IceRays Outlast Jackalopes in 6-5 Thriller to Complete Sweep
NAHL Corpus Christi IceRays

IceRays Outlast Jackalopes in 6-5 Thriller to Complete Sweep

Published on February 14, 2026 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Corpus Christi IceRays News Release


CORPUS CHRISTI, TX - The Corpus Christi IceRays (22-16-4) survived a late onslaught from the Odessa Jackalopes (18-20-7) to complete a sweep at the Ector County Coliseum by a final score of 6-5 Saturday night. Andrej Paricka helped lead the charge offensively with three assists and Gavin Melcher made 38 saves in his NAHL debut.

"I'm really proud of the way our group responded tonight. We built a lead, faced adversity when they pushed back, and never panicked said Head Coach Kevin St. Jacques." That's growth. Good teams find a way to win when momentum swings, and I thought our guys showed a lot of character in that final minute to close it out. That's a big step for our group."

Infractions came early and often in the opening frame, as the IceRays and Jackalopes combined for 11 penalties. Each side was awarded a power play in the first 10 minutes but failed to convert.

The IceRays took advantage of an aggressive Jackalopes squad, generating multiple odd-man rushes that led to several high-danger scoring chances. A second power play gave Corpus Christi another opportunity to break through, and for the second straight night, Nikita Konevych opened the scoring. His sweeping backhand slipped past Odessa goaltender Ben Vatis, marking his second goal in his first three games this season. Corpus Christi kept the pedal down after the opening goal, and just over two minutes later, Emil Obstfelder scored his first career goal to double the IceRays lead to 2-0 heading into the intermission.

Melcher made his NAHL debut between the pipes for Corpus Christi and made a strong impression against a potent Odessa offense. Melcher faced a game-high 19 shots in the second period, but Jackalopes defenseman Austin Richards capitalized on a turnover, beating Melcher for the first time to cut the deficit to 2-1.

Corpus Christi regrouped quickly in transition off a beautiful pass from Jack Mackenzie that set up Easton Swift for a deflection, restoring the two-goal lead at 3-1. The pace picked up, creating plenty of scoring chances for both sides, and Odessa answered with a great shot from Gabe Prankratz to pull the Jackalopes back within one.

A penalty on Corpus Christi put the Jackalopes on their fourth power play of the night with a chance to tie the game. However, Odessa had no answer for the IceRays penalty kill, which finished a perfect 9-for-9 on the weekend. Just as the penalty expired, Mackenzie fired a shot on net, chased down his own rebound, and chipped it past Vatis to give the IceRays a 4-2 lead at the break on his fifth goal of the season.

The final 20 minutes was a game in itself. An early penalty on Odessa led to the IceRays fifth goal, as defenseman Nick Evans extended Corpus Christi's led to 5-2 for their largest advantage of the weekend. Just when it looked like Odessa was down and out, the Jackalopes ignited a comeback. At the 13-minute mark, Nick Puricelli scored on a breakaway to make it 5-3. With the IceRays suddenly out of sync, Bjorn Bahneman added another to pull Odessa within one for the third time in the game.

Corpus Christi did everything it could to hang on to the lead in the final minutes, but after a pair of penalties on each side, Caden Ghiossi delivered the equalizer for Odessa, tying the game 5-5 and appearing to send it toward another overtime thriller.

In a contest full of twists and turns, the IceRays had one more answer. Paricka connected with Nick Sinani on a stretch pass, leading to the go-ahead goal and a 6-5 Corpus Christi lead with just over a minute remaining. The IceRays kept the final minute uneventful to close out the sweep with a 6-5 thriller in West Texas.

NEXT SERIES

The road trip continues for the IceRays next weekend as they make their first visit to the Blazers Ice Centre for a series with the Oklahoma Warriors. The IceRays and Warriors open the series on Friday, February 20 and wrap up the weekend on Saturday, February 21. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CT both nights. Fans can watch the game live on NAHLTV or tune in for free on the Retro Radio CC app.

NEXT HOME SERIES

Corpus Christi returns to the Hilliard Center the first week of March when they host the Oklahoma Warriors on the 6 th and 7 th. AutoNation Chevy South and the IceRays are partnering for t he Shoot the Puck - Win a Truck giveaway, where two lucky fans will have the chance to win a 2026 Chevy Silverado 1500 Crew Cab 4x4 on March 6 at the Hillard Center. Saturday is STEM Night presented by Gulf Coast Growth Ventures. For more information visit goicerays.com.

GRAB YOUR TICKETS NOW

Tickets start at just $5! Student and Active Military Tickets are available at the Hilliard Center Box Office with valid ID.

Grab yours now at www.goicerays.com, on Ticketmaster, or at the Hilliard Center box office.

Check out the Corpus Christi IceRays Statistics

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North American Hockey League Stories from February 14, 2026


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