The IceRays Weekly is a weekly recap and preview of IceRays news, games, and more. The IceRays Weekly will be released every Monday during the 2015-16 season.
LAST WEEK…
Thursday, November 19: Lone Star Brahmas 3, IceRays 4 (OT)
Shots: Brahmas 32, IceRays 38
PP: Brahmas 0-for-4, IceRays 0-for-4
The Corpus Christi IceRays (6-10-3) ended a five-game losing skid with their 4-3 overtime win against the Lone Star Brahmas (11-1-4) on Thursday morning at the American Bank Center.
IceRays forward Jimmy O’Brien (SH, 10:25 1st) scored the team’s first short-handed goal on a breakaway to take a 1-0 lead before Brahmas forward Martin Mellberg (14:27 1st) tied the game, 1-1, later in the frame. The IceRays gained back the lead, 2-1, thanks to Brad Power (2:15 2nd) on a rebound, then momentum went back to the Brahmas with a goal from forward Alex Berardinelli (9:34 2nd) to knot the score, 2-2. Before the end of the period, IceRays forward Mason Krueger (14:07 2nd) redirected a shot from Simon Butala to take back the lead, 3-2. Late in the game, Brahmas forward Peter Kessel (SH, 14:19 3rd) tied the game, 3-3, to set up overtime, when IceRays forward Drake Lindsay (4:00 OT) tucked in a loose puck in front of the net to seal the 4-3 win.
IceRays goaltender Graham Hunt (3-5-2) saved 29 of 32 shots in the win, and Brahmas netminder Conor O’Brien (5-0-3) stopped 34 of 38 shots in the loss.
Friday, November 20: Lone Star Brahmas 4, IceRays 2
Shots: Brahmas 32, IceRays 17
PP: Brahmas 1-for-5, IceRays 0-for-1
Early goals dropped the Corpus Christi IceRays (6-11-3) in a 4-2 loss to the Lone Star Brahmas (12-1-4) on Friday night at the American Bank Center.
Brahmas forward Peter Bates (1:42 1st) put the road team up 1-0 early in the game followed by two more Lone Star goals in the first period: Oskar Andren (PP, 13:31 1st) taking advantage of their first man-advantage and Carson Kelley (14:51 1st) to triple the lead, 3-0. Brahmas forward Troy York (12:13 2nd) added his first of the year for four-unanswered goals. IceRays forward Carter Johnson (13:05 3rd; 14:57 3rd) led the charge back with two quick goals late, but it wasn’t enough to come back in the 4-2 loss.
Brahmas netminder Corbin Kaczperski (6-1-1) saved 15 of 17 shots in the win, and IceRays goalie Dryden McKay (3-6-3) stopped 28 of 32 shots in the loss.
Saturday, November 21: Lone Star Brahmas 4, IceRays 1
Shots: Brahmas 31, IceRays 19
PP: Brahmas 2-for-8, IceRays 1-for-3
The Corpus Christi IceRays (6-12-3) couldn't keep pace during their 4-1 loss to the Lone Star Brahmas (13-1-4) on Saturday night at the American Bank Center.
Brahmas forward Alex Berardinelli (PP, 4:30 1st; 1:58 2nd; 5:16 2nd) scored the first three goals of the game for the team's first hat-trick of the season to vault ahead to a 3-0 lead. Brahmas forward Carson Kelley (10:05 3rd) put up his second of the weekend to quadruple their lead, 4-0. Later in the final period, IceRays forward Tobias Kircher (PP, 14:02 3rd) scored his first IceRays goal since joining the team to break the shutout, but the home side couldn't rally late and fell, 4-1.
Brahmas netminder Conor O'Brien (6-0-3) turned aside 18 of 19 shots in the win, and IceRays goaltender Graham Hunt (3-6-2) saved 27 of 31 shots in the loss.
THIS WEEK…
For the second time in November, the IceRays will stand idle with an off-weekend on Thanksgiving weekend. The IceRays will resume their season following the off-weekend on Thursday, Dec. 3 for the first of a two-game weekend set against the Odessa Jackalopes at the Ector County Coliseum. The trip will be their second of the season and the fifth weekend series away from home.
South Division Recap:
Despite an odd week of travel, the Wichita Falls Wildcats won all three of their games across two opponents at three different locations to earn a share of first place in the NAHL and keep above the Lone Star Brahmas, who only gained one less point (five) in their three-in-three on the road. For the second time this season, the Topeka RoadRunners have moved to two games above .500 with a sweep of Springfield on the road and kept pace with the top-two teams with one less game played in that span. The Odessa Jackalopes picked up two points in their strange schedule of games though dropped two of three in order to maintain their gap over the Corpus Christi IceRays, who stole two points away from the Brahmas on Thursday. The Amarillo Bulls played on an unusual Saturday–Sunday schedule against two different teams at home but were shut down by one goal in both games while earning one point in an overtime loss.
South Division Standings:
Wichita Falls Wildcats 17-3-2, 36 points
Lone Star Brahmas 13-1-4, 30 points
Topeka RoadRunners 13-11-0, 26 points
Odessa Jackalopes 10-7-1, 21 points
Corpus Christi IceRays 6-12-3, 15 points
Amarillo Bulls 5-14-3, 13 points
ICERAYS BITS…
The IceRays hosted 6,014 fans on Saturday night at Stars & Stripes Night, their largest crowd of the season. It's the sixth time in three seasons the IceRays have crested over the 6,000-fan marker, the eighth time since becoming a junior team in 2010-11, and the 11th time in franchise history. Stars & Stripes Night have drawn the largest crowds over the last two years, totaling 12,979 fans in just those two games alone. The three-game set drew in 12,963 total fans including the Kids' Day Game and Frosty Friday and is the largest crowd for a full weekend in IceRays franchise history, overtaking the mark set on Mar. 28-29, 2014 of 12,756 fans on Pack The House Weekend.
The power play goal by Tobias Kircher on Saturday night broke two trends for the IceRays. The goal is the first by Kircher since joining the IceRays on Oct. 10, breaking a ten-game goal-less drought and helping to earn his first two points in the last three games. The goal also snaps a six-game drought on the power play dating back to Oct. 24 against Topeka. In that span, the IceRays were held without a power play goal in 19-straight attempts, one of the longest stretches in the past six seasons, and dropped their conversion rate from 11.86% to a team-low 9.09% before resting now at exactly 10.00%. The team currently ranks last on the man-advantage.
Saturday's game ended the short five-game November schedule, and the IceRays earned a 1-3-1 record for two points in that two-week stretch. The full two points came as an overtime winner over Lone Star on Thursday, and the shootout loss took a point in Odessa against the Jackalopes on Nov. 14. The point total is their lowest of the season, overtaking that mark from their September schedule (2-4-0, four points) with one less game played. In December, the IceRays will play eight games with half at the American Bank Center.
IN THE COMMUNITY…
During the week off, the IceRays would like to wish everyone a very happy and safe Thanksgiving!
– Defend The Bend –
