The Shreveport Mudbugs (5-1) shutout the Wichita Falls Warriors, 2-0 to take a commanding 2-0 series lead in the South Divisional Final Saturday night in front of a packed crowd inside George’s Pond in Hirsch Coliseum.
The Bugs had some great scoring chances in the first period, but Owen Bartoszkiewicz was a wall between the pipes. Shreveport out-shot Wichita Falls, 16-9 after one.
The Bugs capitalized on the PP at 3:01 of the second period as Chris Hedden shoveled home his first tally of the playoffs from the far side to give Shreveport the 1-0 edge. Mason McCormick and David Breazeale earned the assists. Shreveport added to their lead when Billy Feczko threw a puck in front which was knocked in out of mid-air from Dawson Sciarrino for his second goal of the post-season to give the Bugs a 2-0 lead at 16:55. After that, tensions flared even more on both sides which included a heated shouting match between Warriors HC Garrett Roth and Bugs Associate HC Coach Rich Parent.
The Bugs held off any furious surge from Wichita Falls as Cole Hudson earned his first shutout in his Junior Hockey League career.
Hudson made 27 stops to earn his fifth straight win in these playoffs.
The Bugs and Warriors will shift their best-of-five South Divisional Final series to the Kay Yeager Coliseum for game 3 next Friday night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.