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Friday, March 9, 2001
Ice Bats exact revenge
Austin tramples Corpus Christi, 6-3
By Javier Becerra
Caller-Times

Michelle Christenson/Caller-Times

Corpus Christi’s Dustin McArthur tries to get one past Austin goalie Bryan McMullen during the first period of the Ice Bats 6-3 win Thursday night.

It was just like old times Thursday night between the Corpus Christi IceRays and Austin Ice Bats.
   This time, however, it was Austin that survived the physical and brutal battle to post a 6-3 win at Memorial Coliseum in Western Professional Hockey League's only game of the night.
   The win was Austin's seventh in 12 meetings this season against Corpus Christi, and improves the Ice Bats to 38-20-5 (81 points). The victory also moves Austin ahead of the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs for second place in the Eastern Division.
   Corpus Christi, playing without leading scorer Kurt Wickenheiser and point specialitst Geoff Bumstead, fell to 34-26-3 (71 points). The IceRays still hold a four-point lead over the Monroe Moccasins for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Division.
   The scoring happened fast and furious, with the Ice Bats building a 4-1 lead just eight minutes into the game. Austin increased its lead to 5-1 entering the second period, but a late charge by the IceRays closed the gap.
   A goal by Layne Roland in the second period and another by Jeff Cheeseman in the third brought Corpus Christi to within two goals. Austin's Eric Landry scored with an empty net with 43 seconds left to play to seal the win.
   Austin goaltender Bryan McMullen was solid throughout the night, even with extra forward on the ice for the IceRays during the last three minutes of the game. McMullen stopped 36 of 39 shots.
   Corpus Christi goalie Brad Erbsland, who faced 34 shots in the first two periods, finished with 32 saves.
   Brett Seguin led Austin's scoring attack and finished one goal short of a hat trick. Mario Dumoulin scored Corpus Christi's other goal.
   Austin won the first three face offs, but an offside and two icing call prevented the Ice Bats from getting in close on the Corpus Christi goal.
   Matt Sharuga was called for roughing at the 1:11 mark of the first period, giving Austin a man advantage. The IceRays were able to clear the puck down the ice, but a long pass quickly had the puck back in the Corpus Christi zone.
   Austin's Philippe Plante took the puck in on Erbsland, but the IceRays' rookie goalie made a glove save on the hard slap. Erbsland stopped two more Ice Bats shots during the power play to keep the game scoreless.
   Not long after Sharuga left the penalty box, Austin made a hard offensive charge and took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Josh Maser. Seguin added to the Ice Bats' lead at the 5:25 mark.
   The IceRays answered Austin's goal to make the score 2-1. On a rare first-period scoring opportunity, Brad Wingfield fed an open Dumoulin, whose shot from the left point sent the puck under a diving McMullen.
   It took just 32 seconds for Austin to continue its offensive assault. Jeff Greenlaw won the face off in front of the Corpus Christi net and passed the puck to Kelly Smart.
   Smart immediately dumped the puck back to Daniel Tetrault, who from the right circle easily beat Erbsland. The Corpus Christi netminder was obstructed by a horde of players crowding the net and never saw Tetrault take the shot.
   Already holding a 3-1 lead with 14 minutes left before the first intermission, the Ice Bats would score twice more to give themselves a four-goal cushion.
   The Ice Bats' fourth goal came from Dan Price at the 8:14 mark of the first period. Seguin scored his second goal of the period with six minutes on the clock, which gave the Ice Bats a 5-1 lead.
   Austin's torrid scoring pace diminished in the second period. The Ice Bats continued to take frequent shots at Erbsland, but none found their mark.
   After taking just eight shots on goal in the first period, Corpus Christi's production increased significantly with 14 shots. The IceRays finally cut in to Austin's lead at 12:55 of the second on Roland's 18th goal of the season.
   Both teams would remain scoreless the rest of the period. The, action, however, continued.
   Late in the second period, the Ice Bats cleared the puck out of their zone. As play continued toward the Corpus Christi goal, Wingfield and Austin's Jeff Kungle and Ryan Anderson tangled against the boards to the right of the Ice Bats' net.
   Wingfield and Kungle exchanged blows, with Anderson sandwiched between them. Corpus Christi's Matt Van Horlick skated from the other end of the ice to join the altercation.
   A slash by Kungle on Corpus Christi's Cory Evans set off the brawl. Kungle was charged with a fighting major, slashing major and game misconduct. Wingfield was assessed five minutes for fighting, and Van Horlick four minutes for a roughing double minor. Austin's Anderson received two minutes for roughing.

   ICE BATS 6, ICERAYS 3
   Austin 5 0 1--6
   Corpus Christi 1 1 1--3
   First Period -- 1, Austin, Maser 4 (Landry, Lewis) 3:41; 2, Austin, Seguin 20 (Price, Dexter) 5:25; 3, CC, Dumoulin 4 (Wingfield, Evans) 6:15; 4, Austin, Tetrault 15 (Smart, Greenlaw) 6:47; 5, Austin, Price 15 (Dexter) 8:14; 6, Austin, Seguin 21 (Kungle, Price) 14:04. Penalties-Sharuga, CC (roughing) 1:11; Wingfield, CC (fighting) 9:04; Landry, Austin (fighting) 9:04; Maser, Austin (interference) 11:38; Plante, Austin (obstruction hooking) 15:01.
   Second Period -- 7, CC, Roland 18 (Kholomeyev) 12:55. Penalties-Hearn, CC (kneeing) 9:08; Kungle, Austin (slashing) 11:55; Hearn, CC (obstruction hooking); Greenlaw, Austin (slashing) 15:01; Praznik, CC (hooking) 16:40; Wingfield, CC (fighting) 19:22; Kungle, Austin (fighting, slashing major, game misconduct) 19:22; Anderson, Austin (roughing) 19:22; M. Van Horlick, CC (roughing double minor) 19:22.
   Third Period -- 8, CC, Cheeseman 15 (Frappier, Erbsland) :55; 9, Austin, Landry 10 (unassisted). Penalties-Smart, Austin (holding) 7:15; Praznik, CC (high sticking) 7:52.
   Shots on goal-Austin 18-16-0--0; Corpus Christi 8-14-0--0. Power-play opportunities-Austin 0 of 4; Corpus Christi 0 of 4. Goalies-Austin, McMullen 7-13-0 (0 shots-0 saves); Corpus Christi, Erbsland 13-16-0 (0-0). Referee-Chris Brown. Linesmen-Dave Pfohl, Brad Duncan. A -- 3,646.


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

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