Ice Bats from M*A*S*H to Survivor
November 18, 2004 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Austin Ice Bats News Release
Setting the Stage: The Austin Ice Bats of the Central Hockey League are off to a 5-6 start on the 2004-05 CHL season, good enough for a first place tie with Corpus Christi in the Southeast Division. Laredo is just one point behind the leaders and Rio Grande Valley four points back in the competitive division race.
This weekend, the Ice Bats play home games Friday and Sunday against division rivals Corpus Christi and Laredo, sandwiched around a Saturday game in San Angelo.
A look back: After finally wrapping up a three week, five-game road swing, the Ice Bats earned a pair of wins on home ice last weekend. In the final game of the trip last Thursday night, Corpus Christi scored three second-period goals to open up a close game, en route to a 5-1 win at the new AmericanBank Center. The loss spoiled the debut of Greg Gatto as the Ice Bats' interim Head Coach.
Despite a ragged effort, the Rayz got the only goal of the first period, Mark Jackson rebounding his own shot with 3-1/2 minutes left in the period. A Jason Baird power play goal made it 2-0 early in the second. The Ice Bats got their only goal on a power play at 5:47 of the second period. Austin defenseman Mike Mohr slammed in a Jared Dumba pass for his first goal of the year.
But midway through the second period, things began to unravel for Austin goalie Peter-Emmanuel Brady. Playing the puck off the end boards, Brady put it right out onto the right circle, where Corpus Christi's Greg Bullock was waiting to pop it into the open net. Just 69 seconds later, Jackson whistled in a shot from the left point, and the Rayz stretched the lead to 4-1.
Goalie Matt Barnes came in to spell Brady, and the Ice Bats nearly got back into it in the final minute of the second period. Hacked from behind on a shorthanded breakaway, Benoit Genesse was awarded a penalty shot, but was stopped by Corpus goalie Brent Zelenewich. The Ice Bats got one more chance to get back on the board in the third, receiving a five-on-three power play opportunity at the nine-minute mark. But they were unable to cash in, and the Rayz' Derrick McIver wrapped up scoring off a long pass through neutral ice from defenseman Bernie John.
Last Friday, the Ice Bats finally returned to the Expo Center, and despite again fielding a lineup of only 12 skaters, pulled off their second straight win over Laredo, 4-2. Neither team scored in a tight checking first period, then Laredo's Igor Agarunov opened scoring at 12:50 of the second with a rebound goal.
But the Ice Bats roared out of the gate in the third, lighting the lamp three times in the first 3:44. Kelly Smart tipped a Benoit Genesse centering pass to John McNabb, who poked it in to tie the game 69 seconds into the final frame. Just 30 seconds later, Arturs Kupaks gave the Bats their first lead. Then, jumping on a loose puck turned over in the slot, Austin's Kris Knoblauch waited out Laredo goalie Jeremy Symington before backhanding the puck by him for a 3-1 lead.
The Ice Bats' Mike Olynyk slammed in loose change midway through the final period for the fourth unanswered goal, before Laredo's Oriel McHugh capped scoring with 1:20 remaining. Olynyk and Chris Richards each had three points to lead scorers, while Ice Bats goalie Matt Barnes stopped 32 of 34 shots.
Saturday night, the Ice Bats jumped on Tulsa for a 4-0 lead, then held on for a 5-3 home win. The Ice Bats nearly scored a minute in on an odd-man rush, but would wait until the final four minutes of the first period to throw up a pair of scores. Kelly Smart scored a five-on-three power play goal, and Brian Pasko added his first pro goal.
The Bats then ran circles around the Oilers on the forecheck early in the second. Arturs Kupaks scored from the right circle at 3:04, and Chris Richards made it 4-0 midway through the period. Tulsa woke up in the third, scoring three unanswered goals, including two from Jason Bermingham. But Bermingham's second goal came with just 2:15 remaining, and Richards wrapped it up with an empty-netter.
The Ice Bats outshot the Oilers 33-32, the first time since Opening Night they outshot their opponent. Richards and John McNabb had three points each to lead scoring, and the disciplined Ice Bats allowed the Oilers just one power play on two minor penalties in the game.
The Ice Bats began this week with an 11am Kids Day matinee Tuesday in Laredo, and the team's injury situation went from bad to worse. Already down two skaters, the Ice Bats lost forward Mike Olynyk after warmups, and forward Jared Dumba and defenseman Jonathan Jolette to injuries during the game. As a result, the Ice Bats played most of the third period with just ten skaters-- five forwards and five defensemen. The Bucks wore down the Bats for a 5-2 win.
Although outshot 11-4, the Ice Bats got the only goal of the first period, Benoit Genesse scoring from the slot at the 12-minute mark. Laredo's Serge Dube tossed in a shot from the point through a Steve Simoes screen midway through the second, but soon after, the Bucks were whistled for consecutive minor penalties. Austin's Chris Richards tapped in a five-on-three power play goal, but the Bucks' Phillippe Lauze roamed free down the slot for the game-tying goal three minutes later.
Two minutes into the final period, Austin goalie Matt Barnes lunged to poke-check a defender, losing his goal stick in the process. Laredo's Steve Makway took advantage of the confusion to give the Bucks their first lead. Still, down to a skeleton crew, the Ice Bats stayed in the game until the final six minutes, when Laredo put it away with scores from Dube and Hans Benson. Dube's two goals led scoring, as the Bucks outshot the Bats 36-16.
Roster Flights:
Arrivals: The Ice Bats will again have the services of forward Dallas Anderson this weekend. Anderson returns from a six-game league suspension for an elbowing incident late in the November 4th game at Memphis.
Wounded Wings: Some of the Ice Bats' "skating wounded" return this week. Rookie center Jeff Neufeld, who has missed the last seven games to injury, will return to the lineup, as will defenseman Jonathan Jolette, who missed the final period of Tuesday's game. However, forward Mike Olynyk is listed as questionable, while winger Jared Dumba will not play.
Player Plaudits: Veterans John McNabb (5 goals, 10 assists) and Chris Richards (4 goals, 11 assists) rank in the league's top ten in scoring. Among the top 15 is Benoit Genesse, with 8 goals and 5 helpers. Arturs Kupaks, the CHL's top scoring defenseman, has 6 goals and 6 assists. Kelly Smart leads the league with two shorthanded goals. Forward Dallas Anderson has the league's early penalty minute lead, with 88 minutes in five games.
Potential Bite Victims: Corpus Christi snapped a two-game losing streak with a come-from-behind 6-4 win over Memphis on Wednesday. Now 4-4-2, Corpus has banked on an explosive offense to vault into a first place tie in the division. The Rayz rank 4th in the league, averaging 3.6 goals per game. Top five scorer Greg Bullock leads the attack with 7 goals and 9 assists. #2 among CHL defensemen, Bernie John has 12 points, including 11 assists. The Rayz have also gotten 8 goals and 3 assists from All-Star Jason Baird, 5 goals and 5 helpers from Ryan Carter, and 7 goals and an assist from rookie Derrick McIver. Goalie Brent Zelenewich (1-3-2, 2.53 GAA) has been very good, but hasn't gotten the same support as rookie Josh Blackburn (3-1, 4.30 GAA). The Rayz are 1-3-2 so far as a road team.
With a 6-2-1 record, San Angelo is just a point behind Odessa in the Southwest. That, despite a bottom five ranking in both specialty teams categories. The Saints don't have a lot of players who put up gaudy offensive numbers. Forward Trevor Weisgerber has 7 goals and 5 assists, and has lit the lamp in four consecutive outings. Bret Dececco has 4 goals and 5 assists. As important to his team as any player in the league, goaltender Scott Reid has played every game, and is 6-2-1 with a 2.44 GAA and .931 save percentage. Thanks to Reid especially, San Angelo is 3-0 at home, and 3-0 outside its division. The Saints host Amarillo and Austin this weekend.
Laredo Coach Terry Ruskowski's "tough love" approach has yielded some benefits. The 4-6-1 Bucks snapped a franchise-record six-game winless skid with consecutive home victories, and they're now back on the heels of the division leaders. Laredo will be rolling again if they can correct their last-place power play, which has converted on just 8.3% of opportunities, including a dismal one of 30 at home. Winger Brent Cullaton leads the team with a goal and 9 assists. Jeff Bes and rookie Adam Paiement have 8 points each, and Darryl Lloyd and James Hiebert 7 each. Last year's Rookie of the Year and Playoff MVP, David Guerrera is 3-4-1 in net, with a 2.50 GAA. 1-4 as a road team, the Bucks host Memphis Saturday before finishing the week at Austin.
The Series: The Ice Bats are 45-22-4 lifetime against Corpus Christi after last Thursday's loss in Corpus. The Ice Bats downed the Rayz 6-5 in overtime October 22nd in the only other meeting between the teams this season.
Austin is 19-11-2 lifetime against San Angelo heading into the first meeting of the season. The Ice Bats won just once in four outings against the Saints last year.
The Ice Bats are now 11-12-1 lifetime against Laredo. Sunday's game will already be the fifth of 11 meetings between the teams this year. So far, both teams are 2-2 in the season series, 1-1 on home ice.
Comments from the Coach:
NOTE: Comments come from Greg Gatto, the Ice Bats' new interim Head Coach.
On Last Week: "It was good to get off the road. It's always nice to play at home. It doesn't matter what they say, guys always play better at home, whether it's eating home-cooked meals or sleeping in their own bed, or whatever the reason. It was good to get the two victories and get some confidence back, even playing with a short lineup. As much as we've been shorthanded, it's been pretty difficult to maintain energy and focus through an entire game. We naturally run out of gas, and that's what happened to us Tuesday in Laredo."
On This Week: "Looks like we'll have at least 13 skaters for this weekend, and it makes it possible to actually run a full practice, to say nothing about the games. Late this week, we worked on the power play and breakouts, things it's awfully tough to work on with ten guys. It's just been hard to run a half-decent practice. So we're looking forward to seeing what a full lineup can do, once we get everyone back."
Cave, Sweet Cave: The Ice Bats host games this Friday and Sunday at the Travis County Expo Center, with as much taking place after the game as during it. Friday night, the 12-1-1 UT Hockey team takes the ice after the Bats, facing one of the top teams in the country from the University of Georgia. Also, the Michael Klein Band will perform in the "Crown Lounge."
Sunday, the "Bud True Music Concert Series" continues after the game, with a performance from two-time Grammy winners "Los Palominos."
Also, the Austin High School band performs Friday, and the Bastrop High School band on Sunday, as part of the Austin Community College "Marching Band Series."
Individual game tickets are available now through the Ice Bats office at 927-PUCK, on-line at www.GetTix.Net, or at any of a dozen Pinky's Wireless locations in the Austin area, including Round Rock, Cedar Park, Killeen and San Marcos. Tickets are also available at all Texas Box Office locations, including all Austin-area HEB stores, or on-line at www.TexasBoxOffice.com.
To charge by phone, fans may call the Ice Bats ticket office at 927-PUCK, Get Tix at 1-866-4-Get Tix, or Texas Box Office at (512) 477-6060.
Individual game tickets range in price from $10 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 2004-05 regular season and CHL Playoffs. The games will also be available on-line, through the station website at www.espnaustin.com. The Texas Dodge Dealers Warm-up Show begins 20 minutes prior to game time. Ice Bats Director of Broadcasting, Media/PR Glen Norman will handle play-by-play duties for a seventh 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.
Central Hockey League Stories from November 18, 2004
- Ice Bats from M*A*S*H to Survivor - Austin Ice Bats
- Mudbugs Give Gift to Marines - Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
- Saints Give To Charitites; Add a new Player - San Angelo Saints
- Bucks Bounce Back With Points In Three Of Four - Laredo Bucks
- RiverKings waive Norris, welcome back Carr - Mississippi RiverKings
- Nightmarish start to third period send 'Kings to fourth straight defeat - Mississippi RiverKings
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