Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - IceRays dominate Ice Bats, 5-3

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Thursday, February 22, 2001
IceRays dominate Ice Bats, 5-3
C.C. gets second straight win over Austin
By Javier Becerra
Caller-Times

David Adame/Caller-Times

C.C’s Kurt Wickenheiser (left) fires off the puck only to have it bounce off the chest of Austin goalie Bryan McMullen in Wednesday’s game at the coliseum.

The Corpus Christi IceRays finally gave Austin a taste of its own medicine.
   After enduring beating after beating at the hands of the Ice Bats during the first half of the season, the IceRays completely dominated Austin in a 5-3 win Friday night at Memorial Coliseum.
   It was Corpus Christi's second straight win over the Ice Bats, who fell, 2-1, to the IceRays last Sunday in Austin. The victory was the IceRays' fourth in 11 meetings this season. Austin's dominance over Corpus Christi includes two 8-1 wins, as well as a 7-2 victory on Feb. 11.
   Corpus Christi improved to 32-22-3 (67 points) and remains in fourth place in the Western Professional Hockey League Eastern Division. Monroe was idle Wednesday night and remains in fifth place behind the IceRays with 60 points.
   Layne Roland led Corpus Christi's scoring charge with two goals. The IceRays also scored two shorthanded goals on the same penalty during the second period. The first shorthanded goal gave the IceRays a 3-0 lead and resulted in the removal of Austin goaltender Bryan McMullen, who faced 22 shots.
   Corpus Christi goalie Brad Erbsland allowed two goals in the third period, but finished with 45 saves to improve to 4-1-0 in place of the injured Eddy Skazyk.
   The IceRays won the opening draw and immediately dumped the puck deep in to the Austin zone. Geoff Bumstead chased down the puck, but his pass into the slot was intercepted by Austin's Philippe Plante.
   Austin went on the offensive through the first five minutes of the game, outshooting the IceRays, 5-2. Corpus Christi, meanwhile, had a different objective.
   While chasing the puck all over their own zone, the IceRays pounded the Ice Bats with several fierce checks against the boards. Corpus Christi's physical play eventually gave Austin the game's first power play, as Brad Wingfield was called for roughing at 5:09 of the first period.
   After its early offensive outburst, Austin managed just one shot against Erbsland during the penalty time.
   Corpus Christi's solid defensive play continued during the middle of the first period, which allowed the IceRays to catch up with Austin on shots on goal.
   Just under seven minutes remained in the first period when the IceRays again pushed the puck into the Austin zone. Cory Evans took control of the puck behind the Ice Bats' goal and passed it to Bumstead, whose backhand shot was deflected by McMullen.
   After several futile scoring attempts, Corpus Christi took a 1-0 lead with 4:01 left in the opening period on a goal by Tobin Praznik.
   Off the opening draw of the second period, Austin's Plante took the puck and worked his way around the Corpus Christi defense. Plante undefended against Erbsland, who caught Plante's slap shot between his leg pads.
   Having survived the Ice Bats' early scoring opportunity, the IceRays went back on offense. This time it was the line of Layne Roland, Alex Kholomeyev and Kurt Wickenhsier that provided the scoring.
   The three forwards trapped the puck behind the Austin net. From Wickenheiser, the puck went to Kholomeyev and then to Roland, who snuck it past McMullen to give the IceRays a 2-0 lead at 2:09 of the second period.
   Corpus Christi's momentum was challenged when Mario Dumoulin was called for holding, but the IceRays were able to hold off Austin on the power play.
   Eight seconds after Dumoulin left the penalty box, Wingfield was sent back to the box for unsportsmanlike conduct. Though a man short on the ice, Corpus Christi's offense continued its dominance of McMullen.
   It took just 16 seconds for the IceRays to strike, increasing their lead to 3-0 with on a shorthanded goal by Kholomeyev at 6:18 of the second.
   McMullen was replaced by Jonathan Forest following Kholomeyev's goal, the forward's 20th of the year. But Forest wasn't any better than McMullen in front of the net, as Jeff Paluseo gave the IceRays a 4-0 lead with the team's second shorthanded goal on the same penalty. The goal, Corpus Christi's 18th shorthanded goal of the season, came exactly one minute after Kholomeyev's goal.
   The game then turned into a slugfest. Three fights erupted within a span of 2:16 midway through the second period, beginning with a brawl between Corpus Christi's Wingfield and Austin's Josh Maser.
   Both teams continued to skate fast and furious, evident when Corpus Christi defenseman Byron Pool checked Austin's Ryan Anderson into the IceRays' bench. Pool skated off and was chased by Anderson, who initiated a fight that sent both players to the penalty box.
   Corpus Christi's Evans and Austin's Derek Nicolson tangled in the third fight of the second period.

   ICERAYS 5, ICE BATS 3
   Austin 0 1 2-3
   Corpus Christi 1 3 1-5
   First Period - 1, CC, Praznik 7 (McArthur) 15:59. Penalties - Wingfield, CC (roughing) 5:09.
   Second Period - 2, CC, Roland 14 (Kholomeyev, Wickenheiser) 2:09; 3, CC, Kholomeyev 20 (Wickenheiser, Frappier) 6:18; 4, CC, Paluseo 14 (M. Van Horlick, Frappier) 7:18; 5, Austin, Brosseau 28 (Price) 12:23. Penalties - Dumoulin, CC (holding) 3:54; Wingfield, CC (unsportsmanlike conduct) 6:02; Wingfield, CC (fighting) 8:49; Maser, Austin (fighting) 8:49; Pool, CC (fighting) 9:32; Anderson, Austin (fighting) 9:32; Evans, CC (fighting) 11:05; Nicolson, Austin (fighting) 11:05; Wickenheiser, CC (boarding) 12:38.
   Third Period - 6, CC, Roland 15 (Wickenheiser) 9:55; 7, Austin, Brosseau 29 (Seguin, Plante) 13:09; 8, Austin, Plante 7 (Brosseau) 17:09. Penalties - Plante, Austin (holding) 5:32.
   Shots on goal - Austin 14-18-16--48; Corpus Christi 14-16-11-41. Power-play opportunities - Austin 0 of 4; Corpus Christi 0 of 1. Goalies - Austin, McMullen 13-6-0 (22 shots-19 saves), Forest 0-7-10 (19-17); Corpus Christi, Erbsland 14-17-14 (48-45). Referee - Scott Hughes. Linesmen - Dave Pfohl, Brad Duncan. A - 3,529.


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

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