Corpus Christi, Texas – After a week of no games, trades and recharging of the battery, the Corpus Christy IceRays were back on the ice against a very familiar rival.
As such, the matchup was as evenly matched as expected.
Brayden Cook snapped a 1-1 deadlock a little over midway through the third period to lead the Shreveport Mudbugs to a 2-1 victory over the host IceRays Thursday night at American Bank Center.
Chase Murray scored the other goal for the Mudbugs.
Derek Pietrzyk netted the IceRays goal.
“The boys played hard and just came up short in the end,” IceRays Head Coach Sylvain Cloutier said. “Overall, we’re really happy with the game.”
Corpus Christi is now 2-3-0, 0SOL in its last five contests and 5-5-0, 1SOL in its last 11 games.
It was the ninth meeting of the year between the two clubs. The IceRays are 3-5-1, 1SOL against Shreveport this season after going 0-8-0, 0SOL against the Mudbugs a year ago.
Overall, the IceRays are now 14-23-1, 3SOL for 32 points, in eighth place in the NAHL South Division, six points behind the Odessa Jackalopes for seventh, and 17 points behind the New Mexico Ice Wolves for sixth.
Shreveport is in second place in points with a record of 29-11-0, 2SOL for 60 points, two points ahead of the El Paso Rhinos, and seven points behind the division-leading Lone Star Brahmas.
The IceRays were 1-2-0, 0SOL against Shreveport in a three-game series in December, earning a 6-5 shootout win December 2.
Shreveport outshot The IceRays 28-17, including 11-5 in the decisive third period.
Neither team could light the lamp in the first period with Shreveport outshooting Corpus Christi 8-7.
The second period was equally as tight with the only difference being each team getting a goal.
Murray collected his first goal of the season at 7:16 to give the Mudbugs a 1-0 lead.
The IceRays countered quickly on Pietrzyk’s first goal a minute and 32 seconds later at 8:48 and the game was tied at one going into the third period.
Shreveport posted nine shots on goal in the second period to eight.
Cook put Shreveport up for good with his ninth goal of the year at 11:40 to give the Mudbugs the win.
The two teams will go at it again Friday and Saturday night at 7:05 CST.
If you are unable to attend the games, you can watch them on nahltv.com and listen online on Brewster Street Radio.
For more information, visit goicerays.com.
