The Shreveport Mudbugs (3-5) battled all game long, but fell in 2OT to the Oklahoma Warriors, 2-1 ending their remarkable season at George’s Pond in Hirsch Coliseum Friday night.
SHV got on the board at 8:43 of the opening period as Garrett Steele threw a puck off the goalie’s pads and it was Logan Gotinsky roofing in his third goal of the postseason in front to give the Bugs an early 1-0 lead. Steele and Logan Heroux got the assists on the game’s opening tally. The visiting squad led in SOG, 13-12 after one.
Oklahoma capitalized on a shorthanded opportunity as Drew Sutton raced in on a breakaway and after his initial shot was stopped by Simon Bucheler, it was a rebound chance which was shoveled home from Sutton to even the score, 1-1 at 9:56 of the second period. It was Sutton’s fifth tally of the playoffs. Bugs led in SOG, 28-23 after two.
Both teams had minimal chances in the third period sending this contest into yet another sudden death OT.
The game stayed tied until 6:45 into the second OT when Owen Baumgartner centered Joey Delgreco in front and Delgreco sliced in his fourth goal of the playoffs to lift the Oklahoma Warriors to a dramatic 2-1 over the Shreveport Mudbugs and advancing to the Robertson Cup Final Four.
Simon Bucheler made 34 stops in another tough luck loss in net for SHV in these playoffs. Oklahoma’s netminder Daniel Duris made 44 saves to earn the series clinching win.