Bats Wrap Pre-Chrismas Schedule
December 19, 2002 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Austin Ice Bats News Release
Setting the Stage: The Austin Ice Bats of the Central Hockey League have started the 2002-03 CHL regular season at 18-4-1 in defense of their Southeast Division and Southern Conference titles. The Ice Bats won their first ten games, the best opening streak in League history. Erasing a three-game losing streak with three consecutive wins last week, the Bats have upped their Division lead over Laredo to seven points. This weekend, the Bats play a pair of divisional road games heading into the Christmas break, at San Angelo and Corpus Christi.
With a 44-15-5 regular season record last year, the Ice Bats defeated San Antonio and El Paso en route to the team's first-ever appearance in the President's Cup Finals. There, the Ice Bats fell just one step short of the CHL's ultimate prize, falling to the Memphis RiverKings in five games.
A look back: The Bats won all three games last weekend, including road games against Southwest Division teams. Last Friday night in Albuquerque, the Bats snapped a three-game losing streakâscoring as many goals in one period as they had in the previous three games combined, and edging New Mexico, 3-2.
The Bats outshot the Scorpions 11-5 in the first period, but New Mexico scored 2:30 into the game, with Peter Ambroziak intercepting a clearing attempt and centering to Peter Brearley on the blocks. But the Bats got their struggling offense kick-started with three goals in the second period. Kelly Smart tied the game from the slot 2:35 into the second. The Bats then took the lead with goals 63 seconds apart midway through the period. Matt Sharuga's slapper from center point glanced off New Mexico goalie Luciano Caravaggio's skate at 11:14, and Darryl McArthur followed up with another long blast from the right wing for a score.
The Scorps cut the lead to one on Chris Richards' redirect with 2:37 left in the second period, but the Bats put the clamps on them in the third. Austin penalty killers nullified all five New Mexico power plays, while the Bats had just one power play chance.
A look back, continued: In a rugged physical game Saturday night, the Bats needed a superlative effort from rookie goalie Peter Brady to steal away with a 2-1 win at El Paso. Brady stopped 35 of 36 shots faced for his third pro win. The teams managed just a combined eight shots in a scoreless first period, the only highlight of which was Shawn Legault's pounding of El Paso's Josh Tymchak. Legault then scored the game's first goal with 3:14 left in the second period.
Pulled down from behind on a breakaway with two minutes left in the period, Austin's Tab Lardner had a chance to pad the lead, but lost the puck trying to complete the ensuing penalty shot. Outshot 24-11 over the first two periods, the Bats held a 1-0 lead, in large part due to Brady's work in net.
The Bats' luck ran out midway through the third, with one too many penalties. After another spectacular save by Brady, El Paso's Russ Guzior backhanded the rebound into an open net for a power play goal. But the Bats scored the game-winner on a power play goal of their ownâBrett Seguin's shot from above the right circle deflected off a defender between the pads of El Paso goalie Matt Carmichael. The Buzzards outshot the Bats 36-18 in a losing cause.
With both teams ending long bus rides in Austin Sunday morning, and playing their third game in three days, it would've been a good bet that Sunday's President's Cup Finals rematch between the Bats and Memphis would be a dud. But that wasn't the result, as the teams skated feverishly, and blasted each other physically for 62 minutes before the Bats won, 4-3 in overtime.
In retaliation for an earlier hit on teammate Brett Seguin, Bats defenseman Scott McCallum obliterated Memphis' A.J. Aitken on a check, sending Aitken to the ice for several minutes. The RiverKings' Don Parsons took advantage, scoring a 5-on-3 power play goal midway through the first. The Bats tied the seesaw game with 1:16 remaining in the period, when Matt Sharuga caught Memphis goalie Jean-Francois Racine out of position, and zipped in a wraparound goal.
The Bats took their first lead on a Mike Gaffney rocket from the point four minutes into the second period. The âKings tied the count on a Kahlil Thomas deflection, and retook the lead on Parsons' goal from the slot midway through the third. But at 12:42 of the third, Austin's Tab Lardner put on the afterburners, blowing around the Memphis defense for a tying breakaway score.
At 2:13 of overtime, Gaffney decided the game with a snap shot from the right circle. Coming off call-up to play his fourth game in four days, Gaffney scored two goals and an assist. Dan Price and Lardner added two points each, in a game every bit as good as billed.
Guess Santa Brought Batteries: Brett Seguin's power play goal last Saturday night broke an 0-31 streak on the man-advantage, spanning almost eight games.
Wounded Wings: Bats winger Shawn Legault returned to the lineup last Friday after missing nine games to injury.
Roster Flights: Additions: Bats defenseman Mike Gaffney returned Sunday off his call-up to Bridgeport of the American Hockey League. After playing in three games with the Sound Tigers, Gaffney was +4 with 2 goals and an assist on Sundayâhis fourth game in as many days.
On the Bench: A single point in the standings this weekend puts Ice Bats Coach Brent Hughes on the bench for the All-Star Game for a third straight season. If the Bats gain a point, or Odessa loses, Hughes will guide the Southern Conference All-Stars, based on his team's winning percentage at Christmas. Hughes led the CHL Southern Conference Team last season, and was Eastern Division coach at the WPHL All-Star Game two seasons ago.
Player Plaudits: Twice honored as CHL Goalie of the Week, and also as November Goalie of the Month, Bats goalie Matt Barnes continues to set a record pace. Barnes leads all league goalies with a sparkling 1.60 goals-against average and .943 save percentage. At 15-4-1, he ranks second in wins and shutouts, and third in minutes played.
Meanwhile, counterpart Peter Brady has cracked the top 10 among league goalies, at 3-0, with a 2.67 GAA. Center Kelly Smart ranks among the top 20 league scorers, with 13 goals and 14 assists. He's also third in the league with 4 game-winning goals. Winger Dan Price is second in team scoring with ten goals and 13 assists. Forward Tab Lardner is second in the league at +19, while Pat Brownlee ranks fourth among d-men at +13. And forward Shawn Legault has retaken the team lead with 81 minutes in penalties.
Potential Bite Victims: This week's opponents, tied for 3rd in the Southeast Division, have a host of other similarities. Both are solid offensive and good power play teams who have struggled defensively, and have also gone through some turmoil.
Injury-riddled San Angelo is 10-18-1, and has won just twice in the last ten games. The Saints are 2nd in the league on the power play (19.7%), but they've also given up a league-most 11 shorthanded goals, and they rank 15th defensively, allowing nearly four goals per game. Troy Mann ranks 6th in the league with 14 goals and 21 assists, while veteran Chris Peach has 13 goals and 21 helpers. 11 of Mann's goals have come on the power play. Corri Moffat rates 2nd among defensemen with 27 points, while another veteran d-man, Brad Cook, has 21. Forward Kori Davison leads the league with 188 penalty minutes, but gets more on minor penalties than majors. The off-season's biggest signing, sniper Jamie Thompson has been placed on season-ending injured reserve, so the Saints signed veteran forward Steve Roberts to replace him this week. At 6-11-1 (3.56 GAA), goalie Scott Reid has the second-most losses in the league, but only Tulsa's Rod Branch has seen more rubber, and Reid's save percentage is a solid .913. Counterpart James Ronayne is 4-7, with a 4.32 GAA. 8-10-1 at home, the Saints are just 2-8 on the road. They'll host Memphis before the Bats move in Friday.
Off the ice, Corpus Christi is adjusting to a new owner, a new General Manager, and a name change. The IceRays announced this week, they're now just the "Rayz." It's Coach Al Sims' job to help his team battle through the distractions. At 10-12-1, the Rayz have six games in hand on San Angelo, but they dropped a pair last week, including a 7-0 loss at the Saints. Corpus leads the league on the power play at a gaudy 23.7%, but they rank last on the penalty kill (75.2%), and 12th on defense, allowing over 3 ½ goals per game. Dependable Layne Roland is a top 20 scorer, with 12 goals and 16 assists. John Sicinski and Rob Giffin have 23 points each. Kenny Goetz ranks 3rd in the league in penalty minutes with 153, including 17 major penalties. But goalie Brent Belecki is barely in the top 20, at 8-9-1, with a 3.16 GAA. Like San Angelo, Corpus hosts Memphis, before playing the Bats on Saturday. The Rayz are 6-4-1 at home.
The Series: The Bats are 15-8-2 lifetime against San Angelo, after winning all three meetings this year, including the last two in San Angelo.
Austin is 35-14-2 lifetime against Corpus Christi. The Bats are 2-1-1 against Corpus this year, with all four games decided by a single goal. The only regulation loss in the season series came in Austin, 2-1 on November 23rd.
Comments From The Coach:
On last week: "We actually had a good weekend. We set our standards high... six points was our goal. The way we finished the weekend was even better. Sunday was a playoff-type game, it was back and forth, and a physical hockey game. It was good to see both teams rise up and play the way they did, in their third game in 2 ½ days. To know our guys stepped up big, it's the kind of win that can set the tone for the rest of the year.
"I think the call-up maybe put a jump in Gaffney's stride a bit. At the next level, the game is faster and you have to make quicker decisions. You have no choice but to pick up the pace a notch. He got a lot of ice time up there, and came back to score some much needed goals. But we got goals from a lot of different players, like Sharuga, Legault and McArthur. I'd still like to see guys like Pricer and Tallaire start putting the puck in the net consistently, but we've gotten scoring from a lot of different sources.
On this week: "As divisional games, both are four-point hockey games this week. As a group, we have to remember that the holidays don't start until Sunday. It's easy to get sidetracked this time of year. But we just came out of a little three-game hole, and although we didn't play great at El Paso, we played pretty well for three games. To win two games here before Christmasâit's what we want.
Cave, Sweet Cave: After winning the WPHL attendance title four times in five seasons, the Bats placed second in the CHL last season, averaging nearly 5,000 fans per home game. The Bats, who play seven of their next eight games on the road, will play their only remaining December home game on Friday, December 27th against Corpus Christi.
For the first time in franchise history, the Ice Bats play all 32 home games on weekend datesâFriday and Saturday nights, and Sunday afternoons. For this season, improvements at the Travis County Expo Center include all-new glass surrounding the rink, safety netting in end zones and corners, and climate control for the first time ever. In addition, the team has unveiled its "Kids Zone," an all-new interactive fun center for kids.
Season tickets and corporate partnerships for the 2002-03 Ice Bats season are on sale at the Ice Bats office. Season tickets are available in full season, 16-game and 10-game plans. Free Belfry Club membership is included with all full season packages, and free parking with all full season and 16-game plans.
Individual game tickets are also available through the Ice Bats office or through all Star Ticket outlets, including all Austin-area Albertson's locations. Ticket prices remain the same as last season, and range from $11 to $21, depending on section, with discounted rates for groups of 15 people or more. To charge by phone, fans may call the Ice Bats office at 927-PUCK, or Star Tickets at 469-SHOW. On-line ordering is available through www.startickets.com.
Hit the Road, Jack: Fans are invited to stop in at Henna Chevrolet, North I-35, and register to "Hit the Road" with the Ice Bats. One Grand Prize winner will receive two seats on the Bats' player bus to Fort Worth on Sunday, January 12th, and two tickets to that day's game, in addition to a team-autographed jersey, an autographed hockey stick of their favorite player, and a game program. Runners-up can win an autographed stick or tickets to future home games.
Just For Kids: Youngsters are invited to join the Ice Bats for Pizza Hut Kids Day, Sunday, January 19th from 3-6pm. Participants will be able to watch an Ice Bats practice, skate with the players, get free Pizza Hut pizza and Pepsi, and tour the Bat Cave. Registration is open to kids ages 5-15, but is limited to just 250 participants. Registration forms are available at Austin-area Pizza Hut locations, and must be signed by parent or guardian to participate.
The VIP Treatment: For aspiring Donald Trumps, Diamond Shamrock is giving away a "VIP Night with the Bats." On Saturday, January 25th, contest winners will be treated to dinner at a local restaurant, a limo ride to the Bat Cave, four glass seats for that night's game against San Angelo, an autographed jersey and a chance to drop the ceremonial first puck. Fans may register at any participating Austin-area Diamond Shamrock location.
In the Air: All Ice Bats road games will be broadcast on News Talk 1260, KWNX-AM, presented by State Farm Bank. The Texas Dodge Dealers Warm-up Show begins 20 minutes prior to opening face-off. The broadcasts are also available on the worldwide web, through the Ice Bats website. Ice Bats Director of Broadcasting, Media/PR Glen Norman is in his fifth 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. Just in time for the holiday season, the complete selection of Ice Bats merchandise is available for ordering on-line, or via mail, fax or e-mail.
Home or away, Bats fans can follow the action with real-time scoring on the website, courtesy of Pointstreak.com. Fans will be able to access a game box score in real-time, as well as those of all other CHL games being played.
Central Hockey League Stories from December 19, 2002
- Buzzards to Put Coal in Scorpions' Stocking - El Paso Buzzards
- Corpus Christi To Change Name and Logo - Corpus Christi IceRays
- Bats Wrap Pre-Chrismas Schedule - Austin Ice Bats
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