The IceRays are set to hit the ice at American Bank Center on Thursday and Friday this week to close out the home portion of the regular season. The Rays will face off against El Paso in the two-game series to try and win the season series against the Rhinos this season. Off of the ice, the Rays have quite the promotional schedule planned with the annual Pack the House for Charity night taking place on Friday evening.
Promotional Schedule
On Thursday, it’s 80’s Night at the American Bank Center presented by Retro 104.1. The Rays and Retro 104.1 encourage fans to wear your 80’s gear for a chance to win a suite to an IceRays game during the 2022-23 season. It’s also Thirsty Thursday for the series opener with El Paso. This means $3 beer and soda at the game. Tickets are just $12 at the door for the Thursday evening matchup.
The annual Pack the House for Charity game on Friday will benefit Choice Living Community. This season’s beneficiary provides a day program setting for adults with moderate to severe disabilities that have aged out of the traditional educational setting. CLC provides vocational, social skills, and life skills training to adults with disabilities. The IceRays will wear special Harley-Davidson themed jerseys on Friday night that will be auctioned off online following the games this weekend with money from the auction going toward Choice Living Community.
Friday night also marks the jersey retirement of former IceRays forward Jason Baird. Baird played in parts of four seasons for the then Corpus Christi Rayz recording 156 points in 147 games. Baird’s career came to a close following a lawn mower accident in the summer of 2008. He later passed away in 2014 after complications from pancreatitis. Baird’s wife, Bethany, now is the Marketing Lead for Choice Living Community.
Matchup Preview
This weekend’s series against El Paso will be the last two games against the Rhinos this season. In the first three matchups, El Paso got the better of the IceRays including one game at home, but since then, the IceRays have taken the last three of the season series to even things at 3-3-0 between the two sides. This includes a road sweep of El Paso back in January by scores of 4-3 and 6-3.
The sweep in January for the Rays started a hot streak on the Corpus Christi power play as three goals went in on the man-advantage in the two game series. The sweep was also part of a season high winning streak with the Rays sweeping Amarillo at home the following weekend. On the other side of the ice, though, getting swept started an ice cold streak for El Paso. The Rhinos have not won a game since January 15th, the week prior to the IceRays series in El Paso. It marks a 21 game losing streak for the Rhinos, which is the longest active in the NAHL by fourteen games.
Join us at American Bank Center this Thursday and Friday in hopes that the Rays can end the home schedule on a positive note. Tickets are still on sale online on Ticketmaster or at the American Bank Center box office. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 pm on both nights. Coverage for this weekend’s games can be found on Brewster Street Radio and HockeyTV.