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January 18, 2008 - Central Hockey League (CHL) News Release


SECOND HALF FACES-OFF TONIGHT WITH EIGHT GAMES

The official, post all-star break second half of the CHL 2007-08 season gets under way tonight with eight games including all four division leaders playing road games. The first half of the season saw Rocky Mountain (24-5-3) and Bossier-Shreveport (23-7-3) lead their respective divisions in the Northern Conference and had Odessa (19-8-7) and Laredo (26-9-2) leading their Southern Conference divisions.

If the playoffs were to begin today, the Northern Conference would be represented by Rocky Mountain, Bossier-Shreveport, Colorado, Youngstown and Mississippi and the Southern Conference would see Laredo, Odessa, Arizona, New Mexico and Corpus Christi make the post-season.

The Bucks have played the most games (37) prior to the all-star break and Texas and Wichita have each played the fewest with just 31 games played. The SteelHounds have 23 games remaining at home leading that category and the Mudbugs are one of three teams with 18 games remaining on the road (Wichita and Rio Grande Valley).

MUDBUGS JUST TWO WINS AWAY FROM CHL RECORD

The Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs are currently in first place in the Northeast Division with a seven point lead over the Youngstown SteelHounds. The two teams are set to meet three times this weekend in the Chevrolet Centre and on the line for the Bugs is their 13-game winning streak, the longest in the CHL this season. The Mudbugs are just two wins away from tying the CHL record 15-game winning streak the Colorado Eagles celebrated last season. Bossier-Shreveport has not lost a game since December 8th at Colorado. This season, the Hounds and Mudbugs have played six times with Youngstown winning the first two match-ups and Bossier-Shreveport winning each of the last four games. The Bugs are 1-0-1 in Youngstown this season.

SCORPIONS LOOK TO CLOSE THE GAP WITH ODESSA

The hottest team in the Southern Conference heading into the all-star break was the New Mexico Scorpions who had won six straight games. Their recent play has moved them to within five points of first place in the Southwest Division leading Odessa. The two teams meet tonight for the sixth time this season with Odessa earning a point in all five games thus far (3-0-2). All-Star Dominic Leveille has five goals and seven points in the games thus far versus the Scorps.

EAGLES V. RAGE - ROUND SIX

The battle for the state of Colorado will commence once again this weekend with the Eagles making the journey down the road to Loveland to battle the Rage on Saturday night. Rocky Mountain is 3-1-1 in the games thus far versus the Eagles but Colorado won the last showdown on January 12th, 6-5. Colorado sits five points behind the Rage for first place in the Northwest Division with a big four-point swing on the line Saturday night at the Broomfield Event Center. Daymen Rycroft has seven goals in the five games versus Colorado and Greg Pankewicz and Riley Nelson each have eight points for the Eagles.

STREAKING HEADING INTO THE SECOND HALF

Several players are experiencing long streak heading into the second half including Rocky Mountain's Daymen Rycroft who has scored a goal in four straight games (seven goals over that stretch). Tulsa's Warren McCutcheon has the longest goal scoring streak this season finding the back of the net in seven straight games. A pair of McCutcheon's teammates currently hold the longest active point streaks in the league with Jeff Christian sitting on a 16-game point streak (26 points) and David Beauregard notching points in 14 straight games (19 points).

SOUTH ENDS NORTH'S ALL-STAR STREAK

The 2008 CHL All-Star Game took place on Wednesday in the Broomfield Event Center and the game saw the Southern Conference break the Northern Conference's four-game win streak with an 11-6 victory. The Arizona Sundogs were well represented with three players on the team and head coach Marco Pietroniro leading the way behind the bench. Arizona's Alex Leavitt was named the game's Most Valuable Player with a hat trick and two assists. His teammate, Tyler Redenbach, has a goal and five assists (tied a CHL All-Star assists record). The North were paced by the hometown's Brent Cullaton (North MVP) and Scott Wray who each tallied three points.



Central Hockey League Stories from January 18, 2008


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