The IceRays are re-introducing the play of the year competition to recap the golden moments from the most recent season in a single elimination style tournament. The field has been narrowed down to the 16-best goals, moves, and saves from the 2015-16 season and seeded based on organizational rank. Now, YOU must decide which will be crowned the 2016 IceRays Best of the Bend!
(3) – McKay Robs Lown With Glove
The acrobatic Dryden McKay showed glimpses of his Most Valuable Player season early on in the first month during a turbulent opening to the 2015-16 season. In the second game of a tough road trip to the Kay Yeager Coliseum on Halloween, the 18-year-old made what is arguably his save of the year. Despite the eventual 3-0 loss to the Wichita Falls Wildcats, McKay helped keep the IceRays close including a highlight save on a big point threat. After a turnover at the IceRays blue line, the Wildcats came back in on a 3-on-2 and looked to add to their lead. Wildcats forward Ben Lown received a pass to the right of the net with some room to fire a shot, and just as he let go, McKay lunged to his left and stole a sure goal away, snatching the puck with his glove hand and forcing a whistle. That was just the beginning of the athleticism on display in his second NAHL season and first with the IceRays.
(14) – Bryer Cashes In On Tic-Tac-Toe Play
The first home weekend of the 2015-16 season gave promise for a repeat of last season's success, and three players combined early in the game to showcase the potential the team possessed. On October 2, the IceRays led the Amarillo Bulls by one goal before winger Andy McGlynn round a pass in his own zone and raced up the right side on a 3-on-3 development. Just after advancing into the offensive zone, McGlynn cut back and sliced a cross-ice pass to Drake Lindsay, who was wide open on the left wing. After a quick chorale, he turned it back to the right side just to the right of the goal, where center Nathan Bryer shuffled the pass into the open net and beat the sprawling Bulls netminder. The play was one of the best team combination goals of the season, and the IceRays secured an early step ahead by sweeping the Bulls that weekend to open the home schedule.
Will McKay's robbery make an easy entrance into the Quarterfinals, or will the early Bryer-Lindsay-McGlynn home highlight tic, tac, and toe its way to an upset? That's up to YOU. Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. CDT tonight.
