AMARILLO, Texas –– The Gorillas season has gone extinct. At times they displayed brilliance, besting the top teams in the league. But the gears just never seemed to sync. In the end, the season killer was the defensive lapses that continue to keep Amarillo nailed to the bottom of the Central Hockey League standings… simply stated, one blowout too many. The Gorillas found themselves unable to string together three winning games in a row, while suffering three five-game losing stretches over the course of the season. They remain in last place in the Central Hockey League, but recent play had shown an improved Amarillo squad under the guidance on new Head Coach Brian Pellerin. Just not good enough. Former Head Coach Tom Coolen vanished from the Jungle, and in his stead, a former Gorilla player/assistant coach, Brian Pellerin tried his hand at finding a positive twist on a season that can only be said to be disappointing for Amarillo hockey fans. Coach Pellerin guidance seemed to be turning the Ape’s luck around with the Gorillas ending their first non-loss streak of the season when they suffered a 7-2 blowout loss to the rival New Mexico Scorpions … and most recently 6-0 blowout by the Rage only a single game after besting playoff bound Odessa. Twenty Gorilla players have fallen into extinction as well, briefly making their appearance into the Jungle, and then vanishing in the mist of roster changes made by Coolen in an effort to tweak the hockey club’s season around. Unfortunately, an effort in futility. Plagued with erratic play all season, the Gorillas have bested the top teams in the league only to turn around and drop game after game at home and on the road often (25 percent) by margins of 3 or more goals. The hope that former Odessa All-star netminder, Mike Gorman might fill the sieve of goals in Amarillo’s net was dashed when Gorman’s performance level dropped to a career low following injuries that would bench the former All-Star netiminder. The Gorillas have lost 104 man-games to injury this year… spread throughout the team. Only Austin Sutter and Sam Ftorek have played all 53 games. As for the Gorillas, with the regular season winding down, Amarillo hockey fans will have to wait until next season to pull them off of the endangered list.
Contact the author at rushe.hudson@prohockeynews.com
