The Shreveport Mudbugs (21-6-4) roared back from a poor start to blast the Wichita Falls Warriors, 7-3 Friday night at George’s Pond in Hirsch Coliseum.
Wichita Falls got off a roaring start with goals from Owen Baumgartner and Drew Vieten to give the Warriors an early 2-0 lead less than six minutes into the 1st period. The Bugs responded in a big way though when Gio Procopio slammed home a rebound in front for his ninth goal of the season cutting the deficit to 2-1. Matt Weber and Davis Goukler earned the assists at 8:24. Shreveport would tie the game on a broken play when Griffen Sanom would fire home a loose puck in front off a couple of nice saves made from the Warriors netminder to tie the game, 2-2 at 11:01. Mason McCormick and Goukler picked up the assists. The Bugs would then take a 3-2 lead late at 19:38 when Joe Mack threw a knuckle puck from the right wing circle which found its way into the back of the net for his seventh goal of the season. David Breazeale earned the only assist on the go-ahead tally. Warriors led in SOG, 11-8 after one period of play.
The Warriors came back early in the 2nd period to tie the game when William Lawson-Body raced through the offensive zone and shot in his fourth tally of the season to even the score, 3-3 at 2:46. The Bugs would regain the lead at 13:40 when Connor Gatto raced in all alone and faked out the netminder and flipped in his fifth goal top shelf for his fifth goal of the season to make it a 4-3 edge for Shreveport. Mack and Breazeale earned the assists on the play. The Warriors led in SOG, 19-17 after two.
Shreveport owned the third period and thwarted any comeback attempt from Wichita Falls as Lukas Sedlacek was able to ram in the rebound from the far circle for his fourth goal and second in as many games at 10:39 to make it a 5-3 contest. Gatto and Adam Kolcon earned the assists. Then it was all Procopio to close it out as he was able to backhand home his second goal of the game and tenth tally of the night in front to make it a 6-3 game at 11:59. Mack and Dawson Sciarrino earned the assists. Then at 19:50 shorthanded, it was Procopio racing in all alone as he threw a puck off the goalie’s pads and was able to stay with it and rifle home his third goal of the night for the hat trick and seal up a 7-3 victory for the Bugs.
Arsenii Sergeev made 21 saves to earn his fifth win of the season in net.
Bugs snap the Warriors’ 11-game win streak.
The Bugs and Warriors will play game two of this three-game series tomorrow night at George’s Pond in Hirsch Coliseum. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:11 p.m.