After earning a nail-biting 5-4 victory at home on Sunday, March 2against the Odessa Jackalopes, the Corpus Christi IceRays clinched a playoff spot for the first time since the 2018-19 season. Led by a pair of 20 goal scorers in Pierson Sobush and Stepan Kuznetsov, the IceRays are currently second in their division and now hold the franchise record for most wins in a season.
The record sat at 32 wins since the 2016-17 season until Sunday, March 9when the IceRays beat the Shreveport Mudbugs at the American Bank Center to claim their 33rd win of the season in 53 games.
The IceRays have never won the Robertson Cup, and this will be their highest ever ranking among NAHL teams entering the playoffs. Lead goaltender Nikita Volsky has been a big factor in that ranking, saving 93.1% of opponents shot attempts and helping earn 16 of their 33 wins.
There will be a few more chances for the IceRays to extend their win record as the 60-game regular season will end on Saturday, April 5. All those games will be on the road; however, they will be back at the American Bank Center for their first playoff games in the 2020s, and it would benefit them greatly to have the fans rallying behind them to help bring the intensity.