Corpus Christi, Texas – On the heels of a forgettable two-game series, the Corpus Christi IceRays are on the road seeking some camaraderie and redemption as they prepare to face off against the Shreveport Mudbugs Friday and Saturday night in Shreveport, Louisiana.
As the team is in the midst of a journey that will span over 12 days, time will be used for bonding and team building.
“After 10 games, we’re trying to see what kind of group we have and talking about what our goals are and what we want to achieve as a group,” IceRays head coach Sylvain Cloutier said. “In my playing experience, being on the road is a great chance that allows you and your teammates to spend a lot of time together.”
The IceRays fell to the Oklahoma Warriors 5-1 and 6-2 October 6 and 7 at the American Bank Center and look to revive the positive momentum they had a week before.
Corpus Christi is 3-6-0, 1SOL.
Shreveport is 6-3-0, 1SOL, and tied for fourth in the NAHL South Division with the New Mexico Ice Wolves with 13 points, one point behind Oklahoma and El Paso for second.
“They’re a good team, they’re well structured, and they play a full 60 minutes, which is something we’re still trying to figure out here,” Cloutier said. “We got to play a full 60, so it’s going to be tough.”
It’s the first meetings during the regular season, although the two teams are no strangers to one-another as they faced off in the first two games of the preseason, won by the Mudbugs.
Forwards Nils Forselius, Pierson Sobush and Anthony Cafarelli each have five goals to lead the IceRays this season.
Forward Mathieu Bourgault paces the IceRays in points with 10 (two goals and eight assists).
Forwards Hayden Nichol leads Shreveport with seven goals to go along with four assists and joins Brayden Cook (two-goals and nine assists) with 11 points.
Defenseman Logan Heroux has notched 12 points with four goals and eight assists.
Weekly Honors: IceRays forward Billy Biedermann and defenseman Ryan Hintz were named to the weekly NAHL South Star of the Week Honorable Mention list following the games against Oklahoma.
Hintz scored the lone goal in a 5-1 loss October 6 with Biedermann collecting one of the assists.
Biedermann also assisted a goal by Sobush in a 6-2 loss on October 7.
After this weekends’ games in Shreveport, the IceRays will continue their long road trip with two games in Albuquerque, New Mexico against the Ice Wolves, Friday, October 20 and Saturday, October 21.
You can watch the games this weekend on NAHLTV.com and can also catch them on Brewster Street Radio.
For more info on the IceRays visit goicerays.com.
