ICERAYS WEEKLY – SEPTEMBER 12, 2016

Sep 12, 2016

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 2016-17 season.

 

LAST WEEK…

Friday, September 9, 2016: IceRays 7, Lone Star Brahmas 2
PP: IceRays 1-for-3, Brahmas 0-for-6

The Corpus Christi IceRays (1-0-0-0) opened the 2016 Preseason with a strong 7-2 win against the Lone Star Brahmas (1-2-0-0) on Friday night at the NYTEX Sports Centre.

IceRays defenseman Andrew Froese (0:57, 1st) fired a shot off a faceoff from the right point to put the road side up early, 1-0. The second period blew open the game with seven total goals starting with a tally from IceRays forward David Thomson (PP, 2:04 2nd) followed by forward Christian Stevens (3:28 2nd) to triple the lead to 3-0 before Brahmas defenseman John Zimmerman (6:03 2nd) answered. The IceRays powered on three more goals from forwards Cole Filler (10:02 2nd), Nathan Bryer (10:56 2nd) and Brad Power (11:32 2nd) to push ahead 6-1 before another Brahmas answer from forward Troy York (12:44 2nd). Froese (SH, 4:25 3rd) closed the scoring early in the third period with a slap shot from the blue line.

IceRays goaltender Camden Burggrabe (1-0-0-0) earned the win, stopping 36 of 38 shots. Brahmas goaltenders Austin Smith (0-1-0-0) and Erik Gordon split time in net.

Saturday, September 10, 2016: IceRays 3, Shreveport Mudbugs 4
PP: IceRays 1-for-4, Mudbugs 1-for-4

The Corpus Christi IceRays (1-1-0-0) conceded two goals in the third period, falling 4-3 to the Shreveport Mudbugs (2-1-0-0) on Saturday night in their preseason return to the Hirsch Memorial Coliseum.

Mudbugs forward Shawn O’Malley (SH, 2:00 1st) opened the scoring with an in-zone breakaway to push ahead 1-0 before IceRays forward David Thomson (12:28 1st) equalized in the slot, 1-1. The IceRays gained the lead in the middle frame with two goals by forward Brendan Miller (3:06 2nd; PP, 8:23 2nd) to give the road side a 3-1 lead before Mudbugs forward Jacob Holmers (13:33 2nd) moved the home team within one, 3-2. The Mudbugs found the game-tying goal with a re-direction from forward Eriks Zohovs (12:10 3rd) and the game-winner from forward Brendan Van Sweden (18:54 3rd) to claim the 4-3 victory.

IceRays goaltender Tomáš Vomáčka (0-1-0-0) tended the crease throughout the contest.

Sunday, September 11, 2016: IceRays 2, Shreveport Mudbugs 4
PP: IceRays 2-for-5, Mudbugs 2-for-8

The Corpus Christi IceRays (1-2-0-0) closed the 2016 Preseason schedule with a 4-2 loss to the Shreveport Mudbugs (2-1-0-0) on Sunday afternoon at Hirsch Memorial Coliseum.

Mudbugs defenseman Croix Evingson (5:18 1st) gave the home side the early jump and lead, 1-0, with a shot from the blue line. With the IceRays in penalty trouble, the Mudbugs converted on both parts of a 5-on-3 thanks to defenseman Alex Spencer (PP, 2:47 2nd) and forward Cam Cook (PP, 3:55 2nd) to triple the lead, 3-0, before the IceRays answered on consecutive power plays. Forwards David Thomson (PP, 18:45 2nd) and Mason Krueger (PP, 8:57 3rd) cashed in to draw within one, 3-2. Mudbugs forward Brendan Van Sweden (EN, 19:45 3rd) sealed the 4-2 win with an empty net goal at the end of the game.

IceRays goaltender Cullen Barber (0-1-0-0) gained the start as well as the loss.

 

THIS WEEK…

Thursday, September 15, 2016 @ Wichita Falls Wildcats – 7:05 p.m.
Friday, September 16, 2016 
Wichita Falls Wildcats – 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, September 17, 2016 
Wichita Falls Wildcats – 7:05 p.m.

The Corpus Christi IceRays open the 2016-17 regular season with a three-game weekend against the defending South Division Champions, the Wichita Falls Wildcats, at the Kay Yeager Coliseum. Last season, the IceRays struggled against the Wildcats, going 3-9-0 against the division champions including 0-6-0 at the Kay Yeager Coliseum while being outscored 46-20.

The Wichita Falls Wildcats opened the 2016-17 regular season at the Kay Yeager Coliseum, falling 3-2 in overtime to the Amarillo Bulls on Friday night. After falling behind 1-0 in the first period, forward Blake Ripley gained help from Seamus Donohue and Roman Kinal to tie the game early in the third period before conceding a go-ahead goal less than a minute later. Defenseman Ryan Orgel tied the game in the second half of the third period to send the game into overtime, but the Bulls scored on a penalty shot in the extra period to keep the Wildcats to just one point. Goaltender Evan Moyse halted 26 of 29 shots in the loss.

South Division Outlook:
Three South Division teams opened the 2016-17 season on opening weekend with one team playing double duty. After taking down the Wichita Falls Wildcats in overtime on Friday, the Amarillo Bulls returned home on Saturday night but fell 6-2 to the Odessa Jackalopes. Three more teams begin their 2016-17 regular season schedules starting on Thursday night with the Corpus Christi IceRays on the road against the Wildcats for three-straight games, the Topeka RoadRunners hosting the Robertson Cup Champion Fairbanks Ice Dogs for a three-in-three set, and the Lone Star Brahmas on the road against Amarillo for one game on Saturday night.

TEAM GP W L OTL SOL PTS L10
ODESSA JACKALOPES 1 1 0 0 0 2 1-0-0-0
AMARILLO BULLS 2 1 1 0 0 2 1-1-0-0
WICHITA FALLS WILDCATS 1 0 0 1 0 1 0-0-1-0
CORPUS CHRISTI ICERAYS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0-0-0-0
LONE STAR BRAHMAS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0-0-0-0
SHREVEPORT MUDBUGS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0-0-0-0
TOPEKA ROADRUNNERS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0-0-0-0

 

ICERAYS BITS…

The IceRays open a season in Wichita Falls for the first time in junior franchise history after three-straight seasons starting the weekend prior to the NAHL Showcase in Topeka against the RoadRunners. Over the last six seasons, the IceRays have gone 3-2-0-1 in their first game including a 3-1 win last season against Topeka. In the last three seasons, the team has earned a 1-4-0-1 on opening weekend. The IceRays have never played a three-game series prior to the NAHL Showcase.

Despite occurring in exhibition games, the IceRays power play unit worked well in three games last weekend, going 4-for-11 (36.36%) against Lone Star and Shreveport while scoring in each game on the man-advantage and going 2-for-4 on Sunday afternoon. Three of the four goals came in the second period, and IceRays forward David Thomson scored half of those goals. Speaking of Thomson, he also scored in each game last weekend, leading the team in preseason goals with three.

 

PRACTICE SCHEDULE…

Monday, Sep. 12 – 3:00 p.m. (American Bank Center)
Tuesday, Sep. 13 – 11:00 a.m. – (American Bank Center)
• Media Availability – 12:45 p.m.

#REDRISING –