The Shreveport Mudbugs (6-5) couldn’t solve a tough goalie and fell late in the game, 2-0 to the Topeka Pilots Friday night at the Events Center.
The Bugs and Pilots endured a very uneventful opening period. Both teams really were just feeling each other out. The only highlight of the frame was a tussle from Dilan Peters and Nick Nardecchia late in the period. It wasn’t much of a fight as both guys went down and took offsetting two-minute minors for roughing. Topeka led in SOG, 7-5 after one period of play.
Tensions flared in the second period which led to some great scoring chances for Shreveport, but Jakub Dobes made some nice stops to keep the game scoreless. There was a scuffle at the end of the period leading to only one penalty on Conor Witherspoon for roughing. SOG were tied 15-15 after two periods of play.
The game stayed scoreless until Topeka broke through at 12:28 of the 3rd period when Shawn Kennedy got some space from the near circle on the powerplay and rifled in his second goal of the year making it a 1-0 contest. The Mudbugs got a PP of their own late in the game and pulled their goalie Maiszon Balboa in a last ditch effort to tie game. The effort went to waste as an errant pass led to an SH EN goal from the Pilots making it a 2-0 game.
Maiszon Balboa suffers his second straight tough loss making 25 saves in the contest.
The Bugs and Pilots will conclude their two-game series tomorrow night from the Events Center in Topeka. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.