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Saturday, May 20, 2000
IceRays shore up defense with off-season moves
Corpus Christi franchise trades Genik, Roland and considerations for defensemen Tseplis, Hogg
By Mark Zuckerman
Caller-Times
It's no secret that the IceRays' top off-season priority involves shoring up their much-maligned defense, one that surrendered 4.25 goals per game last season, which was third-worst in the WPHL.
If Taylor Hall has his way, that will change drastically next winter, particularly if a pair of trades announced Friday produce the kind of results the IceRays head coach expects.
Corpus Christi dealt away goalie Jason Genik and forward Layne Roland, plus future considerations the team has coming from previous deals with Shreveport and Tupelo, to the Fort Worth Brahmas for defensemen Gatis Tseplis and Murray Hogg, and forward Cory Evans.
And, in a separate deal, the IceRays picked up goalie Jason Carey, a WPHL all-star from Central Texas, for future considerations.
"Obviously, goaltending and defense is a high priority for us," Hall said. "And the moves we made today helped us in that area. Next year, we want to be one of the best defensive teams in the league."
The acquisition of Carey would appear to be a step in that direction. The 27-year-old netminder from Lockport, Minn., gave up just 2.88 goals per game last season for the Stampede, sixth-best in the WPHL, winning 24 games with only nine losses. After splitting time in net with Matt Barnes last season, Carey likely will share goaltending duties in Corpus Christi with Eddy Skazyk, who Hall said he hopes to re-sign.
"Jason's been a guy that's been a thorn in our side for a couple of years," Hall said of Carey. "I thought he was Central Texas' best goaltender, but they decided to keep the other guy. So we're happy to get Jason on our team."
The IceRays also hope to bolster their defense with the acquisitions of Tseplis, Hogg and Evans, Hall said.
Tseplis, a 29-year-old defenseman from Latvia, had 33 points in 33 games last year for Fort Worth. He only picked up 30 penalty minutes for the Brahmas and was a key contributor on the team's power play.
Hogg, a 24-year-old from Millbrook, Ont., had 19 points and 129 penalty minutes in 58 games last season. The 26-year-old Evans appeared in only four games at Fort Worth, but showcased his offensive talents with three assists.
In the deal with the Brahmas, the IceRays lose Roland, who scored 12 goals and had eight assists in 19 games last season, and Genik, who had been with the team for two seasons. The goalie won 16 games for Corpus Christi last year, lost 11 and posted a 4.13 goals-against average.
With Genik gone, Hall will turn to the combination of Skazyk, Carey and rookie Mike Szkodzinsky, who signed earlier this week.
"I thought Eddy played a little better than Jason (Genik) last year," Hall said. "Both guys played decent, but we're looking to take it a level further."
Staff writer Mark Zuckerman can be reached at 886-3747 or by e-mail at zuckermanm@caller.com
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