The IceRays are set to face off against the top ranked Ice Wolves in a two game series starting on Friday. The lineup for the Rays includes two new faces and three players returning to the ice for Corpus Christi.
Charlie Killian and Blake Lewis are set to make their IceRays debut on Friday night after joining the team earlier this week. Killian, a left-handed defenseman from Minnesota, joins the Rays after starting the season with the Boston Advantage of the NCDC. His tenure with Corpus Christi will begin against his former team as Killian spent seven games with the New Mexico Ice Wolves during the 2020-21 season.
Lewis joins the IceRays after his most recent ice time has been with the Boston Jr. Bruins of the NCDC. The right-handed forward from Indiana started the season with Chippewa recording one goal and one assist in nine games.
A group of returners coming back for the IceRays include Oliver Stumpel, Kevin O’Keefe, and Cam Crolley. Stumpel last played for the IceRays on December 10th before traveling to Edmonton in hopes to make Slovakia’s World Junior Championship team.
O’Keefe returns after not playing last weekend against Lone Star. He is slotted to be on the third pair with new IceRays defender Charlie Killian.
At the time of his last game, Cam Crolley had one of the highest goal totals for the IceRays. Now, he sits in a tie for sixth on the team in goals despite playing fourteen games less than the five players above him on average. In goals per game for Corpus Christi, only Stepan Kuznetsov ranks above Crolley on the team.
Projected Lineup
Crolley-Stumpel-Contreras
Butler-Wandmacher-Kurtas
Dill-Casey-Lewis
Seitz-Merkley-Helm
Extra: Wilde
Carlock-Jensen
Foglia-Rourke
O’Keefe-Killian
Beaver