Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - IceRays shoot up Carey in 4-3 victory

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

[an error occurred while processing this directive]

Saturday, February 10, 2001

IceRays shoot up Carey in 4-3 victory
Corpus Christi sends 42 shots at former goalie in home win over Fort Worth
By Javier Becerra
Caller-Times

George Tuley/Caller-Times

IceRays’ goalie Eddy Skazyk stops a point-blank shot salvo from Brahmas’ wing Justin Cardwell during the first period of play in Corpus Christi’s 4-3 win Friday.

Jason Carey's return to Memorial Coliseum was anything but friendly.
   Corpus Christi pounded its former goaltender with 42 shots as the IceRays held on for a 4-3 win over the Fort Worth Brahmas in a battle of familiar foes Friday night at Memorial Coliseum.
   Carey was traded Dec. 15 to the Brahmas for the rights to forward Layne Roland, who has scored 22 points (12 goals, 10 assists) since joining the IceRays. In nine appearances for the Brahmas, Carey is 2-5-0.
   Corpus Christi goalie Eddy Skazyk, who has made 19 of 20 starts since Carey was traded, stopped 29 of 32 shots to improve to 16-10-2.
   "Usually the guys that get traded tend to come back and have something special to show the other team. Jason made some huge saves, but we got to him a little bit in the second period," IceRays coach Taylor Hall said.
   The IceRays improved to 8-2-0 against Fort Worth this season and 27-20-3 (57 points) in the Western Professional Hockey League Eastern Division. Monroe's 4-1 loss to Bossier-Shreveport Friday night moves Corpus Christi into sole possession of fourth place in the standings.
   Fort Worth fell to 12-33-3 (27 points) to remain in last place in the Eastern Division with the league's worst record.
   The IceRays begin a six-game, 10-day road trip tonight in Fort Worth and won't play again at home until Feb. 21 when they host Eastern Division leader the Austin Ice Bats.
   Hall said the win over the Brahmas should create some momentum as the IceRays embark on their last extended road trip of the season.
   "It was a great effort by our guys and a nice way to finish off homestand," said Hall, whose IceRays won seven of their last nine home games. "It's nice to help yourself. Tonight was a game we absolutely had to have."
   One minute into the game Corpus Christi's Jamie Hearn was called for interference. The IceRays cleared the puck three times during the first minute of the penalty and escaped without having to defend any shots on goal.
   With the teams skating at even strength, Corpus Christi initiated a hard offensive charge at Carey as the opening period approached the five-minute mark. After spending several minutes playing defense in their own zone, the Brahmas were able to shift their focus to offense.
   During a line change by both teams, the IceRays lost the puck behind their own net, leaving Fort Worth with two point-blank scoring opportunities. Skazyk, lying in the crease on his left side, stopped both shots with his leg pads.
   Fort Worth went on another power play at 7:24 in the first period. The Brahmas again had two open shots at Skazyk, who deflected both into the side boards.
   Carey, who was 11-8-1 with Corpus Christi before being traded, was just as impressive in front of the Brahmas' goal.
   After struggling early to work the puck into the Fort Worth zone, the IceRays made an assault on Carey and unleashed a barrage of shots on their former teammate. On several occasions the puck was inches away from crossing the goal line, but made just enough contact to clear the puck out.
   Corpus Christi's Geoff Bumstead and Fort Worth's Clint Cabana, who are both being featured in a documentary about the toughest players in the WPHL, fought late in the first period. The two threw punches for more than a minute before being separated.
   The second period began with Bumstead and Cabana in the box with time still left on their five-minute fighting penalties.
   Twenty-four seconds into the period, Cory Evans was called for tripping, giving the Brahmas a man advantage for the third time in the game.
   Corpus Christi cleared the puck into the neutral zone where it was picked up by Brahmas defenseman Mike Rusk. Dustin McArthur stole the puck from Rusk at mid-ice and scored between the legs of Carey to give the IceRays a 1-0 lead with a shorthanded goal at 2:10 into the period.
   Fort Worth's Jason Pain retaliated against McArthur with a spear to the forward's gut. McArthur fell to the ice in a crumpled heap, and Pain was charged with a match penalty and ejected from the game.
   At 5:57 of the second period, Mario Dumoulin scored gave Corpus Christi a 2-0 advantage after he stole the puck at the Brahmas' blue line and took it in, unobstructed, at Carey.
   With Fort Worth's Ben Gorewich in the penalty box for tripping, Corpus Christi's scoring onslaught continued with a power-play goal by Matt Sharuga at 9:18.
   The Brahmas cut into the IceRays' lead at 12:58 when Casey Hungle beat Skazyk on a pass from Justin Cardwell.
   Corpus Christi responded with another goal, this time by Brad Wingfield as the clock hit the 14-minute mark of the second period. Having given up four goals in the period, Carey was replace by Rob Laurie with 3:40 left before the second intermission.
   Fort Worth's Gorewich added one more goal before the period ended to bring the Brahmas to within two goals, 4-2.
   Carey was back in net for the Brahmas in the third period, but it was Skazyk who would first be victimized.
   Mark Zacharias, who assisted on Gorewich's goal, scored his first goal of the season to make it a one-goal game, 4-3, at 5:18 of the third period.

   ICERAYS 4, BRAHMAS 3
   Fort Worth 0 2 1-3
   Corpus Christi 0 4 0-4
   First Period - None. Penalties - Hearn, CC (interference) 1:05; Praznik, CC (boarding) 7:24; Bumstead, CC (fighting) 16:38; Cabana, FW (fighting) 16:38.
   Second Period - 1, CC, McArthur 7 (unassisted) 2:10; 2, CC, Dumoulin 3 (unassisted) 5:57; 3, CC, Sharuga 4 (Hearn, Wickenheiser) 9:18; 4, FW, Hungle 9 (Cardwell) 12:58; 5, CC, Wingfield 10 (Evans, Pool) 14:05; 6, FW, Gorewich 17 (Zacharias) 18:27. Penalties - Evans, CC (tripping) :24; Pain, FW (spearing, match penalty) 3:13; Frappier, CC (elbowing) 5:09; Gorewich, FW (tripping) 8:23; Kholomeyev, CC (holding) 16:20; Evans, CC (interference) 19:32.
   Third Period - 7, FW, Zacharias 1 (Gorewich) 5:18. Penalties - None.
   Shots on goal - Fort Worth 11-11-10--32; Corpus Christi 15-16-13-44. Power-play opportunities -Fort Worth 0 of 5; Corpus Christi 1 of 2. Goalies - Fort Worth, Carey 15-10-13 (42 shots-38 saves), Laurie 0-2-0 (2-2); Corpus Christi, Skazyk 11-9-9 (32-29). Referee - Scott Hughes. Linesmen - Dave Pfohl, Brad Duncan. A - 3,687.



Staff writer Javier Becerra can be reached at 886-3734 or by e-mail at becerraj@caller.com

| 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]