AMARILLO, TX – The Corpus Christi IceRays (28-13-3) kicked off their four-game road trip with a 3-2 win over the Amarillo Wranglers (16-23-4) on Friday night at the Budweiser Bull Pen. The IceRays scored three unanswered in the contest to storm back for a come from behind victory and will look for the sweep of the Wranglers tomorrow night.
Cooper Conway would draw a tripping penalty 20 seconds into the game sending Corpus Christi to the power play with a chance to strike early, but the IceRays only mustered up one shot on the man-advantage that was handled by Wranglers Goalie Matt Schoephoerster. Outside of the opening few minutes Amarillo found a rhythm early and tested IceRays Goalie Benji Motew with 15 shots in the 1st period. The IceRays would have their fair share of looks at the other end of the ice, but it was Amarillo who punched first with a wrist shot from Defenseman Will Welburn past Motew to give the Wranglers a 1-0 lead with under 3 minutes remaining in the frame. Conway had the best look of the period for Corpus Christi as he bursted between a pair of defenders in the dying seconds of the frame and tried to stuff the puck home on the fore hand but was denied by the pad of Schoephoerster just before the horn sounded taking the IceRays to the intermission down a goal.
After a sluggish 1st period the IceRays found their footing in the middle frame and started to tilt the ice in their favor leading to high danger chances against the Wranglers. One of those chances was finally converted off a shot from Nikita Konevych that bounced off the end wall and trampolined out in front where Cody Kempf was awaiting to blast it into the net to bring to tie the game at one for Corpus Christi. It would take 10 minutes later before the IceRays would take their first lead of the night. Moments after the third power play of the game expired for the IceRays Grayson Gerhard sent a rink wide pass to Max Ranstrom who found Carter Krenke on the back door for the tap in goal to give the IceRays a 2-1 lead late in the period.
The IceRays searched for the insurance goal in the 3rd period, and it took over half a period to find it off the stick of Troy Pelton. Off a turnover, Pelton sent a shot towards the net and the puck deflected off a Wranglers defenseman in front and pin balled its way into the net to extend the IceRays lead to 3-1. It was Pelton’s 10th goal of the season and becomes the eighth IceRay to it double digits this season. Amarillo would pull the goalie for the extra attacker with under two minutes to go in regulation looking to make it an interesting finish and they would with 10 seconds left. Kirill Evstigneev make it a 3-2 game later but were unable to get one more look on Motew as the IceRays held on for a 3-2 victory. Motew made 31 saves in his third win with Corpus Christi and 17th overall win this season.
