CHL Mississippi RiverKings

RiverKings Update

Published on November 6, 2008 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Mississippi RiverKings News Release


Friday, November 7th - RiverKings vs. Rocky Mountain (DeSoto Civic Center - 7:05 PM start)

Mississippi takes on the Rocky Mountain Rage for the first time this season. The RiverKings enter the game with a record of 2-4-0 for four points and third place in the CHL Northeast Division. Rocky Mountain comes to the Mid-South with a season mark of 1-6-0 for two points and fourth place in the CHL Northwest Division.

Last year, the RiverKings and Rocky Mountain played just twice during the regular season, with both games played in the space of one week in March. Mississippi hosted the Rage at the DeSoto Civic Center on March 1st, coming out on top in a 5-4 decision. The next week, the RiverKings tackled the Rage in Broomfield, Colorado, defeating the Rage 6-2. Louis Dumont scored a goal, while Darrell Stoddard and Derek Landmesser each added a single assist apiece in the two games against the Rage last season.

Brent Cullaton led the Rage in scoring against the RiverKings last season with two goals and four points. Daymen Rycroft added a goal and three points against Mississippi in the 2007-08 campaign.

Friday's game will be the start of a four-game road swing for the Rage, who will play at Bossier-Shreveport on Saturday night. The next weekend, Rocky Mountain travels to New Mexico and Odessa.

Last week, Rocky Mountain lost on Halloween night at Wichita 3-1, as Colt King scored the only goal for the Rage. The following night, Rocky Mountain fell at home to New Mexico 6-3. Daymen Rycroft scored one of the Rage's three goals for the night, as did Nick Harloff and Tyler Butler.

In road games this season, Rocky Mountain is 0-3-0. At the DCC this year, the RiverKings are 2-2-0.

Rocky Mountain next plays the RiverKings in Mississippi on February 8th and 10th. The game on February 8th will be a 5:05 PM start and the February 10th contest begins at 7:05 PM.

The RiverKings will take on the Rage in Colorado on February 15th in their only visit of the regular season.

Saturday, November 8th - RiverKings at Wichita Thunder (Kansas Coliseum - 7:05 PM start)

Following Friday's home game against Rocky Mountain, the RiverKings load the bus to head for Wichita (3-5-0) and their second encounter this season against the Thunder. This will be the first time Mississippi plays at the Kansas Coliseum this season.

The teams opened the regular season with a 3-2 RiverKings' victory at the DeSoto Civic Center on Friday, October 17th. In that game, Dane Marshall, Darrell Stoddard, and Mike Toumi scored goals for Mississippi, with Stoddard's goal on the power play nearly nine minutes into the final period being the game-winner. Kevin Beech earned the victory in goal for Mississippi with a 23-save performance.

Wichita received both goals from Chris Tarkir and goaltender Dan McWhinney stopped 30 of 33 shots on net.

On the road this season, the RiverKings are 1-2-0, while at home, the Thunder are also 1-2-0. Wichita will be finishing a three-game home-stand when they play Mississippi Saturday, having lost to Rapid City 4-2 last Sunday, and is scheduled to host New Mexico on Friday before the RiverKings come to Kansas.

Last year, the RiverKings won four of six (4-1-1) contests from the Thunder, including a 1-1-1 mark in Wichita. Louis Dumont led this year's returning players in scoring against the Thunder with one goal and five points in six games, while Derek Landmesser scored one goal and added three assists for four points in six encounters against Wichita.

Mike Batovanja scored a goal and added an assist for the Thunder against the RiverKings last season, while Jason Duda chipped in with a pair of assists.

This season, Duda leads the team in scoring with four goals and nine points, playing in all eight games. Chris Shudo has also scored four goals for Wichita in six of the team's first eight games. Jason Tessier paces the team's penalty minutes with 28.

Duda was named the CHL Player of the Week this week, after scoring three goals and adding an assist in three games last weekend. The assist was his 500th as a Wichita player for what is now a 13-year playing career.

Krister Toews has done the majority of the goaltending for the Thunder, making five of the eight game appearances and earning a 3-2-0 record, a 3.79 goals-against-average, and a save percentage of .886.

RiverKings Leaders:

Points: Louis Dumont, Jeff Nelson (7)

Goals: Dumont (4)

Assists: Nelson (6)

Plus/Minus: Joe Markusen (+6)

Penalty Minutes: David Simoes (40)

Power Play Goals: Jeff Alcombrack (2)

Shorthanded Goals: Dumont (2)

Game Winning Goals: Dumont, Adam Smyth, Darrell Stoddard (1)

Goaltender Wins: Kevin Beech (2)

Goals-Against-Average: Beech (2.97)

Save Percentage: Beech (.893)

Broadcast Coverage: Both RiverKings games this weekend are broadcast on "The Voice of the Fan," Sports 56, WHBQ-AM. RiverKings' Media Coordinator Bob Bakken provides the play-by-play coverage, with the pre-game report beginning at 6:50 PM, both nights. RiverKings' games may also be seen through the CHL-TV option with your computer. Point your browser to http://www.nifty-tv.com/landing/chl/ and watch the action for free with CHL-TV.

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Central Hockey League Stories from November 6, 2008


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