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Monday, Dec. 28, 1998
'Rays suffer meltdown in Cold War on Ice
Russian team prevails in OT shootout, 4-3
By MARK BUTTON
Staff Writer

   Nobody expected this, least of all the Russians.
   Battered, bruised and road weary, the Kristall Elektrostal Russian touring team came into to supposed hostile territory Sunday only to find "justice and fair play" from the equally exhausted Corpus Christi IceRays. The visitors from the east then slew the mighty North Americans, 4-3, in an overtime shootout.
   The Russian team, which by Dec. 31 will have completed its eight-game tour of the Western Professional Hockey League, entered the exhibition game expecting rough -- even dirty -- play from the IceRays. The theory was based on Kristall Elektrostal's experiences with Austin Saturday night, when exceedingly physical play prompted the Russians to, at one point, refuse to take the ice in protest.
   According to members of the Kristall Elektrostal staff, the Austin Ice Bats aimed to intimidate the younger Russians -- the Kristall Elektrostal players range in age from 17 to 24 -- with "unsportsmanlike" play. Near the end of the first period, Austin's Mike Jackson took out one of the Kristall Elektrostal players which led Russian coach Alexander Filitchkin to come onto the ice to confront referee Ron Morgan.
   Filitchkin was ejected, and after the first intermission, the WPHL officials had to coax the Russians to finish the game. Austin won, 6-3.
   "After yesterday, we expected the same," said Kristall Elektrostal goalie Vital Chumitchev. "We expected fighting and injustice from the referee."
   There was no fighting to speak of, however, and the IceRays' inability to adapt to the less-physical, trap-heavy Russian style of play, combined with ill-timed Corpus Christi penalties, gave Kristall the advantage it needed to win the game.
   The loss was Corpus Christi's third straight. The IceRays are 18-12-3 and with 39 points, Corpus Christi is in danger of dropping out of first place in the WPHL Central for the first time since late October. None of the players used it as an excuse, but after Saturday's loss at Fort Worth, the team took a 10-hour bus ride back home.
   "It was hard to get our legs going," Corpus Christi's Lorne Toews said.
   After being down 1-0 and 2-1, Corpus Christi rallied to take a 3-2 lead in the third period before giving up a late, power-play goal to Andrei Korolev. The IceRays failed to convert a goal during the overtime shootout, and Kristall Elektrostal forward Sergi Arkayev got the game-winner for the Russians, his third goal of the afternoon.
   "We didn't bring our `A' game tonight," said Toews, who finished with one goal. "They play a different style of hockey, they don't check and they clog up things at mid-ice. We didn't adjust well."
   Kristall Elektrostal had won just one of four games coming into Sunday. Although labelled an exhibition, the game counts in the WPHL standings.
   "I'd be lying to you if I said I wasn't disappointed because we had the lead with five minutes to play," IceRays coach Taylor Hall said. "This Russian team is much better than we expected, looking at their record. Unnecessary penalties killed us."
   The normally raucous home crowd at the Igloo sat in stunned silenced as the Russians took a 1-0 lead 3:49 into the second period. After Toews was whistled for interference, Kristall Elektrostal set up on the power play.
   Arkayev then took a feed from teammate Anton Ulianov in the high slot and blasted a 40-foot slap shot past a shielded Scott Barber.
   A little more than four minutes later, another Russian scored, but this goal brought the Corpus Christi faithful to their feet in a thunderous ovation. After a Kristall Elektrostal giveaway in its own zone IceRay Pavel Evstigneev -- one of Corpus Christi's two Moscow natives -- slid a backhanded shot past Chumitchev to tie the score, 1-1.
   Arkayev's second goal put Kristall Elektrostal ahead, 2-1, late in the second period.
   Power play goals by Toews and Bob Quinell -- both assisted by Chris Robertson -- gave the IceRays a brief 3-2 lead in the third period.
   The young Russians would not yield, however, as Korolev beat Barber with just 5:33 remaining in regulation to tie the game, 3-3.
   "This was very difficult for us after yesterday," said Chumitchev, the Russian goalie. "You play a different style, but both styles are good. I really like this (Corpus Christi) team. They played with class and they have some great individual players."
   IceCubes
   ICERAY ALL STARS: Corpus Christi placed two players on the WPHL 1998-99 Team Texas All Star Team.
   Forward Chris Robertson will start in place of an injured Jean Blouin, the San Angelo star, and IceRay defenseman Regan Harper will play as a reserve.
   The midseason honors are the second for both players. Robertson (18 goals, 28 assists) played in the inaugural WPHL All-Star game in 1996-97 and Harper (3 goals, 7 assists and a +14 rating) played in the 1997-98 All Star game.
   "I was surprised," Harper said. "I had better numbers last year, but it's quite an honor and should be a lot of fun."
   A LITTLE HISTORY: Founded in 1949, the Kristall Elektrostal hockey club is one of the Russian Elite League's oldest teams.
   One of 45 Russian Elite squads, Kristall Elektrostal hails from the small industrial town of Elektrostal, located about one hour east of Moscow.
   Former Kristall Elektrostal players who went on to star in the NHL include Valeri Nazarov, Alexander Ryazantsev, Vladimir Leonov, Sergi Makariv and Andrei Skopintsev.
   Kristall Elektrostal, 0, 2, 1 , 1 -- 4
   Corpus Christi, 0, 1, 2, 0 -- 3

   FIRST PERIOD -- no scoring. Penalties -- Kupreenkov, KE (boarding), 18:06; Tomlinson, CC (hooking), 18:41.
   SECOND PERIOD -- 1,Kristall Elektrostal, Sergi Arkayev (Ulianov, Ivlev), 3:49 (pp). 2, Corpus Christi, Pavel Evstigneev (Shute, Valk), 7:55. 3, Kristall Elektrostal, Arkayev (Ivlev), 18:03. Penalties -- Toews, CC (Interference), 1:52; Lytkin, KE (hooking), 4:27; Korolev, KE (unsportsmanlike conduct), 8:34; Chistiakov, KE (unsportsmanlike conduct), 10:22; Quinnell, CC (unsportsmanlike conduct), 10:22; Toews, CC (roughing), 11:18; Toews, CC (hooking), 18:54.
   THIRD PERIOD -- 4, Corpus Christi, Lorne Toews (Tomlinson, Robertson), 7:41 (pp). 5, Corpus Christi, Bob Quinnell (Robertson), 10:45, (pp). 6, Kristall Elektrostal, Andrei Korolev (Kuprinkov, Litkin), 14:27. Penalties -- Korolev, KE (slashing), 6:25; Chistiakov, KE (high-sticking), 10:34; Bumstead, CC (roughing), 11:18; Shute, CC (roughing), 13:48.
   SHOOTOUT -- Kristall Elektrostal, Maxim Vasitchkov.
   Shots on goal -- Kristall Elektrostal 11-14-11 36. Corpus Christi 6-6-12 34. Goalies -- Kristall Elektrostal, Vital Chumitchev (n/a). Corpus Christi, Scott Barber (7-8). A -- 3,292. Referee -- Scott Hughes.

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