The Shreveport Mudbugs (16-14-6) tied the game up twice in the 3rd period before falling in OT to the Corpus Christi Ice Rays, 3-2 Saturday night at the American Bank Center.
The Mudbugs and Ice Rays for a second straight night exchanged great scoring opportunities, but the game stayed scoreless after one period of play. The Bugs out-shot the Ice Rays, 15-9.
The game stayed scoreless in the 2nd period until the Ice Rays capitalized on their first powerplay of the game. Nicholas Seitz skated through the slot and shot in his 11th goal of the year to give the home team the 1-0 edge. There was lots of pressure on Bugs netminder Richie Parent, but he stood tall to keep it a 1-0 game going into the 2nd INT. Shreveport led in SOG, 24-23 after two periods of play.
Trailing 1-0 early in the 3rd, the Mudbugs responded in a big way. Gueorgui Feduolov was able to poke home his sixth goal in front at 2:14 to tie the game up, 1-1. Tim Clifton and C.J. McGee earned the assists on the goal. Corpus Christi would come right back at 5:26 and score what appeared to be a controversial goal as there was traffic in front of Parent and he appeared to have the puck under him. It was Nikita Krivokrasov who was credited with the goal after the officials reviewed it. It was a 2-1 game and the Bugs kept battling and at 12:49, Conor Witherspoon fired home his fourth goal of the season from the left wing to tie game again, 2-2. Lukass Sicevs and Ryan Dickinson grabbed the assists on the tally.
The game would go to overtime and it was Blake Bennett who tallied the game-winning goal at 4:14 on a odd-man rush.
Parent took a tough loss in net despite playing well most of the game in net making 34 saves on the night.
The Mudbugs will travel to Amarillo next week to take on the South Division leading Bulls for a two-game set beginning next Friday night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. from the Amarillo Civic Center.