RAYS REPORT #24: ICERAYS NOW SIX POINTS AHEAD OF ODESSA

Mar 4, 2012

The Corpus Christi IceRays had their most critical weekend of the year to date this past weekend taking on Amarillo on Thursday night, then heading to West Texas to take the ice with the Odessa Jackalopes, who, at the time sat just five points behind the IceRays.  Corpus Christi was taken down by Amarillo on Thursday night, then, took three of four points from Odessa to pull six points ahead of the fifth place Jackalopes with just eight games remaining.

GAME #1 – 03-01-12: Corpus Christi 1-5 Amarillo – On Thursday night, the IceRays started off the game on the right foot against the league’s best team, however, the Bulls got on the board first with just 12 seconds remaining in the first period.  Amarillo put two more tallies on the board in the middle frame as Joe Kozlak and Luke Jenkins each scored to push the Bulls out to a 3-0 lead.  In the third period Corpus Christi got on the scoreboard as Perry D’Arrisso jammed a loose puck home to pull the IceRays within a goal.  The Bulls added two more goals at the end for a 5-1 final score.

GAME #2 – 03-02-12: Corpus Christi 3-2 Odessa – This game was one that Corpus Christi needed more than anything and they came through in the clutch.  AJ Jarosz scored his first of two goals on the night 14:32 into the game off a great pass from Zach Holstrom to give Corpus a 1-0 lead.  The Jackalopes then put two goals up in a row, both courtesy of Tyler Minx.  His first was a slapshot from the point 6:32 into the second period, and the next was on a loose puck in front of the net with just 4:40 left to go in the second period.  Then, on a power-play with only 40 seconds left in the second period, AJ Jarosz notched his second goal of the game as he scooped up a loose puck in the high slot, turned around, and wired it past Connor Hellebuyck to tie the game heading into the third period.  In that this period, only 3:54 into it, Jonathan Grebosky notched a five-on-three power-play goal that held up for the game winner.

GAME #2 – 03-03-12: Corpus Christi 1-2 (SO) Odessa – This game was a goaltender duel between Anthony Stolarz of Corpus Christi and Connor Hellebuyck of Odessa.  Eric Purcell picked up his team leading 18th goal of the season in period one off a shot from Connor Kingsbury from the point.  Hellebuyck made the original save but the rebound found the blade of Purcell who buried it to give Corpus Christi a 1-0 lead.  After no scoring in the second period, the Jackalopes tied the game with 7:27 left to go in regulation and forced overtime.  Both squads picked up a point going into overtime, and in the shootout Tyler Cayemberg scored the only goal to get Odessa that much needed extra point. 

AROUND THE SOUTH DIVISION:
           

 

Team

GP

W

L

OTL

PTS

WPCT

GF

GA

PIM

HOME

AWAY

xAmarillo

51

39

5

7

85

.833

225

121

1365

18-2-4

21-3-3

xTopeka

52

33

16

3

69

.663

169

132

1084

18-7-1

15-9-2

Texas

52

29

16

7

65

.625

180

145

1083

17-5-4

12-11-3

Corpus Christi

52

23

24

5

51

.490

145

162

1077

16-9-3

7-15-2

Odessa

50

20

25

5

45

.450

121

154

931

13-13-1

7-12-4

Wichita Falls

51

19

27

5

43

.422

131

169

901

13-8-2

6-19-3

New Mexico

52

18

31

3

39

.375

150

222

862

11-13-2

7-18-1

CORPUS CHRISTI’S RECORDS AGAINST THE SOUTH:

AMARILLO: 2-4-0
NEW MEXICO: 5-2-1
TEXAS: 5-2-0
TOPEKA: 0-4-0 (Season Series Over)
WICHITA FALLS: 5-6-1 (Season Series Over)
ODESSA: 4-5-1 (Season Series Over)

ICERAYS LEADERS:

GOALS: Eric Purcell – 18
ASSISTS: Beau Walker – 28
POINTS: Beau Walker – 38
PLUS/MINUS: Greg Chapman – +6
PENALTY MINUTES Danny Fetzer – 87min
SHOTS: Beau Walker – 161
WINS: Anthony Stolarz – 20
GOALS AGAINST AVERAGE: Anthony Stolarz, 2.57
SAVE PERCENTAGE: Anthony Stolarz, .925

TWO HOME GAMES LEFT… The IceRays only have two home games remaining.  After Thursday’s home game, the IceRays are now out of town for three weeks until returning to the American Bank Center on March 23th and 24th

PLAYOFF TRACKER…The IceRays sit six points in front of the Odessa Jackalopes and eight ahead of the Wichita Falls Wildcats.   

TWO IN ONE…AJ Jarosz picked up two goals for the IceRays in Friday night’s 3-2 win over the Jackalopes. 

 COMMITMENTS

 2011-2012
Anthony Stolarz – University of Nebraska-Omaha
Matthew Weis – Ohio State University
Brandon Adams – Holy Cross
Pheonix Copley – Michigan Tech
Mychal Monteith – Mercyhurst College
Colton Saucerman – Northeastern University

 ALUMNI REPORT

 NCAA D-III…
           – Luc Neitenbach (Worcester State) – Luc has one goal and one assist  
              in 20 games as a Freshman.
           – Kevin Crowe (Wentworth College) – Kevin is 5th on the team in points
             for Wentworth with eleven goals and eleven assists.
           – Derrek Shartz (Tufts University) – As a freshman, Derrek has three
             goals and two assists in 25 games.

NCAA D-I…
           – Michael Benedict (Niagara University) – Michael has two goals and
              four assists in 34 games for the Purple Eagles.

USHL…
           – Matthew Weis (Green Bay) – in 21 games, Weis has four goals and
             six assists.
           – Colton Saucerman (Lincoln) – Saucerman has recorded three goals
             and eleven assists for Lincoln in 24 games.
           – Pheonix Copley (Des-Moines) – After being traded to Des-Moines,
              Copley has a GAA of 2.39 and save percentage of .925.

WHAT’S ON TAP…  The IceRays remain on the road for the next two weeks as they visit New Mexico this weekend and Amarillo next weekend before returning home on March 23/24th.  Fans can listen to all the action with the voice of the IceRays, Rob Lippolis, beginning 15 minutes prior to the games on the Rays flagship station, ESPN Radio 1440AM.  The game is available for free online at www.espncorpus.comor on the league’s pay-per-view website, www.fasthockey.com.  Be sure to get your tickets now by calling the IceRays front office at 361.814.PUCK (7825) or crash the net at www.goicerays.com.

 “THE NEW ICERAYS…TOMORROW’S STARS”