The Shreveport Mudbugs (9-5-1) survived a wild and crazy opening period and got a pair of goals from Nick Marino to lead the squad to a hard-fought 6-4 victory over the Colorado Grit at the Greeley Ice Haus Friday night.
It was an opening period for the ages for both teams. Colorado got on the board just 1:19 into the contest as Brayden Fryfogle scored a goal to make it 1-0. SHV responded very quickly at 2:10 as Bryce Boucher banged in his first goal of the year in front to knot the game up, 1-1. Hank Reed earned the only helper. After Foster Nichol committed a penalty, it was big brother Hayden Nichol getting on a breakaway and rifling home his team-leading ninth goal of the season to give the Bugs a 2-1 lead. Alex Park picked up the assist on the shorthanded tally. After Nick Paone and Wilder Jacober scored goals at 5:42 and 11:25 respectively, the Bugs had another answer in them. Colin Vassallo cashed in from the RW circle and rammed in his fourth goal of the year on the PP to tie the game, 3-3 at 13:50. Captain Liam Fleet made the pass and earned the assist. SHV would cap off a wild opening frame as Nick Marino came through the slot and slid in his sixth goal through the pads of their netminder to give the Mudbugs a 4-3 lead at 14:49. Hayden Nichol earned the assist on Marino’s goal. SHV led in SOG, 17-11 after one.
After a scoreless second period, the Grit evened the score, 4-4 with a goal at 7:25 of the third from Jordan Gudridge. The Bugs would go back ahead as Ryan Burke snapped home his sixth goal of the season from the LW circle off a brilliant pass from Kyan Haldenby to put SHV back up 5-4 at 10:59. Shreveport would seal the victory as Marino rammed home his second goal of the game which was an empty netter at 19:21 to make it 6-4.
Eliot Seguin-Lescarbeau made 30 saves to battle through and get the win in net.
The Bugs and Grit will conclude their two-game series tomorrow night. Puck drop is scheduled for 4:45 p.m. CT from Greeley Ice Haus.