ICERAYS DROP GAME ONE 3-2 IN OVERTIME TO THE WILD

Apr 3, 2015

CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS – The Corpus Christi IceRays (0-0-1) paced well with the Wenatchee Wild (1-0-0) into overtime, but one redirection made the difference in a 3-2 loss to the Wild on Friday night from the American Bank Center in Game One of the South Division Quarterfinals. The Wild take a 1-0 series lead with a possible deciding game two tomorrow night.

As both teams raced out of the gates in the first period, the IceRays notched the game’s first goal at 6:37. Following a lead-up by IceRays forward Griff Jeszka to trail the puck behind the net, forward Frankie Melton jabbed a waiting puck through the crease and gave the IceRays an early 1-0 lead. The momentum shifted to the Wild’s side following a power play, and forward David Powlowski tied the game, 1-1, with a quick loft over IceRays netminder Andrew Lindgren, who was spread out on his front side, following a loose puck just outside of the crease.

Scoring held off until late in the second period, and a turnover caused by Wild forward Donovan Ott allowed forward Brendan Harris to sail a shot over Lindgren’s left should to take a 2-1 lead at 15:27. Right after that goal, the IceRays pushed back with urgency and tied the game, 2-2, at 17:50 with connecting passes from their own zone helped along by forwards Tanner Lomsnes and Connor Kelly in the offensive end to open Wes Michaud for the easy tap-in to the left side.

The pace remained swift in the third period, but both sides missed on open chances late in the frame. The game went to overtime tied 2-2, and the Wild clinched the game-winning goal. Forward August Von Ungern-Sternberg lightly redirected a Dan Bailey shot in the middle of the slot that slipped through the legs of Lindgren to give the Wild the 3-2 overtime win.

Wild netminder Zach Quinn (1-0-0) earned the win, stopping 31 of 33 shots, while Lindgren (0-0-1) turned away 36 of 39 shots in the loss. The IceRays look to extend their postseason life against the Wenatchee Wild on Saturday, April 4 at 7:05 p.m. from the American Bank Center. Coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. on SportsRadio Corpus Christi (KSIX) and FASTHockey.com.

The IceRays make their second trip to the Robertson Cup Playoffs this weekend from the American Bank Center. Purchase your tickets by calling 361-814-PUCK or going through www.Ticketmaster.com or the American Bank Center Box Office. Stay current with the latest team news and playoff information by visiting www.goicerays.com. In addition, stay connected with the IceRays on Facebook (/CorpusChristiIceRays), Twitter (@goicerays), YouTube (IceRays TV), Instagram (CorpusChristiIceRays), and Vine (@goicerays).