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Wednesday, March 14, 2001
Playoff run getting urgent for IceRays
Corpus Christi team must end recent skid to reach postseason
By Javier Becerra
Staff writer
The Corpus Christi IceRays can’t help but feel some pressure.
Two weeks ago, the IceRays had a five-point cushion over Monroe for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Western Professional Hockey Eastern Division.
Having won just one of its last five games, Corpus Christi is tied for fourth place with the Moccasins, who lost Tuesday night 4-3, to first-place Tupelo.
And with just seven regular-season games left, the IceRays feel a certain sense of urgency.
"For sure, we’re all a little stressed right now," defenseman Mario Dumoulin said. "We definitely feel the chill, but it’s a good chill. Everybody has a positive attitude and is excited because we’re still in the race."
The race is close.
Entering tonight’s showdown between Eastern Division rivals Austin and Corpus Christi, three teams are tied for the division lead. Tupelo, Bossier-Shreveport and Austin share the top spot with identical 39-20-5 records. Corpus Christi and Monroe remain tied for fourth with 71 points each.
The IceRays welcome Monroe to Memorial Coliseum Friday night for another battle for positioning. Four of Corpus Christi’s last six games are against divisional opponents, which Dumoulin said has created a different atmosphere for the last two weeks of the season.
"We have to forget about what’s been happening," said Dumoulin, who has four goals and 21 assists this season. "We treating this like it’s a new season and we have a seven-game series ahead of us. This is playoff hockey right now, and we have to get serious."
Helping the IceRays during their final stretch of games is the return of goaltender Eddy Skazyk, who hasn’t played since injuring his left knee in a win over Bossier-Shreveport on Feb. 16. Backups Brad Erbsland and Rob Galatiuk led Corpus Christi to a 6-4-0 record during Skazyk’s absence.
Skazyk, who is also recovering from the flu, is anxious to get back in goal.
"I’m ready to play," said Skazyk, whose saphenous nerve in his knee was bruised by a flying puck. "When it gets closer to the end of the season is when it’s worst being out. You want to be healthy and help the team win, but when you can’t do that it’s tough."
Dumoulin said the toughest task the IceRays face is to remain mentally prepared.
"At this time in of year, you don’t need to skate anymore. It’s all mental," Dumoulin said. "You have to go to sleep the night before a game and think about what you have to do to win. It’s all about the team."
Corpus Christi’s last win, which ended a three-game losing streak, was a 4-3 victory over Monroe on March 3. Austin posted its seventh win over Corpus Christi last Thursday with a 6-3 victory.
The IceRays rallied from a 5-1 deficit to come within two goals of the Ice Bats, which Corpus Christi coach Taylor Hall said salvaged what could have been a disaster.
"It was a tough loss," Hall said. "We didn’t come out to play at all in the first period, but in the second and third we played very well. I think we’re ready to come out of the gates against Austin (tonight)."
With a playoff berth on the line, Hall expects the IceRays to play hard for three full periods in each of the team’s last seven games.
"If you don’t play your best game, you’re not going to win," Hall said. "You may even play 60 solid minutes and still not win. Our destiny is in our own hands. Things are coming down to the wire. Every team has to play the best hockey, and if we do, we’re in the playoffs."
Staff writer Javier Becerra can be reached at 886-3734 or by e-mail at becerraj@caller.com
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© 2001,
a Scripps Howard newspaper. All rights reserved.
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