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RiverKings "Power" Past IceRays 5-3

December 22, 2009 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Corpus Christi IceRays News Release


Special teams were the difference on Tuesday night as the Corpus Christi IceRays allowed a season-high, four power play goals in a 5-3 loss to the Mississippi RiverKings, dropping the only meeting of the season. Corpus Christi fell behind early, but clawed back to tie the game in the third before a pair of power play goals less than a minute apart turned the game back in favor of Mississippi. The IceRays loss dropped their record to 9-14-4 on the season. The IceRays return to the American Bank Center to host Laredo Bucks next Tuesday night at 7:05pm in the final home game of 2009. It's Two-For-Tuesday at the American Bank Center. Buy a regular priced IceRays ticket and receive a second one absolutely FREE. Tickets are currently available. For more information, please call the IceRays at 361.814.PUCK or visit them online at www.goicerays.com.

Mississippi took the first period lead with a pair of unanswered goal to open the scoring. Ryan Held got his team leading 16th of the year on the power play when he poked the puck home from the top of the crease at 8:56. The Kings then made it 2-0 when Dane Marshall slapped a rolling puck high, glove-side past Kevin Nastiuk from the left point at 14:17. The Kings outshot the Rays 11-7 in the period and took the lead into the second period.

The IceRays cut into the RiverKings lead in the second with a pair of goals, but Mississippi also scored to retain their lead. Chris Richards got the IceRays on the board at 10:11 with on a tap in goal from the crease to snap a five-game point drought making the score 2-1 Mississippi. The RiverKings extended their lead to 3-1 on another power play goal. Matt Pierce scored on a rebound at 11:58 to reclaim the two-goal lead. But the IceRays got another goal late in the frame when Ryan Bennett redirected a Rob Jarvis slapshot past Kevin Beech to make it 3-2 after two periods. The IceRays outshot the Kings 12-11 in the frame.

The IceRays quickly erased the deficit in the third period when R.G. Flath carried the puck from center ice to the high slot in the offensive zone and sent a wrist shot off the left post and into the net at 2:58 to tie the score 3-3. The IceRays followed the goal with several quality scoring chances, but could not solve Kevin Beech to go ahead. The RiverKings were so much on their heels that with just under six minutes gone by in the third, they called a timeout to regroup. The IceRays continued to charge the net, however, but never found the go-ahead goal. In the end, the Kings power play told the story with a pair of goals on both ends of a two-man advantage 53 seconds apart. At 13:37 Ryan Campbell scored a five-on-three rebound goal to make it 4-3 Kings, and then at 14:30 Bobby Chaumont scored on a power play wrist shot from the right circle to extend the lead to 5-3. The IceRays could not recover and Mississippi held on for the victory.

Kevin Nastiuk (4-8-2) took the loss making 27 saves on 32 shots while Kevin Beech (2-1) earned the win stopping 26 of 29 shots he faced. The IceRays power play went 0-5 and the Kings went 4-7. The IceRays were outshot by the Kings 32 -29 in the game.

The IceRays return to the American Bank Center to host Laredo Bucks next Tuesday night at 7:05pm in the final home game of 2009. It's Two-For-Tuesday at the American Bank Center. Buy a regular priced IceRays ticket and receive a second one absolutely FREE. Tickets are currently available. For more information, please call the IceRays at 361.814.PUCK or visit them online at www.goicerays.com.

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