The Shreveport Mudbugs (18-4-2-2) win a thriller in overtime over the Amarillo Bulls Friday night at the Amarillo Civic Center.
The Bulls and Mudbugs had a wild 1st period which consisted of three goals late in the period. Shreveport trailed early 1-0 when Warren Natyshak fired home his first goal of the season in front of the net at 17:36 to tie the game at 1. The goal was assisted by Jordan Fader and Ryan Burnett. The Mudbugs would erupt 53 seconds later when Brendan Gysbers scored his third goal in as many games on the powerplay with a hard slap shot from the point at 18:29. It was Gysbers’ 4th tally of the season which was assisted by Cameron Cook and Fader. The Bulls would score 27 seconds later to tie the game at 2 after one period of play.
There was no scoring in the 2nd period as the Bulls led the Bugs in SOG 24-23 after two periods of play.
Amarillo would take the lead 3-2 early in the 3rd period, but it was the Captain Dominick Procopio who saved his Bugs yet again. Procopio rattled home his fourth tally of the season from the left point to tie the game up at 4 with 4:17 left in regulation. The goal was assisted by Burnett.
The game would go into overtime where the Mudbugs won the opening faceoff and Andrew Lane and Burnett set up Kieran Durgan with a lightning strike of a shot from the slot for his 10th goal of the year just :23 seconds into the extra session. Ryan Burnett finished the game with three assists on the night.
James Durham goes to a NAHL best 8-1-1 record with the win as he stopped 33 shots from the Bulls.
Shreveport has now gone 11 straight games without a regulation loss going 8-0-2-1 in that stretch.
The Mudbugs will conclude their two-game set against the Bulls tomorrow night at the Amarillo Civic Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05pm.