Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - C.C. looks to keep winning against T-Rex

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Friday, March 30, 2001
C.C. looks to keep winning against T-Rex
IceRays hold 3-1-1 record against league leaders
By Javier Becerra
Caller-Times
Corpus Christi was one of only three teams to post a winning record against the Tupelo T-Rex this season.
   IceRays coach Taylor Hall said the reason for that is simple.
   "This is the best team we've ever had," said Hall, whose IceRays (38-28-4) open the first round of the playoffs tonight against the T-Rex at Memorial Coliseum. Games 2 and 3 will be played Saturday night and Sunday at Memorial Coliseum before the series moves to Tupelo next Friday for the final four games, if needed.
   "It all comes down to how bad we want to commit ourselves to winning," Hall said. "We've beat Tupelo before. Now the thing is, can we beat them when there's money on the line?"
   Corpus Christi was 3-1-1 in five meetings against Tupelo and the T-Rex to an average of 2.80 goals per game, almost half of its league-leading season average of 4.04.
   Tupelo (46-20-5) led the Western Professional Hockey League in goals with 287 and captured the Governor's Cup for posting the league's best record. The Eastern Division champions won 10 straight games to close the regular season and have won 18 of their last 19 games.
   Tupelo, 21-3-1 during its last 25 games, also benefited from having the league's top two scoring forwards. Jason Firth led the WPHL with 126 points (55 goals, 71 assists), while teammate Brant Blackned followed with 96 points (46 goals, 50 assists).
   Corpus Christi defenseman Byron Pool said containing Tupelo's offense will be critical in advancing to the next round. Pool feels the close confines of Memorial Coliseum will help the IceRays force their physical brand of play.
   "Tupelo has four or five guys that we need to key on. As a defenseman, you have to look at guys like Firth and Blackned," Pool said. "After their first two lines they've got a bunch of muckers and grinders, but it doesn't matter because we're going to punish them all. If we get a chance to run them hard into the boards, we're going to take it."
   In the last meeting, Tupelo rallied from a four-goal deficit for a 7-6 shootout win over the IceRays.
   Corpus Christi goaltender Eddy Skazyk said the team has learned its lesson.
   "The last thing we want to do is open up the game for them," said Skazyk, who enters tonight's game giving up 3.19 goals per game. "A four-goal lead is nothing for them to overcome. Any time you play a wide-open style against them, they're going to put the puck in the net."
   The IceRays outscored the T-Rex 11-5 in their three wins, including a 4-3 victory in one of two games in Tupelo. The T-Rex posted a 3-2 win over Corpus Christi in the only other game at Tupelo Coliseum.
   Forward Kurt Wickenheiser said the success the IceRays have had this season against Tupelo should enhance the team's confidence.
   "Things would be different if we would've lost all five to them," said Wickenheiser, who led the IceRays with 29 goals and 36 assists (65 points) during the regular season. "We know we can beat them, which definitely gives us some confidence. They did come back to beat us, but at least we know how deadly they are."
   Corpus Christi edged Monroe by three points for the final spot in the playoffs. The IceRays had won three straight games in mid-March and were looking to enter the playoffs with some momentum, but lost three of their last four games.
   Despite creeping into the postseason, Wickenheiser said the IceRays are where they should be.
   "We deserved it," he said. "We did what we had to do to make it, and now we're here."

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

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