Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - Bats again topple 'Rays, 4-1

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Saturday, March 25, 2000

Bats again topple 'Rays, 4-1
Austin coach blasts Hall over 'disgusting' Van Horlick hit
By Mark Button
Caller-Times

David Adame/Caller-times

Austin goalie Bryan McMullen lays on the ice and players brawl in the background Friday after McMullen was decked by IceRay Quinten Van Horlick.

If this were the first round of the playoffs, the IceRays' season would already be over.
   Austin defeated Corpus Christi, 4-1, Friday night at Memorial Coliseum. It was the second straight Ice Bats' victory against the IceRays in as many games this week. Austin defeated Corpus Christi, 4-3, in overtime Wednesday at the Igloo.
   Fortunately for Corpus Christi, however, the Western Professional Hockey League President's Cup playoffs start next week. The IceRays will most likely face El Paso in the best-of-three games, first-round series, which starts Tuesday.
   WPHL Rookie of the Year Dan Price scored two goals for Austin, which improved to 40-23-9 (86 points). The Ice Bats won the season series against the IceRays, 10-4.
   Losers of two straight, Corpus Christi fell to 35-25-9 (79 points). IceRays forward Kurt Wickenheiser's 62nd goal of the year was the lone bright spot in the game for Corpus Christi. The game was the IceRays' 14th in 23 days.
   "Maybe all these games are catching up with us," Wickenheiser said. "But we'll turn it around."
   Fans in attendance will probably remember Friday's game for the ugly scene late in the second period. That's when the IceRays' season plunged to its lowest point yet.
   With 1:16 to play in the second period, Corpus Christi forward Quinten Van Horlick skated full speed into Austin goalie Bryan McMullen and elbowed him in the throat, sending McMullen to the ice in a heap. The puck had been sent deep into a corner of the Austin zone, nowhere near McMullen, who did not see Van Horlick coming.
   Two Ice Bats jumped Van Horlick immediately afterwards and pounded him into the boards. A melee ensued, during which players on both benches fired water bottles at each other. At the end of the period, IceRays coach Taylor Hall and Ice Bats coach Brent Hughes exchanged words as they walked off the ice.
   "That was disgusting," Austin coach Brent Hughes said. "Taylor told me he was sorry, but I don't know. He said he didn't tell him to do that, but I'm not sure if I buy it. He said that he told Van Horlick before the game that he was not on the playoff roster, and that he had been going ballistic ever since."
   Hall declined comment after the game.
   The net result of the incident was a match penalty to Van Horlick, who will most likely be suspended for the IceRays' final two regular-season games, and an Austin power-play goal that buried the IceRays.
   Austin's Ryan Brindley scored the power-play goal 3:31 into the final period, giving the Ice Bats a 4-1 lead.
   "I didn't see anything," McMullen said. "I was looking behind the net and he just ran me. I don't think the coach sent him at me, and he's not even worth my time."
   Newly acquired IceRays goalie Rob Galatiuk made his home debut in the game, but the loss was hardly his fault.
   Van Horlick, in contrast, was directly responsible for two Austin power-play goals. First, he put the Ice Bats on the man advantage less than a minute into the game with a viscous slashing penalty. Sixteen seconds into the game, Van Horlick shattered his stick by taking a two-hand slash across the back of Austin forward Jim Shepherd's legs.
   Ice Bats forward Matt Sharuga scored a power-play goal 50 seconds later to give Austin a 1-0 lead.
   Price gave the Ice Bats a 2-0 lead at the 6:20 mark of the first period with his first goal of the night.

   Austin 2 1 1 -- 4
   Corpus Christi 0 1 0 -- 1
   FIRST PERIOD -- 1, Austin, Matt Sharuga (Lidster, Brosseau), 1:06, (pp). 2, Austin, Dan Price (O'Brien, Brindley), 6:20. PENALTIES-Van Horlick, CC (slashing), 0:16; Quinnell, CC (high-sticking), 7:48.
   SECOND PERIOD -- 3, Corpus Christi, Kurt Wickenheiser (Olsen, Bumstead), 9:17. 4, Austin, Price (Lidster, Sharuga), 18:09. PENALTIES-Shepherd, Aus (cross-checking), 0:37; O'Brien, Aus (goalie interference), 14:17; Van Horlick, CC (roughing dlb. minor, match penalty), 18:44; Legault, Aus (roughing dlb. minor), 18:44; Kungle, Aus (unsportsmanlike conduct), 18:44. THIRD PERIOD -- 5, Austin, Ryan Brindley (Adduono, Brindley), 3:31, (pp). PENALTIES-none.
   SHOTS ON GOAL-Austin 14-6-14 34. Corpus Christi 12-9-15 36. GOALIES-Austin, Bryan McMullen (17-8-2). Corpus Christi, Rob Galatiuk (1-1-0). A-unannounced. REFEREE-Alex Brown.


Staff writer Mark Button can be reached at 886-3613 or by e-mail at buttonm@caller.com

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