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Friday, December 31, 1999
'Rays gun down Jackalopes
Corpus Christi captures 5-4 triumph in shootout
By Mark Button
Caller-Times
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| Michelle Christenson/Caller-Times |
| Corpus Christi's Shawn Snesar (55) trips Odessa's Paul Vincent during the IceRay's game against the Jackalopes. |
It was just another day at the frozen office for Corpus Christi's most lethal one-two punch.
Only this time, their team won.
IceRays forwards Kurt Wickenheiser and Geoff Bumstead combined for three goals and three assists as Corpus Christi beat Odessa in a shootout, 5-4, Thursday night at Memorial Coliseum.
Corpus Christi forward Todd Norman scored the game-winning goal in the extra session.
With a goal and two assists, Bumstead preserved his assist streak, which now stands at 16 games. He is two games shy of the Western Professional Hockey League record of 18, held by Abilene's Charles Poulin. Bumstead has recorded 34 points during his streak and 40 assists for the year.
Not to be outdone, Wickenheiser has recorded a point in the last 15 Corpus Christi games, scoring 37 points during the streak.
The IceRays, however, are just 5-7-3 during Wickenheiser's and Bumstead's streaks, having lost four of their last six games.
But not Thursday.
"Obviously, it feels 100 percent better when you win," Wickenheiser said. "It doesn't matter who scores the goals." Corpus Christi improved to 14-12-6 as the team looks ahead to a Central Division clash against Austin at the coliseum Sunday.
Odessa fell to 13-16-4.
Bob Quinnell added a goal and an assist for Corpus Christi.
Odessa jumped to a 2-0 lead against a seemingly emotionless IceRays team after one period. Like so many times this season, Corpus Christi goalie Eddy Skazyk (9-5-3) was left to fend off shots by himself after defensive breakdowns by the IceRays. Jackalopes forward John Bossio got things started by beating Skazyk through his legs 10:47 into the game. A rebound goal by Mark Smith on an Odessa power play gave the Jackalopes a 2-0 lead.
It wouldn't last.
As flat as the IceRays looked in the first 20 minutes, the team looked equally intense in the second period. Nearly the entire period was played at the Odessa end, and Corpus Christi answered Odessa two-goal first period with three goals of their own.
In the second period, Bumstead and Wickenheiser each recorded a goal and an assist. Quinnell added his third goal of the year to give the IceRays a 3-2 lead with 5:54 to play in the second period.
"I don't know what they were waiting for," IceRays coach Taylor Hall said of his team's effort in the first period. "We came out in the second and really took control of the game. I would have liked to have won in regulation, but I'll take it."
The Jackalopes tied the game, 3-3, 27 seconds into the third before Wickenheiser's second goal put Corpus Christi back ahead, 4-3, with 14:54 to play.
An unassisted goal by Smith, his second, knotted the game again, 4-4, with 8:09 remaining in regulation.
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© 1999 Caller-Times Publishing Company,
a Scripps Howard newspaper. All rights reserved.
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