CALLER-TIMES INTERACTIVE: NEWS

Wednesday, Oct. 14, 1998

A chilly reception

IceRays fall 4-3 in premier

By MARK BUTTON
Staff Writer

   The Corpus Christi IceRays knew Austin was invited to the team's sold out, opening night gala at Memorial Coliseum Tuesday, but the IceRays didn't think the Ice Bats would crash the party like they did.
   Despite a furious Corpus Christi charge in the last 30 minutes of play, Austin defeated the IceRays, 4-3, in Corpus Christi's inaugural Western Professional Hockey League contest.
   Corpus Christi outshot the Ice Bats, 40-18, but Brian Elder, the Austin goalie, was up to the task as Elder stopped 37 shots.
   Austin, one of the original six members of the three-year-old WPHL, seemed unimpressed and unfazed by the opening night festivities, scoring the game's first four goals.
   While Corpus Christi spent the first 10 minutes of the game feeling out its opponents and the team's new surroundings, the Ice Bats quickly seized a 1-0 lead just 2 minutes, 1 second into the contest. Austin defenseman Jeff Greenlaw scored the Igloo's first-ever goal when he took a crossing pass from his teammate, Harley McEwen, and beat Corpus Christi goalie Frank Caprice for a goal.
   Before the IceRays could answer, Kelly Smart scored the Ice Bats' second goal. Smart, stationed a foot or two outside the Corpus Christi crease on Caprice's left, took a Chris Johnston pass from behind the net and shoved it past Caprice with 16:22 to play in the first.
   The first period end with the Ice Bats holding a 2-0 lead. Corpus Christi, however, outshot Austin, 11-6 in the first 20 minutes.
   In the second period, Austin picked up where it left off scoring two quick goals to mount a 4-0 lead.
   The IceRays would not quit, however.
   It took a period and a half and a 4-goal deficit, but the IceRays finally caught fire midway through the second period.
   Corpus Christi's shortest player, Tyler Boucher, scored the team's inaugural goal 9:03 into the second period. Boucher, 5-foot-6 and 165 pounds, put his stick on a backhand pass from Vadim Sharapov, who danced through the heart of the Austin defense before dumping off the pass.
   A little more than three minutes later, left wing Don Martin weaved his way past all five Austin Ice Bats and let loose a slap shot from 15 feet. The shot beat Austin goalie Brian Elder to the bottom left.
   Corpus Christi then got a goal from Mike Tomlinson, who took a beautiful wrap-around pass from Regan Harper 6:26 into the third.
   Down 4-3, the IceRays kept coming at Austin, but Elder would not let the tying goal past him.
   Corpus Christi outshot the Ice Bats, 10-3, in the final 20 minutes.
   Corpus Christi will face Austin on seven other occasions this season.
   The IceRays play host to the Alexandria Warthogs Thursday at 7:05 p.m.
   

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