BLAINE, MN – It was a back-and-forth affair at the NAHL Showcase finale for the Corpus Christi Ice Rays (5-2-0) fall in a shootout to the North Iowa Bulls (2-2-0) by a final of 4-3 on Saturday afternoon. The IceRays three game win streak was snapped in the first ever meeting between the two franchisees.
Corpus Christi jumped on the attack to begin the game and broke through for the game’s first goal. Pierson Sobush deflected a shot from Max Ranstrom past Goaltender Kyle Ozgun to give the IceRays a 1-0 advantage. The IceRays have scored first in all seven games they have played this season. Following the goal, North Iowa tilted the ice in their favor. IceRays Goalie Jackson Cai made his first start of the season and debut in the NAHL and was brilliant in the first 20 making 15 of his 37 saves in the game.
The IceRays were forced to kill off a remainder of 38 seconds of a five on three to begin the second after a couple of late cross-checking penalties. Corpus Christi was four for four on the kill in the game and has only surrendered one power play goal this season. As we passed the halfway mark in the game, North Iowa was finally able to put one past Cai. A beautiful tic-tac-toe play between the top line of the Bulls ended with Sangyeob Kim tying the game at one with his first of the season. A few moments later, North Iowa found themselves in the box and Corpus Christi went on their third power play of the afternoon. Off a faceoff, a puck found Sobush in front who lifted a back hand over the pad of Ozgun to restore the one goal lead. It took just a minute and four seconds for the Bulls to find another equalizer from guess who, Sangyeob Kim.
Inside the first six minutes of the 3rd period, North Iowa took two penalties in succession including a too many benches minor to put the IceRays on a two-man advantage. Defensemen Max Ranstrom fired a wrist shot from the left circle passed Ozgun to put the IceRays back on top with a little more than halfway left in the period. It was the first time the IceRays had scored multiple power play goals in a season. The Bulls continued to push and broke through once again, with Kim completing his Hat Trick and sending the game to Overtime.
Both sides had some looks in three on three overtime, but nothing materialized, and we found ourselves in a good old fashion shootout. The IceRays were skunked by Ozgun on thier first two attempts leaving the game on the stick of Sangyeob Kim. The hero for the Bulls would not be denied, he slid a forward shot through the five hole of Cai and the Bulls took the extra point in a 4-3 shootout victory.
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