Bats Take I-35 Series over San Antonio; Face Hard-Working Buzzards in Conference Finals
Published on April 3, 2002 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Austin Ice Bats News Release
CHL PRESIDENT'S CUP PLAYOFFS - SOUTHERN CONFERENCE FINALS vs. EL PASO BUZZARDS
Game 1: Fri., April 5th, 7:05pm (MST), at El Paso County Coliseum, El Paso, Texas
Game 2: Sat., April 6th, 7:05pm (MST), at El Paso County Coliseum, El Paso, Texas
Game 3: Wed., April 10th, 7:30pm, at the Bat Cave, Austin, Texas
Game 4: Fri., April 12th, 7:30pm, at the Bat Cave, Austin, Texas
Game 5 (if necessary): Sat., April 13th, 7:30pm, at the Bat Cave, Austin, Texas
Game 6 (if necessary): Mon., April 15th, 7:05pm (MDT), at El Paso County Coliseum, El Paso, Texas
Game 7 (if necessary): Wed., April 17th, 7:30pm, at the Bat Cave, Austin, Texas
Setting the Stage: The Austin Ice Bats are in the final four of the Central Hockey League playoffs, after defeating I-35 rival San Antonio in opening round play. The Bats defeated the Iguanas 3 games to 1 in the Southern Conference Semifinals.
Because of El Paso's series win over Odessa, the Bats will have home ice advantage for as long as they remain in the playoffs. The Bats will face the upstart Buzzards in the best-of-seven Southern Conference Finals, with the first two games to be played this weekend in El Paso.
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. The Bats finished the CHL regular season in style, winning their last six games, and compiling an 8-3-2 record on their season ending 13-game road trip.
A look back:
GAME ONE: March 22nd, the Bats struck the first blow in their opening round playoff series in San Antonio, beating the chippy Iguanas, 4-1. With the Bats' arrival delayed nearly two hours by a tanker truck fire on I-35 near New Braunfels, the I-35 series got started 45 minutes late. But the Bats wasted no time getting on the board. Off Kelly Smart's face-off win, Jeff Greenlaw buried the game's first goal just 16 seconds into the contest.
The Iguanas' Clay Awe tied the game on a power play deflection at 13:44 of the first, but the Bats' Daniel Tetrault then scored the first of his two power play goals in the game. Tetrault cranked in a shot from the left wing on a 2-on-1 rush with 2:20 left in the first.
Despite trailing, the Iguanas continued to go to the box in the second period, and Tetrault scored a 5-on-3 power play goal on a one-timer from the high slot at 16:36. Greenlaw then scored on a 4-on-2 breakout 3:43 into the third period.
Now down 4-1, the Iggies continued to pile up the penalties. Called for 47 total minutes and 21 minor penalties, the Iguanas spent most of the final ten minutes on the penalty kill. With two goals each, Greenlaw and Tetrault were the scoring leaders, and Austin Goalie Bryan McMullen made big saves in stopping 30 of 31 shots. The Bats cashed in on two of twelve power play chances to gain a 1-0 lead in the series.
GAME TWO: March 23rd, the Iguanas turned the tables, evening the series with a 5-2 win in Austin. The Iguanas scored 4-on-4 goals just 69 seconds apart late in the first period-Jonathan Dubois scored on a deflection at 13:09, and Greg Gatto took advantage of sloppy defensive zone play for a goal. The Iguanas scored two more just 39 seconds apart midway through the second, cashing in on both ends of a 5-on-3 power play.
The Bats got on the board on a Darryl McArthur blast from the point 8:34 into the third. San Antonio's Henry Kuster and Austin's Dan Price then traded power play goals, and the Iggies took a 5-2 lead into the final three minutes.
After starting the game in place of the illness-stricken Bryan McMullen, Bats goalie Dan McIntyre was pulled in favor of an extra attacker. Misinterpreting the extra skater as a late line-change attempt, referee David Banfield ordered Bats forward Eric Labelle back to the bench. When Labelle lined up for the face-off instead, Banfield whistled a quick unsportsmanlike conduct minor against Austin.
The call was the last straw for Bats Coach Brent Hughes, who heaved five water bottles in Banfield's direction before being ejected. The game ended ugly, with a skirmish between the teams at the buzzer resulting in 62 minutes in penalties. As they were leaving the ice, Iguanas players taunted the Austin fans in celebration of their series-tying effort.
GAME THREE: With a week to stew about their Game Two loss, the Bats came out flying in Game Three, and beat the Iguanas, 4-1 last Friday at the Bat Cave. Bobby Brown and Ian Larocque set the tone with rebound goals 13 seconds apart less than two minutes into the game. Mike Gaffney then buried the puck from the slot, off Dan Price's centering pass, and the Bats led 3-0 after one.
Brett Seguin made it 4-0 on his goal 26 seconds into the third period, and the Bats coasted home. Warm, humid conditions and choppy ice diminished San Antonio's ability to come back, as did Austin goalie Bryan McMullen, who stopped 25 of 26 shots. Larocque had two points to lead scoring, as the Bats took the series by the throat in front of nearly 6,200 fans. It would be the only win by the home team in the series.
GAME FOUR: The Bats advanced with a 4-3 win last Saturday in San Antonio, the best game of the series. The teams split goals late in the first period, with San Antonio's Scott Green scoring a power play goal, to answer Dan Price's deflection at the 11-minute mark.
The Bats regained the lead on an odd-man rush goal by Gerald Tallaire early in the second, and then surprisingly, San Antonio again started to pile up penalties. The Iguanas' Greg Gatto put his team down two men, when he horse-collared Austin's Mike Gaffney seven minutes into the period. Daniel Tetrault quickly scored a 5-on-3 power play goal to give the Bats a 3-1 lead.
The Iguanas continued their curious penalty penchant, but the Bats failed to take advantage. Indeed, San Antonio's Jeff Parrott scored shorthanded with 1:30 left in the second, and Matt Van Horlick took advantage of a Bats turnover to tie the game 4:24 into the third.
Austin's Tab Lardner scored the game-winner on a backhander with nine minutes left, and the Bats fought off a furious San Antonio rally. With the Bats this time killing a penalty over the final two minutes, the Iguanas pulled their goalie for a 6-on-4 advantage. Scrambling saves by Bryan McMullen kept the series from reaching a deciding Game Five. The STP line of Tallaire, Price and Brett Seguin scored two points each, as did Tetrault. But the Bats' discipline and goaltending proved to be the keys to the series.
Roster Flights:
Additions: Bats forward Bobby Brown returned last Thursday from his call-up assignment with Houston of the American Hockey League, just in time for the final two games of the San Antonio series. Brown has 4 assists in 20 games with Houston.
Player Plaudits: The most dominant line in CHL history, the Bats' "S-T-P Fuel Line" finished the regular season 1st, 2nd and 4th in league scoring. With his 7-point day in the final game of the season, forward Dan Price clinched the scoring crown with 47 goals, plus 50 assists. He also led the league at +48 and with 11 game-winning goals, and ranked 2nd in shooting percentage and 3rd in power play goals.
Center Brett Seguin finished one point behind Price with 96, but with a league leading 71 assists. Gerald Tallaire was 4th behind Memphis' Don Parsons, scoring 84 points.
Bats d-men Greg Willers and Daniel Tetrault were 7th and 10th among league defensemen, with 44 and 43 points, respectively. Eric Labelle led the team with 227 penalty minutes.
Finishing second in the league in wins, goalie Bryan McMullen went 31-7-3, and he was 4th with a 2.53 goals-against average, and a .918 save percentage. Dan McIntyre ended up 6th overall at 13-8-2, with a 2.75 GAA.
Player Plaudits, Part Two: So far in the playoffs, the Bats have been led in scoring by Daniel Tetrault, Dan Price and Gerald Tallaire, with five points each. Tetrault has 3 goals and 2 assists. Goalie Bryan McMullen has been the top goaltender in the playoffs, winning all three starts, with a 1.67 GAA and a .939 save percentage.
Record Book: As a team, the 2001-02 Ice Bats set a host of regular season franchise records, including team marks for wins (44), points (93), fewest losses (15) and fewest overtime/shootout losses (5). The Bats also recorded a franchise-best 20-8-4 road record. And the team set franchise records for fewest goals allowed (174) and best power play (23.5%).
Winger Dan Price set franchise records with 97 points, 11 game-winning goals and a plus-minus mark of +48. Goalie Bryan McMullen set team records with 31 wins and a .918 save percentage.
Simply the Best: Among three Ice Bats that were finalists for league awards, defenseman Daniel Tetrault was named the CHL Outstanding Defenseman of the Year. Tetrault was one of several Ice Bats that also scored well in the league's annual "Best of the Best" Poll. The Poll, conducted among CHL coaches, players and public relations personnel, named Tetrault the league's Best Defensive Defenseman.
Center Brett Seguin was named Best Stick-handler and Best Playmaker in the Poll, and was among the top three for Smartest Player, Best on Face-offs, and Best Overall Player. Dan Price was named Best Power Forward, and was among the top three for Best on the Power Play and Best Stick-handler.
Also among the top vote-getters: Gerald Tallaire (Fastest Skater), Jeff Greenlaw (Best Body-Checker) and Brent Hughes (Best Coach).
As a franchise, the Bats were honored for Best City and Best Arena Music. The team also received recognition among the top vote-getters for Most Skilled Team, Toughest Building to Win In, Best Uniforms, Best Arena Atmosphere, Best Fans and Best On-Ice Promotions. Cited 20 times among the top three vote-getters, the Bats finished second only to Oklahoma City's 21 citations in the Poll.
Potential Bite Victims: El Paso has been playing playoff-style hockey for a lot longer than two weeks. Winning nine of their last ten overall, and their last five road games, the Buzzards held off Lubbock and New Mexico for the final wild card spot in the South. The Buzzards ended the regular season 36-24-4, still 24 points behind Southwest Division champ Odessa.
Despite the league's 5th rated offense (3.48 goals per game) during the regular season, the Buzzards scored just one more goal than they allowed. But their secret was specialty teams. El Paso finished the season #3 on both the power play (21.8%) and the penalty kill (83.3%). They led the league with 15 shorthanded goals, and allowed just four.
All-Star Van Burgess finished 5th in league scoring and assists, with 30 goals and 53 helpers. John Hanson added 28 goals and 37 assists, and Corey Waring had 60 points, including a league-leading five shorthanded goals. Playmaker Kory Baker finished with 58 points, Jeremy Vanin had 57 (including 14 power play goals), and Jason Tessier finished 4th among defensemen with 53 points.
The league's 5th-rated goalie, Jeff Levy (18-8-2, 2.69 GAA) had a breakout year. A former Bat, veteran Rob Laurie (11-8-1, 3.59 GAA) was a key mid-season acquisition. 21-11 at home, the Buzzards were 15-13-4 on the road.
In defeating top seed Odessa in five playoff games, the Buzzards allowed just 2.8 goals per game. But their specialty teams magic failed to carry over, as they scored just one power play goal on 23 chances. Justin Van Parys led scoring with 2 goals and 3 assists. Levy was 3-2 in the series, with a 3.22 GAA.
The Series: The Bats are 17-5-2 lifetime in regular season play against El Paso, after splitting two games this season in Austin. Here are the results of the season series:
Date, Site: Result: Comments:
Nov. 2 @ Austin: W 7-4 (Bats score 4 in 3rd period. Periard 2 goals. Five others with 3 points each).
Feb. 9 @ Austin: L 5-3 (El Paso gets 2 shorthanded goals. Waring and Baker 2 goals each).
The teams have also met once before in post-season, with El Paso defeating the Bats in six games in the opening round of the 1996-97 WPHL Playoffs, the first season for both franchises. The Buzzards went on to win the first of their two consecutive President's Cup championships.
Comments From The Coach:
On last week: "I would like to think the better team won the series. We were certainly the more disciplined team. We were ready for what they tried to throw at us, and we were ready to play in all three of our wins. Our specialty teams didn't do as much damage as they could have, but we dominated five on five. And goaltending was a big part of the win. That, and our team-oriented defense."
On this week: "The underdog team won the other series. We know El Paso will be on a high coming in, with a lot of confidence. They knocked out the #1 team in the whole league, and I'm sure they're looking forward to getting a shot at #2. We definitely can't underestimate our opponent. They're a hard working team that never gives up. Whether they're down 1-0 or 4-0, they keep coming at you. And that's something we need to keep in mind. We can't let up at any time during the series."
Place Your Bets: The Bats' opening round win over San Antonio means the team can collect on a couple of wagers. San Antonio Mayor Ed Garza will preside over a City Council meeting wearing an Ice Bats jersey, after losing a bet to Austin Mayor Gus Garcia. And as the result of a wager between management of the two teams, San Antonio mascot "Iggy" will appear at the Bat Cave to cheer on the Bats in their upcoming series.
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, averaging 5,350 fans per home contest last year. Again, the Bats ranked among the CHL leaders in attendance this season, finishing second with nearly 5,000 fans per home game.
Tickets for the Southern Conference Finals are on sale at the Ice Bats office, or through all Star Ticket locations, including Austin-area Albertson's stores. Fans may charge by phone at (512) 927-PUCK. Discounted rates apply to groups of 15 people or more.
In the Air: All Ice Bats playoff games will be broadcast on "The Juice," 1370AM, presented by State Farm Insurance. The Texas Dodge Dealers Warm-up Show begins 20 minutes prior to opening face-off. The broadcast is also available on the worldwide web, through the Ice Bats website. Ice Bats Director of Broadcasting, Media/PR Glen Norman is in his fourth busy season providing all the play-by-play action.
Bats in Cyberspace: Bats fans can learn the latest about their team by logging on to www.icebats.com. The official website of the Bats was designed and built by Syndetic Design.
Currently on the site, fans may vote for their favorite players in the Texas Dodge Dealers Post-Season Player Awards. Ice Bats players will be given awards in six categories, including "Fans' Favorite," at a banquet following the season.
Central Hockey League Stories from April 3, 2002
- Bats Take I-35 Series over San Antonio; Face Hard-Working Buzzards in Conference Finals - Austin Ice Bats
- Linde Selected as Ice New General Manager - 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.
