Derrific finish

January 30, 2005 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Corpus Christi IceRays News Release


Corpus Christi, TX - The Corpus Christi Rayz waited 11 weeks to exact revenge on the Fort Worth Brahmas. Saturday night, with 55 seconds left in a tie hockey game, Derrick McIver and the Rayz got it. McIver's late-game goal propelled the Rayz to a 4-2 win at the American Bank Center, avenging the Rayz 6-2 loss to the Brahmas earlier in the season, and keeping Corpus Christi in first place.

Coming off a disappointing opening to the week, the Rayz came out and attacked the Brahmas from the opening face-off. Head Coach Ken McRae challenged the Rayz to start the game with more intensity Saturday night, and the Rayz responded by peppering the Brahmas net for 18 shots in the opening frame. The teams traded chances in the first, but the Rayz had most of the momentum before finally scoring the game's opening goal. At 18:06 the Rayz broke into the zone and Jason Baird found Greg Bullock at the top of the slot with a backhand pass. Bullock had time and ripped a slap shot past Larry Sterling to open the scoring. It was Bullock's 15th goal of the year and first since January 7th. However, the Brahmas came back and pulled even just 39 seconds later when Martin Paquet redirected an Adam Davis past Brent Zelenewich to tie the score at one. The Rayz recaptured their lead before the period was over when Baird scored his team leading 24th goal of the season on a slap shot from the right point to make the score 2-1.

The Rayz and Brahmas went scoreless in the second period and the teams went into the third with the Rayz clinging to a one-goal lead.

After Sterling kept the Brahmas within one goal with some tremendous saves early in the period, Fort Worth pulled even with Corpus for the second time Saturday night when Aaron Davis intercepted a pass in the Rayz zone and moved in one on one against Zelenewich, beating him five-hole for the game-tying goal. The game went down to the wire, but in the last minute of play the Rayz took their third lead of the night and captured it for good. With 55.1 seconds remaining, after a scramble in front of the net, the puck escaped to Derrick McIver who was at the bottom of the left circle. McIver fired a shot off of Sterling and into the net for the game-winning goal. It was McIver's fourth goal in four games and CHL rookie leading 22nd of the year. Ken McKay was awarded an unassisted, empty net goal at the 19:31 of the third when his breakaway shot sailed wide of the vacated Brahmas net, but defenseman Brandon Carper threw his stick in an effort to impede the progress of the puck.

With the win, the Rayz improved to 20-14-5 and moved into a first-place tie with San Angelo for the Southern Conference lead. The Rayz now have just one loss in their last six games. The Brahmas fell to 20-14-4 and had Head Coach, Al Sims' return to Corpus Christi spoiled in his first visit to the Coastal Bend since his release as Rayz Head Coach in November of 2003. The Rayz outshot the Brahmas 40-26. The Rayz went 0 for 4 on the power play, failing to score on the man advantage for the first time in eight games, and the Brahmas went 0 for 1.

The Rayz will now travel to Austin to play a first-place game with the Ice Bats Sunday at 4:00pm. Corpus Christi leads Austin by one point and Sunday will be the rematch of the heated January 21st contest in Corpus Christi which featured three third period Rayz goals and a 134 penalty minute line brawl in a 5-2 Rayz win. The Rayz have held the Southeast Division's first-place spot for the last 11 weeks and Sunday will put it on the line in Austin. The game cane be heard on the Rayz flagship station 103.7FM KOUL Sunday afternoon, beginning with the pre-game show at 3:45pm. The Rayz will return home to Corpus Christi when they host the Bossier Shreveport Mudbugs on Friday, February 4th. Tickets start as low as $10 and are available at the American Bank Center Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations. For more information, please contact the Rayz at (361) 814-PUCK.



Central Hockey League Stories from January 30, 2005


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