Corpus Christi Online - / Corpus Christi warms to home ice

Marketplace \| Services \| Contact Us \| Community \| Arts & Leisure \| Local Guides

Saturday, Dec. 5, 1998
Corpus Christi warms to home ice
Robertson's hat trick helps IceRays snap 4-game skid vs. Fort Worth, 7-0
By MARK BUTTON
Staff Writer

   So much for the slump.
   Chris Robertson and his Corpus Christi teammates broke free from a four-game downward spiral with 7-0 victory against Fort Worth Friday in the IceRays' first game at Memorial Coliseum in three weeks.
   Robertson, who for much for the season led the Western Professional Hockey League in point production, had recorded just two points in the IceRays' previous four contests -- all of which were Corpus Christi losses. Robertson responded with a three-goal night -- the team's third hat trick of the year -- and the IceRays put an end to their longest losing streak.
   "That was the biggest slump of my career," said Robertson, who now has 35 points. "All you can do is keep working hard. Tonight, I have to give a lot of credit to my line mates. Bummer (Geoff Bumstead) and (Lorne) Toews really played outstanding hockey tonight."
   Complimenting Robertson's offensive onslaught was goalie Scott Barber and defenseman Shaun Peet. Barber stopped 33 shots on his way to his first shutout in his three-year professional career. Peet recorded three assists in just fourth game back from a shoulder injury.
   "We lost four games on the road but tonight we stayed positive and gave 100 percent for 60 minutes," Barber said. `We exploded tonight and it was great."
   The IceRays improved to 14-9-1 and remained in first place in the WPHL Central Division. Fort Worth fell to 11-12-1; the Brahmas are in third place in the Central.
   "That was 60 solid minutes of hockey," Corpus Christi coach Taylor Hall said. "That's what I've been asking for. If we would have given efforts like this over the last two weeks, we would have won all four of those games."
   Corpus Christi took a 1-0 lead when Robertson controlled a loose puck in front of the Fort Worth goal and flipped a backhand shot past a sprawling Steve Plouffe. Lorne Toews and Shaun Peet recorded assists on the Robertson goal, his 13th of the year.
   The IceRays stretched the lead to 2-0 after Vadim Sharapov broke free from the Fort Worth defense at the Brahmas blue line, staked into the slot and pushed a shot past Plouffe. Sharapov had just returned from a two-game trip up to Corpus Christi's parent team, the Las Vegas Thunder of the International Hockey League.
   Robertson then recorded the final two-thirds of his hat trick. The third goal came when, as he fell to the ice, Robertson deflected a blast from rookie defenseman Bob Quinnell during a Corpus Christi power play.
   "I was just trying to position myself to get a stick on it," said Robertson, the WPHL's Player of the Month for October. "B.Q. (Quinell) just hit an fantastic shot."
   Early in the third, Corpus Christi began to unload on Fort Worth. IceRays Dave Shute, Pavel Evstigneev and Sharapov picked apart the Brahmas defense as the three rushed into the Fort Worth zone. Evstigneev fed Shute, who sent the puck sliding across the slot and the Brahmas' goalie could do nothing but watch as Sharapov put his stick on the pass and popped it into the back of the net.
   Roger Lewis and newly acquired IceRay Mike Dick added goals for Corpus Christi in the third period.
   Corpus Christi spent much of the first period getting itself into -- and out of -- trouble. The IceRays took four penalties and killed them all, including a Fort Worth five-on-three advantage midway through the period that lasted 1:20.
   The IceRays raced to a 8-1 advantage in shots on goal in the first, and outshot the Brahmas, 20-12, in the period. Corpus Christi also threw 20 shots on goal in the second period.
   IceCubes
   ICE STREAKS: The four-game losing streak the IceRays carried into Friday's game was the team's longest of its kind and the fifth streak of at least three games -- either winning or losing -- the team has had this season. After dropping the home opener on Oct. 13, Corpus Christi won four straight. The IceRays won four straight from Oct. 30 to Nov. 5 as well, before dropping three consecutive games, two of which came against WPHL Central Division foe Waco.
   Prior to the latest four-game skid, the IceRays won four in a row, three of which were shootout victories. Corpus Christi also kept alive its home game sellout streak. The IceRays have sold out all 12 home games this season, a WPHL record for consecutive sellouts.
   Staff Writer Mark Button can be reached at 886-3613, through e-mail at buttonm @scripps.com or on the internet at www. caller.com.

Post your comments on this story in our forums.