Corpus Christi win highlights busy Thursday in NAHL
Corpus Christi 3 @ Texas 2 - Mike Economos scored two power-play goals in the final period and Hayden Stewart made 35 saves as the Corpus Christi IceRays picked up a must win game on the road over the Texas Tornado 3-2 on Thursday night inside the Dr Pepper Arena. The game was scoreless through the first 37:04 of the game until Charles Baldwin broke the deadlock making a nice patient move in the high slot putting on the breaks then firing a wrister top shelf on Hunter Leisner for a 1-0 lead with just 2:56 left in the second period. In the final period the IceRays power-play converted twice in under a minute both off the stick of Mike Economos first at 11:29 of the third right off a faceoff with his 11th of the year to put Corpus Christi up 2-0. Economos scored his 12th of the year just 36 seconds later on the power-play for a 3-0 lead in the final period. The Tornado stuck around and Max Shuart started the brief comeback at 13:10 assisted by Nick Neville. Texas got to a one goal deficit as Michael Hoy let a wrist shot go from the point that found its’ way through the screen and around Hayden Stewart with just 3:27 left in the game. In the end Corpus Christi fended off the late rush by Texas and denied several opportunities with the goalie Hunter Leisner pulled for a 3-2 win. Hayden Stewart stopped 35 of 37 shots in the win. Boxscore
Wenatchee 0 @ Kenai River 3 – Goaltender Evan McCarthy stopped all 36 shots that came his way for his first shutout of the season as the Brown Bears blanked the Wild, 3-0. The Brown Bears were bolstered by a fast start as they scored twice in the 1st period as Dylan Meier and Judd Loewenstein lit the lamp within a five-minute span. In the 3rd period, McCarthy kept the momentum going as he shut the door on a penalty shot from Wenatchee’s Noah Nelson leading to an empty-net goal from Matt Seidel. Robert Nichols took the loss making 26 saves. Boxscore
Minot 2 @ Bismarck 7 – Nate Repensky had a four point night, including a goal and three assists and Evan Giesler scored twice as Bismarck posted one of the their biggest wins of the season with a 7-2 victory over Minot. Gielser scored both his goals in the 1st period along with a goal from Matt Anders to open up a 3-0 lead. After a goal from Minot’s Matt Audette, the Bobcats kept rolling with more goals from Repensky, Stanislav Dzakhov and Chris Diver. Denis Dalidovich would add another goal for Minot, while Patrick Moore rounded out the scoring for Bismarck. Boxscore
Coulee Region 1 @ Aberdeen 6 – The Wings kept their hot play and playoff hopes alive with a 6-1 win at home over Coulee Region. Zach Nagelvoort made 29 saves and had his shutout bid spoiled with just seconds to play in the 3rd period. Peter Krieger opened the scoring for Aberdeen as he scored the first two goals of the game in the 1st period along with goals from Tanner Holmquist and Zach Kraft to make it 4-0. Sam Coborn added a 2nd period goal to make it 5-0 and Kyle Haak scored in the 3rd period to make it 6-0 before Adam Lovick spoiled the shutout bid with a goal with just :17 seconds remaining. Boxscore
Fresno 1 @ Fairbanks 2 – The Ice Dogs beat the Monsters 2-1 to crawl to within just one point of 1st place in the West Division with just six games remaining in the regular season. It was a strong outing for Jacob Hetz, who scored the first two Fairbanks goals. Kyle Lee and Colton Wolter assisted on the first, while Lee and Garret Clemment assisted on the second. Jacob McDowell scored for Fresno midway through the 3rd period, but that would be all that Fairbanks goalie Steve Perry would allow, as he made 20 saves. Boxscore
