Corpus Christi, Texas – For the second time in three days, the Corpus Christi IceRays were in a tight battle with the Colorado Grit.
This time around, the IceRays came up with a big finish.
Pierson Sobush put the IceRays up for good late in the third period to send the IceRays to a 5-4 victory over Grit Sunday afternoon at the American Bank Center.
Sobush scored three goals for a hat trick, while Stepan Kuznetsov and Dylan Jensen netted the other goals for Corpus Christi.
Noah Grolnic, Landon West, Christian Carter and Nolan Shaw each scored goals for Colorado.
“It was a big win for us, but we sure made it hard on ourselves,” IceRays Head Coach Sylvain Cloutier said. “The guys responded well after Friday’s performance.”
The IceRays outshot the Grit 38-28, including 14-7 in the third period.
Corpus Christi was 1-for-3 on the power play, while Colorado was also 1-for-3 with the man-advantage.
Corpus Christi is 2-4-0, 0SOL in its last six games, 3-9-0, 0SOL in its last 12 contests and 7-12-0, 1SOL in its last 20 games.
Overall, the IceRays are 16-29-2, 3SOL for 37 points, in eighth place in the NAHL South Division, 10 points behind the Odessa Jackalopes for seventh, and 19 points behind the Oklahoma Warriors for sixth.
Colorado is in ninth place in the NAHL South at 10-31-3, 2SOL with 25 points, 12 points behind the IceRays.
Corpus Christi and Colorado have split their four contests, including two in November with Colorado winning the first game 5-0 November 24, and the IceRays coming back to win 7-3 November 25.
Kuznetsov got the IceRays on the board on his 14th goal of the season on the power play from Michael Valdez and Zakhar Polshakov at 11:21 of the first period.
Colorado came back on Grolnic’s 11th goal at 17:47 and it was 1-1 after one period of play.
Sobush collected his 14th goal at 2:13 of the second period and West got his sixth with the man-advantage at 3:11.
Sobush put the IceRays up 3-2 with his 15th from Kuznetsov and Andrew Hayek at 11:55.
Carter quickly tied the game on his eighth goal at 12:28 and it was 3-3 heading into the final period.
Shaw gave Colorado a 4-3 lead on his second goal of the year at 2:24.
Jensen answered with his sixth of the season from Gage Parillo and Griffin Zaske at 11:40 to set the stage for the finale.
Sobush completed the hat trick with his 16th of the year from Kuznetsov and Troy Pelton at 18:31 to send the crowd home happy.
“It was a team win and was nice to see,” Cloutier said. “Now let’s get ready for next weekend.”
The IceRays are right back at home against the Lone Star Brahmas Friday, March 8 and Saturday, March 9 at 7:05 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.
