ICERAYS HOLD ON TO EGDE OUT JACKALOPES, 3-2

Dec 3, 2015

ODESSA, TEXAS – The Corpus Christi IceRays (7-12-3) hold on despite a late push by the Odessa Jackalopes (10-9-2) to claim a 3-2 win on Thursday night at the Ector County Coliseum.

The Jackalopes worked the game’s first goal at 6:46 of the first period when forward Jon Russell walked across the IceRays’ crease and wrapped home his first Odessa goal. The IceRays found their answer from co-captain Nathan Bryer at 10:42, snapping in a second-chance rebound after initially hitting the post to tie the game, 1-1. Just a few minutes later at 13:21, IceRays forward Mason Krueger tucked in a rebound down low for his third of the year, giving the IceRays a 2-1 lead. Just after an IceRays power play, Jackalopes forward Hampus Sjodahl found a favorable bounce off the netminder’s glove to even the score, 2-2.

Early in the second period, the IceRays had some luck of their own. At 2:21, defenseman Colton Meekhof walked through the neutral zone and took a wrist shot from the blue line that sneaked through the legs of Odessa’s goaltender to nudge the IceRays ahead, 3-2. As the Jackalopes pressured late in the frame, IceRays goaltender Dryden McKay and forward Drake Lindsay came up with two big stops with Lindsay’s a block while on the penalty kill.

As the third period wore on, pressure by Odessa ramped up. With a late power play and the netminder pulled, the Jackalopes crashed the net time after time, but the IceRays found a way to keep the puck out and stave off Odessa for the 3-2 victory. IceRays netminder Dryden McKay (4-6-1) earned the win, stopping 29 of 31 shots, while Shatzer (4-6-2) picked up the loss on a 26-for-29 effort in net.

The IceRays close out their road set against the Odessa Jackalopes on Friday, Dec. 4 at 7:05 p.m. from the Ector County Coliseum. Coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. on SportsRadio Corpus Christi (KSIX 1230AM) & FASTHockey.com.

The IceRays return to the American Bank Center on Friday, Dec. 11 to open a two-game set against the Amarillo Bulls. Contact the IceRays Front Office at 361-814-PUCK or go to www.goicerays.com for details on season tickets along with pricing and seating. In addition, stay connected with the IceRays on Facebook (/CorpusChristiIceRays), Twitter (@goicerays), YouTube (IceRays TV), Instagram (CorpusChristiIceRays), Vine (@goicerays), and Periscope (@goicerays).