Corpus Christi, Texas – A night after nothing really going right, it was a new day for Corpus Christi IceRays on the road against the hottest team in the NAHL.
Getting off to a quick start was imperative. Bouncing back from losing an early lead was the difference.
After seeing a two-goal lead in the first period disappear, something that’s happened on numerous occasions this season, the IceRays used a reserve that led them to the promised land.
Ryan Hintz snapped a 2-2 tie in the second period and Billy Biedermann and Cole Semeniuk added goals late in the third period to lift the IceRays to a 5-2 victory over the host Shreveport Mudbugs Saturday night at the Georges Pond Hirsch Coliseum in Shreveport, Louisiana.
The IceRays improved to 12-19-1, 2 OTL for 27 points for eighth place in the NAHL South Division.
They also snapped the Mudbugs eight-game winning streak. Shreveport is now 12-1-1 in its last 14 contests, with both glitches coming against Corpus Christi, a 6-5 shootout loss to the IceRays on December 2 in Corpus Christi, and on Saturday.
“That’s a massive win for us,” IceRays head coach Sylvain Cloutier said. “Now we need to re-focus for next week.”
Shreveport is in second place in the South Division at 23-8-0, 2 SOL for 48 points.
Pierson Sobush and Luca Fasciano each netted the other goals for the IceRays.
Logan Heroux and Nick Marino scored the goals for Shreveport.
Shreveport outshot Corpus Christi 34-25.
Vilgot Holm made 32 saves to collect the win to improve to 5-10-1 on the year.
Sobush got the IceRays on the board on his 12th goal of the season from Billy Biederman at 8:17.
Fasciano came right back a minute and 15-seconds later with his second goal of the year from Anthony Cafarelli at 9:22 to give the IceRays a 2-0 advantage.
The Mudbugs struck back on Heroux’s ninth goal of the se ason at 11:46 to cut the Corpus Christi lead in half at 2-1.
Shreveport would get the equalizer on Marino’s 11th goal of the year at 17:58 and the game was knotted up at 2-2 at the first intermission.
Hintz netted his third goal of the year, unassisted at 18:05 of the second period and the IceRays led 3-2 after two stanzas.
This time, the IceRays would not relinquish the lead as Biedermann scored his eighth goal from Hintz at 17:50 of the third period.
Semeniuk scored his first goal as an IceRay less than a minute later at 18:43 to close out the scoring.
Shreveport was 1-for-6 on the power play to 0-for 2 for the IceRays.
The IceRays are now 3-3-1, 0 SOL against the Mudbugs this season in head-to-head play.
“Great effort by the boys,” Cloutier said. “It’s a really tough building to win in.”
The IceRays have won three of their last four games, and will host the New Mexico IceWolves on Friday, January 12 and Saturday, January 13 at 7:10 p.m. at the American Bank Center.
Saturday night will feature the IceRays second-annual Taylor Swift “Are You Ready For It?” theme night.
It will be an unforgettable evening that combines the excitement of hockey with the beloved music of Taylor Swift.
The IceRays will be offering a family 4 pack, which includes 4 tickets, hot dogs, chips, and soda for $76.
The first 1,000 fans in the door will receive IceRays friendship bracelets.
If you can’t make it out, you can watch the games on NAHLTV and listen on Brewster Street Radio.
For more info on the IceRays visit goicerays.com.
