The Shreveport Mudbugs (10-5) overcame a poor start and poured on the goals as the game went on to double up the New Mexico Ice Wolves, 6-3 to earn their fourth straight victory Friday night in Outpost Ice Arenas.
After New Mexico scored a goal just :56 seconds into the game, the Mudbugs responded with three unanswered tallies of their own. Jack Smiley took advantage of a yawning net vacated by their goalie trying to clear a puck evening the score, 1-1 at 11:34 of the opening period. Then Brent Keefer went top shelf from the slot at 13:07 giving the Bugs a 2-1 lead. Conor Witherspoon and Dawson Sciarrino earned the assists on Keefer’s first goal in his NAHL career. Ryan Waltman would redirect home his first goal of his NAHL campaign at 15:39 making it a 3-1 contest. Aidan Metcalfe and Billy Feczko set up the play to earn the helpers on Waltman’s tally. The Ice Wolves would come back with a goal of their own at 16:29 to make it a 3-2 contest.
Shreveport dominated the second period when Billy Feczko fired home his first goal of the season with a blistering blast from the slot at 5:00 to extend the Bugs’ lead to 4-2. Ryan Dickinson and Carson Nichols earned the helpers on Feczko’s first tally of the year. Then Davis Goukler would rip home his third goal of the year from the point at 8:37 to make it a 5-2 Bugs lead. Tim Khokhlachev and Jacob Smith earned the assists.
The Bugs added to their lead at 8:59 of the 3rd per. as Sam Miller ripped home his fifth goal of the year from the point on the PP making it a 6-2 contest. New Mexico could score a goal late in the 3rd period, but Shreveport would coast to a 6-3 victory.
Maiszon Balboa picks up his sixth win in net as the Bugs win their fourth straight game.
The Bugs and Ice Wolves will conclude their two-game series tomorrow night at Outpost Ice Arenas with puck drop scheduled for 8:00 p.m.