Gorillas Weekend Preview

December 1, 2006 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Amarillo Gorillas News Release


THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN - The Amarillo Gorillas return home this weekend after completing a season-high 4-game road swing this past week. After opening the road trip 0-2, the Gorillas finished strong with a pair of quality wins over Corpus Christi Tuesday and Odessa on Wednesday. The Gorillas now return back to the Jungle where they have been practically unbeatable going 5-0-2 on their home ice and garnering 12 of a possible 14 standings points at home. The Gorillas remain the only team in the Central Hockey League yet to lose in regulation time at home.

WEEKEND RUNDOWN -

SATURDAY December 2nd vs. Tulsa Oilers (The Jungle) 7 P.M.

**The Bear Mill Presents The Eveline Rivers Teddy Bear Toss**

SUNDAY December 3rd vs. Lubbock Cotton Kings (The Jungle) 5 P.M.

Individual Tickets & Great Group Rates Are Available By Calling 242-PUCK (7825)

Both games this weekend can be heard on 1010 AM The Canyon

FORMER GORILLAS RETURN TO THE JUNGLE - Saturday evening's contest versus the Tulsa Oilers will see a pair of well-known Gorilla players returning to the Jungle for the first time in the 2006-07 season. David Rattray and Bryan LaChapelle each spent last season in Amarillo and now both suit up for the opposition. LaChapelle played just 35 games in a Gorillas uniform last season while recording 3 goals and 5 assists. Rattray's stint in the Jungle though is slightly more involved. Rattray has spent 8 of his 9 professional seasons here in Amarillo and had been a part of the Gorillas franchise since its inception back in 2002. Rattray has now played a total of 512 professional hockey games, 432 of which came in the Texas Panhandle either with the Rattlers or Gorillas. In his Amarillo career, Rattray tallied 78 goals, 117 assists and 1425 penalty minutes. Rattray was traded to the Oilers from Amarillo back in early November. In 10 games this season, Rattray has tallied 3 goals and 4 assists while garnering a team-leading +6 +/- rating.

AMARILLO'S NEW #27 - When the Tulsa Oilers come to town tomorrow evening, Gorilla fans will be reunited with the man who wore #27 for years in Amarillo in Dave Rattray. But the new #27 for the 2006-07 Amarillo squad is looking to make the memories of his predecessor a thing of the past. Chris Lipsett is currently in the midst of a team-leading 9-game point streak in which he has tallied 2 goals and 9 assists during that stretch. The streak started back on November 11th in a 5-2 loss versus Odessa and is now just one game shy of tying the longest such streak in the Central Hockey League this season. Bobby Chaumont of the Laredo Bucks holds a 10-game point streak, which was snapped in a 3-1 loss to Rio Grande Valley earlier this week. Lipsett is currently 2nd on the team in scoring with 17 points (4 goals, 13 assists) and has tallied at least one point in 13 of 16 games this season.

GORILLAS LOOK TO DETHRONE COTTON KINGS - The Amarillo Gorillas will look to knock off the Lubbock Cotton Kings for the first time this weekend as the Apes play host to the Southwest Division's best team this Sunday afternoon. The Gorillas are 0-2-1 against their Southwest Division rival and have been outscored a combined 16-7 in the 3 prior meetings. The Cotton Kings have already put up 6 goals against the Gorillas twice this season and have 3 players that have registered at least 6 points head-to-head against Amarillo. Trevor Weisgerber has scored 4 goals and 3 assists and Kyle Nosan has tallied 2 goals and 5 helpers while Bobby Brown has registered a goal and 5 assists in 3 games versus the Gorillas. Bill Vandermeer has led the Gorillas with 5 goals versus the Cotton Kings.

Individual game tickets 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). Also be sure to call the Gorillas front office today to learn about all the great incentives you can gather by bringing a group out to a Gorillas game!



Central Hockey League Stories from December 1, 2006


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