THE SKINNY
The Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees begin a four-game-in-five-night run with a
Tuesday night matchup against the Allen Americans in Hidalgo. RGV is coming
off a 5-1 loss to Laredo on Saturday at home. RGV is fighting for a playoff
spot in the tight Southern Conference race. Entering the week, RGV is four
points out of the fifth and final seed occupied by Corpus Christi. They are
10 points out of No. 4 (Laredo) and 12 behind No. 3 Texas. Including
Tuesday, the Killer Bees have 13 games remaining including five against
Corpus (two home, three road) and two vs. Laredo.
TONIGHT’S GAME
RGV plays host to Allen for the first time ever in the fourth and final
meeting this season between the two teams. The Killer Bees are 0-3-0 vs. the
Americans this season and have been outscored 13-5 in the season series. RGV
has had its hands full with the expansion Amerks especially early in the
game; RGV has been outscored 6-0 in the first period and 6-3 in the second.
Allen is tied for the second-most wins in the league and has the third-most
points. They have been particularly stingy this year having allowed a
CHL-low 132 goals. Much of that is thanks to goalie Chris Whitley; he leads
the league in wins (26), minutes played (2188) and is second in total saves
(1006). Allen is eight points out of the No. 1 spot in the South and has two
games in hand on No. 1 Odessa. The Amerks have eight of their remaining 14
games against Northern Conference opponents; they are 13-5-0 vs. the North
this season.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
. COMING UP — The team welcomes Allen on Tuesday, visits Corpus
Christi on Thursday, heads to Laredo on Friday and wraps up the week at home
on Saturday vs. Corpus. After Saturday’s game, RGV travels to Missouri
(March 2) and Bossier-Shreveport (March 5, 6).
. Text Box: UPCOMING HOME GAMES – 7:30 PM
Feb 23 vs. Allen (Winter Texan Night, $1 hot dogs, popcorn and soda, NBC
Olympic Lapel Pins for the first 1000 fans, plus AT&T and LG are supplying
noisemakers!).Feb 27 vs. Corpus Christi (1st 1000 fans get T-Shirts courtesy
HEB and Anzaldua Bail Bonds.
March 12 vs. Laredo (Caddy Shack Night, first 1500 fans get golf rally
towels)
March 19 vs. Wichita (1st 1000 fans get aluminum water bottles courtesy CPL
Retail Energy, win a trip to Orlando courtesy Allegiant Air)
March 20 vs. Corpus Christi (1st 1000 fans get aluminum water bottles
courtesy CPL Retail Energy)
CHEAP SKATE TICKETS — Get $8 tickets at the Box Office on game days
starting an hour and a half before puck drop. Cheap Skate Tickets are
limited and only available on the Box Office on game day.
SCRATCH MY BACK — The Killer Bees have not won back-to-back games since
December (20,26) and has won two in a row on the road just once (Dec. 18,
26).
. ROSTER UPDATE — Jesse Bennefield was placed on the 14-day IR
on Feb. 14.Jesse Perrin missed the game on Feb. 20 with an undiscolsed
injury.Zak McClellan missed five games on the IR (Feb. 6-18).Justin Kanigan
is on the IR and has not played since Nov. 14.Jason Seerey is on CHL-granted
leave.
. STREAKY LEE — Aaron Lee has 10 of his 18 goals and six of his
14 assists since Jan. 9(19 games).
. POWER PLAY — RGV’S power play has one goal in each of the last
six games.
. BUSY BUSY BEES — RGV plays 13 games in February with 12 of
those coming against Southern Conference rivals. Of those 12, 10 are against
Corpus Christi (3) and Laredo (7). Two come against the Americans while the
other is the team’s only game vs. Rapid City. RGV is 2-6-1 so far in
February.
. CLOSE SHAVE — RGV has been involved in 24 games decided by one
goal this season and has a record of 12-5-7 in those contests. Goalie Andy
Franck is 9-2-5 in those decisions while Wylie Rogers is 3-3-2.
. ROUGH ROAD— The Killer Bees are 2-4-2 in their last eight road
games and have been outscored 36-17.
. FOUR’S STILL MORE — RGV is 16-1-1 when scoring four or more
goals this season. When scoring six or more, the Killer Bees are 6-0-0.
. WHEN FOUR IS LESS — Out of Rio’s 23 regulation losses, 20 have
come when opponents score four or more goals. RGV is 3-20-1 when allowing
four or more with all three of those wins coming away from Hidalgo.
. BEES AMONG CHL LEADERS (as of 2/22/10) — Grant Goeckner-Zoeller
(7 scoring, T8 goals).Jesse Bennefield (9 scoring, T7 goals).Sean Muncy (3
rookie scoring, 1 rookie assists).Nathan Ansell (5 D scoring, 1 D
assts).Andy Franck (2nd minutes played, 1st saves).
. ALL-TIME MARK — RGV is 184-203-44 (431 games).
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