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Ice Bats Seek Sixth Straight Win

December 7, 2006 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Austin Ice Bats News Release


Setting the Stage: The Austin Ice Bats of the Central Hockey League are 8-6-4 on the 2006-2007 CHL season, just four points back of the lead in the Southeast Division. The Ice Bats have begun play at all-new Chaparral Ice Arena, located on I-35 between Howard Lane and Wells Branch Parkway.

With a two-game sweep Thanksgiving week at New Mexico, a sweep of a home-and-home series last week against Laredo, and a Sunday victory over Rio Grande Valley, the Ice Bats have now won five straight games. After a Friday return trip to Laredo, the Ice Bats will host Corpus Christi on Saturday. Saturday's game will benefit the Austin Police Department's "Operation Blue Santa" program, and there will be a post-game jersey auction to benefit Ice Bats Children's Charities.

A look back: The Ice Bats won all three games played last week. Friday night, the Ice Bats snapped a seven-game home winless streak with a 4-2 win over Laredo at Chaparral Ice Arena.

Winger John McNabb put the Ice Bats on the board first, slamming in Julian Smith's centering pass five minutes into the opening period. The Bucks tied the game on Oriel McHugh's goal eight minutes into the second, but the Bats retook the lead just 1:13 later. Ice Bats defenseman Terry Virtue picked clean a Laredo turnover and roofed the puck for the go-ahead goal.

Bats center Jason Kenyon scored 2:11 into the third period, but Bucks rookie Bobby Chaumont clanged a shot off the post to bring Laredo within one at the 12-minute mark. McNabb wrapped up the game with an empty net goal with 11 seconds remaining. Austin goalie Miguel Beaudry stopped 42 of 44 shots faced in the win.

In a game interrupted by continual problems with the glass at the Laredo Entertainment Center, the Ice Bats pulled out a 4-3 overtime win last Saturday over the Bucks. Julian Smith provided the game-winner on a rebound at 3:59 of OT.

Despite seven separate first period delays to repair dislodged glass supports, the Ice Bats built momentum-- assembling a 2-0 lead on Tim Earl's hard slap shot from the high slot at 12:15, and Jason Kenyon's rebound of a Terry Virtue shot just over four minutes later. In the second, Laredo got more aggressive on the forecheck, and the gamble cost them. Austin forward Mike Possin slipped the puck under Bucks goalie Mike Dilorenzo for a breakaway goal 48 seconds into the period.

Goalie Eric Marvin replaced Dilorenzo in net for Laredo, and the Bucks got on the board on a Ladislav Kouba goal. But in celebration, Laredo fans knocked two panes of glass onto the ice, shattering one. The teams were sent to the locker room with 5:52 remaining in the period while repairs were made.

Upon resumption of play, the Bucks got a power play goal from Kris MacPhee late in period two, then tied the game on Serge Dube's power play goal 7:40 into the third. But again, exuberant fans knocked three panes of glass into the Ice Bats bench, creating additional delay.

After four more stoppages down the stretch, the teams headed to overtime. The Ice Bats killed off a Laredo power play early in the extra session, then scored on a hooking penalty against Laredo's Oriel McHugh. Smith rebounded defenseman J.F. Picard's one-timer to end the marathon game at 3-1/2 hours and push the Ice Bats over the .500 mark for the first time since winning their opening night game.

Last Sunday, the Ice Bats won their fifth straight, eking out a 1-0 home win over Rio Grande Valley. Despite playing their third game in three nights, both teams showed a surprising amount of jump. After a scoreless first, the Ice Bats outshot the Killer Bees 13-6 in the second and scored the game's only goal late in the period. Rio Grande goalie Jeff Van Nynatten played the puck as it rimmed around the boards behind the net, but it glanced off his stick to a wide-open Henry Kuster in front.

Both teams competed hard in the third, but despite four power play attempts in the period, the Bats couldn't expand on the lead. With four minutes left, the teams gathered for a five-way scrum. Then with just over a minute left, the Bees pulled their goalie on the power play for a two-skater advantage, but the Bats held on.

Austin goalie Miguel Beaudry stopped all 25 shots faced for his first shutout, while Van Nynatten stopped 37 of 38 shots in the loss.

Roster Flights:

Arrivals: To help shore up a lineup shortened by injuries, the Ice Bats on Wednesday signed rookie forward Cory Konecny. The Stoney Point, Ontario native played the past two seasons in the Ontario Hockey League, and scored two points in five playoff games with Odessa last season. The high-energy Konecny started this year in camp with Cincinnati of the ECHL, but was injured and has not appeared in a game yet this season.

Departures: Ice Bats forward Jordan Bianchin has elected to leave the team for personal reasons. Bianchin had 2 points in 16 games with the Ice Bats this season.

Wounded Wings: The Ice Bats have three players on the injured reserve list-winger Britt Dougherty, center Aaron Davis and defenseman Doug MacIver. All three will be out of action for the foreseeable future.

Player Plaudits: Ice Bats winger John McNabb has vaulted among the league's top ten scorers, with 12 goals and 10 assists. Defenseman Terry Virtue has 16 points, top ten among defensemen, and forwards Henry Kuster and Aaron Davis each have 14. Miguel Beaudry (5-3-4, 3.02 GAA) is the reigning CHL Goalie of the Week, after allowing just two goals in two games last week and posting his first shutout. Kevin Couture is 3-3 with a 3.09 GAA in net.

Potential Bite Victims: Laredo holds a narrow three-point lead in the tightly clustered Southeast Division. At 11-6-2, the Bucks have won two straight-a pair of one-goal wins over Corpus Christi. Top scoring defenseman Adam Rivet leads the team with 20 points. Among the rookie leaders are forwards Bobby Chaumont (8 goals, 11 assists) and Chris Korchinski (8 goals, 9 assists), while veteran Serge Dube also has 17 points. Goaltender Nathan Marsters (5-2, 2.61 GAA) remains on NHL call-up with Anaheim, leaving Eric Marvin (6-3-2, 3.21 GAA) as the primary fill-in. Laredo is 5-3-2 at home this season.

Winless in five straight, Corpus Christi is now 8-9-4, and tied with the Bats in the division. Although there have been lapses defensively night to night, scoring remains the central issue for the Rayz. They rank 15th, averaging just 2.67 goals per game. Top five scorer Justin Quenneville (10 goals, 17 assists) has done his part. Derrick McIver (8 goals, 15 assists) and Jason Baird (20 points) are next on the team. With Ron Vogel (6-6-3, 3.26 GAA) scuffling a bit in net, look for Corpus Coach Ken McRae to give more starts to Brent Zelenewich (2-3-1, 2.68 GAA). 4-3-4 as a road team, Corpus visits Rio Grande Valley, then Austin this weekend.

The Series: After sweeping both ends of a home-and-home series against the Bucks, the Ice Bats are 16-25-2 lifetime against Laredo, 2-1-1 this season.

The Ice Bats are 55-29-9 lifetime against Corpus Christi, 1-1-2 this season.

Comments From the Coach:

On Last Week: "We're just more than a quarter of the way through the season, and everything's so tight. I give the guys credit. We've found ways to win close games of late. Our goaltending's been pretty good and we're doing a lot of the little things better. But it's a cyclical thing too. You can say we were 'floundering' early in the year at home, but I don't look at it that way. We lost close games early, now we're winning those games and getting some bounces. We can still get a lot better, but it's good to see the guys rewarded for their hard work."

On This Week: "We've dealt with some injuries here, so it's been a little hard to ice a consistent lineup. I like the guys we've added. But even some of the guys that aren't on injured reserve have been banged up, so it's hard to conduct practice. Our challenge is that when we bring in someone new, we have to go back to basics in practice to get them up to speed, and there's been a lot of repetition. It's hard to spend time in other areas, and you can't over-practice the team at this point of the season. When a guy like Aaron Davis goes down, that's a big hole to fill. And a guy like Ray Smegal has to step right in and play a lot, and be dependable. But the guys' attitudes have been good, and the new players are fitting in quickly."

The "New" Bat 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.

This Saturday, the Ice Bats and their fans will be providing assistance to the Austin Police Department's "Operation Blue Santa" program, which has delivered toys and food to families in need throughout the Austin area since 1972. Each year, the program serves nearly 4,000 families, with 14,000 children in those families receiving gifts.

Fans may help the program in two ways. They may call 927-PUCK and order tickets for the game, and when they mention "Blue Santa," 25 percent of the ticket proceeds will go to help fund "Operation Blue Santa." Or if they prefer, fans may receive $5 off regular admission to the game when they deliver a new unwrapped toy to the Ice Bats offices in advance of the game, or on game night at Chaparral Ice Arena.

The evening will also feature a post-game auction of the holiday jerseys worn by the team during the game, with all proceeds from the auction to benefit Ice Bats Children's Charities. Other featured auction packages include Dallas Stars club seats, an opportunity to be "Assistant Coach" for an Ice Bats game, and Ice Bats signed memorabilia.

In addition, fans may have digital photos taken with Santa free of charge, and the "Texas Lottery Race" will take place between periods, giving fans an opportunity to win a free Texas Lottery scratch-off ticket.

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.

Shuffle Up and Deal: The Ice Bats' third annual Texas Hold 'Em Tournament will take place this Sunday, December 10th in the club room at Chaparral Ice Arena. Ice Bats players will be dealing or playing at every table, and the buy-in value of $100 includes dinner and the chance to win prizes such as Dallas Stars club seats, rounds of golf with Ice Bats players, autographed memorabilia and more. The tournament will begin at 4pm, with dinner to follow at 6:30pm. Fans may call 927-PUCK to reserve a spot or for details.

Salute!: Next Saturday, December 16th, the U.S. Army presents "Support Our Troops Night," as the Ice Bats face Rio Grande Valley. Fans who attend that game will have an opportunity to express their support by signing a large banner in the main lobby at Chaparral Ice Arena. After the game, the banner will be sent to U.S. Army troops in the 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division, stationed near Baghdad in Iraq.

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.

In addition, the CHL has partnered with industry leader ONEsite to launch 'myCHLteam.com', a new digital community designed to increase and enhance fan, player, team and league interaction. ONEsite is a leading provider of private labeled social networks and communities, and provides individual websites, blogs, photo galleries and much more to fans at no cost. Fans may log onto www.MyIceBats.com to sign up or for more details.



Central Hockey League Stories from December 7, 2006


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