CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS – The Corpus Christi IceRays (22-15-1-3) scored four-unanswered over the final two periods and pulled away with a 4-1 win over the Odessa Jackalopes (16-22-4-0) on Saturday night at the American Bank Center. Their win streak of five games marks the longest this season.
Both teams applied offensive pressure in the opening period to the tune of 25 combined shots, however it was the Jackalopes that stretched across the game’s first goal. At 15:40, Jackalopes defenseman Rowan Savidant sliced a shot from the left point that fought through traffic into the net on the power play to jump ahead, 1-0. From there, the IceRays gained momentum and found an answer in the second period when forward Brad Power was led on a semi-breakaway along the left wall and sniped a shot from that circle at 8:34 to tie the game, 1-1.
The IceRays pulled ahead and away in the third period with sustained defensive pressure that led to offensive opportunities. The go-ahead goal came at 4:48 when Power found defenseman Logan Gestro joining the rush and fired a shot from the left circle to move to a 2-1 lead. The first insurance goal was pushed across and through the Jackalopes netminder by IceRays forward David Thomson at 15:53 to double the lead, 3-1. With the Jackalopes netminder pulled, IceRays defenseman scored the empty net goal at 18:48 from in front of his own crease to cap off the 4-1 victory.
IceRays goaltender Chad Veltri (2-0-0) earned the win, turning away 25 of 26 shots in his second NAHL game, while Jackalopes netminder Jon Flakne (7-11-2) picked up the loss, saving 36 of 39 shots. The IceRays continue the eight-game home stand on Thursday, Feb. 16 at 7:05 p.m. when they open a two-game set against the Topeka RoadRunners at the American Bank Center. Tickets are available at the American Bank Center Box Office and Ticketmaster.com. Coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. on SportsJuice.com, Hockey TV and 87.7FM.
Join the IceRays in their push for the 2017 Robertson Cup Playoffs and pick up an 8-game or reduced season ticket plan! Reserve yours by contacting the IceRays Front Office at 361-814-PUCK. In addition, stay connected with the IceRays on Facebook (/CorpusChristiIceRays), Twitter (@goicerays), YouTube (IceRays TV), Instagram (CorpusChristiIceRays), Snapchat (@goicerays), and Periscope (@goicerays).