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Bat Droppings
12/22/02
By
Jason Cohen
SAN ANGELO
To quote Outlaws owner Dick Moore, San Angelo beat Austin
in every aspect of the game Saturday, sending them home
with their tails between their legs.
The Bats had hoped to make Moore eat those words, which
referred to San Angelo's 5-2 win December 9. Instead,
Paul Vincent's Texas-sized hat trick -four goals instead
of three - and strong play from goaltender Jean-Ian
Filiatrault dashed Austin's hopes for a perfect weekend,
as the Outlaws triumphed, 6-2.
"We had a few guys who cheated the other guys tonight,"
Ice Bats assistant coach Ken McRae said. "Some of them
left a little early for Christmas, I guess."
San Angelo led 5-0 until Brett Seguin got Austin on
the scoreboard at the tail end of the second period.
"I don't know, I guess we just figured we could show
up, slap on the gear and win," Bats winger Ryan Anderson
said. "If we don't work hard we're not going to win
games. These guys play good in their own building. We
know that."
The Bats are winless at San Angelo Coliseum in three
tries, and have been outscored at "The Hideout" 14-4
since the third period of a shootout loss November 29.
Austin (20-7-1, 41 points) remains the top team in the
Central Hockey League, but San Angelo (14-13-0, 28 points)
can claim temporary superiority in the Southeast Division,
having knocked off second-place San Antonio and Austin
on successive nights.
The Bats outshot the Outlaws 35-27, but LaFilitrault,
a three-time Central Hockey League Goalie of the Year
for Oklahoma City who joined the team on Friday, rarely
allowed a rebound. Another new addition, journeyman
Chris Peach, chipped in three assists.
Austin's defense allowed an unusual amount of real estate
around goaltender Dan McIntyre, who got the start due
to Bryan McMullen's achey neck. Goals by Robin Bouchard
and Vincent gave San Angelo a 2-0 lead after the first
period, a margin that generally doesn't faze the Austin
offense.
But when Cori Moffat erased a strong Bats cycle early
in the second period with a hit on Bobby Brown, Vincent
struck again on a behind-the-net feed from Peach, with
both Austin defensemen out of sync.
Tyler Quiring made it 4-0 at 10.47 of the second, converting
a post-to-post pass top-shelf after a completely exposed
McIntyre committed early.
Vincent finished a pretty breakaway with a spring-loaded
backhand at 13:59 of the second. He got #4 at 12:49
of the third.
"When he's on his game, Vincent is one of the top three
or four forwards in the league," McRae said.
Tab Lardner had the other Austin goal, a power-play
tally at 3:38 of the final period.
McRae filled in behind the bench for Austin head coach
Brent Hughes, who rushed home to Canada Saturday morning
because of a family matter.
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