Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - IceRays sitting pretty after stealing Game 1

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Monday, April 3, 2000

IceRays sitting pretty after stealing Game 1
Corpus Christi holds home-ice advantage after Saturday's OT victory in New Mexico
From staff and correspondent reports
SANTA FE, N.M. - The Corpus Christi IceRays stole home-ice advantage from New Mexico with a 7-6 overtime victory Saturday night. They hope to steal Game 2 today.
   The IceRays scored three consecutive third-period goals to push the Scorpions to overtime in Game 1 of the Western Professional Hockey League President's Cup quarterfinal series at the Chavez Community Center in Santa Fe. Six minutes, 26 seconds into overtime - around 11:30 p.m. CST - IceRays forward Dustin McArthur scored the game-winning goal.
   Kurt Wickenheiser recorded his second hat trick in four playoff games in the victory. If the IceRays can just win their two home games - Games 3 and 4 on Thursday and Friday - they will win the best-of-5 series and advance to the WPHL semifinals against either Lubbock or Austin.
   Corpus Christi can take a 2-0 lead in the series against New Mexico with a win in Game 2, which starts at 8:05 p.m.
   The top-seeded team in the Western Bracket, New Mexico received a first-round bye, which may have led to some rust in Game 1. The Scorpions' most recent game prior to Saturday was their March 25 regular-season finale.
   Though the IceRays have home-ice advantage now, New Mexico didn't have a true advantage from the start of the series.
   Because of a scheduling conflict, the Scorpions are unable to host playoff games on their home at Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, N.M. Instead, New Mexico claims home-ice advantage in the 1,200-seat community center in Santa Fe.
   The Scorpions looked to have the IceRays put away early in the third period Saturday. New Mexico held a 6-3 lead only to see Corpus Christi's Andy Ross, Tobin Praznik and Paul Doherty score in succession to tie the game, 6-6, with 7:00 to play in regulation.
   Wickenheiser scored the IceRays' first three goals.
   Corpus Christi goalie Eddy Skazyk, the hero of the first round, started Saturday's game, but was replaced by Jason Genik in the third period. Genik got credit for the win.
   Corpus Christi, the No. 5 seed in the Western Bracket, advanced to the quarterfinals by beating El Paso, two games to one, in the first round. Skazyk shutout the Buzzards in Game 3, with 38 saves.
   SATURDAY NIGHT'S SCORING SUMMARY
   Corpus Christi 1 2 3 1 - 7
   New Mexico 3 3 0 0 - 6
   FIRST PERIOD - 1, New Mexico, Peter Amroziak (Goldie, Van Tighem), 3:06. 2, New Mexico, Hugo Beltrand (Pengelley, McKay), 7:33. 3, New Mexico, Jeff Goldie (Van Tighem), 10:24, (pp). 4, Corpus Christi, Kurt Wickenheiser (Bumstead, Olsen), 16:20, (pp).
   SECOND PERIOD - 5, Corpus Christi, Wickenheiser (T. Praznik, Janicki), 0:31. 6, New Mexico, Goldie (Ambroziak, Marcellus), 6:38. 7, Corpus Christi, Wickenheiser (Bumstead, J. Praznik), 8:17, (pp). 8, New Mexico, Randy Murphy (Felix, Glover), 15:49, (pp). 9, New Mexico, Travis Van Tighem (Marcellus), 19:23, (pp).
   THIRD PERIOD - 10, Corpus Christi, Andy Ross (unassisted), 7:40. 11, Corpus Christi, Tobin Praznik (Wickenheiser, Quinnell), 8:28. 12, Corpus Christi, Paul Doherty (Roland, Wickenheiser), 13:01.
   OVERTIME - 13, Corpus Christi, Dustin McArthur (unassisted), 6:26.
   GOALIES - Corpus Christi, Eddy Skazyk (32 saves, 6 goals), left at 20:00 of 2nd period. Jason Genik (1-0-0), entered at 0:00 of 3rd period. New Mexico, Luciano Caravaggio (0-0-1). REFEREE - Alex Brown.

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