WALKER SPARKS ICERAYS SWEEP IN 5-4 WIN OVER ODESSA

Jan 4, 2013

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX – The Corpus Christi IceRays score three goals in the second period as the picked up the fourth sweep of the year, this time over Odessa with a 5-4 victory in front of 2,415 fans inside the American Bank Center.

AJ Jarosz kick-started the scoring for Corpus Christi just 3:49 into the game off an interception.  Walker hit Jarosz with a pass who then wristed it through the legs of goaltender Phil Heinle to take a 1-0 lead. 

The IceRays moved out to a 2-0 lead when Caleb O’Brien picked up his first tally as an IceRays defender while on the power-play at 14:15 of the first.  Assists were credited to Perry D’Arrisso and Walker.

In the second, the Jacks’ split their deficit in half off the stick of Anthony Olguin just 2:12 into the period while on the mad advantage.

The goal didn’t stick long when Mike Economos right off a face-off scooped up the draw by AJ Jarosz and wired it behind Heinle just 34 seconds later to regain the two goal lead.

Matt Volonnino kept Odessa in the game as they wouldn’t go away.  On a two-on-one rush, Mike Mezzano fed Volonnino with a pass and the forward fired it into the net at 12:33 decreasing the IceRays lead to 3-2.

Under six minutes later, Wayland Williams scored his first as an IceRay with an excellent shot from the right wing circle, going top shelf on Heinle to take a 4-2 lead.

Beau Walker then tallied a power-play goal, his first since returning from Sacred Heart, at 19:37 of the second to put the IceRays up 5-2 after 40min of play. 

In the final period, Lawrence Cornellier picked up a power-play strike of his own at 13:51 to make it just a two goal lead for the IceRays.

Odessa would run out of time in the end after Jimmy Peplinski made it a one goal lead with just over three seconds left in the game and the final score would be 5-4.

Hayden Stewart put aside 19 of 23 shots in the win.

The IceRays are home next weekend as well as they host the Texas Tornado.  Puck drops at 7:05PM, coverage begins at 6:50PM with the IceRays Pregame Show on ustream.com, sportsjuice.com, and fasthockey.com. 

Stay current with the latest team news by visiting www.goicerays.com.  In addition stay connected with the IceRays on Facebook (/corpuschristiicerays), Twitter (@goicerays), and the team’s Youtube channel ICERAYS TV (@goicerays)

“THE NEW ICERAYS…TOMORROW’S STARS”