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Win-Win: Bats, Price Earn Titles; I-35 Playoff Series Begins This Week

March 20, 2002 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Austin Ice Bats News Release


CHL PRESIDENT'S CUP PLAYOFFS - SOUTHERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS vs. SAN ANTONIO IGUANAS:

Game 1: Fri., Mar. 22nd, 7:20pm, at Freeman Coliseum, San Antonio, Texas
Game 2: Sat., Mar. 23rd, 7:30pm, at the Bat Cave, Austin, Texas
Game 3: Fri., Mar. 29th, 7:30pm, at the Bat Cave, Austin, Texas
Game 4 (if necessary): Sat., Mar. 30th, 7:05pm, at Freeman Coliseum, San Antonio, Texas
Game 5 (if necessary): Sun., Mar. 31st, 3:00pm, at the Bat Cave, Austin, Texas

Setting the Stage: With a 44-15-5 record, the Austin Ice Bats of the newly merged Central Hockey League go into post-season play as the CHL's Southeast Division champions. The Bats finished the regular season five points ahead of San Antonio in the Division, and second in the league overall, just seven points behind Governor's Cup champion Odessa. The Bats will therefore have home-ice advantage for their first round President's Cup playoff series against the Iguanas. The Southern Conference Semifinals begin Friday in San Antonio, before returning to Austin for the next two games.

A look back: The Bats finished the CHL regular season in style, winning their last six games, and compiling an 8-3-2 record on their season ending 13-game road trip.

Last Wednesday, the Bats came back to nip feisty Corpus Christi, 3-2 in a shootout. The IceRays scored goals in the first two periods, taking it to the Bats in a hard-checking second period. But after the Bats hit the post twice on a power play, Dan Price found the back of the net for a man-advantage score 1:35 into the third period. Goalie Bryan McMullen was then pulled with 1:35 remaining in regulation, and Gerald Tallaire scooped up a loose puck for an extra skater goal to tie the game with 1:29 left.

After a scoreless overtime, Austin's Mike Gaffney scored the game winner in round four of the shootout. McMullen stopped 32 of 34 shots to outduel a game Eddy Skazyk, who finished with 45 saves.

A look back, continued: Due to their late heroics on Wednesday, the Bats went to San Antonio on Friday with a chance to clinch the division title. This time, the Bats had to come back twice to win an overtime classic, 6-5.

The teams traded goals in the first, with the Bats gaining the lead on Dominic Periard's shot from the point at 1:25. In the second, the Iguanas line led by Scott Green and Johnny Brdarovic boosted San Antonio to a 3-1 lead. But the Bats fought back with goals 54 seconds apart by Gerald Tallaire and Greg Willers.

San Antonio goalie Brent Belecki stoned Tallaire twice on late second period breakaways, and the Iguanas recaptured the momentum early in the third. Matt Van Horlick poked home a goal at 4:30, and Green followed up with a score just 16 seconds later.

But Kelly Smart's goal with 2:46 left brought the Bats back within one, and Bats goalie Bryan McMullen was pulled with less than a minute remaining. Bobby Brown battled home the game-tying goal with just 21 seconds left, the Bats' fifth extra-attacker goal of the season.

Amidst chants of "Let's go, Bats" from a healthy Austin fan contingent, the Bats won a face-off in the San Antonio zone, and Tallaire scored the game-winner from above the right circle at 1:24 of OT. Tallaire and Willers led with three points each. The Bats celebrated the first division title in franchise history, before a Freeman Coliseum crowd of over 8,000.

With the division title in hand, the Bats moved on to their final two games still trying to clinch the #2 overall seed, and with the individual scoring title still in doubt. Last Saturday, Austin edged Fort Worth, 3-2. The Bats led first on a Mike Gaffney goal, but Fort Worth's Mike Tilson tied the score from the point. Dan Price retook the lead on a pretty deflection, but the Brahmas tied the game at 18:21 of the first, on a disputed goal-Fort Worth's Jason Clarke poked in a puck that Austin goalie Bryan McMullen appeared to have covered in the crease.

Austin's Greg Willers scored the eventual game-winner on the power play late in the second. And in the third, the Bats wore down a Brahma team playing with just 13 skaters, allowing Fort Worth just four third period shots. Gaffney was top star with a goal and an assist.

Sunday's regular season finale was a runaway with a twist. Austin's Dan Price scored a team record seven points to claim the CHL scoring title, as the Bats throttled San Angelo, 9-2. The first period was wide open, as both teams tried to pad their statistics. Odd-man rushes were commonplace, as the Bats built a 2-0 lead, only to have San Angelo tie the count. Finally, Daniel Tetrault gave the Bats a 3-2 advantage on a 3-on-1 break late in the first.

The Bats shored it up defensively in the second, and Price went to work with three straight goals for a natural hat trick, the Bats' first hat trick of the season. Greg Willers pushed the lead to 7-2, and Outlaw goalie Jamie Ronayne was mercifully replaced. Price scored on a breakaway midway through the third, and Tab Lardner completed the rout with a goal late in the period.

With little to play for, the Outlaws allowed 54 shots, and at times, it appeared the Bats had their choice of goal-scorers. But Price scored 4 goals and 3 assists to finish one point ahead of teammate Brett Seguin in the scoring race. Seguin had two points in the contest. Kelly Smart had four assists and Dominic Periard was +6 with three points, as the Bats cruised into the playoffs.

More Power, Scotty: In going winless over a four game stretch, the Bats scored just once on 14 power play chances (7%). But in winning their last six games, the Bats converted on 8 of their 25 power play opportunities (32%). For the season, the Bats finished as the league's top power play team, at 23.5%.

Chase for the Cup: First round pairings for the President's Cup playoffs have now been set. The other Southern Conference Semifinal series pits top seed Odessa against El Paso. In the Northern Conference, top seed Memphis faces Fort Worth, and Oklahoma City meets Bossier-Shreveport in a matchup of last year's CHL and WPHL Cup winners. (A complete playoff schedule is attached to this release).

Roster Flights: Additions: Defenseman Mike Gaffney played last Saturday in Fort Worth, between call-up stints to Houston of the American Hockey League. Gaffney returned to Austin on Monday after appearing in two games with the Aeros.

Also, the Bats have signed winger David Gallo and added him to the team's playoff roster. Gallo, a 6-1, 205-pound native of Sudbury, Ontario, has played the past two seasons at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. He averaged a point per game in 21 games this season.

Deletions: For the third time, Bats forward Bobby Brown has been recalled to Houston (AHL), with whom he is under contract. Brown has 4 assists in 16 games with the Aeros. It is not known when Brown will return.

Wounded Wings: Bats forward Ian Larocque was rested for the final two games of the regular season due to injury, but is expected to return for the playoffs.

Player Plaudits: The most dominant line in CHL history, the Bats' "S-T-P Fuel Line" finished 1st, 2nd and 4th in league scoring. With his 7-point day on Sunday, forward Dan Price clinched the scoring crown with 47 goals, plus 50 assists. He also led the league at +48 and with 11 game-winning goals, and ranked 2nd in shooting percentage and 3rd in power play goals.

Center Brett Seguin finished one point behind Price with 96, but with a league leading 71 assists. Gerald Tallaire was 4th behind Memphis' Don Parsons, scoring 84 points.

Bats d-men Greg Willers and Daniel Tetrault were 7th and 10th among league defensemen, with 44 and 43 points, respectively. Eric Labelle led the team with 227 penalty minutes.

Finishing second in the league in wins, goalie Bryan McMullen is 31-7-3, and he was 4th with a 2.53 goals-against average, and a .918 save percentage. Dan McIntyre ended up 6th overall at 13-8-2, with a 2.75 GAA.

Record Book: As a team, the 2001-02 Ice Bats set a host of franchise records, including team marks for wins (44), points (93), fewest losses (15) and fewest overtime/shootout losses (5). The Bats also recorded a franchise-best 20-8-4 road record. And the team set franchise records for fewest goals allowed (174) and best power play (23.5%).

Winger Dan Price set franchise records with 97 points, 11 game-winning goals and a plus-minus mark of +48. Goalie Bryan McMullen set team records with 31 wins and a .918 save percentage.

Simply the Best: Among three Ice Bats that were finalists for league awards, defenseman Daniel Tetrault was named the CHL Outstanding Defenseman of the Year. Tetrault was one of several Ice Bats that also scored well in the league's annual "Best of the Best" Poll. The Poll, conducted among CHL coaches, players and public relations personnel, named Tetrault the league's Best Defensive Defenseman.

Center Brett Seguin was named Best Stick-handler and Best Playmaker in the Poll, and was among the top three for Smartest Player, Best on Face-offs, and Best Overall Player. Dan Price was named Best Power Forward, and was among the top three for Best on the Power Play and Best Stick-handler.

Also among the top vote-getters: Gerald Tallaire (Fastest Skater), Jeff Greenlaw (Best Body-Checker) and Brent Hughes (Best Coach).

As a franchise, the Bats were honored for Best City and Best Arena Music. The team also received recognition among the top vote-getters for Most Skilled Team, Toughest Building to Win In, Best Uniforms, Best Arena Atmosphere, Best Fans and Best On-Ice Promotions. Cited 20 times among the top three vote-getters, the Bats finished second only to Oklahoma City's 21 citations in the Poll.

Potential Bite Victims: Finishing five points behind the Bats, San Antonio was 40-16-8 during the regular season. Like the Bats, the Iguanas rank among the top three teams both offensively and defensively-- #2 on offense (3.80 goals per game), and allowing opponents almost a full goal less (2.86 goals allowed). Blair Manning leads an exceptionally deep team, finishing 10th in league scoring with 29 goals and 48 assists. Scott Green was 16th, with 37 goals and 34 assists. And three other players topped the 60 point mark: Jonathan Dubois (66), Johnny Brdarovic (65) and Henry Kuster (31 goals, 32 assists).

The Iguanas added even more depth with the recent signing of Acadia University center Russell Hogue, and he's scored 7 points in six games. Mark DeSantis ranks 3rd among defensemen with 56 points, including 7 power play goals. Stay-at-home counterpart Jeff Parrott was 2nd among d-men at +33.

Although he had a rough outing last Friday against the Bats, Brent Belecki finished as the league's #3 goalie, with an 18-7-5 record, and 2.38 GAA. The Iggies also have great faith in backup Matt Carmichael (6-0-1, 2.03 GAA).

After their loss to Austin, the Iguanas suffered a shootout loss to Corpus Christi, but ended the season on a bright note, in a 4-1 win over Bossier-Shreveport. San Antonio finished the regular season 22-6-4 at home, 18-10-4 on the road.

The Series: The Bats were 7-3 in their first year of play against San Antonio, but both teams were able to win road games in the series. The Bats were 3-2 in games in Austin, and 4-1 in San Antonio. Five of the last six series games were decided by one goal. Here are the series results:

Date, Site: Result: Comments:
Oct. 20 @ Austin: W 5-2 (Brown 2 goals, McMullen 33 saves in season opener)
Oct. 28 @ San Antonio: W 6-3 (Bats open it up with 3 goals in second. Price 2 goals, Larocque 4 points)
Nov. 17 @ Austin: L 3-1 (Belecki 34 saves to give Iguanas share of division lead)
Nov. 27 @ San Antonio: W 4-2 (Iggies tie twice before Bats pull away. McMullen 23 saves)
Dec. 28 @ Austin: L 4-3 (Dubois and Price 2 goals each in seesaw affair)

Jan. 4 @ San Antonio: SOW 3-2 (Brown Round 5 game-winner, McMullen stops 33 and all 5 in shootout)
Jan. 18 @ Austin: W 4-3 (Price 2 goals in third, Tallaire 4 points, as Bats retake first)
Feb. 10 @ Austin: SOW 4-3 (Price to Greenlaw ties game with :38 left. Price nets shootout winner)
Feb. 26 @ San Antonio: L 4-2 (Iggies lead 4-0 in a rough one: 199 penalty minutes, 179 in third period)
Mar. 15 @ San Antonio: OTW 6-5 (Brown ties game with :21 left. Tallaire OT goal clinches division title)

Comments From The Coach:
On last week: "It was a great road trip, a great finish to our season and a big confidence builder. Anytime you can win on the road, it's a bonus, but we've been one of the strongest road teams in the league. That's important for the playoffs, to know you can go into anyone's barn and win a hockey game. As a coach, I didn't think we played that well in San Antonio last Friday, but we did what we needed to win. It's not necessarily how you like to see it work, getting down like we did. But it's good to know that the guys can put their minds to it and hit the gas pedal."

"In our last game at San Angelo, it seemed in the first period like it would be an end-to-end game all game long. But after the first, we clamped down a bit on D, and Pricer opened it up. It was good to see someone get a hat trick this year. It was quite a scoring race too, coming down to the last day."

On this week: "No playoff game is easy, but this will be one of the best series in the playoffs. Just like last year's against Bossier-Shreveport was probably the best one in the post-season. We know there won't be an easy shift or an easy period."

"Specialty teams and goaltending will be the difference in the series. Hopefully, our goalie is on, and we capitalize on our chances. If we can win the first game on the road, it'll make a big difference, but still wouldn't put us in the driver's seat. I won't feel like I'm in the driver's seat until I hold the Cup in my hand. But that's the best scenario. Home ice may not be that much of a factor, if you look at the way the season series went. But our team likes to play at home, and has a lot of confidence at home."

Cave, Sweet Cave: The only WPHL team to pass the 1-million mark in lifetime attendance, the Bats won the league attendance title four times in five seasons, averaging 5,350 fans per home contest last year.

Again, the Bats ranked among the CHL leaders in attendance this season, finishing second with nearly 5,000 fans per home game. Tickets for Games Two and Three of the Southern Conference Semifinals are on sale at the Ice Bats office, or through all Star Ticket locations, including Austin-area Albertson's stores. Fans may charge by phone at (512) 927-PUCK. Discounted rates apply to groups of 15 people or more.

Jammin': To pump up fans for the upcoming playoffs, the Bats will host a "Playoff Jam" this Wednesday, March 20th from 5:30-8:30pm, at Dog & Duck Pub, 17th & Guadalupe. Two favorite acts of the "Live Music Capital of the World," George DeVore and SoulHat will perform. Admission to the event is free, courtesy of the Bats and JP Mortgage Services of Austin.

Wavin' the Flag for Kids: For their first home playoff game Saturday, the Bats will wear their popular American Flag jerseys, sponsored by ERCOT. After the game, the game-worn jerseys will then be auctioned in the Belfry Club, with proceeds to benefit Ice Bats Children's Charities.

In the Air: All Ice Bats playoff games will be broadcast on "The Juice," 1370AM, presented by State Farm Insurance. The Texas Dodge Dealers Warm-up Show begins 20 minutes prior to opening face-off. The broadcast is also available on the worldwide web, through the Ice Bats website. Ice Bats Director of Broadcasting, Media/PR Glen Norman is in his fourth 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.

Currently on the site, fans may vote for their favorite players in the Texas Dodge Dealers Post-Season Player Awards. Ice Bats players will be given awards in six categories, including "Fans' Favorite," at a banquet following the season.

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