Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - IceRays again fall short, 6-5

Marketplace \| Services \| Contact Us \| Community \| Arts & Entertainment \| Local Guides

[an error occurred while processing this directive]

Saturday, November 4, 2000

IceRays again fall short, 6-5
Lake Charles skates past Corpus Christi
By Javier Becerra
Caller-Times
The Lake Charles Ice Pirates outlasted Corpus Christi for a 6-5 win Friday night at Memorial Coliseum.
   Corpus Christi was unable to capitalize on a 5-on-3 advantage with five minutes left in the game, created when IceRay Geoff Bumstead and Lake Charles goalie Mike Gorman scuffled in the crease. The IceRays also missed scoring chances on a two-man advantage after pulling goalie Mike Szkodzinski, who was making his professional debut.
   The IceRays, who signed Szkodzinski Friday afternoon to shore up a goalie crew weakened by the flu, fell to 4-6-1 in the Western Professional Hockey League Eastern Division standings. Lake Charles improved to 4-7-0.
   It was Corpus Christi's second straight loss and sixth in the last seven games, and the first to Lake Charles in three meetings this season.
   It was a busy first period, as both Corpus Christi and Lake Charles showed their offensive prowess on the power play.
   All four goals scored in the first were power play goals, the first two of which helped Lake Charles build a 2-0 lead.
   At the 2:32 mark, John Hanson smoked a shot between Szkodzinski's legs. Szkodzinski stopped the Ice Pirates' first four shots before Hanson's goal, but the 5-foot-9, 180-pound right winger Hanson had a clear shot right up the middle after setting up just inside the blue line.
   With just over 11 minutes left in the first, the Ice Pirates found themselves with yet another power play opportunity. Jaime Dunn took a pass from Bill Lund and blasted a shot past Szkodzinzki from the left wing, giving Lake Charles a 2-0 lead.
   Corpus Christi was quick to answer.
   Just nine seconds into the IceRays' first power play of the night, Alex Kholomeyev sneaked one past Gorman. The goal, Kholomeyev's fourth of the season, cut the lead to 2-1.
   Three minutes later the IceRays again had a man advantage, and were able to tie the game at 2-2 after Jaime Hearn's fourth goal of the year found the back of the net.
   Lake Charles had a third power play opoortunity with five minutes left in the first, but the IceRays' penalty killing unit denied the Ice Pirates a chance to regain the lead.
   The Ice Pirates were the first to strike in the second period.
   With 17:43 still on the clock, Hanson lifted the puck over Szkodzinski's left shoulder for his second goal of the night, breaking the first-period tie.
   Barely a minute later, Corpus Christi's Kurt Wickenheiser, who leads the team in scoring, made it a 3-3 game after a quick flip of the puck off a perfect pass in front of the net by Geoff Bumstead.
   Lake Charles continued its assault with 10:08 left in the second period, as Troy Kennedy beat Szkodzinski off the face off to put the Ice Pirates back up, 4-3.
   Kholomeyev had a breakaway shot on Gorman with just over five minutes left in the second. After a fake to the right, Kholomeyev came back to the left with the shot, but a diving Gorman was able to deflect the puck with his legs.
   Later in the period, Wickenheiser stole the puck at mid-ice and skated up on Gorman, who again was prevented the IceRays from making the score even.
   Less than three minutes remained in the second when Bumstead converted a Wickenheiser pass into a shorthanded score, Corpus Christi's third game-tying goal of the night.
   But the Ice Pirates would go into the second intermission with a 4-3 lead on a power play goal by Lund.
   Early in the third period, Corpus Christi went on a four-minute power play, but the IceRays gave up their second shorthanded goal of night when Lund got past two defenders to post his second goal of the game.
   Trailing, 6-4, the IceRays needed just 27 seconds to pull with one when Jeff Paluseo launched his fourth goal of the season past Gorman.

| Talk about this story | Next Story | Home |

[an error occurred while processing this directive]

[ Printer-friendly version ]
[ Subscribe to newspaper ]

SEND THIS PAGE TO A FRIEND

[an error occurred while processing this directive]