CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS – The Corpus Christi IceRays (17-11-5) pull away in the third period to claim a 4-2 win over the Odessa Jackalopes (8-24-4) on Friday night from the American Bank Center. The IceRays have now won 10-straight home games dating back to Nov. 7 against Odessa and earn their 15th win in 17 attempts from the American Bank Center.
After an even first period, the IceRays tallied first despite being down a player when forward Connor Kelly was fed the puck from defenseman Anthony Cortese for a breakaway shorthanded goal at 10:44 of the second period to jump out to a 1-0 lead. Goaltender Andrew Lindgren picked up his first assist of the year on the goal. Less than a minute later, the Jackalopes capitalized on the same power play with a Corey Hoffman goal from the low left circle to tie the game, 1-1.
The IceRays pushed forward in the third period and never looked back. Forward Ryan Cusin slotted a slot from the left circle at 6:47 after an initial up ice feed by forward Wes Michaud to pull ahead, 2-1. Less than a minute after that goal, forward Tanner Lomsnes added a goal of his own, taking advantage of an odd bounce in front of the Odessa net at 7:29 to make it a 3-1 lead. The Jackalopes answered once again at 8:51 with forward Derek Brown placing a shot through Lindgren to cut the lead to one, 3-2, with Hoffman and Hampus Sjodahl gaining assists. Forward Griff Jeszka put the game away at 12:21 combining with forward Frankie Melton at the doorstep to claim a 4-2 win.
Lindgren (13-7-3) claimed the win in his fifth-straight start, stopping 30 of 32 shots, while Jackalopes netminder Tanner Creel (2-5-0) takes the loss, saving 36 of 40 shots. The IceRays finish off their final home game against the Odessa Jackalopes on Saturday, January 10 at 7:05 p.m. from the American Bank Center.. Coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. on SportsJuice.com, FASTHockey.com, and 87.7 FM in-arena.
Call the front office at 361-814-7825 for season and individual ticket details or check out the pricing and seating chart online at www.goicerays.com. Stay current with the latest team news 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).
