Ice Bats 6, Buzzards 2
Published on April 10, 2002 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
El Paso Buzzards News Release
The Austin Ice Bats hammered the El Paso Buzzards for 46 shots â the team's highest total of the playoffs â while holding El Paso to just 20 shots and winning Game 3 of the CHL's Southern Conference Finals 6-2 in front of 4,133 in the Travis County Expo Center.
The Buzzards drew first blood for the third straight game in this series, as a lazy power play clearance from CHL Defenseman of the Year Daniel Tetrault was picked off by Buzzards winger Jeremy Vanin, who skated into the right circle and beat Bats' goalie Bryan McMullen to the far post with a nifty wrist shot at 5:31 of the first period.
But the vaunted "S-T-P" line of Brett Seguin, Gerald Tallaire and Dan Price skated strong throughout the game. Tallaire beat El Paso goaltender Jeff Levy to tie the game just 31 seconds after Vanin's goal on a nifty screen pass through the crease from Seguin.
Buzzards team captain Van Burgess gave El Paso another lead at 9:50 of the second with another hard-working forecheck goal, sending a shot that traveled almost parallel to the end line from the left corner. Burges found the back of McMullen's skate and the puck deflected in for a 2-1 Buzzards' lead.
"S-T-P" would find the back of the El Paso net again, though â for four unanswered goals through the final 40 minutes.
Tallaire had one goal in the second and one in the third to get his first hat trick of the playoffs with an assist for good measure and first star of the game honors, Seguin tallied four more assists for five on the night and the second star, and Price would end up with another goal and an assist for third star.
El Paso must win at least one game in Austin, but still leads the best-of-seven series 2-1, with Game 4 scheduled for Friday night and Game 5 Saturday in Austin.
Central Hockey League Stories from April 10, 2002
- Ice Bats 6, Buzzards 2 - El Paso Buzzards
- Thunder Signs First Two for 2002 - Wichita Thunder
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