Lovick's four points give Tornado 5-3 win over IceRays
December 10, 2011 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Texas Tornado News Release
In a back-and-forth Saturday night contest that featured three ties and three lead changes, the Texas Tornado defeated the Corpus Christi IceRays by a score of 5-3. Jordan Lovick had a goal and three assists, while Joakim Jutras made 16 of 19 saves to pick up his 12th win of the season. The Tornado peppered IceRays goaltender Anthony Stolarz, who lost a game against the Tornado for the first time in four tries this season.
Corpus Christi wasted no time in picking up right where they left off after beating Texas Friday night, scoring on the very first shift of the game just 17 seconds into the contest. Danny Fetzer received a pass from Travis Maxwell in the slot, and wristed it past Jutras for a goal on the first shot of the game. The goal was Fetzer's fourth of the season and gave the IceRays a 1-0 lead.
The Tornado had their struggles on the power-play on Friday, but cashed in on their second power-play of the game on Saturday to tie the score at 1. Mychal Monteith had the puck at the left point and sent a cross-ice pass in the direction of Lovick. He had some trouble controlling the puck initially, but was able to settle it down and send a wrist shot past Stolarz to make it a 1-1 game.
The second period began with the score tied at 1, but as they did in the first, the IceRays scored in the opening minute. This time, it was Joe Smereck who snuck a wrist shot underneath the left pad of Jutras, as Corpus Christi picked up its first power-play goal of the game.
The Tornado struck again, however, with the Tornado captain tallying his second goal in as many games. Jack Prince took a centering pass from Justin Greenberg, fought off a defender, and wristed it past Stolarz to tie the score at 2. Just over four minutes later, Lovick picked up an assist to go along with his goal after his initial shot was stopped, but Connor Burton got his stick on the rebound to poke it past Stolarz and give the Tornado a 3-2 lead.
The IceRays answered with a goal of their own just 21 seconds later on a wrist shot from the top of the right-wing circle that made its way through a screen and beat Jutras, who reacted as if he hadn't seen the shot. The shot went over the blocker of Jutras nevertheless, and tied the score up at 3 at the 8:23 mark of the second period.
Corpus Christi then went on the power-play and tried to break the tie, but instead the Tornado were able to capitalize short-handed. Lovick collected his second assist of the night on a pass from behind the net which found Mico Solorzano. Solorzano received the pass on his backhand but was able to get it back on his forehand in time to beat Stolarz for the eventual game-winning goal at 12:20 of the second period.
Texas did manage some insurance in the third, as well, on Prince's second goal of the night-and third of the weekend. With the Tornado once again on the power-play, Lovick fed the puck cross ice to Prince, who one-timed it past Stolarz for the lone goal of the third period. The Tornado and IceRays will be back in action Sunday afternoon as the two teams will meet at AmericanBank Center for a 3:00 p.m. start.
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