The Shreveport Mudbugs (12-9-4) were able to rally from another third period deficit to upend the Amarillo Wranglers, 3-2 in OT Friday night at the Amarillo Civic Center.
After a scoreless opening period, the Bugs broke the ice w/ Liam Fleet keeping the play alive and flipping in his first goal of the season from the point through traffic to give Shreveport a 1-0 edge at 12:51. Sutton Murray and Jake Mack earned the helpers on the game’s opening tally. Amarillo responded as Tommy Chunchukov took a loose puck on a breakaway and shot in his eighth goal of the year to even the score 1-1 at 16:37. Mudbugs led in SOG, 23-14 after two.
Amarillo grabbed their first lead at 6:08 of the third period when Preston Brighton had a rebound in front and banged in his fourth goal of the season to give the Wranglers a 2-1 lead. The Bugs rallied back yet again and it was Captain Garrett Steele who slapped home his team-leading ninth goal of the campaign along the backdoor to tie the game, 2-2 at 10:47. Tristan Zarsky and Eric Vitale picked up the assists.
The game went into OT and it was Logan Heroux at 3:22 finding Logan Gotinsky racing through the slot who then rifled home his seventh goal of the season – five-hole on the opposing goalie to lift Shreveport to a 3-2 victory over Amarillo which is their fifth straight win overall.
Simon Bucheler made 22 stops to earn his ninth win in net.
The Bugs and Wranglers will conclude their two-game series tomorrow night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. from the Amarillo Civic Center.