IceMen Prepare for Inaugural in Dayton Saturday Night
October 13, 2010 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Evansville IceMen News Release
EVANSVILLE, IN.--- Completing the CHL pre-season of brevity on a high note the past Monday night at Swonder Ice Arena with an impressive 5-3 victory verdict over inter-conference rivals, the Mississippi RiverKings, the Evansville IceMen of the Central Hockey League will bring their 3(1-2-0) exhibition mark to Dayton this coming Saturday night in their 2010-11 regular season opening debut.
Under the astute auspices of General Manager / Coach Rich Kromm, the IceMen displayed major, signifi-cant improvement from game #1 to game #3 of the pre-season slate, outscoring their opposition, 7-4 through the final four periods of hockey combined. Monday night, Coach Kromm's kinetic contingent electrified the large, loud crowd with a 4-goal opening period uprising which featured 3-goals in a blitz of 3:50. The special teams performance was paramount in victory as well as the extra man band converted twice while the penalty-killing cast cuffed the visitors on all 8-straight advantages. In all, the IceMen will take a stellar streak of 17-consecutive penalty kills into opening night Saturday night at Dayton against the Gems.
Sharp, slick center Nicklas Lindberg emerged as Evansville's premiere point producer in pre-season with 3(2-2-4), authoring a point in all three dress rehearsals and adding a 2/2 perfect percentile in the league' sanctioned staged OTSO competitions. The Icemen embodied balanced team scoring with 7-different marksmen delivering the 8-goals total output.
Face-off opening night from Dayton is set for 6:30 pm CDT with broadcast time on the IceMen's exclusive flagship radio home of WEOA-AM 1400 on the docket for 6:00 pm CDT.
THE ICEMEN OBTAIN LEE ZALASKY OFF WAIVERS
The IceMen have announced today the acquisition of first-year left wing Lee Zalasky by way of waivers from the Colorado Eagles. Zalasky, 26, is the product of two prestigious Canadian hockey organizations; namely, the major junior `A' WHL where he plied his craft under the direction of Coach Kromm when the latter was head coach of the Calgary Hitmen, and more recently, the past five years in major Canadian collegiate hockey at perennial nation powerhouse, the U. of Alberta.
The 6-0, 185lb native of Lloydminster, Alberta achieved his best season with Kromm behind the bench in 2003-04 when he engineered 48-points in 63-games on 20-goals, 28-assists with 97-PIM. Last season at U. of `A' he registered 14-points in 27-games on 6-goals, 8-assists with 8-PIM.
DEFENSEMAN JOE GRIMALDI SUSPENDED 4-GAMES BY CHL
Fourth year defenseman Joe Grimaldi has been levied a 4-games' suspension by the CHL for a Match Penalty for Elbowing in the IceMen's 4-2 setback Saturday night in Missouri. The 24-year old former standout of the Ottawa 67's of the OHL and U. of Nebraska-Omaha has served one of those games the past Monday night when his club capped the pre-season agenda.
The former ECHL Elmira Jackals rearguard will be inactive for Evansville's initial three games of the regular season. Grimaldi will be reinstated for the IceMen game of October 24th in Quad City.
JAKE PENCE, JESSE BIDUKE, ANDREW GIBBONS ON SHELF
The IceMen may be approaching their opening game Saturday night in Dayton with less than the ideal full roster. Four-year veteran defenseman Jake Pence, second-year left wing Jesse Biduke and rookie right wing Andrew Gibbons are currently hampered with an assortment of ailments. Each player's status for Saturday night at Dayton is uncertain at this time.
Pence has played in the IHL Turner Cup Finals for three consecutive years including two successive championships at Fort Wayne before last season's Finals appearance with the Flint Generals against the Komets.
Biduke was named the 2009-10 SPHL Rookie of the Year and member of the SPHL All-Rookie Team, finishing seventh in league-wide scoring.
Gibbons most recent action was a two-year stint in the prestigious Canadian college ranks with Carleton U. in Toronto where he averaged over a point a game in his final two seasons.
THE ICEMEN ROSTER REMAINS AT 23-PLAYERS
Including the one player suspension and injured personnel, the IceMen still list 23-players on their current roster. CHL member club rosters of 19-active players for the season's inaugural weekend are to be set by 4:00 pm Thursday.
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Central Hockey League Stories from October 13, 2010
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- Sundogs Announce Marketing Affiliation with NHL's Phoenix Coyotes - Arizona Sundogs
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- Toddington Traded to Bloomington - Mississippi RiverKings
- IceMen Prepare for Inaugural in Dayton Saturday Night - Evansville IceMen
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- Mudbugs Hockey Back on KWKH and KEEL - Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
- RiverKings Broadcast Schedule for Weekend Announced - Mississippi RiverKings
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- Bucks Insider Replay Saturday on Fox 39 - Laredo Bucks
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