Bats Post-Season Wrap-Up
Published on April 30, 2002 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Austin Ice Bats News Release
Setting the Stage: The Austin Ice Bats reached the Central Hockey League's President's Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history, falling to the Memphis RiverKings in five close games in the best-of-seven championship series. The Bats made it into the Finals after defeating I-35 rival San Antonio in four games in opening round play, then downing El Paso in six games for the Southern Conference Championship.
Achieving a 44-15-5 regular season record, the Ice Bats went into post-season play as the CHL's Southeast Division champions. The Bats finished the regular season five points ahead of San Antonio in the Division, and second in the league overall, just seven points behind Governor's Cup champion Odessa.
A look back: The CHL's two deepest, most complete teams met in the President's Cup Finals, with the Memphis RiverKings winning the CHL's ultimate prize. After splitting two games in Austin, the RiverKings won three straight at home to claim the title. Excluding an empty net goal, all four Austin losses came by a single score.
It was a series in which Memphis seemingly caught almost every break and call. But it was also a series in which the RiverKings time and again shut off any Austin momentum with timely goals. The Bats were outperformed on specialty teams, and Memphis goalie Mark Richards came up with big saves at key times.
GAME ONE: In a battle of Memphis' offense vs. Austin's defense, the RiverKings outlasted the Bats in an offensive show April 19th, opening the series with a 5-4 win at the Cave. The seesaw game featured four ties and five lead changes.
Dan Price got the Bats started with a goal 1:27 into the contest, but Memphis' Kahlil Thomas slammed in a power play goal at 2:39. Brett Seguin took a puck off the end boards and gave the Bats a 2-1 lead late in the first.
Goalies Bryan McMullen of Austin and Mark Richards of Memphis made big saves early in the second, but after that the two offenses found their mark. Memphis' Michal Stastny tied the game on a power play wraparound in the second, and Anthony DiPalma gave the RiverKings their first lead, backhanding the puck out of mid-air on an odd-man rush late in the period.
Just 29 seconds into the third, Richards coughed up the puck and Kelly Smart scored unassisted to tie the game at three. Left alone in front, Memphis' Brad Mueller retook the lead at 5:09, but midway through the period, Austin's Bobby Brown came up with a turnover and centered to Tab Lardner for another game-tying score.
Finally, Stastny came up with a loose puck and scored the game-winner with just under four minutes left. Despite an extra skater over the final minute, the Bats ran out of answers. Stastny was top star with two goals, while Mueller and Don Parsons added three points for Memphis. The RiverKings were outshot 46-24, but scored on two of four power play chances.
GAME TWO: In a chippy affair, the Bats evened the series with a 4-2 home win April 21st. The Bats scored the only goal of the first, Jeff Greenlaw's power play rebound with four minutes left. The teams then scored five combined goals in a wild second period that also featured 42 combined minutes in penalties.
Memphis tied the score when a deflection by veteran Don Parsons landed in the crease behind Austin goalie Bryan McMullen and slid in. Gerald Tallaire's goal retook the lead, but Memphis' Don Martin tied it again on a 5-on-3 power play. Two good individual efforts broke the game open. With 5 ½ minutes left in the period, Austin's Greg Willers broke up an odd-man rush, skated down the ice and tucked the game-winner under Memphis goalie Mark Richards. Then the Bats' Brett Seguin, blasted down at the blue line, popped back up and led a 2-on-1 rush for Dan Price's insurance goal with 37 seconds left.
Ten players were penalized in two separate skirmishes midway through the second period. Six players then went to the box, after another fight with 4 ½ minutes left in a scoreless third period. The Bats took advantage of their opponent's lack of discipline, cashing in on two of nine power play chances. The Bats outshot the RiverKings 33-16 through the first two periods, and were led by Price (3 points) and Willers (2 points).
GAME THREE: Needing just one win in Memphis to get the series back to Austin, the Bats dropped three in a row, each one closer than the one before. Last Thursday, Memphis won a pivotal Game Three, 4-2. The RiverKings' Don Parsons opened scoring seven minutes in, but the Bats took the lead on two first period goals by Dan Price. Price tipped in a centering pass from the point midway through the period, then Mike Gaffney skated coast-to-coast, and centered to a wide-open Price in the slot at 15:24.
Parsons tied the game on a shot ripped from the wing late in the second. The Bats then had another of many tough breaks go against them, when Kelly Smart's would-be goal was waved off at the buzzer. Memphis picked up their offense a notch in the third, and Brad Mueller poked home the game-winner with under six minutes left. Michal Stastny added an empty-net goal. Memphis goalie Mark Richards stopped 32 of 34 shots.
GAME FOUR: The Bats were pushed to the edge of extinction by Memphis' 4-3 home win last Friday. The Bats almost battled back from a 3-0 deficit to even the series again.
The RiverKings scored twice amidst controversy in the first. On a disputed delay of game penalty against Bats goalie Bryan McMullen, Memphis' Jay Neal scored a power play goalâhis centering pass from the point deflecting in off the skate of an Austin defender. Four minutes later, Michal Stastny scored on a shot tucked under the crossbar, with the goal light illuminated only after referee Dan Boyd signaled it a goal. The goals had McMullen on his knees in the face-off circle, pleading to the hockey gods for a break.
Kahlil Thomas upped Memphis' lead to 3-0 early in the second. But d-man Greg Willers led the Bats back in the period, centering to Eric Labelle for a goal, then throwing one in through traffic from the point. The RiverKings' J.F. Picard got one in from long range himself two minutes into the third, and Labelle's rebound goal with six minutes left wasn't enough. Labelle's two goals matched his entire regular season output, but the RiverKings scored twice on eight power play chances, while the Bats went 0-5.
GAME FIVE: The RiverKings closed out the series with a 5-4 overtime win this past Sunday. It was a game marked by more controversial calls (and non-calls), but the Bats fought hard to make the âKings earn it. Again, Memphis got out to a 2-0 lead, helped by a roughing call against the Bats just 22 seconds into the game. The Bats were without a shot for the first 14 minutes, but managed to get on the power play late in the period. It could have been a two-man advantage, but a check from behind that split the face of Bats forward Gerald Tallaire went uncalled. Still, the Bats got on the board, Tab Lardner threading in a shot short-side at 15:34.
The Bats tied the game on Kelly Smart's 5-on-3 power play goal midway through the second, but Memphis took the momentum right backâDon Parsons scoring from a sharp angle in the final minute of the period.
In the third, Tallaire scored on a deflection, and Jeff Greenlaw's rebound goal at 7:19 gave the Bats their first lead at 4-3. But referee Guy Pellerin whistled the Bats for three minor penalties in a span of 2:34, and Kahlil Thomas tied the game on a 5-on-3 power play goal. In overtime, both teams started conservatively, but seconds after Memphis goalie Mark Richards robbed Lardner on a scoring chance, Michal Stastny led a 3-on-1 break, and buried the game-winner at 5:48. It was Stastny's second overtime winner of the playoffs, but Playoff MVP honors deservedly went to Don Parsons. Parsons scored in every playoff game but one, finishing with 14 goals and 13 assists. The victory marks Memphis' first championship in ten years of play.
Player Plaudits: As in the regular season, the "STP Fuel Line" led the Bats in scoring, with Brett Seguin finishing 4th in the league with 19 points. Dan Price finished 6th in playoff scoring with 9 goals and 9 assists. Gerald Tallaire was 8th with 7 goals and 10 assists. Mike Gaffney and Greg Willers tied for 3rd among CHL defensemen with 9 points, while D-man Darryl McArthur led the league at +13. Jeff Greenlaw was 2nd with 56 penalty minutes in the post-season. Goalie Bryan McMullen was 8-5 in the playoffs, 4th overall with a 2.94 GAA.
Comments From The Coach:
"Certainly, the outcome of the final series was a huge disappointment. To work so hard to get that far, and then not get the Cup was heartbreaking. But on the other side, it was a great accomplishment to get to the Finals. We had an exceptional year, with a great bunch of guys on and off the ice. We had a line dominate the league in scoring during the regular season, and had a regular season scoring champion. We had a d-man named Defenseman of the Year. We won our division and a conference championship. Everything was in line to win it all. It just wasn't in the cards in the end."
Cave, Sweet Cave: The only WPHL team to pass the 1-million mark in lifetime attendance, the Bats won the league attendance title four times in five seasons. They again ranked among the CHL leaders in attendance this season, finishing second with nearly 5,000 fans per home game. For next season, improvements at the Travis County Expo Center will include all-new glass surrounding the rink, and climate control for the first time ever.
Season tickets for the 2002-03 season are on sale at the Ice Bats office, and will include free Belfry Club membership for full season packages, as well as free parking for all full season and 16-game plans. Current season ticket holders have until May 17th to choose to retain their seats. The deposit deadline is May 31st for ticket holders who also purchased playoff strips. For more information, fans may call the Ice Bats Ticket Office at (512) 927-PUCK.
Come Celebrate: All Bats fans and media members are invited to help the team celebrate the season's accomplishments at a post-season "Bat Fan Appreciation Party," this Sunday, May 5th at 6pm, at Dave & Buster's, Mopac at Highway 183. Among the festivities will be a free food buffet, a charity auction of game-worn player jerseys, and presentation of the Texas Dodge Dealers Player Awards, which will be given to players in six categories based on on-line fan balloting.
Central Hockey League Stories from April 30, 2002
- Bats Post-Season Wrap-Up - Austin Ice Bats
- Ice Acquires Rights to Forward Corey Waring - Indianapolis Ice
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
