Alex von Keudell, the new director of Broadcasting and Media Relations for the IceRays, foresees a successful second half of the season for Corpus Christi’s hockey team, which is now in fourth place. Courtesy photo
The IceRays are coming home. A South Division tier II junior team in the North American Hockey League, the Corpus Christi IceRays have been on the road the first half of the season. In fact, they played 22 of their first 30 games away — a league record.
That’s been a struggle for the team, which it is ultimately overcoming, said Alex von Keudell, the team’s new director of Broadcasting and Media Relations. The 24-year-old came on board in September after spending two seasons with the Wichita Falls Wildcats.
“Right now, we are tied for fourth place,” von Keudell told Corpus Christi Business News. “We had a really tough schedule to start the year, and I think the fact that we are still competitive is a good sign.”
Being based in Corpus Christi makes road trips especially hard. The closest opponent is 6½ hours away, von Keudell said.
“It’s taxing for the team,” he continued. “When they get a chance to play at home, they really soak it in and enjoy it. They fit really well at home.”
An enthusiastic home fan base and a first-class facility help in building team spirit on the ice. The IceRays have led the league in attendance the past four years, helping boost team spirits and ice action.
“We are really looking forward to the second half of the year,” von Keudell said.
Playing the first 10 games of the season on the road was not the only hardship the IceRays have had to overcome to maintain a chance at the playoffs.
“We had an underwhelming start, to be honest,” von Keudell said. “Our showcase, which we do at the beginning of every year, didn’t go the way we wanted it to.”
Once the final showcase loss to the Philadelphia Rebels was out of the way, the team took off on the longest road trip in league history. The squad also faced a roster overhaul, losing some key players and gaining others from five different countries speaking six different languages.
“It took awhile with all that turnover for the team to start building chemistry and synergy on the ice,” von Keudell said. “Now, that’s in the past.”
In fact, von Keudell said, having to play so many road games could very well be the reason the team is now as strong as it.
“They had no choice but to come together,” he said, taking a positive approach.
Fans have a lot to look forward to in the second half of the season. Von Keudell expects the team to continue to improve during this historic 20th anniversary season.
“We’ve definitely had some bumps, but there’s no question it’s only going to improve as the team continues to gel and the schedule gets friendlier to us going forward,” he said. “It’s certainly better to have a lopsided schedule that brings us home for the second half rather than the other way around.”
While the IceRays began the second half of the season with at-home games in late December, the first four January games are away. When they return on Jan. 12 to take on the Amarillo Bulls, the Corpus Christi IceRays will play 18 of the final 23 games of the season on home ice.
For a full schedule, visit goicerays.com, where you can also purchase tickets and check out home promotions such as Frosty Fridays, Family 4-Pak Night, Heart Night and more.
