Corpus Christi, Texas – The Corpus Christi IceRays, in middle of their longest stint away from home, will take on the New Mexico Ice Wolves Friday and Saturday night at 6:30 at Outpost Ice Arenas in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The IceRays began their 14-day trek on October 10 and won’t return to Corpus Christi until this Monday.
“It’s been a long time on the road, but we’ve been doing a lot of activities as a group and hanging out,” IceRays head coach Sylvain Cloutier said. “Wednesday we had a great day bowling as a group and we all got costumes and it was a lot of fun.”
In the meantime, the IceRays head into the weekend series, 1-0-1 on the trip for three points, and looking for more.
“So far, hockey-wise, we had a good weekend in Shreveport, and now we need to do the same and be to be ready here this weekend for New Mexico,” Cloutier said.
Corpus Christi defeated the Shreveport Mudbugs 3-2 October 13 in Shreveport, Louisiana and settled for a point in a 3-2 overtime loss October 14 after leading 2-0.
The three points are the positive side however, and the IceRays enter the week 4-6-1, 1SOL for 10 points and in seventh place in the NAHL South Division.
The IceRays are one point behind the Amarillo Wranglers for seventh, two behind the Colorado Grit for sixth, and nine behind the Lone Star Brahmas with two games in hand.
New Mexico is three spots above the IceRays in fifth, 5-3-2, 1SOL.
The Ice Wolves are coming off a 5-2 road loss at the El Rhinos Tuesday night in El Paso.
“They’re a very good hockey team,” Cloutier said of New Mexico. “I don’t think there’s a weak team in our group and it’s going to be a battle all season. From watching the game, they’re going to come out hard Friday so we’re going to have to be ready in the first period to come out hard too.”
Prior to Tuesday’s game, New Mexico split a road series against Shreveport, winning 5-3 October 6, and falling 5-2 the next night.
Getting ice time in New Mexico was a benefit of getting into town early.
“It was great to get here early because it’s thin air and different here and you gotta get adjusted, so it’s nice that we were able to practice here all week,” Cloutier said. “You could see the first couple of days the guys were puffing and having a tough time, but as the week’s gone on the guys have adjusted well and practices have been intense and that’s what we wanted because you’re going to have to compete Friday and Saturday.”
The IceRays will return home for four straight games beginning with two against the Lone Star Brahmas, Friday, October 27 and Saturday, October 28 at 7:05 at the American Bank Center
You can watch this weekend’s games on NAHLTV.com and can also catch them on Brewster Street Radio.
For more info on the IceRays visit goicerays.com.
