Gorillas Fail to Break New Year's Eve Jinx in 5-2 Loss
Published on December 31, 2008 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Amarillo Gorillas News Release
Amarillo, TX 12/31/08 - Entering Wednesday evening, the Amarillo Gorillas had won just two New Year's Eve games all-time, and had failed to beat a team on the holiday since 2004.
The Gorillas would have it no better in 2008, though, as the Odessa Jackalopes emerged with a 5-2 victory at the Amarillo Civic Center Wednesday night.
In front of one of the best Amarillo crowds all season, Odessa got on the board first with a Sebastien Thinel marker, setting the score at 1-0 just under four minutes into the game. Amarillo retaliated with a Michael Handza goal at 11:04 of the period, after a James Jernberg shot banked onto the stick of a waiting Handza in the slot. Just 23 seconds later, Kory Karlander scored on Amarillo starting netminder Mike Gorman to put Odessa back on top 2-1 heading into the first intermission.
Odessa came out strong in the second period, scoring just 3:23 in through a Mike Ramsay goal. Jeff Pierce followed up with a goal on backup goalkeeper A.J. Bucchino at the 13:50 mark to pace the Jackalopes to a three-goal advantage. Bucchino, who came in for Gorman at the start of the period, faced 20 Odessa shots in the second, with the Gorillas able to muster 11 shots in the middle frame.
Amarillo was able to spark a comeback attempt in the third period when Jonathan Ornelas tipped a Jernberg shot by McWhinney, inching the Gorillas to within two at the 3:19 mark. Odessa was able to hold off the hosts, however, as Ramsay added his second goal of the game in the final ten minutes, ensuring a 5-2 Jackalopes victory.
The Gorillas fall to 9-19-0 on the season and 2-4-0 against the Jackalopes in 2008-09. Bucchino (0-1-0) absorbed the loss, while former Gorilla McWhinney improved to 4-7-0 on the season with the win.
Central Hockey League Stories from December 31, 2008
- Emond Stops 42 of 43 as Sundogs End New Year's Drought - Arizona Sundogs
- Rage Let Third Period Lead Slip Away - Rocky Mountain Rage
- Scorps End 2008 On A Losing Note - New Mexico Scorpions
- Bucks Provide Fireworks In 8-3 Win - Laredo Bucks
- RiverKings Roll Over Mudbugs in Mississippi - Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
- Gorillas Fail to Break New Year's Eve Jinx in 5-2 Loss - Amarillo Gorillas
- RiverKings Ring Out The Mudbugs, 6-0 - Mississippi RiverKings
- RiverKings Ring Out The Mudbugs, 6-0 - Mississippi RiverKings
- Jacks Close Out 2008 With 5-2 Win - Odessa Jackalopes
- Brahmas Special Teams End 2008 with Win - Fort Worth Brahmas
- IceRays Fall to Brahmas 5-2 in Final Game of 2008 - Corpus Christi IceRays
- Third Period Pounding Leads to Thunder Win - Wichita Thunder
- RiverKings Spotlight American Cancer Society - Mississippi RiverKings
- MacInnis Named to CHL All-Star Team - New Mexico Scorpions
- Moyer, Leveille Named to All-Star Game - Odessa Jackalopes
- Dumoulin Named to CHL All-Star Team - Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees
- Clayton Headed to Seventh All-Star Game - Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
- Duda Selected to All-Star Team - Wichita Thunder
- Rycroft Named to CHL All-Star Team - Rocky Mountain Rage
- Sundogs Announce Several Roster Adjustments - Arizona Sundogs
- Dumont Selected CHL All-Star Reserve - Mississippi RiverKings
- Bucks Centomo Named CHL All-Star - Laredo Bucks
- All-Star Reserves Announced - CHL
- Rapid City's Rich Hansen Named Starter On All-Star Team - Rapid City Rush
- Bucks, Bees Tangle On New Year's Eve - Laredo Bucks
- Ftorek named to starting lineup for CHL All-Star Game - Amarillo Gorillas
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