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Friday, Jan. 1, 1999
IceRays maintain hold on first place
CC defends perch atop Central Division with 4-3 shootout win over Fort Worth
By MARK BUTTON
Staff Writer

   New year, same story.
   Just when it looked as if the Corpus Christi IceRays were finally going to be bumped out of first place in the Western Professional Hockey League's Central Division, coach Taylor Hall's club came from behind to claim 4-3 overtime shootout victory against Fort Worth Thursday, securing Corpus Christi's first-place standing for another day.
   Which makes it now 73 consecutive days that the IceRays have stood alone atop the division. Happy New Year, indeed.
   Down, 4-3, with 1 minute, 17 seconds to play in regulation, Corpus Christi forward Dave Shute scored his second goal of the game to tie the score and send the game to the overtime shootout. In overtime, IceRays Chris Robertson, Geoff Bumstead and Pavel Evstigneev all scored on backhanders, and Corpus Christi goalie Scott Barber blocked three of four Fort Worth shot attempts to seal the win.
   "We have to keep it interesting for the fans," Shute said in an on-ice, postgame interview before breaking out into his rendition of the artist formerly known as Prince's "1999."
   Corpus Christi broke a three-game losing streak and improved to 19-12-3 (41 points) and the Brahmas fell to 18-15-2. Fort Worth earned one point for the overtime loss, giving it 39. The IceRays are 3-0-1 against Fort Worth.
   "For the fans, you couldn't have written a better script for an ending to the game," Hall said. "But that wasn't they way we had planned it. That was a little too close for comfort."
   For the 23rd time in 34 games, the IceRays drew first blood as Lorne Toews scored his ninth December goal, a backhand shot that found the bottom right corner of the Fort Worth goal just 1:02 into the contest. Phil Valk and Robertson recorded assists on the goal. For Robertson, who will start in the Jan. 10 WPHL All Star game in Austin, the assist was his 30th of the year.
   Corpus Christi led after one period, 1-0.
   The Brahmas tied the game, 1-1, after forward Phil Miaskowski scored his 11th goal of the season on assists from Martin Machacek and Ryan Black just 1:55 into the second period. Miaskowski beat Barber stickhand-side, just seconds after the IceRays successfully killed a penalty.
   The deadlock was short lived, however, as Shute put the IceRays back on top, 2-1, less than three minutes after the Fort Worth goal. Standing on the doorstep, Shute slammed home his 12th of the year after taking a passes from forwards Vadim Sharapov and Pavel Evstigneev -- also known as the Russian Connection.
   Fort Worth then began the third period much like it did the second, tying the game, 2-2, with a goal during the period's opening minutes. Brahmas forward Stephan Larocque punched threw a slap shot from about 35 feet out on a Fort Worth power play just 1:17 into the third.
   The Brahmas then pulled ahead, 3-2, just after it looked as if Corpus Christi had seized the game's momentum. After the IceRays' Bob Quinnell was whistled for an unsportsmanlike conduct minor penalty, referee Scott Hughes called a bench minor on Hall as well.
   "You couldn't print what I was saying," Hall said.
   The simultaneous minors gave Fort Worth a 5-on-3 advantage for two minutes.
   Corpus Christi killed the first 1:06 of the penalty before the Brahmas ever gained possession of the puck, however, as a delayed-penalty call on Fort Worth allowed Barber to leave the ice in lieu of an extra skater.
   The IceRays bench seemed rejuvenated after killing the first half of the Fort Worth power play, but forward Steve Carter put the puck past Barber a few seconds later. Carter received a picture-perfect pass from Cosmo Dupaul, who slid the puck in front of the Corpus Christi crease. Barber was moving to his left to defend Carter, but the IceRay goalie was a too late.
   Trailing, 3-2, Hall pulled his goalie with just more than two minutes to play -- while Corpus Christi was on the power play. The six-on-four advantage was enough, as Shute poked through the game-tying goal with just 1:17 to play in regulation.
   Evstigneev got the game-winner in overtime.
   ICECUBES
   CATCH THE WPHL ON FSN: FOX Sports Southwest will televise the Jan. 10 WPHL All Star game live.
   Played in Austin's Travis County Exposition Center, the broadcast will begin at 7 p.m.
   "The WPHL is a perfect fit for FOX Sports Southwest as many of the teams are located within our coverage area," station vice president and general manager Jon Heidtke said.

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