The Shreveport Mudbugs (9-8-4) outlasted the El Paso Rhinos, 4-3 in the shootout to earn a series split at George’s Pond in Hirsch Coliseum Saturday night.
ELP got the game’s first goal of the game at 3:00 of the opening period from Troy Hunka to go up 1-0 early. SOG were tied 8-8 after one.
The Bugs responded in the second at 3:06 as Evan Adams sliced a shot past the Rhinos goalie for his second goal of the year to even the score, 1-1 and ignite the Teddy Bear Toss from all the fans at the pond. SHV would take their first lead ot the series as Chase Secriskey would roof in his first point of the campaign from the slot on an odd-man rush to give the Bugs a 2-1 edge.
The Rhinos responded w/ two goals – 18 seconds apart from Raphael Laviolette and Ethan Woolcott to give ELP a jaw-dropping 3-2 lead w/ a little more than five mins left in the game. A minute later, the Bugs found the equalizer as Evan Hoglund hammered home his seventh goal of the season to make it a 3-3 contest.
The game stayed tied going into OT and then in the shootout, it was Duke Ehrhard roofing in the game-winning goal in the third round lifting the Bugs to a 4-3 victory over the Rhinos.
Ethan Phillips made 27 stops to help SHV win for the fourth time in their last five games.
The Bugs will hit the road for the next three weeks beginning w/ a trip just down the road to take on their arch-rival Lone Star Brahmas for a two-game series. Game one will be next Friday night w/ puck drop scheduled for 7:30 P.M. from Nytex Sports Centre.