ODESSA, TX – For the second straight game the Corpus Christi IceRays (33-16-5) had to fight their way from behind for the majority of the contest and fall to the Odessa Jackalopes (23-26-4) by a final score of 7-4 at the Ector County Coliseum on Friday night.
As it usually is when you take on the Odessa Jackalopes you expect see a lot of shots and chances and that’s exactly what we got in the opening frame. The Jacks sent 17 shots on IceRays Goalie Vladislav Bryzgalov who was forced to be on his game early. The first puck to find the back however was on a shot from IceRays Forward Grayson Gerhard, but the goal would be taken off the board because of a penalty taken behind the play. On the ensuing power play for the Jackalopes Jack L’Esperance beat Bryzgalov with a low shot to give Odessa the 1-0 lead. The IceRays would get their first opportunity on the power play in the final five minutes of the period and Stepan Kuznetsov buried his 21st of the season to tie the game at one. The tie only lasted 26 seconds after L’Esperance got behind the IceRays defense and scored his second of the giving the Jackalopes a 2-1 lead heading to the dressing room for intermission.
With a 2-1 advantage the Jackalopes made it 3-1 quickly on a rebound in front swatted into the empty net by Cade Ghiossi. After surrendering another goal the IceRays started to find their legs and were all over the Jacks but somehow could not cut into the deficit with looks from Cody Kempf, Will Reardon and Carter Krenke just missing. Eventually, the IceRays batted a puck home but it was waived off and confirmed after a review. Pierson Sobush who scored what he thought was making it a one goal game came right back and found the back of the net with his 21st goal of the season to make it a 3-2 game. With all the momentum on their side Corpus Christi was hunting for the equalizer, but it was Odessa who struck twice including the hat-trick goal from L’Esperance and the Jacks had their largest lead of the night at 5-2. The IceRays would go away however and would strike late in the period on the man-advantage for the second time and this time it was Gerhard on a rebound as they IceRays clawed their way back to make 5-3 after 40 minutes.
The IceRays spent the first three minutes killing off a few penalties and were able to get past both of them unscathed and push for a comeback. Odessa would make the mountain even higher after a goal from Christian Tavare. With a 6-3 deficit the IceRays continued to battle and drew two consecutive penalties and converted on the ensuing 5 on 3 to make it 6-4. Kuznetsov scored the third power play goal of the night and now has a pair of goals in back-to-back games and 11 goals in his last 10. Corpus Christi made things interesting with a power play late and the extra attacker on the ice but the Jacks sealed it off with an empty netter and for the second straight game the IceRays fall 7-4.
