Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - Fists fly in IceRays’ loss to Bossier-Shreveport

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Monday, December 25, 2000

Fists fly in IceRays’ loss to Bossier-Shreveport
Four fights break out as Mudbugs escape recent slump, defeat Corpus Christi squad, 5-0
By Brian Vernellis
The Shreveport Times
The Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs sorely needed a win against the Corpus
  Christi IceRays Saturday. Winners of only three of their last 10 games, the Mudbugs needed one not just to get back into their successful habits, but to rebuild their bruised confidence.
   And if thumping the IceRays on the scoreboard didn't help revive the
  Mudbugs, maybe the four fights - three of which occured in a 40-second span - could do something to invigorate the team.
   Mark Rupnow scored twice on the power play, helping the Mudbugs beat
  Corpus Christi, 5-0, at the CenturyTel Center Saturday. Goaltender Chad Lang stopped all 29 shots he faced for his second shutout of the season.
   The win gave the Mudbugs sole possession of fourth place in the Eastern Division, six points behind divisional leader Austin.
   Even though the Mudbugs had dropped a 4-3 game to Lake Charles 24 hours earlier, a sharper Mudbugs emerged for their game against Corpus Christi. Head coach Scott Muscutt's closed-door meeting with several of the players following the Lake Charles loss probably had a lot to do with it.
   A large part of the Mudbugs' inconsistent play through the month of
  December has been their inconsistent power play. The team ranks last in the league, converting just 13 percent of their chances with the extra man.
  On Saturday, their power play was the spark to get the offense surging.
  Early in the first period, Mark Rupnow redirected a Jim Sprott slap shot
  past Corpus Christi goaltender Eddy Skayzk for this 19th goal of the season.
   Forbes MacPherson scored his first goal in almost two months off some
  hard work from Dan Wildfong. Creating a turnover at the Corpus Christi blue line, Wildfong saw MacPherson streaking in from the left wing.
  Wildfong centered a soft pass across ice to MacPherson, who fired the shot into an open net.
   Trevor Buchanan got a little help from Jason Campbell to make the score 3-0 midway through the second period. With Campbell crashing the net and creating a distraction to Skayzk, Buchanan snapped a wrist shot which trickled past Skayzk.
   Rupnow added his second power play goal of the game a few minutes after Buchanan's. High in the slot area, Toby Burkitt drew the attention of several IceRays.
   Burkitt dished the puck out to the wing for Rupnow, who buried a shot past Skazyk for the 4-0 lead. Dale Henry's goal midway through the third period closed out the scoring.
   But what drew the biggest cheers on the evening were the three fights in a 40-second span in the third period.
   First, it was Buchanan and Dennis Shirayev squaring off, then Sprott and Quentin Van Horlick went at it. On the ensuing faceoff, Wildfong and Jim Pool dropped the gloves.

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