PrairieThunder this Week

January 18, 2011 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Bloomington PrairieThunder News Release


The Bloomington PrairieThunder, Bloomington-Normal's only professional winter sports team, has passed the "official" Central Hockey League halfway mark in the 2010-11 season having played their 34th game this past Sunday afternoon. Bloomington begins the week with a record of 20-13-1 which is good for 41 points in the CHL's Turner (Northern) Conference. The PThunder is tied for second place with Missouri, just one point behind first place Quad City and only a point ahead of both Colorado and Rapid City in the tightly contested Northern Conference of the league.

Following the CHL All Star break, Bloomington dropped two of three contests. On Friday 1/14, the Dayton Gems defeated the PrairieThunder 5-2 in Dayton. The next evening in Bloomington, Fort Wayne was the winner 5-3. Finally, on Sunday afternoon 1/16, the PrairieThunder, behind Garrett Klotz hat trick, defeated the Rapid City Rush 5-2.

This Week's Schedule (Home Games @ U.S. Cellular Coliseum

Wednesday (1/19): 10am-12 noon: Practice @ U.S. Cellular Coliseum

Thursday (1/20): 10am-12 noon: Practice @ Coliseum

Friday (1/21): Home Game vs. Fort Wayne Komets (7:05pm)

Saturday (1/22): Away Game @ Fort Wayne Komets (6:30pm central)

Sunday (1/23): Home Game vs. Colorado Eagles (Special 6:05pm Game Time)

Sunday, January 23rd Home Game to Start at 6:05pm

To allow the NFL fans of Central Illinois to watch this Sunday's NFC Conference Championship between the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers, the Bloomington PrairieThunder organization has announced that this Sunday's (January 23rd) home game against the Colorado Eagles will have a new starting time of 6:05pm central at U.S. Cellular Coliseum in downtown Bloomington.

In order to make this move, the Illinois State University hockey game against Wisconsin has been moved to 12 noon at U.S. Cellular Coliseum.

NOTE: All tickets marked with the original 3:05pm start time for the PrairieThunder game will be honored for the new 6:05pm starting time.

This Week's Games (Home Games @ U.S. Cellular Coliseum)

Friday, January 21st: 7:05pm vs. Fort Wayne Komets (12-16-5)

Promotion: Free Yowie Headwear to the first 3000 fans

sponsored by OSF St. Joseph Medical Center

All regular adult tickets only $10.00

And....it's "Awful Night" featuring, well, lots of awful stuff!

The fourth meeting of the year against the Komets. Bloomington leads the season series 2-1. Fort Wayne won the last game 5-3 on January 15th. It's also the first game of a home and home series this weekend against the "K's". Bloomington's Bill Bagron leads all PThunder against Fort Wayne with four points (3 goals and an assist). For Fort Wayne, Kaleigh Schrock and Artem Podshendyalov each has three points (2 goals and an assist) against the PrairieThunder.

Saturday, January 22nd: AT Fort Wayne Komets (6:30pm central)

Radio: WEZC-FM (95.9), WJBC.com, CHL-TV

Watch the game at BlueLine Nightclub, 602 N. Main Street

Fifth meeting of the year between the two clubs and the back-end of a weekend home & home series. Following this game, both teams will still meet five more times, including three times in Bloomington on February 16, February 21st, and March 4th.

Sunday, January 23rd: Special 6:05pm Start vs. Colorado Eagles (19-12-2)

Promotion: "Hockey 101 Night"

"Hockey Bingo Night"

Stop by area CEFCU locations for discount coupons for $5.00 tickets

No post game skate due to the later starting time

First and only meeting of the year with the Windsor, Colorado based Eagles. The Colorado Eagles are one of the Central Hockey League's premier franchises, having won three regular season titles, six division championships, four conference championships, and two CHL league championships. The Eagles Team President is Ralph Backstrom who in a nineteen year playing career won six Stanley Cups as a member of the Montreal Canadiens. The Eagles are led in scoring by Kevin Ulanski (19 goals & 30 assists for 49 pts) and the veteran Riley Nelson (16 goals & 33 assists).

PrairieThunder Fans: Ask about the new D.P. Dough "Thunderzone" at the Coliseum Box Office. Tickets start as low as $8.00 (walk-up ticket sales only).

PrairieThunder Notes

Defenseman Kerry Toddington has left the team to play hockey in Germany.....The team placed veteran forward Tyler Rennette on waivers today.....At last Wednesday's CHL All-Star game, PThunder forward Jason Dale was named the game's Most Valuable Player by leading all scorers with seven points (2 goals & 5 assists).....Dale continues to lead the team in scoring with 31 points on 10 goals and 21 assists. His 21 assists also lead the team.....Brett Holmberg & Jon Booras lead Bloomington in goals with eleven each.....Booras is tops in power play goals with six.....Jason Dale has twelve power play assists.....Goaltender Marco Emond leads all CHL netminders with 16 victories.....Garrett Klotz hat trick on Sunday (1/16) was the first of his professional career.....Head Coach Jason Christie hopes to have injured forwards Craig Macdonald and Jason Deleurme back in the lineup this coming week.

PThunder Profile: #11 Chris Cloud

- Nickname is "Clouder" - He has one sister and one brother - His brother played junior hockey - He

has also practiced boxing and martial arts - Put on his first pair of skates when he was three years old -

Wendel Clark is his hockey idol - George St. Pierre was his childhood idol - His favorite career moment was his first AHL camp - Enjoys relaxing when not playing hockey - "Two and a Half Men" is his favorite TV show - Favorite movie is "Green Street Hooligans" - Denzel Washington is his favorite actor - His favorite music groups include Children of Bodom and Tool - His first job was as a teaching assistant - If he were not playing hockey he would be MMA fighting or a teaching assistant - He watches movies on road trips - If he could meet anyone it would be Ogie Oglethorpe from "Slap Shot" -

PrairieThunder Tickets

Bloomington PrairieThunder single game tickets are on sale at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum Box Office. Tickets are on sale at the Coliseum Box Office Monday through Friday from 11am to 5:30pm and on weekends when there are events in the Coliseum. PrairieThunder single game tickets are also available by going to the U.S. Cellular Coliseum website: http://www.uscellularcoliseum.com/events/all/ and click on Tickets & Seating. And for Prairie Thunder season tickets and group sales information, please call the PrairieThunder at 309-585-0507 or go to our website: www.prairiethunderhockey.com.



Central Hockey League Stories from January 18, 2011


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