Ice Bats Bolster D for Week Two
October 26, 2006 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Austin Ice Bats News Release
Setting the Stage: The Austin Ice Bats of the Central Hockey League opened their 11th season last week with a victory in the only game played. The Ice Bats began 2006-2007 play at all-new Chaparral Ice Arena, located on I-35 between Howard Lane and Wells Branch Parkway.
This week, the Ice Bats step up the pace with three games in three nights-- home games against Lubbock and Laredo sandwiched around a Saturday trip to Corpus Christi.
A look back: The Ice Bats knocked off a makeshift, but determined, Bossier-Shreveport team, 3-2 in a shootout in last Saturday's season opener. The Mudbugs, missing 11 players off their projected roster to ongoing immigration issues, gave the Bats all they could handle.
Bossier quickly opened scoring on a Chris Murphy goal 2:26 into the contest. Early in the second, the 'Bugs turned the puck over at the blue line, and Austin center Aaron Davis raced the other way for a tying shorthanded goal. Then after Bats defenseman Terry Virtue hit the post on a five-on-three power play midway through the period, Julian Smith scored a power play goal to give the Ice Bats the lead at 11:40.
But the Mudbugs countered with a Chris Brassard power play goal 3-1/2 minutes into the final period, and the teams went to overtime. There, Bossier-Shreveport nearly ended the game, but Ty Hennes' drive clanked off the post with 1:20 remaining.
In the ensuing shootout, both teams scored in Round Four, and Austin's Mike Possin scored the winner in Round Six, the first of sudden death. Mudbugs goalie John DeCaro kept his team in it, making 43 saves, as the Ice Bats outshot the Mudbugs 46-27 for the contest.
Season Outlook: This season's version of the Ice Bats appears to be deeper and better skilled than that of a year ago. Joining top returnees John McNabb and Aaron Davis is veteran winger Henry Kuster, a threat to score from anywhere on the ice. Kuster, as well as forward Mike Possin, were obtained in separate off-season trades with Tulsa. Add in returning forward Julian Smith and newcomer Jordan Bianchin, and the Ice Bats have plenty of depth up front.
The defensive corps will be headed by veteran player-assistant coach Terry Virtue, who has played the bulk of a 15-year pro career in the American Hockey League, and also spent some time in the NHL. Virtue's leadership will be key on and off the ice. The rest of the blue line is largely new, with J.F. Picard the other veteran among the group.
In net, the Ice Bats are strong, with Miguel Beaudry returning after posting a 12-8-1 record and 2.83 GAA in Ice Bats colors a year ago. Rookie Kevin Couture won out in a pitched battle for what would appear to be the backup spot.
Roster Flights:
Arrivals: Ice Bats Coach Bill McDonald bolstered his blue line on Wednesday with the acquisition of defenseman Chad McIver from Memphis, in exchange for future considerations. The 6-1, 204-pound McIver has played the past three seasons in the CHL, splitting last season between Corpus Christi and Memphis. McIver scored a combined 16 points in 63 games with the Rayz and RiverKings last year.
Departures: The Ice Bats trimmed their roster on Wednesday to get to the maximum allowed 18 players. Released were forward Brandon Doria and goaltender Andrew Martin. The duo had been designated as "taxi squad" players, as allowed by the CHL because of initial problems gaining immigration clearance for CHL players. Then to make room for McIver on the roster, the Ice Bats released defenseman Dustin Nehring.
Potential Bite Victims: Lubbock won its opener last week, edging Odessa in a shootout. The Cotton Kings have regrouped following a 27-31-6 record last season, and have brought in a group of hungry newcomers, including forward Trevor Weisgerber, who led Rio Grande Valley in scoring last season. Veteran forward Bobby Brown brings valuable experience and leadership, while defenseman Jason Beatty is a physical force along with All-Star Stacey Baumann and talented summer acquisition Craig Minard. Forward Paul Mcbrien, acquired from the Memphis RiverKings, adds toughness to the roster.
Corpus Christi looks to rebound after high expectations ended in a 22-36-6 record for last year's veteran-laden club. All-Star Jason Baird should be close to full speed after suffering a season ending injury early last year. Captain Matt Turek brings offensive punch, while forward Ryan Carter remains one of the CHL's top two-way performers. Newcomer Justin Quenneville enjoyed a fine training camp and should contribute offensively, while the defensive unit has been nearly entirely overhauled. Ron Vogel and Brent Zelenewich will split goaltending duties. Corpus lost its opener, 4-2 to Laredo last week, and will visit fellow division rival Rio Grande Valley Friday before returning home for the Ice Bats Saturday.
Defending President's Cup champion Laredo will have to replace some goal scoring punch from last year, and appears to have decided to permanently move 2005-2006 CHL Most Outstanding Defenseman Serge Dube to forward. Playoff MVP Jeff Bes continues to be one of the CHL's top offensive threats. The Bucks boast a deep and steady group of responsible defensemen headed by Paul Elliott, Steve Weidlich and Adam Rivet. Recent assignee Nathan Marsters (37 games with Portland of the American Hockey League last year) and rookie Jay Ewasiuk will handle goaltending responsibilities. The Bucks, 1-0 after their win over Corpus, visit Bossier for a Finals rematch Thursday, then return home Saturday to face arch-rival Rio Grande Valley before finishing the weekend at Austin.
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The Series: The Ice Bats are 12-8-2 lifetime against Lubbock, but dropped two of the three meetings against the Cotton Kings last year.
The Bats have more wins against Corpus Christi lifetime than any other opponent, with a 54-28-7 record in the series. The Bats were 6-2-2 against the Rayz last year.
Austin is just 14-24-1 lifetime against Laredo, and won just once in eight meetings last season.
Comments From the Coach:
On Last Week: "Playing in a new rink, you can imagine that some of our kids were nervous last Saturday. Shreveport didn't have their full team, but played pretty well missing that many guys. And their goalie made phenomenal saves. I think I counted saves on six or seven point-blank shots. I thought we were pretty dominant territorially and we had energy and a lot of shots. I thought Beauds played well, and I thought Aaron Wilson was outstanding, to name a couple of guys. But we'll get a better evaluation this week than last, just because Bossier didn't have their full team, and our opponents this week do."
On This Week: "I'm encouraged. The guys have started out picking things up quickly, and as I said before, we've got two pretty good offensive lines we can roll with. We didn't have that last year. They still have to go out and produce and get to the hard areas-- in front of the net and in the corners to take advantage of that skill. A guy like Terry Virtue adds so much value to the team, because he can kind of run the defense, and we can rotate four d-men late until our kids get some more experience. And McIver, who's played the last three years in the league, also is a nice upgrade."
The "New" Cave: This season, the Ice Bats begin a new era at Chaparral Ice Arena, located on I-35 between Howard Lane and Wells Branch Parkway. Sunday is "Faith & Family Day," with a free post-game skate with the players after the contest.
In addition to providing tickets through the Ice Bats office at 927-PUCK, the Bats are for the first time utilizing Front Gate Tickets as the team's ticket outlet. Fans may conveniently purchase tickets at any Front Gate Tickets location, including Stubbs BBQ, Waterloo Records and Encore Video & CD.
Fans may order on-line through the Ice Bats website at www.icebats.com. Phone orders may be placed by calling (512) 927-PUCK, or 1-888-512-SHOW. Individual game tickets range in price from $15 to $35, depending on section, with discounted rates for groups of 15 or more. Fans may call the Ice Bats ticket office at (512) 927-PUCK, or log onto the team's website at www.icebats.com for more information.
In the Air: Once again, all Ice Bats away games will be broadcast on ESPN Radio, 1530 on the AM dial. The station will broadcast all road games during the 2006-07 regular season and CHL Playoffs. The games will also be available on-line, through the station website at www.espnaustin.com. Ice Bats VP of Broadcasting, Media/PR Glen Norman will handle play-by-play duties for a ninth straight season.
Bats in Cyberspace: Bats fans can learn the latest about their team by logging on to www.icebats.com. Home or away, Bats fans can also 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.
THIS WEEK:
Fri., Oct. 27th, 7:30pm, vs. Lubbock Cotton Kings, at Chaparral Ice Arena, Austin, Texas
Sat., Oct. 28th, 7:05pm, vs. Corpus Christi Rayz, at AmericanBank Center, Corpus Christi, Texas
Sun., Oct. 29th, 4:00pm, vs. Laredo Bucks, at Chaparral Ice Arena, Austin, Texas
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Central Hockey League Stories from October 26, 2006
- Bucks Fall 5-2 in Bossier - Laredo Bucks
- Mudbugs come up big in home opener - Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
- Gorillas prepare for busy weekend - Amarillo Gorillas
- Bucks Take On Mudbugs Tonight - Laredo Bucks
- SteelHounds Waive Five Players in Preparation for Home Opener - Youngstown SteelHounds
- RiverKings to turn back the clock this weekend - Mississippi RiverKings
- Ice Bats Bolster D for Week Two - Austin Ice Bats
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