Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - Injury-depleted IceRays dispatch Central Texas, 6-3

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Monday, December 6, 1999

Injury-depleted IceRays dispatch Central Texas, 6-3
Corpus Christi skaters bear down to win weekend's last game
By Mark Button

Caller-Times

George Gongora/Caller-Times

Tobin Praznik (left) and Todd Norman (right) of the IceRays defend the puck against Central Texas' Matt Brenner.

It has been said that the most dangerous bear is a wounded bear.
   Down seven players and two goals to Central Texas after one period Sunday afternoon, the Corpus Christi IceRays must have felt like a half-dead grizzly under a sky of circling buzzards.
   Half dead, but completely dangerous.
   The injury-riddled IceRays clawed back for five goals in the second period and went on to defeat the Stampede, 6-3, in the third game of a three-game weekend for Corpus Christi.
   The IceRays, who improved to 11-9-4, entered the game at Memorial Coliseum with just 14 available players because of injuries to forwards Alain Savage (ribs), Mike Tomlinson (post-concussion syndrome), Chris Robertson (knee), Dave Gilmore (broken nose, concussion) and defensemen Ryan Esselmont (sprained wrist) and Kevin Holliday (broken toe). A one-game suspension to forward Brad Wingfield for a match penalty incurred in Saturday's 6-3 loss at Austin further depleted coach Taylor Hall's ranks.
   If Hall could have played himself, he would have.
   So he did the next best thing.
   Hall enlisted his assistant coach and director of arena operations, Pat Dunn, into forward duty even though Dunn had not played a hockey game in more than a year and a half.
   "It got to the point where we said enough is enough," said IceRays forward Brent Hoiness, who scored a goal and an assist. "We were getting tired of losing, tired out being outscored."
   Central Texas must be getting tired of seeing the IceRays. The Stampede are 19-6-1 and the Western Professional Hockey League Central Division leaders, but they're 1-4 against Corpus Christi.
   "I wish they would blow this building up," Central Texas coach Todd Lalonde said. "But Corpus Christi came into this game with nothing to lose and that (Kurt) Wickenheiser kid just kills us every time."
   Wickenheiser had a goal and an assist, as did Geoff Bumstead. Defenseman Jody Praznik recorded a goal and two assists and IceRays goalie Eddy Skazyk remained unbeaten against Central Texas in four starts, improving his overall record to 7-4-2.
   Hoiness said the IceRays spirits were not down after the first period, when goals by Ron Newhook and Brad Baber spotted Central Texas the 2-0 lead.
   "No one was going to quit," Hoiness said. "We knew that we own this team. W knew there was going to be no Robo (Robertson), no Chicken (Tomlinson) out there tonight and a lot of guys embrace that kind of opportunity. We knew that we were going to be the go-to guys and we were going to have to win the game with guys we put out on the ice."
   Corpus Christi will have four days off before hosting Central Texas again Friday.

   Corpus Christi 0 5 1 -- 6
   Central Texas 2 0 1 -- 3
   FIRST PERIOD - 1, Central Texas, Ron Newhook (Talliare, Zurba), 3:58. 2, Central Texas, Brad Baber (Dick, E. Preston) 4:55. Penalties - Snesar, CC (elbowing), 1:09; Andersson, CT (tripping), 5:15; Murphy, CT (cross-checking), 7:13; Baber, CT (hooking), 7:35; Van Horlick, CC (tripping), 10:49; Hoiness, CC (obstruction holding), 16:20. SECOND PERIOD - 3, Corpus Christi, Geoff Bumstead (J. Praznik), 2:18. 4, Corpus Christi, Jody Praznik (Lewis, Van Horick), 2:56. 5, Corpus Christi, Kurt Wickenheiser (Bumstead), 5:04. 6, Corpus Christi, Brent Hoiness (Wickenheiser), 9:23. 7, Corpus Christi, Dustin McArthur (J. Praznik, Quinnell), 14:22, (pp). Penalties - Bumstead, CC (fighting), 7:35; Jacques Mailhot, CT (fighting), 7:35; Johnston, CT (slashing), 12:55; Newhook, CT (tripping), 16:39; McArthur, CC (roughing, unsportsmanlike conduct), 18:30; Murphy, CT (slashing, unsportsmanlike conduct), 18:30.
   THIRD PERIOD - 8. Corpus Christi, Todd Norman (Hoiness, T. Praznik), 5:24. 9, Central Texas, Mike Dick (Iaquinta), 10:47. Penalties - Mailhot, CT (slashing), 8:08; Van Horlick, CC (holding), 13:28; Johnston, CT (unsportsmanlike conduct), 18:23; Lewis, CC (unsportsmanlike conduct), 18:23.
   Shots on goal - Central Texas 12-10-15 37. Corpus Christi 8-17-12 37. Goalies - Central Texas, Matt Barnes (12-2-1). Corpus Christi, Eddy Skazyk (7-4-2). Referee - Scott Hughes. A - unannounced.




Staff writer Mark Button can be reached at 886-3613 or by e-mail at buttonm@caller.com

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