Jacks (21-22-4) vs. Rays (20-22-6)
Tonight’s Matchup: The Odessa Jackalopes look for a series split Saturday with Corpus Christi while regaining sole possession of the final playoff spot in the South Division. Odessa is 4-3-2 against the Rays on the year and 2-2-1 at home.
Last Time Out: The Corpus Christi IceRay’s used a four-goal first period to down the Jacks 6-2 Friday night at Ector County Coliseum. Stevie Bryant had a career-high two goals in the first and Andy McGlynn and Carter Johnson also tacked on opening frame goals. Derek Brown and Matt Rypien had the lone tallies for Odessa, but the Rays’ Brad Power and Brendan Miller put the game well out of reach with goals in the second and third periods. Jon Flakne stopped just 10 of the 14 shots he saw before being pulled. Dryden McKay got the win for Corpus making 24 saves.
Let’s Go Streaking: Jacks forward’s Derek Brown and Hampus Sjodahl extended their point streaks to 15 and nine games respectively Friday night. Brown potted his 10th goal of the year and pushed his point streak to a franchise record and NAHL season-high 15. The Niagara committed left wing has six goals and 15 assists during his 15 games with two game winners and a plus-one rating. Bemidji State committed center-man, Hampus Sjodahl, assisted on Derek Brown's goal to extend his point streak to a career-high nine games (7-6-13). Sjodhal is the only South Division player to reach the 50-point mark this year (26-26-52) and just one of five players in the league to reach the half-century mark.
Rip-City: Jacks center-man Matt Rypien netted his fourth goal of the year Friday and his second in his last four games. The Lethbridge, AB, CAN native has ten points on the year in 46 games and a minus-seventeen rating.
Fake ID: Both the Jacks and Rays have a plethora of players suspended or injured. Connor Wood will sit out for his second game in a row Saturday due to a suspension for kneeing Corpus’s Cody Lichtenvoort last Friday. Drew McLean has been suspended for the Jackalopes for a kneeing penalty in the first period of Friday’s game on Jimmy O’Brien, who did not return to the game and will most likely be out of the lineup for the foreseeable future. Brady Crabtree suffered a lower body injury last weekend for Corpus and is doubtful again Saturday after not playing last night. For Corpus, they will get forward Drake Lindsay back into the lineup after Lindsay served a one-game suspension for a slash on Wood following last Saturdays contest.
Power Surge: Corpus’s Brad Power enjoys playing the Jackalopes. The Canadian-born winger has five goals and two assists in nine games against Odessa this season. After scoring his 9th of the year Friday, Power now has 25 points on the season in his first campaign with the Rays and final year of juniors.
Cava-Yeah: IceRay’s forward Regan Cavanagh had an assist in Corpus’s 6-2 win over the Jacks Friday and in doing so he extended his point streak to a team long seven games (4-5-9). The Chesapeake, VA native has three goals and seven assists in nine games versus Odessa this year.
Down South: No other Southern Division teams are in action this weekend after Wichita Falls topped Amarillo at home on Wednesday night, 2-0. The Jacks and Rays are tied at 46 points apiece with Odessa holding the tie-breaker for the final playoff spot because of a win-differential.
Jackalopes Broadcast: Join the voice of the Jacks’ Nick Nollenberger live for every game on the Jacks’ flagship station Classic Rock 102.1 FM and fasthockey.com.