Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - Goalie battle goes Brahmas way, 4-3

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Thursday, October 28, 1999

Goalie battle goes Brahmas way, 4-3
Fort Worth knots game with 41 seconds left, defeats Corpus Christi in shootout
By Mark Button

Caller-Times

George Tuley/Caller-Times

Corpus Christi's Brad Wingfield slams Fort Worth's Jason Disher to the ice Wednesday night during the first quarter of the Brahmas' 4-3 shootout win over the IceRays.

Two of the best goalies in the Western Professional Hockey League dueled Wednesday night at Memorial Coliseum.
   Fort Worth's Steve Plouffe won the battle.
   The Brahmas beat Corpus Christi, 4-3, in overtime as Plouffe stopped three of five IceRays' shooters in the shootout. Plouffe and Fort Worth are 5-0 on the year. Eddy Skazyk entered the game undefeated as well (3-0), but after three Brahmas scored in overtime, Skazyk suffered his first defeat in an IceRays uniform. Skazyk did record 27 saves, giving him 67 in the last two games.
   Corpus Christi fell to 4-2-1 with the loss.
   "I wasn't tired at all (in overtime)," Plouffe said. "My team played very well in front of me tonight. I had a feeling it was going to go to a shootout. "
   IceRays fans thought otherwise when forward Dave Gilmore scored a power-play goal with 9:25 to play to give Corpus Christi a 3-2 lead. Fort Worth's Jason Disher answered, however, scoring with 41 seconds remaining to send the game to overtime.
   IceRays rookie defenseman Ryan Esselmont recorded two assists in the loss.
   IceRays forward Brent Hoiness got the scoring started with his first goal of the year 6:36 into the first period. A pile of players in front of the Fort Worth net afforded Hoiness the opportunity to get his stick on the puck and give the IceRays a 1-0 lead.
   One minute later, the Brahmas tied the game, 1-1, on a Derek Kups goal.
   Penalties against the IceRays' Kurt Wickenheiser and Geoff Bumstead gave Fort Worth a five-on-three power play and Ross Harris scored to give the Brahmas a 2-1 with 8:37 to play in the second period.
   Corpus Christi answered with a power-play goal of its own with 3:33 to play in the second period, the team's sixth of the year. Rookie forward Tobin Praznik fired a chest-high laser over the left shoulder of Fort Worth goalie Steve Plouffe for the goal.
   The IceRays killed two Fort Worth power plays early in the third before Gilmore scored the go-ahead, power-play goal with 9:25 to play.
   Fort Worth pulled Plouffe for the extra skater 15 seconds before Disher sent the game to overtime.
   IceCubes
   A TWO DEFENSEMEN RELEASED: Hall released rookie defensemen Francois Pilon and Miles Van Tassel Tuesday. Pilon did not register a point in six games; he served 15 penalty minutes and his plus-minus rating was -3. Van Tassel had two assists in six games, also served 15 penalty minutes and was a +1.
   A KERSEY JOINS SHUTE: The Amarillo Rattlers claimed Jade Kersey off waivers Monday. A rookie forward, Kersey scored his first professional goal against Lake Charles on Oct. 23, a day before Hall released Kersey. A +1 with 15 penalty minutes, Kersey joins former IceRays forward Dave Shute, who was traded to Amarillo prior to the season.

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