Corpus Christi, Texas – It was another tough night for the Corpus Christi IceRays against the New Mexico Ice Wolves.
Corpus Christi battled and took the Ice Wolves all the way to extra hockey before falling in an unlikely fashion.
Yusaku Ando scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner on a penalty shot in overtime to live the Ice Wolves to a 3-2 overtime win over the IceRays Saturday night at the American Bank Center.
Bryce Johnson scored the other goal for New Mexico.
Michael Valdez and Stepan Kuznetsov netted the goals for the IceRays.
It was another night where the IceRays were the clear aggressor as Corpus Christi outshot New Mexico 51-33.
“Two games in a row we dominated and got nothing,” IceRays Head Coach Sylvain Cloutier said. “I feel for our team. They deserved better.”
New Mexico was 0-for-2 on the power play while the IceRays were 1-for-4.
Corpus Christi is now 3-9-0, 0SOL in its last 12 contests and 6-11-0, 1SOL in its last 18 games.
Overall, the IceRays are 15-28-2, 3SOL for 35 points, in eighth place in the NAHL South Division, 11 points behind the Odessa Jackalopes for seventh, and 17 points behind the Oklahoma Warriors for sixth.
New Mexico is in fifth place in the NAHL South at 24-15-6, 2SOL with 56 points, four points ahead of the Oklahoma Warriors, and four points behind the Amarillo Wranglers for fourth.
Corpus Christi is 1-3-1, 1SOL against New Mexico this season, while the Ice Wolves are 5-1-0, 0SOL against the IceRays.
Johnson got New Mexico on the board on his ninth goal of the season at 3:31 of the first period.
Valdez tied the game at 1-1 on his fifth goal from Max Tedestedt and Zakhar Polshakov at 18:25.
Neither team could score in the second period and the game was tied at 1-1 heading into the third.
Kuznetsov scored his 13th of the year from Luca Fasciano and Luke Gallo at 2:27, and Ando collected his 17th at 3:36 to set up overtime.
The IceRays will host the Colorado Grit Friday, March 1 at 7:05 p.m., and Sunday, March 3 at 4 p.m. at American Bank Center.
You can watch the games on NAHL TV and listen on Brewster Street Radio.
For more information, visit goicerays.com.
