Corpus Christi Online - / Ice Bats hold off IceRays, 4-3

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Sunday, Nov. 8, 1998
Ice Bats hold off IceRays, 4-3
Austin subdues CC in shootout, 5-4
By MARK BUTTON
Staff Writer

   AUSTIN -- The Austin Ice Bats scored three first-period goals, played defensive hockey for 40 minutes and stole a 4-3 victory from Corpus Christi in a Saturday night Western Professional Hockey League game that ended in an overtime shootout.
   Austin (5-7-2) outscored the IceRays, 5-4, in the shootout. Ice Bat forward Jeff Greenlaw slapped the game-winning wrist shot past Corpus Christi goalie Frank Caprice after IceRay defenseman Bob Quinell's backhand attempt was blocked. The IceRays have lost two straight -- they went 1-2 on the three-day, three-game swing that concluded Saturday -- and fell to 9-5 for the season.
   Corpus Christi is now 2-2 against Austin, which won in shootouts on back-to-back nights. The Ice Bats defeated Alexandria, 6-5, Friday.
   After the slow start, Corpus Christi dominated the play in the third period, outshooting the Ice Bats, 16-3. Austin goalie Ron Bertrand carried his team, however, stopping 34 of 37 shots, 15 in the final 20:00.
   "There's no way (Austin) should have even been in the game," Corpus Christi's Craig Coxe said. "We dominated them in the third and in the second. We just ran into a hot goalie."
   Also playing its third game in as many days, Austin was the aggressor early. The Ice Bats put up a two-goal lead before Corpus Christi even registered a shot on goal. IceRay forward David Shute found the net with 4:03 left to play in the first period as he smashed a slapshot into the top right corner of the Austin net, unassisted, from just a step inside the Ice Bats blue line. Austin led, 2-1.
   Tom Nolan then gave Austin another two-goal lead with a late first-period goal.
   "We might have taken them a little too lightly in the first," said Coxe, who recorded a goal and an assist. "You just can't do that in this league."
   After being outshot in the first period, 13-8, Corpus Christi showed signs of life in the second. Coxe snapped a wrister past Bertrand with 8:24 to play in the second to put the IceRays within a goal of Austin for the second time, 3-2. Coxe's goal seemed to ignite the road-weary IceRays, as Corpus Christi outshot Austin in the second period, 13-7.
   With Austin playing a passive offense game, the IceRays finally knotted the game, 3-3, with just 4:23 to play when Vadim Sharapov sneaked one by Bertrand off assists by Pavel Evstigneev and Coxe.
   Shute, Chris Robertson, Evstigneev and Geoff Bumstead all scored goals in the shootout. Caprice (7-3) blocked 21 shots on the night.
   "It was a rough win," Austin coach Al Tuer said. "Corpus Christi has a great club. We got a few goals early and eeked it out."
   IceCubes
   HALL SIGNS TWO: With injuries to two of his team's six defensemen, IceRays coach Taylor Hall signed two blue-liners, according to published league reports. Hall claimed defensemen Derek Pajot off waivers Wednesday and signed Yuri Lysakovsky to a one-year contract Thursday.
   Pajot began the year with Corpus Christi, but Hall traded the 6-foot-4, 220-pound defenseman to New Mexico just days before Corpus Christi's season-opener on Oct. 13. Pajot played four games with the Scorpions before being traded again, this time to Fort Worth. The Brahmas waived Pajot in early November, and Hall signed Pajot to the standard, one-year player's contract.
   Lyaskovsky also signed a standard deal. The Ukrainian back-liner played briefly with the Tacoma Sabercats in the Central Hockey League. Lyaskovsky joined the IceRays on Oct. 30; this is his first year playing professional hockey in America.

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