The Amarillo Wranglers snapped an 11-game game losing skid by earning a weekend split with the Corpus Christi IceRays last Friday and Saturday at the Amarillo Civic Center’s Budweiser Bullpen.
Amarillo finally broke that long losing streak getting a much needed victory by doubling up Corpus Christi 4-2 on Friday, before falling in a heartbreaker, 2-1 on Saturday.
The Games
Amarillo Wranglers came out with a huge chip on there shoulder Friday night, playing like a team on a mission to stop the 11-game losing streak. Recently acquired goalie and North American Hockey League journeyman, Carter Clafton, put on a clinic for the Wranglers. The first period saw nothing but physical hockey and absolutely no scoring as a Wranglers went into the second period hungry to break this game wide open. In what could only be called a lucky bounce at 9:34 mark Corpus Christi IceRay defenseman Casper Gilberg tapped the puck in the empty side of the net to start the scoring. The Wranglers answered back about three minutes later with a beautiful blue line point shot from defenseman Oliver Bezick to tie it up. Recent commit to play Division 1 college hockey for Niagara University, Gleb Prohorenkovs, in a “Herculean” type effort, scored maybe the goal of the year so far. Skating north to south in a monumental individual, Prohorenkovs did an amazing job placing the puck in the net in what can only be called “wanting it more” to start off the scoring for the Amarillo Wranglers, and take a 2-1 lead. Kristaps Skrastins, The University of New Hampshire commit, added another score at the 3:12 mark of the third period on a one-timer to take a 3-1 lead in the third. Skrastins Is currently third in goals in the NAHL with 27 and in the top 10 in overall points with 50.
Aidian Carney then took a nice feed from Prohorenkovovs to score his fourth goal of the season, as the Amarillo Wranglers went on for the 4-2 win, putting an end to that nasty 11-game losing streak.
Clafton was stellar making 36-of-38 stops to notch his first win as a Wrangler.
Saturday’s game to put it in Wranglers terms was nothing but a “Wobbin’ Jaw” (Wrangler term for talking to much and taking cheap shots) as the IceRays went after Straskins with cheap shop after cheap shot. For whatever reason the officials almost seemed complacent as the assault continued throughout the night. The IceRays started off the scoring in the first period with a 1-0 lead, and out shot Amarillo 14-2 in the opening period. Prohorenkovovs scored his 14th goal of the season at the 18:18 mark of the second period to tie it up. The aggressiveness of both teams throughout this game was quantifiable with ejections on both sides. The physical play was amazing, as the assault continued on Skrastin and IceRays were able to score another goal to take the win, 2-1.
Next up
The Amarillo Wranglers are currently 20-21-1-2 with 43 points, sitting in seventh place in the NAHL South Divisiom. The Wranglers will be an action on Friday and Saturday back home against the division leading New Mexico Ice Wolves.