Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - ’Rays lose control in 8-1 loss

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Friday, December 15, 2000

’Rays lose control in 8-1 loss
Austin snaps C.C.’s two-game win streak
By Javier Becerra
Caller-Times

Michelle Christenson/Caller-Times

Corpus Christi’s Mario Dumoulin (left) battles for the puck against Austin’s Kelly Smart in the Ice Bats’ 8-1 win.

How the momentum can change.
   The Corpus Christi IceRays appeared to be in control after taking a one-goal lead early in the first period of Thursday night's clash against the Austin.
   But once Austin's offense got going, there was no stopping the Ice Bats.
   Austin, the second-place team in the Western Professional Hockey League Eastern Division, continued its dominance over Corpus Christi with a 8-1 shellacking at Memorial Coliseum. It was the Ice Bats' second 8-1 victory over the IceRays this season, the last coming on Nov. 10 in Austin.
   "We played hard for the first eight minutes of the game, but then we let off a lot the rest of the period," said Kurt Wickenheiser, who gave Corpus Christi the lead with a goal five minutes into the lead. "We weren't happy with our play in the last 12 minutes. We just stopped working out there."
   The game was marred by brutal play between the two teams, who combined for 35 penalties, including three game misconduct calls, two against the IceRays.
   Austin, which has outscored Corpus Christi 23-8 in three games this season, improved to 17-7-2 (36 points) in the Eastern Division standings. Corpus Christi had its two-game winning streak snapped and dropped to 15-14-1 (31 points).
   The teams complete a two-day home-and-home series tonight in Austin.
   Three and a half minutes were gone off the clock when Corpus Christi's Brad Wingfield was called for slashing and sent to the penalty box.
   Seconds into the power play, IceRay defenseman Shawn Frappier stole the puck and fired off a slap shot from the right wing near the blue. The puck deflected off the stick of Austin goalie Jonathan Forest into the left boards.
   With 30 seconds of penalty time left, Austin lost control of the puck in the neutral zone. Kholomeyev took the puck and passed it to Kurt Wickenheiser, who was streaking up the left boards. After faking one Austin defender, Wickenheiser beat Forest over the left shoulder for his 16th goal of the year. The shorthanded goal gave Corpus Christi a 1-0 lead five minutes into the period.
   "Kholomeyev got the puck at center ice and gave me a nice backhand pass," Wickenheiser said. "I faked the cut in, went around and took it straight in."
   A series of scuffles midway through the period resulted in a 10-minute misconduct penalty on Austin forward Josh Maser and a game misconduct on Corpus Christi defenseman Byron Pool.
   IceRay forward Dennis Shiryaev was also involved in the fracas, but spent just two minutes in the penalty box for a roughing call.
   The Ice Bats slowed down the tempo of the game by holding the puck behind the Corpus Christi net. Austin's Brett Seguin shoved the puck into the slot to a waiting Dan Price, who needed just a minimal flick of his stick to get it past goalie Jason Carey.
   Price's goal, his third of the season, tied the game, 1-1, with 8:39 left in the opening period.
   Austin went back on a power play late in the period and needed just 20 seconds to claim its first lead of the game. Carey left the net to play the puck behind the ice. Just as he reached for the puck with his stick, it took a hard bounce off the boards straight to Seguin. Left open in front of Corpus Christi's undefended goal, Seguin gave the Ice Bats a 2-1 advantage with just over two minutes left before the first intermission.
   The Ice Bats were whistled offsides three times during their first power play, but finished the period with 14 shots on goal. Corpus Christi attempted just nine shots in the first.
   The second period began much like the first, with Austin going on a one-man advantage after a Corpus Christi penalty.
   This time it was a hooking call on Matt Sharuga that sent the Ice Bats on a power play at the 2:25 mark. Austin converted its 28th power play goal of the season on Mike Gaffney's second goal of the year.
   Austin's scoring onslaught and the physical play would only continue.
   Kelly Smart extended the Ice Bats' lead to 5-1 in the second period with two consecutive goals. The first came at 5:51 in the period off a pass from Erick Noack. Six minutes later, Smart beat Carey again for his 14th goal of the season.
   Smart's second goal was the Ice Bats's third straight power play goal of the game.
   Fourteen penalties were called in the second period, eight against the IceRays, including a 10-minute game misconduct against Kholomeyev after time expired for an unspecified violation.
   Twenty minutes of penalty time was served for fighting follwing melees between Geoff Bumstead and Austin's Maser, and Wingfield and Noack.

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