CHL Mississippi RiverKings

RiverKings news and notes

Published on December 15, 2004 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Mississippi RiverKings News Release


THE PARSONS WATCH

With a goal in each of the last two games, RiverKings Captain Don Parsons is just one point shy of the 1,000 career mark at 999. Parsons has 519 goals and 480 assists. His 999 point total puts him at number 47 on the minor-pro league all-time career list and fifth among active players. He is one point ahead of long-time Oklahoma City Blazer Joe Burton. Burton is playing this season with the Motor City Mechanics of the UHL. By the end of this season, Parsons should be in the top 40 all-time. This season he has scored 18 goals and added 14 assists, leading the team in goals and assists.

THE WEEK'S RESULTS

Friday, December 10 MEMPHIS 4 WICHITA 2 @ Wichita

Brad Mueller scored the game winning goal at 3:15 of the third period and David Lemanowicz made 42 saves to give the Memphis RiverKings a 4-2 win at the Kansas Coliseum. The win was their fifth in their last six games while the Thunder dropped their fifth in-a-row. Travis Banga tipped in a Jeff Cameron shot from the point, scoring his second of the season at 13:14 of the first to make it 1-0. It was 1-1 in the second when Phil Aucoin scored an unassisted short-handed goal to put the RiverKings back up by one. But just as they did in the first, the Thunder tied it going into the third. Through two periods Wichita had out-shot the RiverKings 35-11, but it was Memphis taking the play to the Thunder in the third with an 11-9 shots advantage. Mueller's game winner was assisted by Alexandre Mathieu and Allan Carr. Don Parsons gave the River Kings a two goal cushion at 9:40 with assists coming from Travis Banga and Phil Aucoin. Lemanowicz was sharp in goal in his first action since November 23 and got the win.

Sunday, December 12 OKLAHOMA CITY 4 MEMPHIS 2 @ Oklahoma City

A week after rallying from 3-1 in the final 38 seconds to defeat Oklahoma City at the D.C.C., the Memphis RiverKings found themselves with the same 3-1 deficit in the third period on Sunday at the Ford Center, but this time the Blazers held on for 4-2 victory. The first 30 minutes of the game belonged to the Blazers, outscoring Memphis 3-0 and out shooting them 26-11 at the midway point of the game. Oklahoma City built a 3-0 lead with a goal in the first and two in the second. The RiverKings out-played the Blazers from that point on, but could not turn that into goals. Don Parsons notched his 999th career point with a goal at 17:45 of the third period to lift the RiverKings spirits entering the third. The Blazers made it 4-1 with a Garret Prosofsky empty netter at 18:50. RiverKings center Alex Mathieu made the score 4-2 with a late power play goal at 19:27.

HERE AND THERE

Phil Aucoin's short-handed goal vs. Wichita on Friday was the team's fifth of the season. The last one was scored by Alexandre Mathieu on November 5 vs. Bossier-Shreveport.

Parsons has 5 goals and 4 assists in his last 5 games. He has logged at least one point in 7 straight games.

After going scoreless in the Oklahoma City game, Travis Banga has 2 goals and 3 assists in his five games since joining the RiverKings. He scored at least a point in each of his first 4 games.

The RiverKings' power-play has seen some success as of late. They have scored 4 power-play goals in the last three games (4 for 18/22.2%) and are at 15.3% for the season putting them 11th among the 17 CHL teams.

THE STAT

The RiverKings are struggling on both sides of the shots department. Memphis is last in the league in both shots-for (27.92/game) and shots-against (37/game). They move up, though, in the goals category. The RiverKings are 10th (2.96) and 14th (3.42) in goals-for and goals-against respectively.

COACH'S SHOW QUOTE

"As far as adding players, we would need two more to go on I.R. before we could add one and we don't want that. But we are looking to upgrade our team"---Head Coach Mark Richards. The RiverKings Coach's Show is on Sports 56 every Tuesday at 5pm

ROSTER UPDATE

Goalie J.F. Racine has been reassigned to the RiverKings from the St. John's Maple Leafs of the American Hockey League. Racine was originally sent down from St John's on November 24. He played in six games for Memphis going 4-2 with a 3.27 goals-against-average before being recalled on Monday, December 6 by the Maple Leafs. Racine was called up one day after signing a Standard Player Contract with Memphis. Racine did not play for St John's in the four games during his call-up. The third year pro has played parts of the past three seasons with the RiverKings and was the Toronto Maple Leafs fourth round pick, 90th overall in the 2000 N.H.L. entry draft. The RiverKings also placed winger Ken Goetz on the 14 day I.R. and goalie David Lemanowicz on the 14 day goalie I.R.

THIS WEEK

The light December schedule continues as the RiverKings have just one game this week. Memphis will travel to Bossier City to battle the Mudbugs on Saturday night at 7:05. Sports 56-WHBQ will have the game live with pre-game coverage beginning at 6:50. Bossier-Shreveport is in second place, two points behind first-place Fort Worth and three points ahead of Memphis in the Northeast Division.

RiverKings tickets make great gifts for the holidays or any special occasion. For more information or to purchase season tickets, group tickets, mini-plans, or 9 game vouchers call the RiverKings at 662-342-1755 and ask for the sales department or stop by the DCC during business hours.

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Central Hockey League Stories from December 15, 2004


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.

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