IceRays complete midweek sweep of Odessa
By Rob Lippolis
Corpus Christi 5 @ Odessa 3 - Grant Hutton scored his second goal of the weekend which turned out to be the game winner as the Corpus Christi IceRays swept the Odessa Jackalopes with a 5-3 victory on Wednesday night inside the Ector County Coliseum.
Corpus Christi got off to the start they needed after Hayden Stewart denied two chances, Luke McDiarmid fed Rudy Sulmonte with a pass in the right wing circle. Sulmonte let a wrister go that beat Erick Majerle over the shoulder at 10:49 of the first period to give the IceRays a 1-0 lead.
Emil Romig picked up his 13th goal of the year sending the puck to the front of the net from the right wing boards that caromed off a skate and found a way through the legs of Majerle for a 2-0 lead at 12:46 of the opening period. The lone assist was credited to Ryan Chiasson.
After missing 17 games with a leg injury, Perry D’Arrisso converted in his first game back. Emil Romig took the puck on the left wing boards and hit D’Arrisso in front of the net who buried his 18th of the year at 13:32 of the first with the other assist going to Rudy Sulmonte. After the goal Odessa replaced Erick Majerle with Nick Deery between the pipes.
In the second period the IceRays pulled out to a 4-0 lead when Grant Hutton let a rocket go from the left point that beat Nick Deery between the legs at 3:33 of the period assisted by Brandon Smith.
The Jackalopes began a comeback with two straight goals in the second. John Feemster took a shot from the right point that found the back of the net at 5:07 of the middle frame. It was Feemster’s second goal of the year assisted by Matt Volonnino and Mike Mezzano.
Odessa split the lead in half moments later on the power-play as Perry D’Arrisso sat in the box. Chris Taff took a shot from the left point that was deflected by Dylan Campbell at 5:49 of the second period with the other assist going to Stephen Inman.
After two periods the shots were even at 31 aside.
In the third period with only 2:37 left in the game Taylor Portner brought Odessa within a goal picking up his 9th of the year deflecting a shot by Hayden Stewart assisted by Dylan Campbell and Anthony Olguin.
Corpus Christi held after Andrew Paras picked up an empty net goal, unassisted, with 1:18 left in the game to seal a 5-3 victory.
Hayden Stewart stopped 17 of 18 shots in the third period and denied 46 of 49 total in the win.
