ICERAYS LOSE 5-4 THRILLER TO JACKALOPES

Feb 24, 2012

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX – The Corpus Christi IceRays tied the game with only 1:34 left in the game, however, the Jackalopes stunned the IceRays with only seven seconds left to pick up a 5-4 win in front of 4, 642 fans in the American Bank Center.

Corpus Christi started the scoring with just 4:40 left to go in the first period off the stick of Phil Pietroniro.  Michael Dery walked inside the circle and centered a pass to Pietroniro who deflected it past Jackalope goaltender Connor Hellebuyck for a 1-0 lead. 

The IceRays jumped out to a 2-0 lead just 0:56 seconds later as Travis Maxwell rifled a shot from the point, Hellebuyck made the original save, however, the puck hopped up into the air and Jonathan Grebosky batted the rubber out of mid-air for his fourth goal of the year.

The IceRays led 2-0 after the first period, but the Jackalopes came back to tie it in the middle stanza.  Ryan Doucet got the scoring going for Odessa while on the power-play just 5:19 into the second to split the IceRays’ lead in half.

Former IceRay Josh Obregon scored his second goal in two nights against the IceRays 7:28 into the second period to tie the game up at two goals apiece.  Obregon walked in through the left wing circle and slid the puck through Anthony Stolarz to the tying goal. 

Tyler Minx gave Odessa a lead early in the first period on a shot from the point through a screen to take a 3-2 advantage.

The IceRays responded right off a faceoff as Eric Purcell blasted a shot past Hellebuyck for his team leading 17th goal of the year tying the game at three aside.

The back and forth third period continued with a Jackalopes goal to regain the lead in the final period courtesy of Ryan Atkinson who beat Stolarz for a 4-3 lead.

Then with only 1:34 left in the game, Brandon Smith picked up a pass in the slot and buried the puck to tie the game 4-4 in front of an electric crowd.

Just as everyone though overtime was next, a turnover created an odd man rush for the Jackalopes.  Ryan Doucet stopped in the right win circle and wristed a shot past Stolarz with only seven seconds left to give Odessa a 5-4 thrilling win.

Anthony Stolarz stopped 23 of 27 shots in the loss.

The IceRays only home game this week is on Thursday night against Amarillo.  Puck drops at 7:05PM, coverage begins at 6:50PM with the IceRays Pregame Show on ESPN Radio 1440AM. 

Stay current with the latest team news by visiting www.goicerays.com.  In addition stay connected with the IceRays on Facebook (/corpuschristiicerays), Twitter (@goicerays), and the team’s Youtube channel ICERAYS TV (@goicerays)

“THE NEW ICERAYS…TOMORROW’S STARS”