The Shreveport Mudbugs (20-11) found themselves in an early hole for a second consecutive night and couldn’t climb out of it yet again falling to the Topeka Pilots, 3-2 Saturday night at George’s Pond in Hirsch Coliseum.
Topeka opened up the game similar to the way they did last night with goals at 1:41, 8:25, and 9:43 of the 1st period from Austin McCarthy, John Gormley, and Connor Zilisch respectively. The Mudbugs came out sluggish and were out-shot 11-3 after one period of play.
Shreveport roared back in the 2nd period when Ryan Waltman took a perfect pass from Carson Nichols to score on a breakaway shorthanded just 45 seconds into the frame to get the Bugs on the board at 3-1. It was Waltman’s sixth goal of the year. The Bugs would creep closer at 7:31 when Billy Feczko was able to get his body in front and deflect in his fourth goal of the season and make it a 3-2 contest. SOG were tied 6-6 in the middle period.
The Bugs would fight and claw in the 3rd period seeking the game-tying goal, but couldn’t make it happen as Topeka stood strong especially in the final minutes of the game.
Shreveport gets swept at home for the first time this season.
The Bugs will conclude 2019 with a New Year’s Eve affair at the American Bank Center facing off against the Corpus Christi Ice Rays. Puck drop is scheduled for 5:35 p.m.