Corpus Christi, Texas – For the second time in as many nights, the Corpus Christi IceRays enjoyed a lead over the visiting Amarillo Wranglers after two periods.
This time, however, The IceRays made it stand up in a 2-0 victory over the Wranglers Saturday night at American Bank Center.
It’s the first shutout of the season for the IceRays this season as Bryant Marks had his second straight was solid again between the pipes.
Mathieu Bourgault and Michael Valdez scored a goal for the IceRays.
Amarillo outshot Corpus Christi 33-24, including 13-7 in the second period.
“Great win, but we almost gave it away,” IceRays head coach Sylvain Cloutier said. “We need way better composure.”
The IceRays are now 14-22-1, 3SOL for 32 points, in eighth place in the NAHL South Division, four points behind the Odessa Jackalopes for seventh, and 13 points behind the Oklahoma Warriors and New Mexico Ice Wolves for sixth.
Amarillo is now in third place with 53 points (23-11-5, 2SOL), one point behind of the Shreveport Mudbugs for second and one point ahead of the El Paso Rhinos after the Mudbugs 3-2 win in a shootout over the Rhinos late Saturday night in El Paso.
The Wranglers are now 10-1-1, 0SOL in their last 12 games.
Amarillo was 0-for-7 on the power play while the IceRays were 0-for-8.
Bourgault got things going for the IceRays with his eighth goal of the season from Will Reardon and Griffin Zaske at 15:16 of the first period and Corpus Christi led 1-0 after one period.
It was Bourgault’s second goal in his last four games where he has two goals and collected two assists.
Valdez netted his second goal of the season from Cafarelli at 13:00 of the second period.
Marks another solid effort in goal for the IceRays as he stopped all 35 of the shots he faced. He collected 81 saves out of 83 shots in the two games over the weekend to improve to 8-11-0, 1SOL.
“I’m really happy for Marks, he had a great weekend,” Cloutier said.
With the win, the IceRays evened the season series at 2-2. The two teams split the first two games with the Wranglers pulling out a 5-4 shootout-victory September 29 in Amarillo. Corpus Christi skated to an 8-5 victory the next night, September 30 before their 2-1 win on Friday.
The IceRays will have a bye week before returning home for a three-game series against the Shreveport Mudbugs Thursday night, February 8, Friday night, February 9 and Saturday night, February 10 at 7:05 p.m. CST at American Bank Center.
You can watch the games on NAHL TV and listen on Brewster Street Radio.
For more information, visit goicerays.com.
