JACKALOPES HOLD OFF ICERAYS 4-3
CORPUS CHRISTI BEGINS TWO-GAME SET WITH ALLEN ON FRIDAY

Juha Toivonen made 37 saves and four different Odessa Jackalopes scored as the Jackalopes beat the Corpus Christi IceRays 4-3 at the American Bank Center Thursday night. After falling behind early the IceRays kept inching closer to the Jacks, only to have Odessa pull away. Chad Costello’s three-point effort was not enough for the Rays who fell to 2-3-2 on the season. Odessa improved their CHL leading record to 6-1-1 and their unbeaten streak to six games. 
 
Odessa jumped onto the scoreboard early when Kory Karlander’s shot from the left circle hit Kevin Desfosses and bounced in behind him at 2:25 to make it 1-0 Jacks. Odessa increased their lead when Kenny Bernard broke into the zone held off two IceRays and slipped the puck past Desfosses on a power play at 9:19. The IceRays made a goaltending change as Desfosses was pulled in favor of Kris Tebbs following the goal. Corpus Christi then inched within one when Chris Richards sprung Chad Costello on a breakaway and Costello deked out Juha Toivonen to get the IceRays on the board at 13:06. The goal was Costello’s second in as many games since signing with the Rays. But the Jacks extended the lead back to a pair at 3-1 when Paul Kelly made a beautiful move around Jeff Alcombrack into the IceRays zone and snapped a shot past Tebbs at 17:43. The IceRays outshot the Jacks 13-11 in the period.
 
In the second period the IceRays special teams took center stage. Corpus Christi’s penalty killing stopped five chances for Odessa including a pair of two-man advantages, and then the power play struck to get the IceRays back within a goal. Costello set up forward Chad Woollard at the right circle where Woollard blasted a one-timer through Toivonen at 15:39. The goal was the first of the year for Woollard who was in his season debut after starting the year on the IR. The score remained 3-2 for the rest of the period, and the Rays outshot the Jacks 16-11 in the period.
 
The Jacks extended the lead to 4-2 on a power play in the third when Jeff Pierce scored on a one-timer from the right circle at 6:52. The IceRays answered 32 seconds later when Kyle Peto scored from the slot to get back within a goal at 4-3. Corpus Christi searched for the equalizer on a two-man advantage for 1:48 later in the period, but Toivonen and the Jacks stood strong down the stretch, and hung on for the win.  
 
Kris Tebbs (1-1-2) took the loss making 17 saves on 19 shots in relief.  Desfosses made five saves on seven shots and didn’t figure into the decision. Toivonen (4-0) earned the win stopping 37 of 40 shots. The IceRays power play went 1-7 and the Jackalopes went 2-8. The IceRays outshot the Jacks 40-26 in the game.