Gorillas Win Three of Four Games over Week
January 6, 2003 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Amarillo Gorillas News Release
AMARILLO, TX â It was an emotional roller-coaster week for the Amarillo Gorillas in Central Hockey League action.
The Gorillas posted victories over the El Paso Buzzards, New Mexico Scorpions and Tulsa Oilers, but fell to the Buzzards in their return match on Sunday afternoon to go 3-1 and collect six out of a possible eight points.
The Gorillas currently have a record of 19-11-0 for 38 points and remain six points back of the Oklahoma City Blazers for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Northern Conference and nine points back of the first-place Tulsa Oilers.
Amarillo is still unbeaten in overtime and shootouts this season at 8-0, including 1-0 in sudden-death overtime.
The outstanding play by the Gorillas has caught the attention of the officials at Inthecrease.com, which have improved their ranking from 20th to 17th in the weekly ratings. It is the highest known ranking of an Amarillo professional hockey team since the ITC ratings have been published and consist of 33 East Coast Hockey League teams, 10 United Hockey League teams, 6 West Coast Hockey League teams and 15 other Central Hockey League clubs.
It will be another busy week for the Gorillas with three more games beginning tomorrow night (Tuesday) when they host the rival Oklahoma City Blazers at 7 p.m.
The Gorillas then host the New Mexico Scorpions on Friday night at 7 p.m. and the San Angelo Saints for the first time this season on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Weekly review:
Amarillo 4 â El Paso 3 Overtime
Rookie Derek Hahn scored two of his biggest goals of the season to help the Gorillas win their first game in sudden-death overtime 4-3 over the El Paso Buzzards.
After falling behind 3-1, the Gorillas mounted another comeback in the second period on goals by Scott Wray and then Hahn who tied the game up with about five minutes gone in the third period.
In overtime, Darren Curry made a great move at the blue line to go around the Buzzards defenseman and find Hahn open and put the puck high into the net for the victory. Ben Maidment had the other Gorillas goal in the contest and Steve DeBus posted the victory.
Amarillo 5 â New Mexico 1
Four third-period goals broke open a close-checking game to lift the Gorillas to a 5-1 win over the New Mexico Scorpions on Friday night at The Jungle.
It was a game that the Gorillas dominated from the outset in every department from solid play defensively to connecting on the passes in the offensive end.
Dorian Anneck, Henry Kuster, Brian Pellerin, Derek Hahn and Ben Gustavson netted goals for the Gorillas. Goaltender Steve DeBus, who was making his second straight start due to the injury of Shawn Degagne, picked up the victory.
Amarillo 5 â Tulsa 4 (shootout)
The Amarillo Gorillas had to rally from three two-goal deficits before beating the Tulsa Oilers 5-4 in a shootout on Saturday night in an emotional game featuring a couple of Northwest Division rivals.
Joe Ferras' charges fired 63 shots at Tulsa goaltender Rod Branch and at times dominated the play.
Dorian Anneck's second goal of the game pulled the Gorillas even at 4-4 to force overtime. The Gorillas had all sorts of chances in the extra session, but couldn't win the game.
After each team went through their five regulation shooters in the shootout, Brandon Carper was up for the Gorillas and he fired a shot past the stick side of Branch to give the Gorillas the victory.
Other goal-getters for the Gorillas were Ben Maidment and Derek Hahn.
El Paso 9 â Amarillo 3
The gritty El Paso Buzzards brought the Amarillo Gorillas back down from their emotional high in a hurry by winning 9-3 on home ice on Sunday afternoon.
After falling behind 3-1 in the first period, the Gorillas applied all sorts of pressure in the first two minutes of the second, but failed to beat goaltender Matt Carmichael. El Paso scored four more goals in the second and then added two more in the third. The Gorillas scored one goal in each of the periods.
Derek Hahn, Darren Curry and Henry Kuster scored for the Gorillas in the loss.
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Central Hockey League Stories from January 6, 2003
- Bluelining crew - OSC Original by Mike Wallin
- Gorillas Win Three of Four Games over Week - Amarillo Gorillas
- Rayz Take 2 of 3 Over Weekend; Lose Roland For A Month - Corpus Christi IceRays
- Mudbugs Week in Review - Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
- Hot Bucks win Six of Seven - Laredo Bucks
- Scorpions Finish Hectic Week with Big Win - New Mexico Scorpions
- Buzzards Hold Strong in the Week that Went Wrong - El Paso Buzzards
- Scorpions make another trade with Memphis - New Mexico Scorpions
- Torrid Ice 9-2-0 in Last 11 - Indianapolis Ice
- Saints Week in Review - San Angelo Saints
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