Gorillas prepare for busy weekend
October 26, 2006 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Amarillo Gorillas News Release
AMARILLO, TX - The opening of the Amarillo Gorillas 2006-07 season couldn't have gone much better. A 5-2 opening night win in the friendly surroundings of the Amarillo Civic Center in front of the 2nd highest opening night attendance in Gorillas history (3,814). Now with one win under their belts, the Gorillas get set for their first big test as they prepare for 3 games in 3 days this weekend in 3 separate locations.
The Gorillas resume Central Hockey League play tomorrow as they hit the road to Odessa to battle one of their long-time Southwest Division rivals, the Odessa Jackalopes. This will be the 78th meeting all-time between Amarillo and Odessa with the Gorillas holding a slight edge in the all-time series with a 37-33-7 head-to-head record. The two teams squared off 14 times last season with the 2005-06 series split right down the middle with both teams claiming 7 victories. Friday's match-up will be the first of 10 total meetings between the two clubs this season. Odessa enters Friday having suffered a 4-3 overtime loss at the hands of the Lubbock Cotton Kings in their only regular season game to this point.
The Gorillas will then stay on the road Saturday as they travel to the Ford Center in Oklahoma City to battle the Blazers. Amarillo and Oklahoma City have only faced off 19 total times in franchise history with the Gorillas again holding a slight edge in the all-time series with a 9-8-2 record. The Blazers enter weekend action with a 1-0-1 record following a 5-3 win over Bossier-Shreveport on opening night and a 6-5 shootout win in Wichita the following evening.
The busy weekend finally wraps up for the Gorillas back home on Sunday with an afternoon get-together with the expansion Arizona Sundogs. This will be the first-ever meeting between the newly acquainted Southwest Division rivals. The Gorillas and Sundogs will be well acquainted by season's end as the two are scheduled to play 6 times during the course of the 2006-07 season. Sunday's game will be the annual "Literacy Drive" between the Amarillo Gorillas and Hastings. If fans bring 2 children's books to the game on Sunday, they will receive a free kids ticket good for that game. Doors will open at 4 P.M. on Sunday and the opening face off is scheduled for 5:05. The game will also be followed by a post-game skate. Admission is $4 with skates and $6 without.
Season ticket packages and corporate partnerships for the 2006-2007 season are available now! Individual game tickets, once they go on sale, can be purchased at the Gorillas Hockey Office, located at 1934 Civic Circle off of I-40 and Georgia, the Civic Center Box Office and all Panhandle Ticket Outlets. These include Randy's Music Mart, the West Texas Event Center in Canyon and United Supermarkets. Tickets can also be charged by phone at (806) 378-3096 or (806) 242-PUCK (7825).
• Discuss this story on the Central Hockey League message board...
Central Hockey League Stories from October 26, 2006
- Bucks Fall 5-2 in Bossier - Laredo Bucks
- Mudbugs come up big in home opener - Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
- Gorillas prepare for busy weekend - Amarillo Gorillas
- Bucks Take On Mudbugs Tonight - Laredo Bucks
- SteelHounds Waive Five Players in Preparation for Home Opener - Youngstown SteelHounds
- RiverKings to turn back the clock this weekend - Mississippi RiverKings
- Ice Bats Bolster D for Week Two - Austin Ice Bats
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
