The IceRays Weekly is a weekly recap and preview of IceRays news, games, and more. The IceRays Weekly will be released every Monday during the 2014-15 season.
LAST WEEK…
Friday, October 3: Wenatchee Wild 2, IceRays 3
Shots: Wild 31, IceRays 26
PP: Wild 0-for-6, IceRays 0-for-3
The Corpus Christi IceRays started hot and staved off a comeback to defeat the Wenatchee Wild, 3-2, from the American Bank Center. The Wild finished ahead in shots 31-26.
Defenseman Anthony Cortese scored his fifth of the season at 7:43 of the first period to take the lead, 1-0, with the help of defenseman Logan Gestro. Gestro would add his first of the year at 11:12 after a setup from forward Wes Michaud to increase the lead, 2-0. The newest IceRays forward, Nate Colwell, tallied his first goal with the IceRays on the power play at 15:45 of the second period to make the score 3-0. Cortese and forward Nathan Bryer earned assists.
The Wild scored two goals in the third: former IceRays defenseman Ryan Chiasson scored at 3:58 with the help of forward David Powlowski, and forward Stevie Bryant cut the lead to one, 3-2, at 15:08 with Lubomir Fetkovic gaining the lone assist.
Andrew Lindgren (4-0-2) earned his second-straight win, stopping 29 of 31 shots faced, and Michael Bullion (0-1-0) took the loss, saving 19 of 20 shots after coming in at 11:12 of the first period for Forbes Ploszaj, who turned aside four of six shots.
Saturday, October 4: Wenatchee Wild 1, IceRays 2
Shots: Wild 24, IceRays 22
PP: Wild 0-for-7, IceRays 1-for-6
For the third-straight game, the Corpus Christi IceRays held a one-goal lead to claim a victory, this time a 2-1 win over the Wenatchee Wild from the American Bank Center. With the win, the IceRays sweep the weekend and claim a season series victory, going 3-0-0 with two games remaining against Wenatchee.
Forward Tanner Lomsnes would finally break through at 17:56 of the second period to give the IceRays the lead, 1-0, on the power play goal assisted by defenseman Anthony Cortese and forward Wes Michaud. After a Wild answer in the third period, forward Connor Kelly netted the game-winner at 13:48 with assists going to forwards Jack Jenson and Nate Colwell.
Forward Joseph Kaszupski scored the lone Wild goal at 4:05 of the third period, getting help from defenseman Ryan Chiasson and forward Dakota Raabe.
Luke Pickar (1-2-0) saved 23 of 24 shots to pull away his first victory, while Michael Bullion (0-2-0) took the loss for the second-straight night, denying 20 of 22 shots faced.
THIS WEEK…
Friday, October 10 @ Lone Star Brahmas – 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 11 @ Lone Star Brahmas – 7:30 p.m.
The Corpus Christi IceRays will travel north for their second road trip of the season as they visit the Lone Star Brahmas on Friday and Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas. The IceRays lead the season series, 1-0, thanks to a 2-1 win over the Brahmas on Saturday, September 27. The IceRays have won six of their last nine meetings against the Brahmas dating back to last season, improving their all-time record to 15-26-4.
Lone Star split their weekend series against the Wichita Falls Wildcats from Kay Yeager Coliseum, gaining three of a possible four points. On Friday, the Brahmas fell 3-2 in overtime but answered on Saturday with a commanding 5-1 win. Two Brahmas earned four points on the weekend: forwards Sebastian Vidmar (2+2=4) and Pat Egan (1+3=4).
With their weekend sweep, the IceRays move to a share of second place in the South Division with the Wichita Falls Wildcats at 12 points, owning a 5-2-2 record and only behind by four points to the division-leading Topeka RoadRunners. The Brahmas also improve their position in the division standings, moving up two spots to sixth with a 3-3-1 record and seven points.
ICERAYS BITS…
The IceRays have been the best team in the North American Hockey League on the penalty kill over their last seven games, killing off 26-straight penalties. The last time they were scored on by a power play unit was September 17 against the Kenai River Brown Bears at the NAHL Showcase on a goal by Maurin Bouvet at 5:06 of the second period. Since then, the IceRays have played 399:56 of ice time (52 minutes of penalty time) and over 20 periods (including one overtime period) of hockey.
Defenseman Anthony Cortese continues to put on a clinic from the blue line, scoring three points this weekend on one goal and two assists. He increases his team lead in goals (5) and points (9) through his first nine games. He leads all NAHL defenseman in goals and is tied with Kenai River's Tyler Andrews for the most points by a defenseman in the league.
Speaking of Kenai River, the newest IceRays forward Nate Colwell doubled his point total last weekend, earning a goal and an assist to bump his points to four (two goals, two assists). He factored in both game-winning goals in this weekend's sweep of Wenatchee, scoring the power play game-winner on Friday and assisting the game-winner on Saturday.
IN THE COMMUNITY…
The IceRays will make an appearance at National Night Out on Tuesday, October 7 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Casa De Mañana Apartments. IceRays players and Stinger Ray will have a table to sign autographs. National Night Out began in 1984 as an effort to promote involvement in crime prevention activities, police-community partnerships, and neighborhood camaraderie. National Night Out takes place annually on the first Tuesday of October in Texas.
On Thursday, October 9, Stinger Ray will be driving the IceRays Hummer in the 4th Annual Teloso Midway High School Homecoming Parade starting at 6:30 p.m. The parade will begin and end on Haven Drive directly in front of the Dr. Sue Nelson Performing Arts Center.
There will be two events Stinger Ray will be appearing at on Saturday, October 11. From 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., he will be making an appearance at the Physicians Premier Emergency Room Grand Opening at 5521 Saratoga Blvd. The new ER is a freestanding service that does not need a hospital affiliation to service patients in an ER setting. Later that day, Stinger Ray will head over to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Reunion at Driscoll Children's Hospital at 2:00 p.m. to meet with doctors and patients that have been through the NICU.
All events are open to the public.
– Go IceRays –
