Sinani Seals Shootout Win as IceRays Edge Warriors, 3-2
NAHL Corpus Christi IceRays

Sinani Seals Shootout Win as IceRays Edge Warriors, 3-2

Published on March 6, 2026 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Corpus Christi IceRays News Release


CORPUS CHRISTI, TX - The Corpus Christi IceRays (26-19-5) returned home in style Friday night, earning a thrilling 3-2 shootout victory over the Oklahoma Warriors (23-21-5) at the Hilliard Center. The win marks Corpus Christi's 11th victory past regulation this season, matching an organizational best set during the 2014-15 campaign.

"We showed a lot of resilience tonight," said IceRays Head Coach Kevin St. Jacques. "Oklahoma pushed hard and their goalie played an outstanding game, but our guys stuck with it. We kept generating chances, stayed composed in the shootout, and Xander gave us the saves we needed. Those are big points this time of year."

As seen in the previous series between the two clubs, IceRays goaltender Xander Miceli and Warriors netminder Billy Stuski were both heavily tested early.

Corpus Christi generated the better chances in the opening period but could not solve Stuski, who kept the game scoreless. Oklahoma answered with a strong stretch of their own and earned a power play with under five minutes remaining. The Warriors capitalized quickly, as Trace Day buried Oklahoma's eighth power-play goal of the season against the IceRays to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

The IceRays responded quickly. Just over a minute later, Alexandr Skuratov raced past multiple Warriors defenders on a breakaway and lifted the puck over Stuski, with the puck carrying across the goal line for the equalizer. Andrej Paricka and Justin Thibault picked up the assists, sending the teams to the first intermission tied 1-1.

The second period began with the IceRays heading to the power play after an early Warriors penalty. Oklahoma flipped the momentum, however, stealing the puck and going the other way shorthanded. Mathias Kristiansen finished the rush to give the Warriors a 2-1 lead.

Corpus Christi wasted little time responding. Just 21 seconds later on the same power play, Skuratov found a streaking Thibault at the back door, and the forward buried his 10th goal of the season to tie the game at 2-2. Both Stuski and Miceli stood tall the rest of the period, keeping the contest even through 40 minutes.

After a relatively quiet first two periods offensively, the IceRays found another gear in the third while searching for their first lead of the night. Corpus Christi peppered Stuski with chance after chance, outshooting Oklahoma 13-3 in the frame and even ringing a shot off the post, but the Warriors' goaltender remained spectacular to force overtime.

For the ninth time in their last 19 games, the IceRays needed extra time.

Overtime delivered end-to-end action, but neither team could find the winner. Miceli and Stuski combined to stop seven shots in the extra frame, with the best opportunity coming from Nick Sinani late in the period. The game would ultimately be decided in a shootout.

Neither team scored in the opening two rounds before Oklahoma's Dominik Kiss found the net in the third round to give the Warriors the edge. Facing a must-score attempt, Colin Watson delivered for Corpus Christi, snapping a shot into the top corner to extend the shootout.

Miceli then denied Mack Blue on Oklahoma's next attempt, setting the stage for Sinani.

The IceRays forward calmly glided into the slot and ripped a wrist shot past the blocker of Stuski to seal the 3-2 shootout victory for Corpus Christi. The goal marked Sinani's third game-winning tally of the season.

Miceli finished the night with 27 saves on 29 shots, earning his fifth consecutive win between the pipes.

NEXT GAME

Corpus Christi and Oklahoma wrap up the series tomorrow night at the Hilliard Center with puck drop at 7:05 p.m. CT. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. CT. It's STEM night at the arena where students wearing school spirit shirts get in FREE. A robotics exhibition and 1,000 fidget giveaways will also be available in the concourse.

Check out the Corpus Christi IceRays Statistics

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North American Hockey League Stories from March 6, 2026


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