2001-2002 road trips

FEBRUARY 22, 2002 - TULSA OILERS VS. AUSTIN ICE BATS

We ended up leaving Big D about 2:00 Friday afternoon and headed out in BIG RED (a huge red GMC pickup truck) to find Tulsa, Oklahoma. Did we know how to get to Tulsa? No, not really. Did we care? No, not really. We made it to Tulsa by 5:30. BIG RED rocks. We thought we should get to the game early since we had never been to the arena before and didn't really know what to expect. Did we know how to get to the arena? No, not really? Did we make it there in time? Yes, yes we did. It was actually much easier than we imagined. The arena is kinda small and cozy. sharpsk8 didn't like it. We liked our seats though - second row. Unlike most arenas, the second row there is way above the ice. COOL. 

We made it to the arena in time to see the pre-game skate. We were sitting on the Bats side, so we didn't really get a chance to check out the Oilers goalies. We had seen Branch get a couple of wins in Fort Worth, so we knew what he could do. But he couldn't beat the Bats, could he? One thing we just have to point out - the Oilers had on the most awful jerseys. At first we thought they were just practice jerseys, but they weren't. Words cannot explain. The Oilers were having a 'Turn Back the Clock Night'. So ugly orange jerseys it was. 

The game was pretty uneventful. Branch was in for the Oilers. McMullen was in for the Bats. No scoring in the first period. No scoring in the second period. No scoring in the third period.  The games moves into overtime. Now, in case you haven't figured it out - we are Ice Bats fans. So we, of course, want the Bats to win. Do they? NO. Pat Hallett puts one past Mulley to win the game. As we are leaving, we notice that several Oilers players came directly out of the locker room to sign autographs. WOW. Dallas Anderson is very tall. We leave in search of food.

OK, this is totally non-hockey related, but we just have to rant. Taco Cabana is a sponsor of the Oilers. The Oilers Zamboni has TC ads on it. The GF staff love TC. So, late Friday night (or should I say early Saturday morning), we decide we are hungry. We want TC. Can we find TC? No. Can we find anywhere to eat? No. Everything is closed. What the hell? We are heartbroken. No TC. We call it a night and crash. Fajitaless and dreading the fact we have a 4 hour drive to take on in the morning, we finally try and get some sleep. And so ends another road trip. Will we return to Oklahoma? Will we ever find a Tulsa Taco Cabana? Does Oklahoma really have 3-2 beer? Why does Oklahoma have so many road signs? Maybe we can give you an answer to those pressing questions if Tulsa makes the playoffs and we head out that way once again. 

FEBRUARY 16, 2002 and FEBRUARY 17, 2002

AUSTIN ICE BATS VS. BOSSIER-SHREVEPORT MUDBUGS AND AUSTIN ICE BATS VS. SAN ANGELO OUTLAWS

OK, we at GF love goalies (duh), but we just have to say that Chad Lang is a really boring goalie. Maybe it was just a boring night. Maybe he was tired. Maybe we caught him on an off day. Maybe we didn't drink enough beer. I dunno. He is not a bad goalie - he stopped 42 of 45 shots. That is pretty damn good. Bats forward Dan Price scored with the man advantage in overtime to give the Bats the win. But for some reason we walked away from the game thinking, hmmmmmm, Lang is boring. Maybe it is because we would have rather seen Bugs goalie Jonathan Forest in net and we were playing favorites. Ah, who knows? 

WAIT. I think I have it. Maybe Lang wasn't really that boring but after seeing a complete GOALIE FREAK in Jamie Ronayne, we decided he was boring. We knew that Ronayne was 4-0-0 with the Outlaws. What we didn't know was that he was a nut. BUT, that is a good thing. We here at the GF staff love nuts. Wait, that sounds weird. We like people with character. How is that? And Ronayne definitely has character. We may question his height (5'9"???? How about 5'6"?), but we will never question his ability to entertain. Not only does he turn around and look at the net every five seconds, he moves to the music, doesn't give a crap about what the fans from the other team think about him, and laughs when the opposing team scores a goal. Definitely fun to watch. The Bats ended up winning that game as well, but Ronayne stopped 37 of 40 shots. We'll see what he is really made of when we head out to San Angelo for our last road trip of the regular season.

OK, now for the AWESOME part of the road trip. We saw a goalie score a goal! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? Yes, we did. The Outlaws pulled Ronayne (why?) and Bryan McMullen, just trying to preserve a shutout, sent the puck rattling down the boards. it took a little skip, made it past a couple of Outlaws, and into the net. HELL YEAH! Everyone at the Bat Cave was up and cheering. It was incredible. AND, not only did Mulley score a goal, he got a shutout (the only other goalie to do so besides Montreal's Jose Theodore) and a penalty (for tripping). A goalie hat trick!!!!!!!!!!! And we were there. Thank you Hockey Gods (pssst -  we're still waiting for that fight we asked for!). 

FEBRUARY 10, 2002 - AUSTIN ICE BATS VS. SAN ANTONIO IGUANAS

So maybe we’re freaks. Maybe we’re bored. Or maybe we’re just stupid. Whatever the case, the GF staff decided to drive to Austin and back in the same day just so we could see the Ice Bats take on the San Antonio Iguanas Sunday afternoon. We anticipated a great game  - Bats were leading the Iggys in the division race – and we were right. The Iguanas started Brent Belecki in net for his second game since being activated from injured reserved. The Bats went with No. 1, Bryan McMullen. 

The Bats got things going with an early goal two minutes into the game from Ian Larocque. Lots of action, penalties, and shots in the first period. San Antonio had 11 shots on goal, and the Bats 13, but only one goal remained on the board when the 20 minutes were up. First Period GF Highlight: McMullen took a stand against crease lizards and received a minor for high sticking.  Could this be a sign of things to come? Hmmmm…. 

Now, on to the second period….. 

It all started when the Iggys forced a turnover and stormed the net about half way through the period. McMullen was caught out of the net, there was total and complete chaos, everyone got piled up, and the whistle blew. The goal light didn’t come on, but the officials gave San Antonio a goal, supposedly Mulley’s glove (along with the puck) went over the goal line. McMullen was HOT. We’re talking stick banging, spit screaming, net tipping hot. We were waiting for Mulley to skate over and tag-a-ref ala Cujo, but sheepdog Ryan Anderson helped keep McMullen in his crease. For his efforts, Mulley was given a minor for slashing, 10-minute misconduct and time to cool down thanks to some loose glass that needed repairs. Now, had the departed Iguana Rob Galatiuk (Copyright Jim Valsadua) been in net, the GF staff would have been praying to the hockey gods for a goalie fight. But Belecki…..um, no. 

Ryan Edwards was credited with the Iguanas goal that tied the game 1-1. The Bats came back strong, however and Brett Seguin put one past Belecki a minute or so later. So there. Bats led 2-1. As the second period was winding down, we noticed bright, flashing lights all over the Batcave accompanied by a very loud, annoying sound. 

satiria: “Uh, is that the fire alarm?”

sharpsk8: “Yeah, I think so.”

satiria: “Oh, ok.” 

The clock was still running, players were still skating, the fans were still seated. There could have been a huge, disastrous fire. All of our lives could have been in danger. No one cared, they just wanted to see (or play) hockey. Right on. 

The fire department came out and took care of the fire alarm during the second intermission, so the third period was fire alarm free (thank goodness, it was starting to get irritating). The Iguanas seemed to dominate the third period. A breakaway here, a breakaway there. We knew they would eventually get one in. We didn’t know they’d get two. Clay Awe sent a screamer from near the blue line that went right past Mulley. Mulley kept his cool, but San Antonio’s Ken Richardson snuck one past him to give the Iguanas the lead. The Bats weren't gonna let the Iggys get by that easy, however. With only 38 seconds left to go in the game, Bats' captain Jeff Greenlaw lit the lamp to tie the game and force OT. Overtime was action packed, but neither team scored, so on to a shootout it was. We don't even remember who took the first couple of shots. What we do remember was Dan Price firing one past Belecki to give the Bats the win. We were glad to see the Bats pull this one off. Mulley had a rough night and we wanted him to get the win. We definitely agreed that the game was worth the drive down there and back. Way to go Bats!

JANUARY 11, 2002 / JANUARY 12, 2002

AUSTIN ICE BATS VS. ODESSA JACKALOPES / AUSTIN ICE BATS VS. NEW MEXICO SCORPIONS

Well, it's February and I am just now getting around to writing this road trip review which means it is gonna suck because I don't remember a damn thing. Wait, I do remember that Austin got their asses kicked by the Jackalopes, much to my (satiria) dismay. sharpsk8 on the other hand was a happy camper, being the Mike Gorman fan that she is. I also happen to remember that the New Mexico Scorpions lost to the Bats in a very exciting game. I sat next to GF correspondent Tigger during the third period. She was rooting (LOUDLY) for the Scorpions, since she had the Scorpions hook up and all. If the Scorps won, we could go hang out and have a few beers with the boys. If they lost it was right back on the bus for a long midnight drive to New Mexico. Austin won in OT when Brett Seguin put one past Scorps goalie Scott Myers. Girlies had to enjoy beers alone. Mulley played both games, so I was glad to see him get the win after Friday night's loss. Sorry we are such slackers. But being a hockey slacker is so much fun. Can ya blame us????? Did we even take pictures?? GEEZ.

DECEMBER 29, 2001 / DECEMBER 31, 2001

VANCOUVER CANUCKS VS. NEW JERSEY DEVILS / VANCOUVER CANUCKS VS. PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

Um, I remember getting on the plane and I remember checking into the hotel.....and then the next thing I remember is people yelling "HAPPY NEW YEAR, EH!" and that is about it. ~satiria

NOVEMBER 30, 2001 / DECEMBER 1, 2001

AUSTIN ICE BATS VS. SAN ANGELO OUTLAWS / SAN ANTONIO IGUANAS VS. ODESSA JACKALOPES

The weekend started out with a trip to Target for batteries and cold medicine. We decided that we needed a mascot for our trip (a new GF tradition perhaps?) and sharpsk8 chose a small green reindeer with red antlers.  satiria wanted to name him sick boy, but sharpsk8 opted for jingle balls, so through the wonders of compromise, he became 'sick balls'. Poor guy. With the car full of gas, and sick balls on the dash, we set out for Austin. About four hours later, we checked into a hotel not far from the Bat Cave and rested before heading to the game. Our seats were awesome. We would tell you where they were, but then we would have to kill you (just kidding folks). The Bat Cave is definitely interesting. The  'upper level' seats consist of bleachers. There is a mini food court at one end and a season ticket holder 'club' at the other. We like it. Also, we noticed that the music guy rocks. I think we approved of just about every song we heard. Way to go music guy!

Now, on to the game. We were hoping to see Bryan McMullen play since we saw Dan McIntyre in net for the last Bats game we went to, but Mulley sat. We also wanted to see former Brahmas goalie Al Rooney play, but he sat the bench as well. Big Mac started for the Bats and Clint Owen for the Outlaws. Bats defensemen, forward, who knows what the hell he is, Ryan Anderson started off the scoring putting one past Owen in the first period. McIntyre picked up an assist in the second period on a Dan Price goal and Austin's Greg Willers and Gerald Tallaire each netted one in the second as well. The Outlaws finally got one with the two-man advantage from captain Corri Moffat with less than two minutes to go in the second period. satiria also wants to make sure everyone knows that NON-GOALIE Ryan Anderson received an interference minor, fighting major, and 10-minute misconduct, so there it is. The Bats brought the score to 6-1 with a power play goal from Dominic Periard and an even-strength goal from Jeff Greenlaw. San Angelo didn't give up though. Paul Vincent took advantage of the power play to score the final goal of the game, bringing the score to 6-2, Ice Bats. McIntyre stopped 24 of 26 shots and Owen 32 of 38 shots on goal.

We had originally planned to hit the town after the game, but we decided to do the family thing and head to Taco Cabana for fajitas and margaritas with satiria's mom and her husband. That's ok because we decided to pencil in a few more Austin roadtrips. We'll make up for it.

Well, we slept in and missed the continental breakfast at the hotel. Way to go. It was close to lunchtime anyway, so we got dressed, checked out of the hotel, and hit the road. We gave our friend Kevin a call and let him know we were on our way. He lives in San Marcos (between Austin and San Antonio) so we invited him to come along with us to the San Antonio game. We reached satiria's dad's house mid-afternoon and sat around until time to head to the game. 

I don't know what our problem was, but we missed the pre-game skate. Oh well. We didn't get to sit on our 'usual' side either because the coliseum was full of Boy Scouts. That's ok though. We sat on the penalty box side and ended up with two fights directly in front of us. Not bad. Mike Gorman was in goal for the Jackalopes and Brent Belecki for the Iguanas. Gorman let in the first of eight Iggy goals, a 3-on-4 power play goal from Jonathan DuBois at 8:14 of the first period. Odessa started off the second period with a goal from Mike Sanderson, but San Antonio's Ken Richardson answered with two of his own before the period ended. All second period goals were 4-on-4 goals. San Antonio kept the goal-scoring going in the third with a 3-on-4 power play goal from Mark DeSantis, an even strength goal from Iggy's captain Scott Green, and a shorthanded one from Ken Richardson, giving him a hat trick for the night. Henry Kuster added to the carnage, scoring the second shorthanded goal of the night and an even-strength goal three minutes later. Gorman stopped 20 of 28 shots on goal and Belecki all but 1 of the 31 he faced.

We couldn't help but feel sorry for Gorman. Two shorthanded goals? Where was his D? Heck, where was the offense? We never like a blow-out. Not only do we cringe at the thought of what it does to the goalie's GAA, it is boring. We know San Antonio is a good team. They lead the league in goals, assists, points, and penalty minutes. But we also know Gorman is a good goalie. Odessa returns to San Antonio in January. Perhaps we'll see a better match up next time around. 

OK, enough of that. Just a few more tidbits, however. Gorman decided to join in an after-the-whistle scrum near the end of the game. Seeking our first-ever 'real life' goalie fight, we immediately turned our heads toward the other end of the ice to see Belecki calmly standing in the crease. Not even a skate out to the blue line. Not even a 'keep it up and I will skate down there and kick your butt' glare. Nothing. Too bad. We'll have to wait.

Unbeknown to us,  Saturday night was the Iguana's Post-Game Skate Night. Fortunately, satiria had her skates in the trunk and she hit the ice to get some close-up pictures of the Iguana players. Belecki wandered out in his shorts and flip flops, signed autographs for a few minutes, and quickly disappeared. Galatiuk stayed out the entire time, skating, signing autographs, and posing for pictures. A fun time for all (except maybe the players who were tired and still had to go to the after game party that night). 

That wraps up our second road trip. Thanks to satiria's dad for putting up with all of us and to sharpsk8 for putting up with satiria and her Quarter Pounder obsession.

NOVEMBER 3, 2001 - SAN ANTONIO IGUANAS VS. FT. WORTH BRAHMAS

OK. So we decided to head on down I-35 to Old San Antone for the first road trip of the season. We have been to a couple of Iggy games before, but never remember where the best seats are so we end up right behind the Brahmas bench where we can't see crap. The seats turn out to be better than expected thanks to Brahmas coach Todd Lalonde. Just watching him screaming and waving his arms around was worth the $13 ticket. The game was full of fights and attitude which is always interesting. At the end of the game, satiria became confused and started cheering for Brahmas goalie Kory Cooper who was having a bad night (and was replaced by Cameron MacDonald). He gave her a 'go to hell' look as he skated up to the bench. Why? Oh maybe because she was wearing a Scott Green Iguanas jersey. Way to go. Although we failed to take game notes for this one, sharpsk8, our diligent photog, took plenty of pictures (including this one of Iggy's goalie Rob Galatiuk). We promise to be more thorough with our next road trip report.

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