Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - IceRays put hammer to Fort Worth

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Wednesday, March 22, 2000

IceRays put hammer to Fort Worth
Johnson records hat trick as Corpus Christi wins, 9-5
From staff and correspondent reports
FORT WORTH - All but eliminated from the postseason as the day began, the Fort Worth Brahmas made it official Tuesday night.
   Knowing a single defeat would ensure its exclusion from the 1999-2000 Western Professional Hockey League playoffs, Fort Worth gave up seven goals through the first 40 minutes and lost to Corpus Christi, 9-5.
   It's the first time Fort Worth has missed the playoffs in the franchise's four-year history.
   Cory Johnson recorded the IceRays' sixth hat trick this season and added three assists.
   Corpus Christi improved to 35-24-8 (78 points). The IceRays host Austin today in a 7:05 p.m. game at Memorial Coliseum.
   Fort Worth fell to 28-25-4 (62 points) and out of the playoff picture.
   Corpus Christi started newly acquired goalie Rob Galatiuk for the first time. Galatiuk, a 23-year-old rookie from Lake Superior State College, stopped 36 of 38 shots before IceRays coach Taylor Hall pulled him early in the third period to get Eddy Skazyk some work.
   It was the Brahmas who worked Skazyk, though, scoring three times on Corpus Christi's usual starter.
   The IceRays held a 7-2 lead through two periods and looked to have the game put away.
   After the goalie change, however, Fort Worth showed a little life, getting back-to-back goals from Ross Harris and Stephane Larocque. Harris had two goals on the night, as did the Brahmas' Derek Kups.
   IceRays defenseman Paul Doherty had four assists in the win and Kurt Wickenheiser scored his 61st goal of the year.
   Geoff Bumstead recorded a pair of assists to dirve his league-leading point total to 117.
   After putting four goals on the board in the first 20 minutes, the IceRays scored three more in the second period. Johnson, Dustin McArthur and Bob Quinnell scored to give Corpus Christi a 7-1 lead.
   Like he did in the first period, Fort Worth's Derek Kups scored the final goal of the second period to make the score 7-2 after 40 minutes.
   Corpus Christi made its point early, scoring twice before the game was four minutes old.
   Defenseman Darryl Olsen opened the scoring with his ninth goal of the year 3:24 into the game and Tobin Praznik answered with his 46th just 17 seconds later. Both goals were scored during a four-on-four situation.
   IceRays forward Alex Kholomeyev made it 3-0 with his seventh goal since being traded to Corpus Christi on Feb. 26. The rout was on a little more than 10 minutes later when Johnson scored a short-handed goal to give the IceRays a 4-0 lead.
   Fort Worth finally scored at the 18:13 mark of the first period to make it 4-1 when Kups scored a power-play goal.

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