Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - Skazyk's Game 1 glory doesn't assure Game 2 start

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Thursday, March 30, 2000

Skazyk's Game 1 glory doesn't assure Game 2 start
Coach Hall refuses to tip his hand on goaltender decision
By Mark Button
Caller-Times
One goalie stopped 32 of 33 shots. The other gave up a goal every 10 minutes.
   And while IceRays goalie Eddy Skazyk clearly outplayed his counterpart, El Paso Buzzards goalie Danny Lavoie, in the first game of the best-of-three WPHL playoff game Tuesday, neither coach has named a starter for Game 2 tonight in El Paso.
   With both Skazyk and Jason Genik ready to go, IceRays coach Taylor Hall would not say which goalie will get the call.
   "We're going to stick with our thing: both goalies need to be ready," Hall said. "We'll make the (starting goalie) determination at game time."
   El Paso scored a soft goal against Skazyk six minutes into Game 1 when Blake Sheane just got enough wood on the puck to sneak it between Skazyk's legs. The Buzzards had gained early control of the game and the series, but Skazyk calmed down to shutout El Paso the rest of the way.

He stopped several shots during a crucial Buzzards' five-on-three advantage late in the second period and early in the third.

He stopped Martin Menard on a breakaway in the second period by doing the splits and kicking the puck away with his right skate.

Skazyk's performance Tuesday snapped a personal two-game losing streak.

Prior to that skid, he had won his previous seven decisions.
   Genik is 4-0-1 in his last five decisions. Skazyk finished the season with a record of 19-14-5. Genik was 16-11-4.
   "I think Eddy has been real sharp toward the end of the season," Hall said. "But both goalies have played well and I have confidence in them both."
   Lavoie went 7-2-1 in his last 10 regular-season decisions and 3-2 in his last five starts. He finished the regular season 25-11-5. El Paso coach Todd Brost, who said he felt that Corpus Christi won the game more than his team lost it, did not blame Lavoie for the Game 1 outcome.
   "I didn't think we played that bad," Brost said. "Corpus Christi was just great."
   When asked about his starting goalie for Game 2, Brost hinted that backup goalie Todd Lauren (16-15-1) may get the nod.
   "We'll worry about that (Thursday)," Brost said, "but we certainly have to make some changes."
   IceCubes
   A COLISEUM AVAILABILITY: If the IceRays advance to the third round of the Western Professional Hockey League President's Cup playoffs, the team will have to find an alternate site to host its home games because of their lease agreement with the Buccaneer Days commission.
   The IceRays will not be able to host hockey games inside Memorial Coliseum past April 9 because of the Buc Days rodeo.
   "But we'll be able to hold the second round here," IceRays general manger Bill Davidson said. "We have to be out after April 9."
   Davidson indicated that, depending on who the team potentially played, he may try to work a revenue-sharing pact that would see an entire best-of-7 series played on enemy ice.
   If the IceRays advance to the best-of-5 series in the second round and play New Mexico, Game 1 will be played April 1 in Santa Fe at an arena that seats 1,500. The Scorpions will not be able to host potential home game at their home arena, Tingley Coliseum until the third round of the playoffs, according to the WPHL.
   Game 2 of a second-round series against New Mexico would be played on April 3 in Santa Fe.
   Games 3 and 4 would then move to coliseum and would be played on April 6 and 8, respectively. If necessary, Game 5 would shift back to Santa Fe on April 9.
   If the IceRays meet Austin in the second round, Games 1 and 2 would be played at the Travis County Exposition Center in Austin on April 1 and 4, respectively. Corpus Christi would host Games 3 and 4 on April 6 and 8, respectively, with Game 5 scheduled for April 9 back in Austin.



Staff writer Mark Button can be reached at 886-3613 or by e-mail at buttonm@caller.com

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