PrairieThunder this Week

February 8, 2011 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Bloomington PrairieThunder News Release


Bloomington-Normal's only professional winter sports team, PrairieThunder Hockey, finally return to action with three games this week. Bloomington (24-15-2) begins the week in third place in the CHL's Turner (Northern) Conference. What a difference a week makes. On January 29th, following a 4-3 overtime win over the Mississippi RiverKings, Bloomington was in first place in the Turner Conference. A week later, following two weather related cancellations and a 3-2 loss at Quad City on Friday night (2/4), the PrairieThunder finds itself eight points behind both Colorado and Rapid City. The good news is Bloomington has four games in hand on Colorado and seven games in hand on Rapid City.

Starting with this Wednesday's game in Fort Wayne, Bloomington will have a very busy three weeks, playing eleven games in nineteen days. Of those eleven games, only three will be played on home ice at U.S. Cellular Coliseum.

CHL Trading Deadline Details

Bloomington was one of the busier teams in the league when the league's trading deadline approached on Monday (2/7). The PrairieThunder picked up four new players from three teams.

Defenseman Keith Rodger was picked up on waivers from the Fort Wayne Komets. Defenseman Billy Bezeau and forward Jason Williamshave joined the team from the Arizona Sundogs, and defenseman Tom Galvin comes to Bloomington via the Evansville Icemen. PrairieThunder forward Craig Macdonald has been traded to Arizona and defenseman Jamie Lovell is headed to Evansville.

This Week's Schedule:

Tuesday (2/8): 9am-10am: Practice at Pepsi Ice Center

Wednesday (2/9): Away Game @ Fort Wayne Komets (6:30pm central)

Thursday (2/10): 2pm-3pm: Practice at Pepsi Ice Center

Friday (2/11): Home Game vs. Mississippi RiverKings (7:05pm)

Saturday (2/12): Away Game @ Wichita Thunder (7:05pm)

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

Wednesday, February 9th: 6:30pm (central) AT Fort Wayne Komets

Radio: WJBC-FM (93.7), WJBC.com, CHL-TV

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

This will be the sixth meeting of the year between the PrairieThunder and the Komets. Bloomington leads the season series 3 games to 2 and has won all three games played in Fort Wayne. Jason Dale with 3 goals & 3 assists and Bill Bagron with 1 goal & 5 assists lead all Bloomington scorers against the Komets. Art Podshendyalov has five points on 3 goals & 2 assists against the PrairieThunder. Komets veteran Leo Thomas is expected back in the line-up on Wednesday after an extended stay on injured reserve and Fort Wayne expects to add veteran enforcer Jon Mirasty to the lineup. This year in 24 games in Syracuse (AHL) and Elmira (ECHL) he has tallied 1 goal and 119 penalty minutes. Last year in Syracuse in 53 games, Mirasty tallied 4 assists and 269 penalty minutes.

Friday, February 11th: 7:05pm vs. Mississippi RiverKings

Promotion: PrairieThunder "Bam-Bams" to everyone courtesy of CEFCU

Also: Heartland Community College Night

(Chance to win St. Louis Cardinals tickets from Heartland CC)

The only weekend home game for the PrairieThunder during the month of February! This will be the sixth and final meeting of the year against the RiverKings who play in the Memphis suburb of Southaven, Mississippi. Bloomington leads the season series 3-2 after winning two of three in Mississippi during the final week of January. Brett Holmberg is the PThunder's leading scorer against the RiverKings with 3 goals and 2 assists. Pat Levesque and the veteran Louis Dumont lead the RKings in scoring against Bloomington with six points each.

Saturday, February 12th: 7:05pm AT Wichita Thunder

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

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

This is the fourth and final meeting of the year against the CHL's original "Thunder" (dating back to the 92-93 inaugural CHL season). Bloomington has won two of the first three games of the series. Three of the four games will have been played in Kansas. John Snowden & Jason Dale lead Bloomington against Wichita with three points while Wichita's Jesse Bennefield has six points (1 goal & 5 assists) against the PrairieThunder.

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).

The PrairieThunder in the Community

PrairieThunder players will be at the Central Illinois Small Animal Rescue (C.I.S.A.R.), located at E1400 N. Road in Colfax, Illinois thisThursday, February 10th, starting at 2:30pm. The phone number is 309-287-3608. C.I.S.A.R. is a No-Kill facility which also offers low-cost vet services.

PrairieThunder Notes

Bloomington has won four of their last six games.....Jason Dale leads the team in scoring (40 pts), assists (26), power play assists (13).....Veteran Jon Booras leads in goals scored (15) and power play goals (7).....John Snowden continues to have the most game winning goals with six.....The top plus / minus player is Brett Holmberg with his +9 rating.....In the PThunder's last ten games, Jason Dale has 13 points (4 goals & 9 assists), Brodie Sheahan has 11 points (4 goals & 7 assists), and Jon Booras has 10 points on 5 goals & 5 assists.

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 February 8, 2011


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