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Scorps Top Rayz 5-3 In First Of Two Straight

February 8, 2008 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Corpus Christi IceRays News Release


The Corpus Christi Rayz kept chasing the New Mexico Scorpions on Friday Night, but in the end could not catch the surging Scorps. Five Scorpions scored to lead New Mexico to a 5-3 win, and dropping the Rayz into a fifth place tie in the Southern Conference. The Rayz had a two-game point streak snapped and fell to 16-23-6. The remain in the fifth and final playoff spot, but are now tied with the Amarillo Gorillas who won in Wichita. The Rayz and Scorpions will conclude their season series with their second straight meeting on Saturday The Rayz then return to the American Bank Center next Friday and Saturday Night for games against the Laredo Bucks and Odessa Jackalopes. Tickets for both games area available. For more information please call the Rayz at 361.814.PUCK.

The Scorpions opened an early lead with two first period goals. At 5:28, on the first power play of the game, New Mexico's Ross McCain sliced down the right wall and threw the puck towards the net, where it caromed off of Dominic Osman and past Jason Tapp to give the Scorps a 1-0 lead. The Scorps then made it 2-0 at 12:05 when former Rayz forward Chris Robertson knocked home a rebound goal. The Rayz got on the board late in the period when Jay Latulippe stole the puck on the right wing boards and found Justin Quenneville at the bottom of the left circle. Quenneville beat Mike Minard upstairs for his second goal in as many games back from injury at 18:02 to cut the Corpus Christi deficit to 2-1. The Scorps outshot the Rayz 16-11 in the first period.

In the second period the Rayz got the equalizer early when Brent Howarth slammed home his own rebound at 2:49 to make the score 2-2. However, the Scorps reclaimed their lead with two goals later in the frame. First at 10:12 Craig MacDonald redirected a shot past Tapp on a New Mexico power play to make it 3-2. Then at 13:28 Erik Johnson's slapshot from the top of the right circle found a hole through Tapp and trickled behind him into the net. The Rayz outshot the Scorps 12-8 in the period, but went to the third trailing 4-2.

The Rayz got within one in the third when Howarth scored his second of the game, redirecting a Geno Parrish shot at 7:43. The Rayz kept fighting for the equalizer but it never came. Kevin Harvey sealed the win for New Mexico with an empty net goal at 19:00.

Jason Tapp made 31 saves on 35 shots and took the loss, dropping to 16-19-5. Mike Minard got the win with 28 saves on 31 shots. His record jumped to 11-7-4. Corpus Christi went 0-2 on the power play and New Mexico was 2-2 on the man advantage. The Scorps outshot the Rayz 36-31

The Rayz are proud to be celebrating a decade of hockey in South Texas. Individual game tickets are currently available. Get your Rayz tickets today at www.ticketmaster.com, at any Ticketmaster outlet or the American Bank Center. Rayz group discounts are also available. For more information, please call the Rayz at 361.814.PUCK.

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