The Shreveport Mudbugs (12-14-4) didn’t generate many chances in the game and were shutout 2-0 by the Wichita Falls Warriors at George’s Pond in Hirsch Coliseum Saturday night.
It was a very emotional opening period for both teams which saw the Warriors lose Cade Lemmer and the Bugs lose their Captain Garrett Steele for the game due to respective game misconduct penalties. Both penalties came as a result from hits on the back into the boards and left both teams shorthanded. It was a scoreless opening period with the Warriors leading in SOG, 6-2.
The 2nd period saw some big hits, some big saves, but no scoring. Shreveport was able to weather a storm as they were out-shot 13-3 in the middle period for an overall SOG total of 19-5.
Wichita Falls got on the board at 4:09 of the 3rd period on a broken play when Dominick Rivelli skated through the slot all alone and backhanded home his first goal of the season to make it a 1-0 Warriors lead. The Bugs had few chances in the game to tie it, but one that hit the post which was their second time they did that in the game. There would be no comeback attempt as William Lawson-Body shot in the EN goal at 19:47 to push the lead to 2-0 and a victory over Shreveport for the second night in a row.
The Bugs have lost three of their last four games since returning from the Christmas break.
The Bugs will conclude their home-stand next weekend as they’ll welcome in the Corpus Christi IceRays to George’s Pond in Hirsch Coliseum for the first time this season. Game 1 of the two-game series will be next Friday night with puck drop scheduled for 7:11 p.m.