IceMen Weekly

Published on November 14, 2010 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Evansville IceMen News Release


ICEMEN MATTERS: It was a highly successful and productive week for the Evansville IceMen of the Central Hockey League the past week. Confronted with a strenuous stretch of 4-games in 5-nights, the IceMen responded masterfully with a superb record of 4(3-1-0), outscoring the adversaries by a mammoth margin of 17-7. Under the astute and argute auspices of General Manager/Coach Rich Kromm, the IceMen also launched an extended 5-games' home stand with a trio of Swonder Ice Arena appearances in as many nights, posting a 3(2-1-0) mark in that department. In the process, the IceMen have surged into a share of third place in the CHL Turner Conference standings with two other teams, namely Wichita 11(6-4-1)13 and defending CHL titlist Rapid City 11(6-4-1)13. Through the first 5-weeks of the current campaign, the IceMen have assembled a record of 12(6-5-1) totaling 13-points. They are only 2-points back of second place Dayton 10(7-2-1)15 while only being one-point better than Bloomington 8(6-2-0)12 and Missouri 11(5-4-2) 12. In the exceedingly tight Turner Conference standings, a mere 3-points distinguish second place from seventh place position. This week, the IceMen will culminate their extended 5-game home stand with a pair of weekend encounters at their home of Swonder Ice Arena. Friday night will represent an encore engagement as the Dayton Gems, winners of 3-in a row and with a perfect 2(2-0-0) mark on foreign land, will make a return trip to "The Big E" before the Mississippi RiverKings come calling this Saturday night to wrap-up the two games' work week for the hometown team.

RECORD READING: Confronting the daunting assignment of 4-games in 5-nights, The New IceMen Cometh earned a superlative 4(3-1-0) record only being denied and deprived of a complete sweep of the week when visiting Dayton came into the IceMen igloo and extracted a 2-1 verdict. For the season, the men of Evansville pro hockey fame and acclaim have assembled a record of 12(6-5-1) for a total of 13-points. The IceMen are 4(3-1-0) in their last 4-starts, outscoring the hostile enemies, 17-7. They are 6(4-2-0) in the last half-dozen endeavors, out-goaling the competition, 26-16. The longets win streak thus far is 3-consecutively, recently completed the past weekend. The longest winless streak has been 3(0-2-1). The men of IceMen hockey's best record so far this year has been one of being 2-games above the .500 barrier at 11(6-4-1).

THE SWONDER SMASH: Through the initial three games of an extended five games' home stand, the IceMen have compiled a mark of 3(2-1-0), outscoring the visitors, 12-5. For the season, Coach Kromm's crew has posted a mark of 6(4-1-1), earning 9 of a possible 12-points. When they absorbed a 2-1 setback Saturday night against Dayton, the IceMen suffered their initial outright home undoing of the year, effectively ending their season-opening 5-games unsullied Swonder skein. The IceMen's 6(4-1-1) home mark is currently best of the rest within their own Turner Conference and the second best home mark in the entire CHL.

TWO FOR THE ROAD: When they spirited away their second consecutive 5-2 victory this season at Mississippi the past Tuesday night, the IceMen halted a 3-game losing skein in alien territory. It was their first triumph abroad since October 22nd when they also subdued the RiverKings, 5-2. For the season, the Evansville travelogue lists a record of 6(2-4-0).

"IT'S THE BERRIES!" Through the first 5-weeks of the season, the IceMen have been thriving outside their own conference. In fact, against the Berry Conference, they are a perfect personified exemplified, 3(3-0-0), outscoring their inter-conference foes by a colossal cushion of 18-5. Within their own Turner Conference alignment, the IceMen record stands at 9(3-5-1).

TO SCORE OR NOT TO SCORE: The past week, the IceMen flashed some fulminating offensive pyrotechnics in combination with some very frugal defensive mettle and might. In posting a 4(3-1-0) mark, they produced a proficient 17-GF for a GFA of 4.25, including a season-high 8-goals carnage Thursday night against Arizona. In their last 6-episodes, Evansville has engineered 26-GF for a GFA of a prolific 4.33. Defensively, flaws have been few under the most scrutinizing magnifying glass. In the 4-games the past week, the IceMen reluctantly relented to the tune of only 7-GA for a GAA of a thrifty and nifty 1.75.

THE EVANSVILLE ELITE: Center Nicklas Lindberg begins the week tied for #1 in the CHL in point-scoring with 12(4-15-19); #12 Brian Bicek 12(6-8-14); 18th Bo Cheesman 12(5-8-13). Lindberg's 15-assists top the CHL and are 3-more than any other player in the league. Bicek is tied for 2nd in PPG with 4; Lindberg is 2nd in PPA with 7. Mario Larocque is #2 in the CHL in SOG with 55. The IceMen have the top 3 in the CHL in minor penalties and they are all defenseman; 1-Larocque (16) ; 2- Joe Grimaldi (14); Jordan Little (14). Another defenseman, Nick Schneider tops the loop in SHA with 2. In Defense Scoring; Larocque is 4th 12(6-5-11); Grimaldi is 6th 8(5-4-9); Schneider is 14th 12(1-5-6). Larocque (6) and Grimaldi (5) rank 1-2 in goal cannoneering among CHL rearguards with Larocque's 2-GWG pacing CHL defense. Grimaldi is ranked runner-up in goal-scoring shooting percentage at 5/21; .238. In the seal of good goalkeeping category, Matt Lundin is 11th with an evaporating GAA of 2.63. His 5-wins rank league-wide 4th most. He is ranked 4th in MIN: 479:06 and 5th in SAVES: 239.

THE FAMOUS LINDBERG FLIGHT: Smooth operator, center Nicklas Lindberg continues to enjoy a prosperous, profitable start for the IceMen in his first year in Evansville. The 8-year veteran from Stockholm, Sweden latest point scoring streak has reached 6-games, averaging exactly 2-points per game; 6(3-9-12). The past week, he fashioned a 3-games' goal streak, paralleling his team's 3-consecutive victories. His third goal in that span was the key touch-in-the-clutch TBG/PPG Friday night in the IceMen 3-2 triumph over new archrival Fort Wayne. He was hailed and heralded the game's #1 Star that night. Prior to his latest 6-game streak, Lindberg also achieved a 4-games' point streak.

THE "BO SHOW": Six-year pro right wing Bo Cheesman has been bringing his game to the head of the class in recent action. The Lake Superior State U., product authored a 4-game goal-scoring streak which only ended the past Saturday night against Dayton. In that same game, he also saw his impressive 5-game point skein come to a close. In the latter streak, he was 5(4-6-10). Cheesman's 4-game goal streak represents the longest for any IceMen player thus far this season.

"THE ROCK" ROLLS: Veteran defenseman Mario Larocque is off to one of the best starts of his career and he is doing it for Evansville's finest on ice. In his team's 8-1 disemboweling of Arizona the past Thursday night, he was the artisan architect of his second 2-goal game of the season with both strikes stoked on the power play. His 6-total goals for the season tie him for the team leadership honors with Damian Surma and Brian Bicek. Moreover, his +6 rating equals both Surma and Nicklas Lindberg for top billing on the club.

SEVEN SWAGGER: The IceMen defenseman, 7-Joe Grimaldi has emerged as a prominent product of the Evansville promising offense. The former member of the OHL Ottawa 67's and U. Nebraska-Omaha amassed an astronomical 5-points in the first 2-games of the IceMen's 3-home games in 3-nights the past weekend. In Thursday night's 8-1 dismantling of Arizona, he fueled the inferno with a pair of PPG including the game's FG in merely the fourth minute of the contest. He was named the game's #1 Star. Then on the following night, in his team's hard-earned 3-2 conquest of archenemy and 3-time reigning IHL kingpin Fort Wayne, he earned assists on all 3-goals. In those two games, Grimaldi was 2(2-3-5).

MATT MASTERY: Second-year goaltender Matt Lundin savored his best week of the season yet the past week. The former Mercyhurst College MVP and Muskegon Rookie of the Year last season was utterly sprouting rubber limbs on demand with his Lundin leather larceny. For the week, he was an impeccably perfect 3(3-0-0), surrendering a minuscule 5-GA for a GAA of a miserly 1.67. In rebuking 112 of 117-SOG for the week, he posted a SPCT of a brilliant .955. His 5-2 triumph to begin the week last Tuesday night in Mississippi represented his initial road success of the season. For the season on home ice, he remains unblemished through 5-decisions at 5(4-0-1).

THE LANE FREIGHT TRAIN: Evansville's newest city monument is a 6-8, 250lb left wing named Jordan Lane. The team "Tower of Power" is doing it both with his fists and his wrists. The past week, the rookie find scored his first 2-goals ever as a pro with both strikes of major magnitude. In Tuesday night's 5-2 verdict in Mississippi, he celebrated his first-ever pro goal against his former team which he began the pre-season. His second goal came in his team's thrilling 3-2 triumph over archrival Fort Wayne and it was the key, all-important GWG. In the same game, he also amassed 20-PIM which represent a single game most for an Evansville player this season.

SPECIAL TEAMS TORRID: The IceMen special teams continue to foster a flourish in prodigious fashion. In the IceMen 8-1 domination of Arizona Thursday night, the power play erupted volcanically to the tune of 5-PPG which represent a CHL single game high at this juncture of the season. Evansville has triggered 13 of its 15-PPG through the last 8-games; 13-44; 29.5% proficiency rating. Overall, for the season, the power play is rated a lofty third in the circuit at 15-65; 23.1% conversion rating. Their 15-PPG rank as second most in the league. Not to be overshadowed or superseded is the IceMen penalty-killing cast. The shorthand band is ranked #2 in the league, operating at 86.4% efficiency rating; 76-88. The PK is #1 in the CHL in home ice prowess and dexterity; 40-44 for a mark of a brilliant 90.9%. The IceMen have been shorthanded more frequently than any other team in the league and 23-more times (88-65) than they themselves have enjoyed power play time. The IceMen 4-SHG tie them for the CHL's top spot.

HOCKEY HALLMARK: John DiPace's next game will be the 500th of his illustrious pro career. The past Friday night game vs. Fort Wayne was Joe Grimaldi's 150th in the pros. Jeff Nelson (1,082) is 18-points away from pro career 1,100. Damian Surma (148) is 2-goals shy of career 150. Mario Larocque (294) is 6-points away from 300.

FEW FUN FAST FACTS FROM "FIC": The IceMen continue as the best second period team in the CHL, outscoring the opposition, 19-8 overall; at home: 12-4; on the road: 7-4. On home ice this season, the IceMen outscore the visitors in the first period, 10-5. Two IceMen defensemen, Mario Larocque and Joe Grimaldi have both delivered two 2-goal games already this year. Jeff Nelson's first 2-goals of the season were mighty ones; his first one against his former Mississippi team was a PPG and his second one was the ultimate GWG in his team's 8-1 roasting of Arizona Thursday night.

THE ICEMEN GAME CALENDAR FOR THIS WEEK:

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19TH DAYTON AT THE ICEMEN 7:30 PM

For the second consecutive game for both teams, they will lock horns in the span of under a week with both games in Evansville. The Gems have seized the season series advantage at 2-games to 0. Dayton bested the IceMen opening night in Ohio back on October 16th, 3-1 before sabotaging Evansville's season-best 3-game win streak the past Saturday night, 2-1. In the 2-setbacks, the IceMen have rained 75-SOG on goaltender Jeff Jakaitis who has been spectacular in the Dayton goal.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20TH MISSISSIPPI AT THE ICEMEN 7:30 PM

This will be the third meeting of a total of 8-sessions to be staged between the two inter-conference foes with the IceMen topping the series thus far at 2-games to 0. Both Evansville victories have been gained in Mississippi and both by identical results of 5-2 on October 22nd and, again, on November 9th.

THE ICEMEN "PUMP IT UP" ON WEOA-AM 1400: The New IceMen Cometh this season with all of the game broadcasts, home and away, play-by-play, all the way on "The Pump," WEOA-AM 1400 in Evansville, the exclusive radio home for the IceMen. Coming soon is "IceMen Live," the IceMen's own two-hour Monday night radio show from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm, also on WEOA-AM 1400. "The Voice of the IceMen," Terry Ficorelli has all of the IceMen action all season long. The IceMen game broadcasts and "IceMen Live" Monday night radio show soon will be heard on the world-wide web through flagship station WEOA-AM 1400. The IceMen can also be watched live on CHL-TV.

THE ICEMEN DAILY UPDATE REPORTS: Tune in every day even when there is not a game as Terry Ficorelli brings you up to date with the "IceMen Hockey Update," Monday through Friday at 4:20 pm on WEOA-AM 1400. There are also IceMen daily reports throughout the day on the Townsquare Media family of radio stations; WGBF-FM 103.1 at 4:45 pm; WKDQ-FM 99.5, WJLT-FM "Superhits 105.3," and WDKS-FM "Kiss 106" all at 4:50 pm.

THE ICEMEN TICKET INFORMATION: IceMen tickets for all home games are on sale through the IceMen offices or by phone at (812)435-8971. Also IceMen tickets may be purchased in advance through Ticketmaster Centers; on line at ticketmaster.com or at any one of the three Ticketmaster Centers in Evansville; downtown at The Centre Box Office; Schnuck's West Side or at the Roberts Stadium Box Office; by phone (812) 476-1383.

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Central Hockey League Stories from November 14, 2010


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