goal of the first period when Stuart MacRae deflected a John Snowden shot into the mesh to give the Gorillas a 3-0 lead.
Former Gorilla signee Brian Bicek, traded for Weitzel before the start of the season, brought the Bees back to within two after drilling a wrist shot past Gorman at 12:21 of the first. The teams would battle into the first intermission, with Amarillo out to a 3-1 lead.
Rio Grande Valley struck quickly at the 12:40 mark of the second, getting a powerplay tally from Daryl Moore, followed up by another man-advantage goal at 14:30 of the middle frame from Jesse Bennefield. The pair of special teams goals tied the game at three, with 5:30 to go in the period.
Amarillo fought back with two goals in just 13 seconds of playing time. Jamie McKinven knocked home a Morissette rebound with two minutes remaining in the period-moments later, Austin Sutter scored on another Morissette rebound to put the home team up by two.
Rio Grande mustered an Aaron Lee goal (their only even-strength marker) to bring the score within one late in the third. Gorman, though, was able to come through with a smattering of solid stops late in the game to clinch the victory for the Gorillas, 5-4.
Gorman (8-10-0) stopped 25 of 29 shots for Amarillo (10-19-0), who will play at Rocky Mountain Saturday night. Coverage of the game can be heard on 1010 AM "The Canyon" in the Amarillo area, with a free Internet feed of the game through NiFTy TV's CHL Network.
Central Hockey League Stories from January 2, 2009
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- Brahmas Beat 'Rays, Tied for First in Southeast - Fort Worth Brahmas
- Brahmas Edge IceRays 4-3 in Shootout - Corpus Christi IceRays
- Gorillas Break Home Losing Streak with 5-4 Win - Amarillo Gorillas
- Mudbugs Sink Jacks with Four Second Period Goals - Odessa Jackalopes
- Summers Shines In RiverKings Win - Mississippi RiverKings
- Gorillas Edge Bees 5-4 - Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees
- Thunder Blanked by Eagles - Wichita Thunder
- Eagles Silence Thunder; Penner Gets First Shutout of Season - Colorado Eagles
- Rage Welcome Back D-man Briggs - Rocky Mountain Rage
- Oilers Name Tony Martino Coach - Tulsa Oilers
- Colorado Stays #1 on Yellowbook CHL Coaches Poll - CHL
- Bucks, Brahmas Battle For First - Laredo Bucks
- Cameron Named CHL Player of the Month for December - Fort Worth Brahmas
- Colorado's Andrew Penner Named Sher-Wood/Central Hockey League Goaltender of the Month - CHL
- Texas' Jordan Cameron Named Sher-Wood/Central Hockey League Player of the Month - CHL
- Bugs to Host Jacks, Dogs This Weekend - Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
- Shots from the Point - CHL
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