WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 1999

Ice Dogs set to take on Aeros in IHL playoffs

By Jay Seidel

On-Line Forty-Niner

As the old adage goes, be careful what you wish for because you just might get it.

The Long Beach Ice Dogs wished to stay alive until the second round of the Turner Cup Playoffs. They did, as the Ice Dogs dispatched the Kansas City Blades in the best of three series Sunday at the Long Beach Arena.

The team will now face the top-ranked team in the International Hockey League, the Houston Aeros Wednesday night in Houston. The team will return to the Long Beach Arena Sunday night in the best-of-five series.

The Ice Dogs are the only team in the league to lead the regular season match-up with Houston 5-4. However the Aeros have an impressive 32-6-3 record at home.

Ice Dog's goaltender Manny Legace, who was a key player in the team's first round victory by allowing only one goal, will again be in goal. Legace has a record of 4-1 against the Aeros.

Look for defenseman Jaroslav Modry to continue scoring. Modry scored both goals in Long Beach's 2-1 victory over Kansas City.

Forward Sean Tallaire, who has two goals so far in the playoffs, and defenseman Mark Ferner should challenge Houston's top-ranked defense.

Center Patrik Stefan, the No. 1 scouted player by the National Hockey League, will not return this season. Stefan is still suffering from a concussion he received in the first game against Kansas City.

Houston is coming off a bye in the first round of the playoffs, and will have star forward Brian Wiseman, who led the league with 109 points and is the odds on favorite for league Most Valuable Player.

The Aeros will also have forwards Mark Freer and Jeff Christian to counter the Ice Dogs. Wiseman, Freer and Christian have helped the Aeros finish the season with the league's top offense.

Manny Fernandez was in goal for the Aeros during the season. Fernandez has never lost to the Ice Dogs, with a record of 2-0-1.

The last time Long Beach faced Houston in the playoffs was in 1997 Western Conference Quarter Finals. The Ice Dogs won the series 4-1 and advanced to the conference finals, where they lost to Detroit.