Corpus Christi, TX (March 30, 2023) – The Corpus Christi IceRays were defeated by the Amarillo Wranglers 4-3 at the American Bank Center on Thursday, March 30th, 2023.
Game Action
After the Wranglers struck early in Saturday’s game, the IceRays flipped the script to kick off their annual school day game as Nate Murray gave the IceRays a 1-0 lead just 56 seconds into the first period on a nice give-and-go with Cam Crolley for his third goal of the year. Jase Sofo tied the game 1-1 on a fluke goal from behind the IceRays net for his first goal of the year at the 9:35 mark of the first period.
The Wranglers got on the board early in the second period at the 1:38 mark thanks to forward Luke Morris’s sixth of the year. The IceRays found themselves shorthanded later on in the period and it was Ben Ivey who blistered one past the blocker of IceRays netminder Patrik Jurcak to give the Wranglers a 3-1 lead. The IceRays could not have asked for a quicker response at Dylan Contreras chipped one past Wranglers goaltender Connor McDonough for his eighth goal of the season to make it 3-2. An unforced turnover in their own zone came back to bite the IceRays as Ben Ivey capitalized for his second goal of the game to put Amarillo up 4-2 with under two minutes to go in the second frame.
Just like the first period, the IceRays couldn’t have asked for a better start to the final stanza as Logan Neilson capitalized when Connor McDonough went out to play the puck behind his own net and a miscue led to a tap-in goal for Neilson’s eighth of the year at the 1:28 mark to make it 4-3. Despite having plenty of time to tie the game, we unfortunately didn’t see the push we had hoped for from the IceRays who registered just four shots during the rest of regulation.
The IceRays struggled to find much rhythm on the power play today which could have swayed the direction of the game. They were scoreless on four attempts. The Wranglers capitalized on one of their five trips to the man advantage in route to the win. Wranglers goaltender Connor McDonough won his fourth straight game, turning aside 17 of 20. Patrik Jurcak made 32 saves for the IceRays.
IceRays Next Game
The IceRays next game is Friday, March 31st against the Amarillo Wranglers at the American Bank Center. Puck drop is at 7:05 PM CST.
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