Tornado Move Back into 2nd Place with 6-3 Win
February 10, 2011 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Texas Tornado News Release
Two goals from Jack Prince, three points from Walker Hyland and four unanswered Tornado goal late in the 2nd and early in the 3rd periods gave the Texas Tornado a 6-3 win on Thursday night in Corpus Christi, sending Texas into sole possession of 2nd place in the NAHL South Division.
The Tornado dominated the opening period, outshooting the IceRays 16-5 in the opening frame, but neither team was able to find the back of the net.
Starting goaltenders Jimmy Kruger for Texas, and Pheonix Copley for the IceRays, held strong between the pipes.
Both teams had a power play that went unanswered in the scoreless period.
The Tornado struck first in the 2nd period as minutes in Jack Prince followed his own rebound as he continued to poke away at a loose puck that eventually went under Copley for a 1-0 Tornado lead.
Linemates Jackson Leef and Nate Sliwinski assisted.
The IceRays struck right back as just :19 seconds later Petr Stloukal got a good give-and-go pass to put one under Jimmy Kruger to tie the game at 1-1.
The IceRays kept the momentum going as they took their first lead of the night thanks to a shot from the point that was redirected in by the shinpad of 'Rays leading goal scorer Mike Benedict for a 2-1 lead.
The Tornado came right back, this time on the power play, as a face-off win led to a shot from the point by Walker Hyland, which was stopped by Copley, but Prince was in front to collect the loose rebound for his second of the night tying the game at 2-2.
The Tornado regained to a lead thanks to a 3 on 2, in which newcomer Seth Johnson waited at the top of the circle, found newly acquired defenseman Tom Rizzardo who sent a shot off the endboards that went to Justin Jones for his first goal of the season and a 3-2 Tornado lead.
The Tornado increased the lead to 4-2 in the 3rd as on a penalty kill, forward Nate Sliwinski got himself behind the defense to head in on a breakaway and barely sneak the puck through Copley's legs for a 4-2 Tornado lead and their third shorthanded goal of the season.
The Tornado increased the lead to 5-2 on the power play thanks to some nice passing from Walker Hyland to JD Howard as Howard found David Rigatti alone in front for the captain's 5th goal of the season.
The IceRays would make it 5-3 on a rebound goal by Josh Obregon, but it wouldn't be enough as the Tornado added one more on the nicest passing play of the night as Leef found Sliwinski, who slid the puck neatly to a crashing Walker Hyland for his 10th goal of the season and first in the Tornado uniform.
The Tornado and IceRays battle again on Friday in Corpus Christi.
Face-off time is 7:05pm, with the pre-game show beginning at 6:50pm on tornadohockey.com and nahl.fasthockey.com.
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North American Hockey League Stories from February 10, 2011
- Tornado Move Back into 2nd Place with 6-3 Win - Texas Tornado
- Corpus Christi Doubled up by Texas, 6-3 - Corpus Christi IceRays
- NA3HL Announces Top Prospects Rosters - NAHL
- Bulls Fall in OT to Wildcats 4-3 - Amarillo Bulls
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