Nick Sinani Leads the Charge Offensively with Four Point Night
CORPUS CHRISTI, TX — The Corpus Christi IceRays (30-23-6, 66 pts) closed out the regular season in style with a 7–5 victory over the Oklahoma Warriors (26-26-7, 59 pts) Saturday night at the Blazers Ice Centre. The win marks the first time in history that the IceRays have recorded back-to-back 30-win seasons. With the victory, Corpus Christi secures a fourth-place finish in the South Division heading into the postseason.
“Our guys showed incredible resilience tonight. We faced a couple of momentum swings, but they stayed composed, kept pushing offensively, and our goaltending really stepped up when we needed it most, said Head Coach Ryan Gil. Back-to-back 30-win seasons is a testament to their hard work all year, and we’re excited to carry this energy into the playoffs.”
The Corpus Christi IceRays picked up right where they left off Friday, bringing high-octane offense from the opening shift. On their first shot of the game, Nick Sinani found the back of the net, weaving through multiple defenders to give the IceRays an early 1–0 lead with his 16th of the season.
Oklahoma Warriors answered less than two minutes later on a similar rush, as Dominik Kiss set up Keaton Martin on the back door for the tying goal. Both Billy Stuski and Gavin Melcher—making his second straight start for Corpus Christi—were busy, facing a combined 38 shots in a fast-paced opening period.
Corpus Christi regained the lead past the midway point, as a faceoff win led to a rebound chance in front that Emil Obstfelder buried to make it 2–1. Easton Swift and Justin Thibaul picked up the assists on Obstfelder’s third goal of the season.
Penalty trouble crept in late for the IceRays, beginning with a double minor for high-sticking that gave Oklahoma its first power play. A subsequent penalty created an extended two-man advantage, and the Warriors capitalized in the final minute as Kiss fired home a one-timer off a feed from Trace Day to tie the game at 2–2. The IceRays escaped the remainder of the period without further damage but headed into the intermission with work to do.
Both offenses were just getting started, as the Corpus Christi IceRays successfully killed off the remaining penalty to begin the second period. The IceRays ignited the scoring surge five minutes in—just seconds after their first power play expired—when James Chase spun a pass into the high slot for Islom Dzhabberganov, who blasted home his eighth goal of the season to make it 3–2.
Corpus Christi struck again two minutes later, as Justin Thibault broke in alone and buried his 12th of the year to extend the lead to 4–2.
But as they had earlier, the Oklahoma Warriors responded quickly. Jakub Galnor finished off an odd-man rush to cut the deficit to 4–3, and just a minute later, AJ Iwinski scored shorthanded with a quick release to tie the game at 4–4 in a flash.
Corpus Christi answered right back, regaining the lead on Jack Mackenzie’s ninth goal of the season. Before the period ended, Chase struck again, finishing a slick setup from Chayse Laurie to restore a two-goal cushion at 6–4.
Through 40 minutes, Chase, Nick Sinani, Thibault, and Easton Swift all recorded multi-point performances in a wide-open, high-scoring affair.
The Corpus Christi IceRays kept their foot on the gas in the third period, continuing to pressure the Oklahoma Warriors. Nick Sinani struck again for his second goal of the night, extending the IceRays lead to 7–4—their largest of the game. Oklahoma responded on the power play, as Alexander Duhon netted his second goal of the game to trim the deficit to two.
From there, Gavin Melcher took over, turning aside chance after chance and shutting the door the rest of the way. He finished with 50 saves on 55 shots in a standout performance.
The IceRays held on for a 7–5 victory to close out the regular season.
UP NEXT: ROBERTSON CUP PLAY-IN SERIES
Regardless of final seeding, the IceRays will face the Mudbugs in a best-of-three series scheduled for April 10, 11, and 12 (if necessary). All games in the series will be played in Shreveport. Normally the fourth seeding would have home ice advantage, however the IceRays will be playing on the road regardless at George’s Pond at Hirsch Coliseum.
TICKETS
Follow your IceRays to Shreveport with a special IceRays fan rate for tickets! Call 318-636-7094 and ask for Sabrina to qualify for special pricing!
About Corpus Christi IceRays: The Corpus Christi IceRays, a member of the North American Hockey League playing out of the Hilliard Center in downtown Corpus Christi, TX. For more information or for all your ticketing needs, contact the IceRays Front Office at (361)-814-PUCK or visit www.GoIceRays.com . You can also follow the team through their social media platforms: Facebook @goicerays, Instagram @iceraysnahl, and Twitter @iceraysnahl
About North American Hockey League: Celebrating its 50th season in 2024-25, the NAHL, the only USA Hockey sanctioned Tier II Junior league boasting 35 teams in 20 states from North American. For more information, visit the NAHL website at https://nahl.com/
About Hilliard Center
Hilliard Center is Corpus Christi’s premier entertainment and event complex, proudly owned by the City of Corpus Christi and managed by Oak View Group. Named in partnership with Hilliard Law, a firm dedicated to service and community, the waterfront venue features a state-of-the-art arena, the historic Selena Auditorium, and a versatile convention center overlooking the scenic Corpus Christi Bay. With adaptable spaces, complimentary Wi-Fi, and premium food and beverage offerings, Hilliard Center is designed to deliver exceptional experiences as South Texas’ home for live entertainment, conventions, and community gatherings.
Visit HilliardCenter.com and follow the Hilliard Center on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok for the latest news and event updates.
About Oak View Group (OVG)
Oak View Group (OVG) is the global leader in premium live entertainment infrastructure and services, with a platform spanning venue development and end-to-end capabilities across venue management, hospitality, and sponsorship sales. Founded in 2015, the Company serves a collection of seven world-class owned venues and a client roster of the most iconic arenas, stadiums, convention centers, music festivals, performing arts centers, and cultural institutions, spanning four continents. Visit OakViewGroup.com, and follow OVG on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.
