Corpus Christi - Juha Toivonen stopped 37 shots as the Odessa Jackalopes held on for a 4-3 win over the Corpus Christi IceRays at the American Bank Center on Thursday night.  The win improves the Jacks to 6-1-1 on the season.
 
The Jackalopes took control early with a pair of goals in the first ten minutes of the first period.  Kory Karlander scored unassisted at 2:25 for his third goal of the season.  Then Kenny Bernard added a power play goal for the Jacks at 9:19 to make it a 2-0 lead.  Dominic Leveille and Phil Plante added the assists as IceRays’ goalie, Kevin Desfosses, was pulled after Bernard’s goal for Kris Tebbs.  Chad Costello put the Rays on the board with a breakaway goal at 13:06.  The Jackalopes regained the two-goal lead as Paul Kelly split the defense through the left circle and scored his sixth of the year at 17:43.  After the first period, Odessa led 3-1.
 
The IceRays scored the second period’s only goal as Chad Woollard’s one-timer from the right circle snuck past Juha Toivonen to cut the Jacks lead to 3-2 entering the break.  Costello and Jason Tessier had the assists.
 
In the third period both teams traded goals as Jeff Pierce netted a power play goal at 6:52 to make it 4-2 for Odessa.  Sebastien Thinel and Phil Plante added the helpers.  Less than a minute later, Kyle Peto pulled the Rays back to within one on assists from Costello and Chris Richards.  The Rays pulled their goalie for the extra attacker, but Odessa held on for the 4-3 final.
 
The Jackalopes head to Shreveport for a weekend pair of games against the Mudbugs.  Both contests begin at 7:05 PM and the action can be heard on 102.1 Jack FM.

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