The Shreveport Mudbugs (23-11) got their best gift to begin 2020 when Dawson Sciarrino delivered a tally in OT to lift his squad to a hard fought 4-3 victory over the Corpus Christi IceRays Saturday night at George’s Pond in Hirsch Coliseum.
Shreveport got on the board first in the first period at 14:48 when Warren Natyshak drilled home his seventh goal of the year from the LW circle to give the Bugs the early 1-0. Davis Goukler and Ryan Waltman earned the assists. The IceRays responded when Evan Carroll shot in his seventh goal of the year from the RW circle on an odd-man rush evening the score, 1-1. Shreveport led in SOG, 10-6 after one period of play.
Sam Miller ripped home his team-leading 11th goal of the season just 37 seconds into the 2nd period as the Bugs regained the lead, 2-1. Anton Rubstov earned the only assist on Miller’s tally. The IceRays responded at 9:18 when Corey Clifton slipped in his first goal of the season evening the score once again, 2-2. SOG were tied at 18 after two periods of play.
The Bugs regained the lead at 8:43 of the 3rd period when Matt Weber wacked in his seventh goal of the season through traffic in front to make it a 3-2 Shreveport lead. Aidan Metcalfe and Conor Witherspoon earned the assists. Corpus Christi responded yet again less than a minute at 9:32 when Ben Biester scored his second goal of the season through traffic of his own making it a 3-3 contest.
Shreveport would net the game-winning goal at 2:52 of OT when Ryan Dickinson fed a streaking Dawson Sciarrino who raced through the middle and scored on a breakaway beating the goalie on the glove side to lift the Bugs to a 4-3 victory.
Richie Parent earns his 12th win in net making 20 saves on the night.
The Bugs are now 9-0 against the IceRays this season and have won three straight overall.
The Mudbugs and IceRays will conclude their long stretch of playing against one another next Friday night for a three-game series at the American Bank Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.