IceRays Clinch First Playoff Berth Since 2019 with Sweep of Jackalopes

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NAHL Corpus Christi IceRays

IceRays Clinch First Playoff Berth Since 2019 with Sweep of Jackalopes

March 2, 2025 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Corpus Christi IceRays News Release


CORPUS CHRISTI, TX - The Corpus Christi IceRays (31-14-4) completed a sweep of the Odessa Jackalopes (20-24-4) by a final score of 5-4 Sunday afternoon at the American Bank Center. The IceRays also clinched a spot into the Robertson Cup Playoffs with the win for the first time since the 2018-19 season.

The IceRays would strike inside the opening five minutes after winning an offensive zone face off leading to a shot from Max Ranstrom at the blueline redirected into the back of the net by Cody Kempf for one of his two goals on the afternoon. With a 1-0 lead halfway through the period Corpus Christi found themselves shorthanded, but Kempf would pick off an errant pass by Odessa and fly in on a breakaway and beat Aries Carangi with a back hand shot to double the IceRays lead with his 16th goal of the year. The Jackalopes pushed back the rest of the period and got rewarded as James Richman stuffed home a rebound in tight to make it a 2-1 game after the first 20 minutes.

Odessa would carry the momentum the started in the 1st period and find the equalizer with Henry Thornton's first career goal in the NAHL to pull the Jackalopes back to level at 2-2. The IceRays made sure to restore their lead just a few minutes later on a snap shot from Stepan Kuznetsov that went off the pipe and in for his 15th of the season to make it 3-2. Later in the frame the IceRays went to their fifth power play of the night and Will Reardon would swat home a centering pass by Ranstrom to put the IceRays up a pair of goals with 20 minutes in regulation.

After 20 games without a goal for IceRays forward Grayson Gerhard he finally got the monkey off the back halfway through the frame with his 12th goal of the season to give Corpus Christi their biggest lead of the night. It turned out his goal would be the game winner as Odessa scored twice in the final seven minutes of regulation including a goal with 17 seconds remaining to make things interesting. But the IceRays would prevail with a 5-3 win and clinch a postseason berth for the first time since 2019.

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