Gorillas to Play Home-and-Home with Odessa this weekend

Published on December 26, 2008 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Amarillo Gorillas News Release


Amarillo, TX 12/26/08 - The Amarillo Gorillas will play twice this weekend-Friday on the road and Saturday at home-against the Odessa Jackalopes.

Tickets are available for the Saturday home game at the Amarillo Civic Center by calling 806-242-PUCK (7825) or by visiting any Panhandle Tickets outlet in the Amarillo metro area.

AMARILLO NoTES - 12/22/08

LAST WEEK: Amarillo split their two games last week, winning against the Rapid City Rush on Friday, 7-5, and dropping their game against the Mississippi RiverKings on Saturday, 2-1. Mike Gorman started both games in net for Amarillo, while Sam Ftorek, Jason Weitzel, and Jake Morissette all had three-point weeks. THIS SEASON: On the season, Amarillo is 8-17-0. They went 1-3-0 on their four-game homestand that came to an end Tuesday night against Colorado.

THIS WEEK: Amarillo lost against the Colorado Eagles on Tuesday, 5-2. Jake Morissette had his third goal in as many games against the Eagles this year, while backup netminder A.J. Bucchino had 17 saves on 17 shots during the third period of play. AGAINST ODESSA: Amarillo is 1-2-0 against the Jackalopes on the season. They last won against Odessa on November 14, 6-2. Their latest contest against the Southwest Division rival came December 9-a 5-2 defeat.

LET IT SNOW: John Snowden, acquired by the Gorillas in mid-November, has been a key asset for the club since arriving in the Texas Panhandle. The winger had an eight-game point streak snapped last week in the team's 2-1 loss to Mississippi. Still, Snowden has 15 points in 15 games with the Gorillas, including three points in two games against Colorado and four points in two games against Odessa. NET WORTH: Mike Gorman, the Gorillas starting netminder since his acquisition in November, needs just 21 wins to surpass Tony Martino for second, and 28 wins to surpass Rod Branch for first on the all-time CHL wins list. He is 1-1-0 against Colorado and 1-1-0 against his former team (Odessa) this season.

ROOKIE ‘MO'MENTUM: Gorillas' rookie Jake Morissette has heated up over the last few weeks. In December alone he has strung together two multi-point games (including a career-high three points against Rapid City last Friday) and has solidified his spot in the league's rookie scoring charts (12th, with 14 points in 24 games). ‘Mo' has scored in each of his three games against Colorado this season, netting the game-winning goal in the Gorillas' victory at Colorado December 12.

FIRST-YEAR PHENOMS: Morissette isn't the only rookie producing for Amarillo. Fourth-round NHL draft pick Luke Lynes has 14 points, while Jonathan Ornelas (a collegiate teammate of Morissette's) has 9 points in just 20 games. Amarillo is one of only six teams in the CHL with two players among the top 15 rookie scoring leaders in the CHL.

CLEARING THE ZONE: Amarillo is the third-least penalized team in the league with just 21.4 penalty minutes taken per game...Amarillo has won just one weekday game in 2008-09, going 1-4-0 in four contests...they have scored a total of ten goals during those games...the Gorillas have not won consecutive road games all season (they won their last road game 12/12/08)...Sam Ftorek leads all CHL defensemen in goals and points with 10 and 27 through 24 games...Amarillo is 3-0-0 all-time on December 26, with wins against Wichita in 2002 and 2006 and a win against Fort Worth (now Texas) in 2003.

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Central Hockey League Stories from December 26, 2008


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