CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS – The Corpus Christi IceRays (23-26-6) fell behind early and were unable to recover, falling 3-1 to the Odessa Jackalopes (24-27-4) on Friday night at the American Bank Center.
The Jackalopes took early control of the contest and solidified their push with the game’s opening goal. At 5:14, Jackalopes forward Noah Poindexter stuffed in the puck from the right of the net after a chance created by teammate Brandon Tucker to push the road side ahead, 1-0. The Jackalopes doubled their lead, 2-0, late in the first period with a semi-breakaway for forward Jon Russell, who waited to make the second move and dipped around the netminder to the right side. The IceRays nearly earned their first in the waning seconds on the power play, but the period horn beat their chance across the goal line.
The second period remained much more even compared to the opening frame, but penalties kept the IceRays tucked into their own defensive end for a majority of the frame. Their best chance came shorthanded with forwards Mason Krueger and Drake Lindsay combining for a few shots, but the loose puck was stopped on the goal line, preventing the home side’s first goal once again.
While on the power play, the IceRays finally found their first of the night. At 7:22, forward Brendan Miller stuffed a loose puck through the crease on the right side of the net to draw within one, 2-1. The goal would be the only one for the home side on the night, and despite the IceRays pulling their netminder, Jackalopes forward Derek Brown sealed the game with an empty net goal at 19:07 to earn the 3-1 win.
Jackalopes goaltender Jon Flakne (14-9-2) earned the win, stopping 34 of 35 shots, while IceRays netminder Dryden McKay (13-12-2) was saddled with the loss after a 41-for-43 save effort. The IceRays close their season series with the Jackalopes on Saturday, March 26 at 7:11 p.m. from the American Bank Center on Faith & Family Night. Tickets are available at www.Ticketmaster.com, the American Bank Center Box Office, or the IceRays Front Office. Coverage begins at 7:15 p.m. on SportsJuice.com, www.FASTHockey.com, and 87.7FM in-arena.
Contact the IceRays Front Office at 361-814-PUCK or go to www.goicerays.com for details on season tickets along with pricing and seating. In addition, stay connected with the IceRays on Facebook (/CorpusChristiIceRays), Twitter (@goicerays), YouTube (IceRays TV), Instagram (CorpusChristiIceRays), Vine (@goicerays), and Periscope (@goicerays).
