Nichol’s OT Goal Elevates Bugs to Sweep over Ice Wolves

Dec 3, 2022

The Shreveport Mudbugs (11-9-4) were lifted by Hayden Nichol’s OT tally to edge out the New Mexico Ice Wolves, 4-3 in OT in George’s Pond in Hirsch Coliseum Saturday night.
The Bugs brought the teddy bears on the ice early as at 5:51 of the opening period, Logan Gotinsky found Captain Garrett Steele cutting through the left circle and Steele snapped home his team-leading seventh goal of the year to make it a 1-0 Shreveport edge. SHV added to their lead as Nick Marino found Alex Park along the backdoor and Park rammed home his first tally of the season as he was a forward this evening to push the Bugs lead to 2-0 at 9:22.
The second period saw plenty of chances for the NM and they cashed in with goals at 6:38 and 12:24 from Jeff Hutchinson and Yusaku Ando respectively to even the score, 2-2. New Mexico led in SOG, 26-23 after two.
NM would take their first lead of the game at 7:34 of the third period as William Howard fired home his 15th tally of the year to make it a 3-2 contest. Shreveport would rally back at 16:33 on a fluky bounce as Brent Litchard floated a puck towards the net and somehow it slipped past their goalie to dramatically tie the game, 3-3. Steele picked the assist and his second point of the game.
The game would go into OT and it was Hayden Nichol who raced around the far side and fore-handed the puck into the net past the goalie’s pad for his second goal in as many games and lift the Mudbugs to 4-3 victory and sweep over New Mexico.
SImon Bucheler made 30 saves to earn his eighth win in net.

The Bugs will hit the road once again and take on the Amarillo Wranglers beginning next Friday night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. from the Amarillo Civic Center.