Bugs Hold Off Warriors for Another Series Sweep

Jan 9, 2021

The Shreveport Mudbugs (13-2-2) lost a three-goal lead quickly, but it was Matt Weber’s team-leading seventh goal late which helped lift them to a resilient 5-4 victory and a sweep over the Wichita Falls Warriors Saturday night at George’s Pond in Hirsch Coliseum.
After a scoreless first period, the Mudbugs exploded in the second with three straight goals.
It started on the powerplay at 2:15 when Sean Buntin buried his sixth goal of the season from the RW circle off a perfect pass from Austin Brimmer. Brimmer and Feczko earned the assists which gave the Bugs a 1-0 lead. Shreveport added to their lead when Garrett Steele knocked down a puck in mid air and deflected it into the net for his third goal of the season. Braiden Dorfman earned the primary assist with a blazing centering feed from the left corner and Billy Feczko picked up the secondary helper and Shreveport led 2-0 at 14:14. The Bugs wouldn’t stop there when red hot Gio Procopio flipped a puck off the goalie from behind the net for his second goal in as many games and sixth of the season to make it a 3-0 contest. Jacob Onstott and David Breazeale picked up the assists. Shreveport led in SOG, 28-20 after two periods of play.
Wichita Falls would roar back with three goals in a span of 4:09 to open up the third period with goals from Drew Vieten, Aidan Torres, and Alex Walker to even the score all of a sudden, 3-3. The Bugs like to make things interesting at home and they sure did here, but responded in a big way later on in the final period. At 10:20, it was Braiden Dorfman swatting in his sixth goal of the season after a messy sequence in front of the net to give Shreveport a 4-3 edge. Chris Hedden and Davis Goukler earned the assists. The Bugs grabbed another big tally which ended up becoming the game-winner at 15:27 when Matt Weber went five-hole on a breakaway for his team-leading seventh goal of the season to make it a 5-3 contest. Procopio would earn the only assist as he made the outlet pass up ahead to Weber. It proved to be the difference in the game as Ryan Robinson would score on the PP at 17:51 to make it a 5-4 contest. It would be the closest the Warriors would get as the Bugs held off a furious surge to grab the 5-4 victory and another sweep on home ice.
Cole Hudson earned his tenth win in the cage making 32 saves on the night.
Shreveport improved to 5-0-1 at home this season.

The Bugs will be the road team at George’s Pond in Hirsch Coliseum next Thursday night as they’ll take on the New Mexico Ice Wolves who will be the home team. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:11 p.m. It will be the first of three games against New Mexico as Shreveport will be the home team for the remaining two games of the series next Friday and Saturday night. All games in the series are scheduled for 7:11 p.m. ​