The Shreveport Mudbugs (31-11-2) were led by Brayden Cook’s hat trick enroute to a resounding 7-2 victory over the Corpus Christi IceRays to earn another sweep and their eighth straight overall win at the American Bank Center Saturday.
SHV got off to a quick start yet again in this series as Colin Vassallo one-timed in his 10th goal of the year in front at 8:30 of the opening period to give the Bugs a 1-0 edge. Ryan Burke extended his point scoring streak to nine games as he earned the assist on Vassallo’s tally. The Bugs struck again at 9:40 as Brayden Cook got time and space and sizzled home his 10th tally of the campaign from the high slot to extend the lead to 2-0. Brent Litchard and Jonah Jasser earned the helpers. The feisty opening frame featured a staggering SOG total favoring SHV, 16-5 after one.
The two-time Robby Cup champs pushed their lead even further as Burke fed Cook through the slot who snapped in his second goal of the game to make it 3-0 at 4:53 of the second. CC got on the board with a lucky goal from Troy Pelton at 8:13 to make it a 3-1 contest. SHV would regain their three-goal lead at 12:06 as Nick Marino barreled in his 16th tally from the near circle to make it a 4-1 advantage for SHV. Logan Heroux and Kyan Haldenby picked up the assists. The Bugs led in SOG, 33-15 after two.
Cook completed the hat trick on the PP at the :58 second mark of the third period as he knocked in a rebound for his third goal of the evening to push the lead to 5-1. After Corpus scored, the Bugs kept pouring it on in the third with goals from Liam Fleet and Andrej Paricka at 12:46 and 17:36 to complete a resounding 7-2 victory for the Bugs over the IceRays.
Eliot Seguin-Lescarbeau made 23 saves to earn his 20th win between the pipes.
The Bugs will return home to host these very same Corpus Christi IceRays for a two-game series at George’s Pond in Hirsch Coliseum. Game one will be next Friday night as it’ll be our annual “Pooches on the Pond” theme night where you can bring your dog to the game. Puck drops at 7:11 p.m.