Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - Veteran Tomlinson reads goalie's weakness, hits game-winning shot against GlacierCats

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Saturday, October 16, 1999

Veteran Tomlinson reads goalie's weakness, hits game-winning shot against GlacierCats

By Mark Button
Caller-Times

On a night when Corpus Christi coach Taylor Hall was forced to play nine rookies, the craftiest of IceRays veterans won him the game.
   Mike Tomlinson used half-slapshot forehand to score the game-winning goal in a shootout Friday as Corpus Christi won its first game of the 1999-2000 season, 3-2, over Arkansas.
   After five shooters had gone for each team, the overtime score stayed knotted at 1-1.
   Tomlinson was paying attention.
   "I watched all the other guys shoot," he said. "The goalie kept his glove down on his pad. I knew if I backed him down, he would drop. So I went top shelf."
   It was Tomlinson's first game-winner as an IceRay.
   "Chicken (Tomlinson) is Mr. Everything," said Hall, whose team evened its record at 1-1. "He scores big goals, he's the best penalty-killer, he plays defense. He could even be the trainer if he wanted to be."
   Hall needed everything from Tomlinson and the rest of the IceRays as injuries to two key veterans and a one-game suspension served by a third forced the IceRays coach to sign three rookies late Friday afternoon.
   The win was the good news Friday, but it wasn't the only news: Center Chris Robertson was placed on the 30-day injured reserve list with a partially torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee. Geoff Bumstead served his one-game suspension for Wednesday's match penalty and defenseman Greg MacEachern sat out with a sprained knee. MacEachern said he will miss Sunday's game against Waco but hoped to be healthy for Wednesday's home game against Abilene.
   Friday's victory sharply contrasted Wednesday night's season opening brawl-fest, as Corpus Christi put its fists aside for a night and concentrated on hockey. The IceRays spent just 14 minutes in the penalty box, a far cry from the 70 penalty minutes Wednesday.
   "We just played better," Hall said. "We play with more poise. We were ready to play from the start, and that was the difference."
   For Tomlinson, the game-winner was a redemption of sorts for his penalty midway through the third period that led to Arkansas' tying goal.
   Rookie goalie Eddy Skayzk blocked five of six Arkansas shots in overtime, and finished with 30 saves en route to his first win.
   The IceRays held Arkansas scoreless on six power plays through two periods before giving up a game-tying power-play goal after a Tomlinson's high-sticking penalty.
   "I wasn't really thinking about that," Tomlinson said. "But yeah, when you're supposed to be a penalty killer, it's not a good thing to be in the box."
   Corpus Christi rookie Dave Gilmore gave the IceRays their first lead of the season with a power-play goal 5:31 into the game.The IceRays protected the lead until the 16:32 mark of the first when Rob Geffin beat Skayzk to tie the game, 1-1.One of Hall's last-minute acquisitions paid dividends for the IceRays in the second period when rookie defenseman Brent Currie found the back of the Arkansas net with an ankle-high slapshot from the right point with 7:03 to play.Nine minutes, 11 seconds into the third period, Adams knotted the game, 2-2, with a blast from the right point while on the power play.

   Arkansas 1 0 1 0 - 2
   Corpus Christi 1 1 0 1 - 3

   FIRST PERIOD - 1, Corpus Christi, Dave Gilmore (Esselmont), 6:20, (pp). 2, Arkansas, Rob Giffen (Domonsky, Adams), 16:32. PENALTIES - Kersey, CC (slashing), 3:19; Melnychuk, Ark (slashing), 5:31; Kersey, CC (elbowing), 8:45; , Melnychuk, Ark (slashing), 11:36; Tomlinson, CC (elbowing), 12:56; Esselmont, CC (tripping), 18:34.
   SECOND PERIOD - 3, Corpus Christi, Brent Currie (Wingfield, Savage), 12:57. PENALTIES - Dezainde, Ark (roughing), 3:33; Uniacke, Ark (tripping), 11:15; Bench, CC (too many men on ice), 14:36; Wickenheiser, CC (hooking), 17:44.
   THIRD PERIOD - 4, Arkansas, Akil Adams (Findlay, Uniacke), 9:11, (pp). PENALTIES - Domonsky, Ark (cross-checking), 1:08; Tomlinson, CC (high-sticking), 7:40; Melnychuk, Ark (roughing), 12:21.
   SHOOTOUT - 5, Corpus Christi, Mike Tomlinson.
   SHOTS ON GOAL - Arkansas 15-10-7 32. Corpus Christi 9-9-14 32. GOALIES - Arkansas, Christian Soucy (0-1). Corpus Christi, Eddy Skayzk (1-0). A - 3,897 (announced). REFEREE - Ron Morgan.

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