Corpus Christi, Texas – A recurring theme for Corpus Christi IceRays head coach Sylvain Cloutier, is “play for a full 60 minutes.”
In a two-game series that saw the IceRays grab three out of four points on the road against the Shreveport Mudbugs, 60 x 2 equals Player of the Week.
IceRays netminder Vilgot Holm stood on his head all weekend long and in turn, earned the NAHL South Star of the Week.
IceRays captain Anthony Cafarelli was named South Star of the Week Honorable Mention.
Holm had 60 plus of his own, stopping a grand total of 70 out of 75 total shots to help Corpus Christi go 1-0-1 for three points.
“I really felt like I got in the zone the first game,” Holm said. “Obviously we were a bit nervous and hadn’t won in a couple of games, but then I just feel like I got into it and had a couple of really good saves and kind of rolled from there.”
And roll he did.
Holm stopped 33 of 36 shots in Saturday’s 3-2 overtime loss after making 37 saves on 39 shots in the IceRays 3-2 victory over the Mudbugs Friday night.
“I felt like we could win both games, but obviously it’s three huge points,” Holm said. “Shreveport’s a really tough place to go. The fans get on you and it’s really fun, so yeah, really happy with the three points.”
Holm, a 6-foot-3, 175-pound native of Ljunby, Sweden, has a 2-3-2 record on the season with a 3.41 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage.
“He had an unbelievable weekend for us,” Cloutier said. “He’s such a calming influence in net four our group. We can see his confidence building in his game.”
Cloutier also sees a chance to win with Holm between the pipes.
“We finally have goalies that give us a chance to win hockey games,” Cloutier said.
Cafarelli, a 5-foot-10, 185-pound forward from Middleton, Massachusetts, netted a goal Saturday, his sixth of the season on a power-play goal. He also chipped in with an assist, his fifth of the season on Friday.
After finishing with 13 goals and 12 assists in 56 games last season, Cafarelli already has six goals and five assists and 12 games so far this season.
The IceRays will continue their long road trip with two games in Albuquerque, New Mexico against the New Mexico Ice Wolves, Friday, and Saturday night at 7:30 CT.
You can watch the games on NAHLTV.com and can also catch them on Brewster Street Radio.
For more info on the IceRays visit goicerays.com.
