Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - Struggling IceRays slip up against New Mexico, 3-2

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Sunday, November 4, 2001
Struggling IceRays slip up against New Mexico, 3-2
Scorpions’ third-period goal sends Corpus Christi to its second straight loss
By Javier Becerra

Caller-Times
Dale Henry would like his Corpus Christi IceRays to fall into a pattern.
   The team's current course isn't what Henry wanted to see this early into his first season as head coach.
   New Mexico handed Corpus Christi its second straight loss, 3-2, Saturday night at Memorial Coliseum. The IceRays are winless in their last five games and fell to 1-5-2 (4 points) in the Central Hockey League Southeast Division.
   Corpus Christi kept the score close for most of the game, answering New Mexico's first two goals with goals by Alex Kholomeyev and Mike DeGurse. But the IceRays couldn't counter Alek Stojanov's second goal of the night, which gave the Scorpions the lead for good 22 seconds into the third period.
   New Mexico won for the third time in four games and improved to 4-3-0 (8 points) in the Southwest Division.
   With Corpus Christi's Mike DeGurse in the penalty box for delay of game, the IceRays thwarted New Mexico's first power play shot. On the rebound, Jeff Paluseo took a pass and skated up the right boards past two Scorpions defenders and was open for a slap shot on Myers.
   Paluseo sent the puck straight at Meyers, who used his arm pads to knock it away. New Mexico took control and sent the puck back into the Corpus Christi zone for the remainder of the penalty time.
   At 5:40 in the first period, Gatis Tseplis was called for tripping, giving the IceRays their first power play. Even with the man advantage, Corpus Christi struggled to keep the puck in the New Mexico zone.
   Near the end of the penalty, the Scorpions sent the puck back behind the Corpus Christi net. The IceRays lost control against the boards and the puck slipped out to the right of the crease. With the goal undefended, Hamelin wasn't able to react quickly enough to prevent Tyler Baines from giving the Scorpions a 1-0 lead on New Mexico's first shorthanded goal of the season.
   The IceRays came out of the first intermission with 41 seconds left on a power play carried over from the opening period, but couldn't get position against New Mexico's penalty-killing defense.
   For the next four minutes, Corpus Christi weathered a barrage of shots, most of which came during a power play after a holding call on Byron Pool.
   Not long after New Mexico survived a Corpus Christi power play, the IceRays broke New Mexico's defense with a series of quick passes in the neutral zone. Paluseo took the puck across the blue line and dumped it across the slot to Alex Kholomeyev, who beat Myers high to tie the game, 1-1.
   Midway through the second period, Corpus Christi's Jason Carriere was called for holding. Twenty seconds into the power play, the Scorpions reclaimed the lead, 2-1, on a goal by Stojanov, his first of the season.
   Corpus Christi won the opening faceoff of the third period and dumped the puck into the New Mexico zone. Ten seconds later, Mike DeGurse scored his first goal of the year to tie the score, 2-2.
   New Mexico struck back just as quickly, taking advantage of a defensive breakdown in front of the Corpus Christi net 12 seconds after DeGurse's goal. Three Scorpions raced ahead of the IceRays defense with two quick passes, the second of which went to an open Stojanov who put the puck in for his second goal of the night.
   New Mexico 1 1 1-3
   Corpus Christi 0 1 1-2
   First period - 1, NM, Baines 3 (unassisted) 7:36. Penalties - DeGurse, CC (delay of game) :40; Goetz, CC (unsportsmanlike conduct, misconduct) 4:36; Tseplis, CC (tripping) 5:40; Pool, CC (roughing, unsportsmanlike conduct) 7:46; Sharuga, CC (cross-checking) 9:10; Stojanov, NM (boarding) 9:54; Cornachhia, NM (slashing) 12:31; Tseplis, NM (obstruction holding) 18:41.
   Second period - 2, CC, Kholomeyev 4 (Paluseo, Prentice) 6:57; 3, NM, Stojanov 1 (Tseplis, Tremblay) 11:43. Penalties - Pool, CC (holding) 1:36; Beaulieu, NM (trippng) 4:31; Carriere, CC (holding) 11:23.
   Third period - 4, CC, DeGurse 1 (Sharuga, Wickenheiser) :10; 5, NM, Stojanov 2 (Delisle) :22. Penalties - none.
   Shots on goal - New Mexico, 15-12-10-37, Corpus Christi 11-16-7-34. Power-play opportunities - New Mexico 1 of 7; Corpus Christi 0 of 5. Goalies - New Mexico, Myers 11-15-6 (34 shots-32 saves); Corpus Christi, Hamelin 14-11-9 (37-34). Referee - Jim Norquay. Linesmen - Paul Wilkinson, Dean Hill. A - 3,574.


Contact Javier Becerra at 886-3734 or becerraj@caller.com

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