Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - Buzzards turn tables on IceRays, win Game 2, 5-2

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Friday, March 31, 2000

Buzzards turn tables on IceRays, win Game 2, 5-2
WPHL scoring champ Bumstead tossed after third-period fracas
By Mark Button
Caller-Times

Special to the Caller-Times

El Paso’s Marc Labelle and Corpus Christi’s Cory Johnson fight for the puck in Thursday’s 5-2 IceRay loss. The two teams will face off tonight in the best-of-three series to decide who will advance.

EL PASO - The Corpus Christi IceRays have 60 minutes left to extend their hockey season.
   El Paso forward Jeremy Vanin scored a pair of goals Thursday as the Buzzards defeated the IceRays, 5-2, in Game 2 of a best-of-three first-round Western Professional Hockey League playoff series.
   The third and decisive game of the series starts today at 8:11 p.m. at the El Paso County Coliseum.
   Even though they lost, there was a measure of good news for the IceRays after the game. Forward Geoff Bumstead, who won the league scoring title, was ejected from the game late in the third period when he received a game misconduct. He was initially hit with a match penalty, which may have resulted in a Game 3 suspension after league review.
   Twenty minutes after the game, however, Brad Treliving, WPHL director of hockey operations, informed both coaches that Bumstead did not receive a match penalty and will not be suspended for Game 3.
   Bumstead's ejection stemmed from a fight with El Paso's Trent Eigner. After Eigner put a glove in Bumstead's face, Bumstead dropped Eigner with one punch and continued to beat on him while Eigner was laying face-first on the ice.
   From start to finish, Corpus Christi appeared to be a shell of the team that dominated the Buzzards in Game 1. IceRays goalie Eddy Skazyk, for example, was at his best in the first game, stopping 32 of 33 shots. That was not the case Thursday, though the Corpus Christi defensive effort in front of Skazyk was not as strong as it was in Game 1.
   "We just got outworked," IceRays coach Taylor Hall said. "The big thing (for Game 3) is that we have to show up committed to work like we did in Game 1. I think the guys came out and thought it was going to be an easy game."
   El Paso coach Todd Brost made a change in goal for Thursday's game, a strategy that paid off. Brost went with back-up goalie Todd Laurin for Game 2 after his starter, Danny Lavoie, gave up six goals in the first game. Lauren, who stands 5-foot-6, received plenty of defensive help from his teammates and stopped 25 of 27 Corpus Christi shots to collect the win.
   "Danny's been pretty much carrying us all season," Laurin said. "We didn't give him much help in Corpus Christi. Hopefully the rest will do him good and he can get going."
   El Paso led, 4-1, after two periods but IceRays forward Tobin Praznik put Corpus Christi within reach of the Buzzards with 13:06 to play with his second goal of the playoffs.
   A short-handed goal by Vanin with 9:07 to play put the game out of reach and set up today's Game 3.
   "We had a better effort tonight," Brost said. "Some guys stepped up who needed to."
   After Corpus Christi dug a two-goal deficit in the first period, forward Andy Ross provided the IceRays with their first sign of life when he ripped a wrist shot that sailed over Laurin's shoulder 2:05 into the second period. Brad Wingfield set up Ross with a nifty behind-the-back pass at center ice. Ross' goal cut the Buzzards' lead to one goal, 2-1.
   El Paso re-established control with back-to-back goals midway through the second period. Greg Olsen scored a power-play goal at the 10:14 mark of the period - it was the Buzzards' second power-play in 12 chances in the series - and Vanin beat Skazyk 1:03 later on an even-strength goal that gave El Paso a 4-1 lead.
   Corpus Christi had a chance to get back in the game late in the second period when two Buzzards penalties put the IceRays on a five-on-three advantage for 56 seconds. Corpus Christi failed to score, however, and the second period ended with the Buzzards leading, 4-1.
   El Paso controlled the first period much the way Corpus Christi did in nearly all of Game 1. The Buzzards seemed quicker, more physical and more organized, which resulted in a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes of play thanks to goals by Matt Hogan and Blake Sheane.
   Hogan got his first goal of the playoffs on a one-timer from Martin Menard 1:47 into the game. Just seconds before the goal, Menard took a slash at the stick of IceRays' defenseman Trevor Janicki, which broke Janicki's stick in half.
   A quick turnover led to a two-on-one for El Paso, while Janicki was left to try and defend the Buzzards' man-advantage without a stick. Menard took his time and fed Hogan, who beat Skazyk to his left.
   The Buzzards then got a bonus when their checking line produced a goal at the 16:05 mark of the first. John Hanson set up Sheane for Sheane's second goal of the postseason.
   El Paso 2 2 1 - 5
   Corpus Christi 0 1 1 - 2
   FIRST PERIOD - 1, El Paso Matt Hogan (Menard, Vanin), 1:47. 2, El Paso, Blake Sheane (Hanson, Olsen), 16:05. PENALTIES - Peterson, EP (goalie interference), 3:33; CC bench (too many men on ice), 5:32; McArthur, CC (slashing), 8:37; Johnson, CC (high-sticking dbl. minor); Moffat, EP (tripping), 10:42; Haddock, EP (holding), 17:11.
   SECOND PERIOD - 3, Corpus Christi, Andy Ross (Wingfield), 2:05. 4, El Paso, Greg Olsen (Moffat, Hogan) 10:14, (pp). 5, El Paso Jeremy Vanin (Menard, Haddock), 11:57. PENALTIES - Quinnell, CC (unsportsmanlike conduct), 2:58; Hanson, EP (unsportsmanlike conduct), 2:58; Menard, EP (interference), 5:18; McArthur, CC (holding), 8:18; Olsen, CC (slashing), 8:57; Wynes, EP (holding), 12:21; Quinnell, CC (high-sticking), 15:02; Peterson, EP (interference), 15:50; Wynes, EP (holding), 16:57.
   THIRD PERIOD - 6, Corpus Christi, Tobin Praznik (Bumstead, J. Praznik), 6:54, (pp). 7, El Paso, Vanin (Moffat, Laurin), 10:53, (sh). PENALTIES - Vanin, EP (tripping), 2:17; Wynes, EP (hooking), 5:43; Kholomeyev, CC (kneeing), 7:16; Olsen, EP (tripping), 9:54; Wingfield, CC (obstruction tripping), 12:59; Bumstead, CC (fighting, game misconduct), 16:29; Eigner, EP (fighting), 16:29; Vandenberghe, CC (fighting), 16:52; Labelle, EP (fighting, elbowing), 16:52; Shiryaev, CC (roughing), 18:20; Haddock, EP (obstruction tripping), 18:51.
   SHOTS ON GOAL - El Paso 17-10-14 41. Corpus Christi 8-10-9 27. GOALIES - El Paso, Todd Laurin (1-0-0). Corpus Christi, Eddy Skazyk (1-1-0). A - 1,578. REFEREE - Ron Morgan.



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

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