Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - Streak continues as IceRays win

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Sunday, January 21, 2001

Streak continues as IceRays win
C.C. rallies to trounce last-place Brahmas, 6-3
By Javier Becerra
Caller-Times

David Adame/Caller-Times

Corpus Christi’s Dustin McArthur (far left) slips the puck past Ft. Worth goalie Rob Laurie to score the IceRays’ first goal Saturday night. C.C. won, 6-3.

Consistency was something the Corpus Christi IceRays were struggling to find during the first two months of the season.
   The last three weeks have been a different matter.
   Corpus Christi rallied from a two-goal deficit to extend its home winning streak to five games with a 6-3 victory over Fort Worth Saturday night at Memorial Coliseum.
   The win was Corpus Christi's eighth in its last 10 games and third in a row, and improves the IceRays to 24-18-3 (51 points) in the Western Professional Hockey League Eastern Division.
   "It's one of those things where we've worked so hard to prepare the team," said coach Taylor Hall, whose team completed a six-point week with earlier wins over Amarillo and Austin. "We've juggled guys all over the lineup and are at the point where we have so much depth up front. It's just nice to see our guys take the responsibility to do what needs to be done to win hockey games."
   Fort Worth fell to 11-28-3 (25 points) and remains in last place in the Eastern Division with the league's worst record. Coach Todd Lalonde was escorted off the ice in the third period after being assessed a game misconduct.
   Brad Wingfield, Cory Evans and Layne Roland each scored in the second period to help Corpus Christi establish a 4-3 lead entering the third. Kurt Wickenheiser scored twice in the final period, the second an empty-net goal, to seal the victory.
   Roland has scored at least one goal in the last five games, the longest current streak in the WPHL.
   The IceRays won't play again until after the league's all-star break when Fort Worth returns to Memorial Coliseum on Saturday. Wickenheiser and defenseman Jamie Hearn will represent Corpus Christi in Friday's all-star game in Odessa.
   Corpus Christi's Tobin Praznik took the game's first shot just as the game clock reached the 19-minute mark. The puck, slapped by Praznik from the left circle, sailed to the right of the net.
   Both the IceRays and Brahmas struggled offensively through the first five minutes of the opening period, with each team taking just two shots on goal.
   A tripping call on Mario Dumoulin gave Fort Worth a man advantage, but it wasn't until penalty time expired that the Brahmas opened the game's scoring.
   Two seconds after Dumoulin skated out of the penalty box, Daniel Villeneuve slapped the puck past Skazyk to give Fort Worth a 1-0 lead with 13 minutes left in the first period.
   It didn't take long for Corpus Christi to answer back.
   Less than two minutes later, Dustin McArthur tied the game, 1-1, with his sixth goal of the season. McArthur was barely into his celebration when Villeneuve took a lunging swing at the IceRays forward in the crease.
   The two threw several punches while linesmen Brian Bull and Brad Duncan attempted to separate them. McArthur served five minutes for fighting, while Villeneuve was assessed two minutes for roughing along with a five-minute fighting major.
   Fort Worth entered the game with the league's third worst power play percentage. Though the Brahmas failed to produce on their first opportunity, they didn't falter on their second.
   With Cory Evans in the penalty box serving two minutes for a charging call, defenseman Mike Tilson gave Fort Worth the lead once again with just under five minutes left before the first intermission.
   Corpus Christi's power play ranked fourth in the league before Saturday's game, but the Brahmas effectively defended the IceRays on their only two opportunities of the first period.
   Forth Worth came out firing after the break and tested Skazyk almost immediately, the first shot coming 16 seconds into the second period.
   The Brahmas offensive pressure broke Corpus Christi's defense once again 1:36 into in the second on a goal by Chris Peach, who scored from the left of the crease after a pass across the slot from Chad Woollard.
   Trailing, 3-1, the IceRays found themselves having to defend another Fort Worth power play when Shawn Frappier was called for hooking at the 2:21 mark. Better defensive play by Corpus Christi kept the Brahmas from adding to their lead.
   Corpus Christi's power play woes continued when it failed to score on its third opportunity of the game, but the IceRays wouldn't remain dormant for long.
   After half a period of offensive futility, Corpus Christi exploded for two power play goals and one even-strength score to take its first lead of game, 4-3.
   Wingfield began the scoring surge with his ninth goal of the year at 11:51 of the second period with the Corpus Christi on a 5-on-4 advantage.
   It took the IceRays less than two minutes again to tie the game, 3-3, on their fifth power play of the game. The puck was cleared into the Fort Worth zone to the back boards and played by Laurie, who was hesitant in dropping it to the ice with only Villeneuve back on defense.
   The two Brahmas watched the puck as it slid slowly through the right circle in front of the Fort Worth. Villeneuve and Laurie also didn't notice Corpus Christi's Evans, who made a hard charge for the puck. Evans took a shot as soon as he reached the puck and easily beat Laurie for the goal.
   Sixty-two seconds after Evans' goal, Roland took a pass across the slot from Praznik to give the IceRays a 4-3 lead with less than six minutes left in the second period.

   ICERAYS 6, BRAHMAS 3
   Fort Worth 2 1 0-3
   Corpus Christi 1 3 2-6
   First Period - 1, FW, Villeneuve 1 (Gorewich, Cabana) 7:03; 2, CC, McArthur 6 (Kholomeyev, Paluseo) 8:47; 3, FW, Tilson 7 (Harris, Cardwell) 15:32. Penalties - Dumoulin, CC (hooking) 4:58; McArthur, CC (fighting) 8:47; Villeneuve, FW (roughing, fighting) 8:47; Cabana, FW (crosschecking) 9:40; Evans, CC (charging) 14:43.
   Second Period - 4, FW, Peach 14 (Woollard, Shannon) 1:36; 5, CC, Wingfield 9 (Dumoulin, Evans) 11:51; 6, CC, Evans 4 (unassisted) 13:40; 7, CC, Roland 9 (Praznik, Hearn) 14:42. Penalties - Frappier, CC (hooking) 2:21; Shannon, FW (crosschecking) 5:37; Tilson, FW (tripping) 10:04; Harris, FW (crosschecking) 13:29; Praznik, CC (obstruction holding) 19:30.
   Third Period - 8, CC, Wickenheiser 21 (Roland, Praznik) 16:12; 9, CC, Wickenheiser 22 (Wingfield, Pool) 19:41. Penalties - Cabana, FW (tripping) 3:46; Hearn, CC (highsticking) 8:41; Tilson, FW (delay of game) 14:56; Todd Lalonde, FW (game misconduct) 14:56; Bench, FW (delay of game) 14:56.
   Shots on goal - Fort Worth 9-6-13-28; Corpus Christi 18-18-13-49. Power-play opportunities - Fort Worth 1 of 5; Corpus Christi 3 of 8. Goalies - Fort Worth, Laurie 17-15-12 (49 shots-44 saves); Corpus Christi, Skazyk 7-5-13 (28-25). Referee - Chris Brown. Linesmen - Brian Bull, Brad Duncan. A - 3,788.



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

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