IceMen Weekly Notes

January 24, 2011 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Evansville IceMen News Release


--THE ICEMEN COMPLETED A HIGHLY-SUCCESFUL 3-GAMES' WESTERN ROAD SWING THE PAST WEEK WITH AN EXCELLENT MARK OF 3(2-1-0); CONQUERING COLORADO WEDNESDAY NIGHT, 3-2; FALLING IN RAPID CITY FRIDAY NIGHT, 6-3, BEFORE EARNING THE SPLIT AT THE HOME OF THE REIGNING CHL KINGPINS ON SATURDAY NIGHT, 4-2.

--IN THEIR WEDNESDAY NIGHT 3-2 TRIUMPH AT COLORADO, THE ICEMEN SURMOUNTED A 2-1 DEFICIT WITH 2-UNANSWERED THIRD PERIOD STRIKES TO SNATCH VICTORY FROM THE JAWS OF DEFEAT. IT WAS THEIR FIRST COME-FROM-BEHIND THIRD PERIOD VICTORY OF THE SEASON AFTER GOING 13(0-13-0) ENTERING THE THIRD STANZA FACING THE DEFICIT.

--THE ICEMEN HAVE BEEN FLOURISHING ON FOREIGN ICE. THEY ARE 5(4-1-0) IN THEIR LAST 5 DECISIONS ON THE ROAD.

--SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THEIR SECOND HALF OF THE SCHEDULE, THE ICEMEN, THROUGH THE FIRST 7-GAMES, HAVE POSTED A WINNING RECORD OF 7(4-3-0).

--ALL 4- OF EVANSVILLE'S VICTORIES FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY HAVE BEEN GAINED ON THE ROAD; 7(4-3-0).

--OVERALL, THE LAST 5- ICEMEN VICTORIES HAVE ALL BEEN CLAIMED ON THE ROAD. IN THEIR LAST 11-GAMES IN ENEMY TERRITORY, THE ICEMEN HAVE COMPILED A WINNING RECORD OF 11(5-4-2).

--OF THEIR 14-TOTAL TRIUMPHS THIS SEASON, THE ICEMEN HAVE LAID CLAIM TO 8 OF THOSE WINS AWAY; 23(8-12-3) AND 6-WINS AT HOME; 17(6-9-2).

--EVANSVILLE HAS JUST CONCLUDED A STRENUOUS STRETCH OF PLAYING 14 OF ITS LAST 17-GAMES ON THE ROAD.

--THE ICEMEN OFFENSE HAS COME ALIVE, HAVING PRODUCED A MINIMUM OF 3-GF FOR THE LAST 9-CONSECUTIVE GAMES; A TOTAL OF 32-GF IN THAT SPAN.

--WHEN THE ICEMEN DEFEATED THE RUSH IN RAPID CITY THE PAST SATURDAY NIGHT, 4-2, IT WAS ONLY THE CLUB'S SECOND WIN ALL SEASON LONG IN 14-SATURDAY DATES AND THEIR FIRST SINCE WAY BACK ON THEIR HOME OPENING NIGHT OF OCTOBER 23RD WHEN THEY DEFEATED QUAD CITY, 6-3. IT WAS EVANSVILLE'S FIRST SATURDAY NIGHT ROAD WIN AFTER ABSORBING 4-CONSECUTIVE SATURDAY SETBACKS. THE ICE MEN HAD GONE WINLESS IN 11-STRAIGHT SATURDAY GAMES.

--IN THEIR LONE LOSS OF THE ROAD TRIP, A FRIDAY NIGHT 6-3 SETBACK IN RAPID CITY, THE ICEMEN POWER PLAY DID RE-AWAKEN FROM A 1-27 SLUMP WITH 3-CONSECUTIVE PPG (3-3) WITH THOSE 3-PPG BEING THE SECOND MOST THAT THE TEAM HAS REGISTERED IN A SINGLE GAME THIS SEASON.

--IN THEIR LATE, DRAMATIC, GIGANTIC, DYNAMIC COME BACK 3-2 VICTORY VERDICT LAST WEDNESDAY NIGHT IN COLORADO TO LAUNCH THE ROAD EXCURSION ON A HIGH NOTE, FORMER COLORADO LEFT WING BRADEN DESMET CONNECTED ON THE TBG/GWG WITH JUST 5:51 REMAINING TO CAPTURE THE CONQUEST IN THAT CONTEST FOR THE ICEMEN.

--IN THEIR 14-VICTORIES THUS FAR THIS SEASON, THE ICEMEN HAVE BEEN OUTSHOT BY THEIR OPPONENTS IN 12 OF THOSE WINS. CONVERSELY, THE ICEMEN HAVE WON ONLY TWICE THIS SEASON WHEN OUTSHOOTING THE OPPOSITION.

--IN THEIR 8-ROAD WINS THIS SEASON, THE ICEMEN HAVE GRUDGINGLY SURRENDERED ONLY 13-GA FOR A GAA OF A BRILLIANT 1.62.

--LEFT WING BRIAN BICEK IS ON A 5-GAME POINT STREAK; LAST 5(4-5-9).

--CENTER NICKLAS LINDBERG IS 10TH IN CHL SCORING WITH 40(12-35-47) WITH HIS 35-ASSISTS RANKED AS 6TH BEST IN THE CHL. IN HIS LAST 15-GAMES; 15(4-16-20).

--IN HIS LAST 10-GAMES, CENTER DAMIAN SURMA IS 10(8-4-12); LAST 17(12-5-17).

--IN THE PAST 2-GAME WEEKEND SERIES AT RAPID CITY, CENTER JEFF NELSON WAS 2(3-1-4).

--IN THE 2-GAME WEEKEND SERIES IN RAPID CITY, DEFENSEMAN MARIO LAROCQUE WAS 2(1-4-5).

--SINCE HIS ACQUISITION DURING THE ICEMEN ROAD TRIP THE PAST WEEK, DEFENSE-MAN JAKE OBERMEYER IS 3(0-3-3) WITH A SUPERB +2 RATING. HE ASSISTED ON BOTH OF HIS NEW TEAM'S UNANSWERED THIRD PERIOD GOALS SATURDAY NIGHT IN RAPID CITY TO SEVER A 2-2 TIE AND VAULT THE ICEMEN INTO THE VICTORY CIRCLE, 4-2.

--IN HIS FIRST 5-ICEMEN GAMES, NEWLY ACQUIRED LEFT WING MATT PIERCE IS 5(3-1-4) WITH ALL 3-GOALS FEATURING A MIGHTY TOUCH IN THE CLUTCH; 1-OTSO/GWG; 1-GTG AND 1-ENG TO CLINCH THE VICTORY.

--SIX ICEMEN PLAYERS HAVE PLAYED IN ALL 40-GAMES AT THIS JUNCTURE OF THE SEASON; NICKLAS LINDBERG, BRIAN BICEK, DAMIAN SURMA, MARIO LAROCQUE, MARK CODY AND LEE ZALASKY.

--ON HOME ICE, THE ICEMEN ARE LOOKING TO HALT A 5-GAME LOSING SPELL AND 6-GAME WINLESS MARK; LAST 6(0-5-1). THEIR LAST HOME WIN WAS BACK ON DECEMBER 3RD WHEN THEY DEFEATED DAYTON, 3-2.

--EVANSVILLE'S 9-SHG TIE THE CLUB FOR #2 IN THE CHL IN THAT DEPARTMENT.

--NICKLAS LINDBERG (5-15-20) AND MARIO LAROCQUE (4-12-16) ARE THE ICEMEN TOP TWO POWER PLAY POINT PRODUCERS.

--CENTER JEFF NELSON'S 4-POINTS THE PAST WEEKEND NOW GIVE HIM 1,100 ALL-TIME PRO CAREER POINTS IN HIS ILLUSTRIOUS 18-YEAR CAREER.

--DEFENSEMAN JORDAN LITTLE'S NEXT GAME WILL BE THE 300TH OF HIS PRO CAREER.

--MARIO LAROCQUE IS SECOND AMONG ALL CHL DEFENSE MEN IN SOG WITH 142 WHILE HIS 9-GOALS TIE HIM FOR THE SECOND MOST IN THE LOOP. HE IS 6TH IN OVERALL IHL DEFENSE SCORING; 40(9-18-27).

--LEFT WING BRADEN DESMET IS TIED FOR #10 IN CHL ROOKIE SCORING WITH 34(4-13-17).



Central Hockey League Stories from January 24, 2011


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.

OurSports Central