Blogger's Depression Linked to Ice Bats Slow Start

I'm depressed. And it's not just because my personal life is in shambles. That I'm used to and can deal with. The Ice Bats agonizingly slow start to their 06-07 campaign on the other hand is a situation that I'm not quite sure how to handle. Everything looked so great on paper. They moved out of the barn also know as the Travis County Expo Center and into the conveniently located and recently refurbished Chaparral Ice Arena. That alone was enough to renew the enthusiasm and commitment that I once had for my beloved Bats. They spent the offseason re-signing key players from last year's team as well as the best available free agents they could find. Well, after last weekend's disappointing 0-1-1 showing the Ice Bats record stood at 1-3-2. The 2 stands for two overtime losses. Teams are awarded two points for a victory and one for an overtime loss so the Bats had accumulated four of a possible 12 points in their first six games. The equivalent of a .333 record.

Hopefully last night's 5-2 victory over the Rayz on the road in Corpus Christi is a sign of clearer skies and happier days ahead.

While the Bats (2-3-2) are still tied for last place (or third place if your glass is half full) with Rio Grande Valley they are a mere two points behind division leaders Laredo and Corpus Christi so no need to pull a Cobain quite yet. This week's action finds them at the Bat Cave tonight (Friday) at 7:30pm vs. Bossier-Shreveport and next Thursday hosting Corpus Christi also at 7:30pm. This Saturday they'll travel to Rio Grande Valley to take on the Killer Bees at 7:35pm.

John McNabb continues to lead the team in scoring with nine points and is tied with four other Bats for the lead in goals with three. McNabb leads the team with six assists. Henry Kuster is ranked first in shots on goal with 29. Unsurprisingly, enforcer/defenseman Britt Dougherty leads Austin with 24 penalty minutes as he will most likely continue to do for the remainder of the season.