Hidalgo, TX - The Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees of the Central Hockey
League (CHL) today announced that the team will have three goaltenders
in training camp, which begins October 6. The team has signed Christian
Boucher, Wylie Rogers and Bill Zaniboni to compete for a pair of
goaltending roster slots on the 2008-09 squad.
Boucher, 24,
played three seasons of NCAA hockey at Division 1 Robert Morris
University in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. While a member
of the Colonials, he appeared in 87 games, posting a 34-42-8 record
along with a 3.32 GAA and .898 save percentage. He helped lead the team
to the CHA (College Hockey America) title game in 2007 and made a
season-high 45 stops in the 5-4 overtime loss to Alabama-Huntsville.
The 5-foot-11, 180-pound netminder grew up in Orleans, Ontario.
Rogers,
26, spent the last four seasons at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks.
As a rookie in 2004-05, he earned the team's Most Valuable Player and
Rookie of the Year Awards, as well as being named to the CCHA (Central
Collegiate Hockey Association) All-Rookie Team after going 15-12-4 with
a 2.88 GAA and .906 save percentage. He set the school record for
highest save percentage in a season (.918) during his sophomore
campaign and was a three-time CCHA Goalie of the Week over the course
of his junior and senior seasons. The 5-foot-10, 192-pound Fairbanks
native turned pro with the ECHL's Utah Grizzlies last season after
completing his college eligibility.
Zaniboni, 26, split
last year between the Arizona Sundogs and Wichita Thunder. He began the
season with Arizona and appeared in 22 games before being traded to
Wichita on January 29. Overall, his pro stats include 40 games, a
15-15-3 record, 3.56 GAA and a .901 save percentage. The Plymouth,
Mass., native played three seasons of college hockey at Northern
Michigan University prior to entering the pro ranks. At 6-foot-1 and
210 pounds, he is the largest of the three goaltender signees.
"These
three goaltenders are players that I'm confident will challenge each
other to make our team better," Killer Bees Head Coach Chris Brooks
explained. "It's up to them to dictate who fits where on the team.
We've got three young guys who are hungry and want to advance their pro
careers. All three know the starting job is available for them."