Scorpions Take Three out of Four Points

December 30, 2002 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
New Mexico Scorpions News Release


SCORPIONS ON THE RADIO – The Scorpions are teaming up this season with SportsRadio 610 The Sports Animal to bring you all of the Scorpions action on the radio. Mike Sheehan is in his first season as the Voice of the Scorpions. Tonight's game and Saturday's game will air on 1050 AM KTBL while the remaining three games are scheduled to air on SportsRadio 610 The Sports Animal.

SCORPIONS HOCKEY TALK – The Scorpions' weekly radio talk show is on hiatus for the holidays. It will resume on Wednesday, Jan. 8 from 6 to 7 p.m. on SportsRadio 610 The Sports Animal, live on location at the Corner Pocket, 9603 Lomas NE just west of Eubank. Scorpions Hockey Talk features new Scorpions coach Bill McDonald and the "Voice of the Scorpions" Mike Sheehan, along with special guests each week.

SCORPIONS TICKETS AND EVENTS –The Scorpions' home game this Saturday, Jan. 4 against San Angelo, is Visor Night, with the first 1,000 fans receiving a FREE Scorpions visor.

SCORPIONS RECAP

ODESSA 3, SCORPIONS 2 (OT) – Luciano Caravaggio made a season-high 40 saves but the Jackalopes prevailed by a 3-2 score in overtime on Friday. It was the fifth time in as many games between the clubs that 3-2 was the final score, and the fourth time that the game was decided in overtime. Dominic Plenzich scored his first pro goal in the opening period, while Chris Richards scored in the second period. The Scorps led after two periods for the first time against the Jacks, but Odessa's Mike Rutter forced overtime with less than five minutes left in the third period, then scored the winner 48 seconds into overtime.

SCORPIONS 7, SAN ANGELO 2 – The Scorpions scored three times in the first period, and three more in the first five minutes of the second to blow the game open and cruise to a 7-2 win over San Angelo on Saturday at Tingley Coliseum. Pete Brearley scored twice while Peter Ambroziak added three assists. Fred Mattersdorfer and Craig Stahl each posted a goal and assist. Arturs Kupaks, David Bourque and Chris Richards also found the back of the net. Scott Myers, making his first start since Nov. 23, made 37 saves.

SCORPIONS MATCH-UPS

EL PASO – The Buzzards have won the last two meetings with the Scorpions, and lead the season series 3-2 with six more games remaining. El Paso had their three-game winning streak ended on Saturday with a 4-2 home loss to Odessa. Jeff Scharf leads the Buzzards with 31 points (13g-18a), followed by Russ Guzior (16g-10a-26pts) and Derrell Upton (12g-13a-25pts). Upton leads the way with 13 points (3g-10a) in his last ten games. Blaine Russell is 4-2-1 with a 2.82 GAA since joining the club earlier this month.

LUBBOCK – Scorpions coach Bill McDonald makes his return to Lubbock on Tuesday, then sees the Cotton Kings visit Tingley Coliseum on Sunday as the teams play three times over 12 days, and five times between tomorrow and Feb. 1. The Kings lead the season series 2-1, as the home team has won each game. However, they have not met since Nov. 9. Blaz Emersic leads Lubbock with 31 points (11g-20a), followed by Jan Melichercik (6g-20a-26pts) and Derek Gauthier (10g-15a-25pts). Barry McKinlay leads all CHL defensemen with ten goals. Mike Brusseau (12-9-4, 2.68 GAA) is second in the league with 1431 minutes played and third with three shutouts.

AMARILLO – Coached by former Scorpions Joe Ferras, the Gorillas are one of the CHL's hottest teams with eight wins in their last ten games. Amarillo is 2-1 against the Scorpions this season, taking the last meeting by a 4-2 score on Dec. 19 in Bill McDonald's Scorpions debut. The Gorillas won the only meeting in Amarillo by a 2-0 score on Nov. 2. Henry Kuster continues to lead the Gorillas with 27 points (16g-11a), while Dorian Anneck is next with 24 points (7g-17a). Former Scorpions Steve Debus is 9-5-0 with a 2.39 GAA while Shawn Degagne is 7-5-0 with a 3.07 GAA. The Gorillas are a perfect 6-0 in shootouts this season.

SAN ANGELO – The Scorpions are 3-0 against the Saints this season after Saturday's win. Last weekend was a tough one as the Saints dropped all three games, both ends of a home-and-home series with Laredo and Saturday's setback at Tingley. Chris Peach leads the Saints and is fourth in the league with 45 points (16g-29a) but is a league-worst –29. Troy Mann is next and tied for ninth overall with 39 points (15g-24a), as 11 of his 15 goals have come on the power play. Goalie Scott Reid is 7-13-1 with a 3.71 GAA while Jamie Ronayne is 4-10-0 with a 4.63 GAA. The Saints are 15th of 16 teams allowing 4.2 goals per game.

DEITSCH ON THE MARC – The Scorpions signed left wing Marc Deitsch prior to Saturday's game with San Angelo, and he recorded an assist in his debut. The 22 year-old native of Indianapolis, Ind. played three games last year with the New Orleans Brass of the ECHL. Deitsch, 6-foot and 190 pounds, also played 11 games for St. Norbert College, an NCAA Division III school just outside of Green Bay, Wisc.

STINGERS – Defenseman Arturs Kupaks leads all CHL blueliners with two shorthanded goals... Chris Richards extended his point-scoring streak to six games with a goal on Friday and a goal and assist on Saturday... He is now tied for fourth in the league with 19 goals and his 42 points places him sixth... Three of Craig Stahl's four goals this season have come shorthanded against San Angelo... He scored a pair of man-down goals against the Saints on Nov. 17... Two of the Scorpions' top three offensive efforts this season have come against San Angelo, a 7-4 road win on Nov. 17 and Saturday's 7-2 victory... The Scorpions are 9-3-0 when scoring the first goal of the game, and Pete Brearley has six of those 12 first goals... Brearley's 16 goals this season exceeds his 14-goal total all of last season with Bakersfield of the West Coast Hockey League.



Central Hockey League Stories from December 30, 2002


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