IceMen with CHL-High 4 Awards' Finalists

March 7, 2012 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Evansville IceMen News Release


EVANSVILLE, IN.--- Being the most improved team in the Central Hockey League thus far this season does have its benefits and for the Turner Conference co-kingpins, the Evansville IceMen those benefits have most recently taken the form of the League's four major individual season-ending awards.

Having skyrocketed meteorically from worst-to-first from one short season ago, the IceMen have punctuated such august ascension by attaining a CHL league-best four finalists, one in each category, for the league's 2011-12 regular season awards.

The league's leading scorer, TODD ROBINSON, has been named one of five finalists for the CHL Most Valuable Player Award; MATT GENS is on the final ballot for CHL Most Outstanding Defenseman while rookie phenom, BRYAN GILLIS has gained the nod in two categories, namely CHL Rookie of the Year and the Scott Brower Memorial Trophy for Most Outstanding Goaltender.

ROBINSON has been brilliant this campaign as the 13-year pro closes in on his fifth minor pro individual scoring crown. In 58-games, "T. Rob" has produced a prolific 83-points on 22-goals and league-high 61-assists. His 61-assists are 14-more than the rest of the league and his 28-PPA are 6-more than all of the CHL. Robinson recently completed the league's longest point streak of the season at 17-games on 11-goals, 17-assists, 28-points. He has captured three league-wide MVP awards as well during his extraordinary pro career. The Trail, B.C. native is the first CHL player in over 5-years to be named Oakley/CHL Player of the Week on 3-separate occasions. He was also heralded as the CHL's #3 Star for November and CHL #2 Star for February.

GENS has climbed into a three-way tie for the CHL point-scoring leadership among defensemen with 41-points in 58-games on 10-goals, 31-assists. His 16-PPA also tie him for the league's best among the blue line brigade while his 3-GWG rank #2 and his 162-SOG rate as the third most among the defense. In his last 13-games, the 6-year pro has engineered 14-points on 3-goals, 11-assists. Like Robinson, Gens repre-sented Evansville at January's CHL All-Star game in Arizona.

GILLIS has emerged as a league-wide rookie sensation with his precocious, pre-eminent goaltending prowess. Through 33-games, "The Great Gilly in Goal" has achieved the CHL's best winning record at 30(23-6-1) for a win percentage of a lustrous .783. Moreover, his road record of 11(10-1-0) is also the best of the rest around the circuit. In January alone, Gillis was spectacular, posting a perfect 10(10-0-0) mark, surrendering a minuscule 12-GA with back-to-back shutouts, a shutout streak of over 175-minutes with a microscopic GAA of 1.19 and SPCT of .962. In that same month, the 23-year old first year standout was named CHL Goaltender of the Week twice as well as being hailed as CHL Rookie of the Month and CHL Goaltender of the Month, capped by being named the league's #3 Star for January. He has since added a personal 6-game win streak and 19(16-3-0) record over his last 19-decisions. For the season, Gillis ranks fourth in the CHL with a 2.40 GAA, .923 SPCT and those 23-victories. Gillis is on the ballot as a finalist for both the CHL Rookie of the Year as well as the league's Goaltender of the Year.

THE CHL AWARDS FINALISTS:

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

TODD ROBINSON EVANSVILLE

BRUCE GRAHAM ALLEN

SHAWN LIMPRIGHT RAPID CITY

BRANDON MARINO QUAD CITY

MATT ROBINSON WICHITA

MOST OUTSTANDING GOALTENDER

BRYAN GILLIS EVANSVILLE

NICK BOUCHER FORT WAYNE

CHARLIE EFFINGER MISSOURI

M. GUGGENBERGER TEXAS

ADAM RUSSO WICHITA

MOST OUTSTANDING DEFENSEMAN

MATT GENS EVANSVILLE

FRANKIE DEANGELIS FORT WAYNE

DARREN MCMILLAN QUAD CITY

DAVE PSZENYCZNY MISSOURI

RILEY WESLOWSKI RAPID CITY

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

BRYAN GILLIS EVANSVILLE

JARED BROWN QUAD CITY

ANDREW COURTNEY MISSOURI

M. GUGGENBERGER TEXAS

MIKE ULLRICH TULSA



Central Hockey League Stories from March 7, 2012


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