IceRays Win 5th Straight in 5-4 Overtime Thriller

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NAHL Corpus Christi IceRays

IceRays Win 5th Straight in 5-4 Overtime Thriller

December 13, 2024 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Corpus Christi IceRays News Release


CORPUS CHRISTI, TX - The Corpus Christi IceRays (19-5-2) were sent to the brink by the Odessa Jackalopes (10-13-4) Friday night in a 5-4 overtime thriller at the Ector County Coliseum where Michael Valdez fired home the game winner for Corpus Christi. Valdez scored his 4th goal of the season and first game winning goal to lift the IceRays to a season high five game win streak.

Like the two games back in Corpus Christi between the two sides the Jackalopes opened the scoring and this time just over a minute into the game when Charlie Smith lifted a back hand past IceRays Goalie Nikita Volsky and give the Jacks a 1-0 lead. Odessa would go on the power play twice following the goal and forced the IceRays to bend but not break. Corpus Christi would get their chance to respond, and it would come from a usual suspect Cooper Conway who took a pass from Nick Sinani off his right skate and deflected into the net to tie the game at one. It was Conway's 7th goal of the season and has now scored a goal in five straight games. The IceRays would not stop there as Conway drove into the attacking zone left the puck behind him as he circled the net, and it fell right too Defenseman Nikita Konevych who rifled a shot into the back of the net for goals and back-to-back games and a 2-1 IceRays lead.

Entering the 2nd period Odessa would have a four-on-three power play that carried over from the first 20 minutes and they wasted no time getting back on the board. Nick Metelkin beat Volsky with a one-time blast 41 seconds into the frame to tie the game at two. Corpus Christi would go on the man advantage moments later with a chance for the equalizer, but it was the Jackalopes who would strike again shorthanded. James Richman was able to knock one home from in tight to restore a one goal Jackalopes lead. Odessa had plenty of looks to extend their lead but were unable to find pay dirt giving way to a two-man advantage for Corpus Christi late in the period. Conway would score his second of the game on the five-on-three too tie the game at three and 24 seconds later Matteus Soderbom sliced his way past four defenders and beat Karphed to stun Odessa late and carry a 4-3 lead into the third.

"That was ugly, we got the two points thats the important thing, but we got to do a better job with a 4-3 lead. We talk about keeping things simple and getting pucks deep going to work and we turn the puck over and it goes in the back of our net. But we found a way in overtime," said Head Coach Sylvain Cloutier.

Odessa was in search for a tying goal and after a couple of power plays it felt like maybe the IceRays would be able to hang on. That was not the case just past the halfway mark of the frame and the Captain Kowin Belsterling beat Volsky with a wrist shot through traffic and make it a 4-4 game. The IceRays and Jackalopes would go to three-on-three overtime for the second time this season. The IceRays wasted no time as they went on the attack and Valdez had the game on his stick in the slot and sent a laser to the top corner to seal a 5-4 overtime victory in Odessa and give the IceRays a three-point lead in first place in the South Division. It marks the 19th win of the season for the IceRays which matches last year's win total.

For information, please call 361-814-7825, 814-PUCK. And for more information on the IceRays throughout the offseason, visit goicerays.com.

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