CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS – The Corpus Christi IceRays of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) have promoted defenseman Matthew Acciaioli from the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies U18 of the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League (T1EHL), the team announced on Wednesday.
Acciaioli, 18, appeared in three games with the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees as an affiliate during the 2014-15 season, recording a -1 rating against the Lone Star Brahmas. The 5-foot-10, 170-pound defenseman also played 31 games for the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies U18 last season, recording four goals and 15 assists for 19 points with 37 penalty minutes. He finished tied for third on the Grizzlies in assists and fourth on the team in points while producing the most points for a defenseman. Acciaioli was named one of two alternate captains for the 2014-15 season. He was signed to a tender contract by the Aston Rebels prior to the 2015-16 season.
Prior to his time in Oakland, the Rochester Hills, Mich., native appeared in 74 games over two seasons with Bell Tire U16 (T1EHL) from 2012-14, recording seven goals and 18 assists for 25 points with 74 penalty minutes. In his final season of Midget Major play in 2013-14, Acciaioli recorded five goals and eight assists for 13 points with 50 penalty minutes through 36 games.
Acciaioli joins the team in time for both games this weekend.
The IceRays return to the American Bank Center on Thursday, October 22 at 7:05 p.m. to open a two-game set against the Topeka RoadRunners on Pink In The Rink weekend. Tickets are available at www.Ticketmaster.com, the American Bank Center Box Office, or by calling 361-814-PUCK. 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).
