Corpus Christi Online - / Changing positions nets Lewis more ice time

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

Thursday, Dec. 10, 1998
Changing positions nets Lewis more ice time
By MARK BUTTON
Staff Writer

   For Roger Lewis, change is good.
   Usually, a hockey coach has to be a natural optimist to find positives when his team is hit with a slew of injuries. Not Corpus Christi coach Taylor Hall.
   The IceRays - who entertain Central Texas (9-9-5) today at Memorial Coliseum for 7:05 p.m. Western Professional Hockey League game - have incurred a rash of injuries this season. At one point two weeks ago, Corpus Christi (14-10-1) had at least five players out with injuries, a situation that has prompted Hall to give more minutes to Lewis, the 5-foot-6, second-year professional from Houghton, Mich.
   "Roger was always in the plans," Hall said. "He's real fast, aggressive and a great team guy. I recruited him specifically because he gets under people's skin, much like Tyler Boucher.
   "Now that some players have been injured, Roger's getting a lot more responsibility. He has really stepped up and responded wonderfully."
   During the first 11 games of the season, Lewis didn't exactly know where he fit in with the team. Sometimes he played five or six shifts a game on Dave Shute's line. Sometimes he played just a shift or two, and sometimes he didn't play at all.
   "The injuries helped," the 5-foot-6, 175-pound Lewis said. "But as a hockey player, you just want to always work hard and take advantage of any situation that presents itself."
   The speedy Lewis has established himself has the center on the team's third line. He plays between Boucher and tough man Brad Wingfield, and he has never felt better. At Northern Michigan, Lewis played center, as he did for the Saginaw (Mich.) Lumber Kings last year.
   As an IceRay, Lewis switched to a wing, as Corpus Christi had four solid centers in Chris Robertson, Craig Coxe, Dave Shute and Mike "Chicken" Tomlinson. Currently, Coxe is nursing a broken thumb, Tomlinson has moved to defense and Shute has taken Coxe's place.
   Lewis, then, stepped in for Shute and recorded eight assists in 10 games.
   "This feels a lot better. I'm not second-guessing myself anymore," he said. "I love playing with Tyler and Winger, we all know our roles and we play well together."
   Teammates have noticed Lewis' undying efforts to carve a regular spot for himself - and they've been impressed.
   "Roger is a guy who comes ready to go, every practice and every game," Robertson said. "He works hard and never gets too down on himself. He's a great teammate to have."
   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.