Sunday Wrap: IceRays Move Into First Place
by Joey Erickson (goicerays.com)
The Corpus Christi IceRays (18-5-2) offense could not be stopped on Sunday afternoon as the IceRays win big over the Oklahoma Warriors (9-15-5) at the American Bank Center 7-1. Will Reardon led the IceRays with four points in the game including 2 goals after going the previous 18 games without a goal. With the win the IceRays have jumped to first place ahead of the Lone Star Brahmas by two points in the South Division.
Like Friday night the IceRays would open up a two-goal lead quickly. Six minutes into the period Watson picked off a pass and fired a wrist shot past Warriors Goalie Billy Stuski for his fourth goal of the season. It only took eight seconds later for the IceRays to double their lead as Reardon flew down the left wing and elevate a shot over the shoulder of Stuski to make it 2-0 IceRays. Corpus Christi would go on the man advantage a few minutes later and Forward Cooper Conway weaved through three defenders to score and extend the IceRays lead. Conway has now scored in four straight games on his sixth goal of the year.
The Warriors would strike back just 36 seconds into the 2nd period off the stick of Louie Kamienski, but any chance of a comeback for the Warriors was erased minutes later on Reardon's second goal of the game. IceRays Captain Pierson Sobush followed that up with a goal of his own 29 seconds later to give Corpus Christi a 5-1 lead on his ninth goal of the season. IceRays Goalie Vladislav Bryzgalov was tremendous in the period turning aside 14 of the 15 shots he faced. He made a total 30 saves in his second straight win.
The onslaught continued in the final period as the IceRays were able to jam two more goals past Stuski giving the IceRays a 7-1 advantage. Max Ranstrom and Nikita Konevych added the tallies. Konevych scored a power play goal which was his first goal of the season making it back-to-back games for the IceRays with multiple power play goals. Corpus Christi has now won four games in a row which matches a season high winning streak. The IceRays scored a total of 22 goals in the series and have now taken sole possession of first place in the South Division.
