Ice Wolves reach double-digit points

Nov 29, 2019

Tonight the Ice Wolves faced the IceRays for the first time this season. Both teams entered the game on a losing streak. It was the first time since Oct. 19th that the Ice Wolves have played a game on the road. That game ended up being their first win in franchise history (4-3 vs. ODA).

Having not practiced yesterday the Ice Wolves did not come out as hot as they wanted to but certainly ended the opening period on a good note. After Griffen Sanom used tremendous patience to wait and feed Sean Henry the puck for his first ever NAHL goal. His goal came with only :22 seconds left in the period. The IceRays led in shots however 15-6. There were also no penalties called the entire first period.

In the middle period the IceRays scored two-straight goal to give them their first lead of the weekend. Before the midway point of the second period it was the newest Ice Wolf, Taylor Ewing, firing the puck shot side on Jeremy Forman for his first NAHL goal. It was also Ewing’s first NAHL game. After 40 minutes of play the score was tied 2-2 and the IceRays led in shots 29-14.

The IceRays got out to an early start during the final period of regulation after Ryan Coughlin (11) scored just :53 seconds in. As time was ticking away on the clock the Ice Wolves were throwing everything they could at Forman. Finally with 6:18 left to go in the period, Sean Henry wristed a shot from the top of the circle which wound up being deflected in front by Taylor Ewing (2). His goal tied the game at 3-3, and it would remain that way after 60 minutes of play. IceRays still led in shots after regulation 38-27.

In overtime both teams had their fair share of cracks on the opposition and Corpus even had two breakaways on Josh Graziano but the Union commit was able to stop both shots. Since neither team was able to score during the 3-on-3 overtime the game went into a shootout. This marked the third shootout for the Ice Wolves this season (1-1) and the seventh for the IceRays (3-3).

It took four rounds in the shootout to decide a winner but it was the IceRays that came up victorious. Justin Thompson slipped the puck underneath the right leg of Graziano to put Corpus back in the win column. New Mexico is now on a five-game losing streak (0-4-0-1) but they have reach double digits after going past the 60-minute span. Both teams went 0/2 on the man-advantage. IceRays finished with 40 shots and the Ice Wolves ended with 29. Game 2 is scheduled for tomorrow at 7:05 p.m. CST.