Friday: Shreveport Mudbugs 2 @ El Paso Rhinos 4 – Mudbugs are in the Sun City this weekend for the first of two games against your El Paso Rhinos! Jackson Potulny starts us off tonight with a goal halfway into the first period after a relatively uneventful start. Goaltender Michael Modelski holds back the bugs for the remainder of the period, maintaining a 1-0 lead at the end of the first.
First intermission ended and both teams returned to the ice. After a whole period of sizing each other up the Mudbugs finally had a plan of action to start taking goals. Chase Secriskey puts Shreveport on the board just seven minutes in to the second to tie the game up at 1-1. After a few more minutes of back-and-forth the Rhinos’ Tommy Shore steals it back for a 2-1 lead with just over five minutes to go in the period. Unfortunately for the Rhinos we do cede the man advantage to a powerplay as Brenand Murray gets hit with a 2-minute penalty. Mudbugs take the opportunity to tie the game back up at 2-2 with the goal awarded to Duke Erhard. Rhinos turn it back around though with a powerplay, this time in our favor, and Kamden Kaiser puts us back in the lead.
At the start of the third period Rhinos are finally up 3-2, but the action slows down. With one last goal from Kaiser the Rhinos take victory in Game #1 with a 4-2 win.
Rhinos lead shots on goal tonight with 36 over Mudbugs’ 31. Modelski ends the night with 29 saves.
Saturday: Shreveport Mudbugs 4 @ El Paso Rhinos 3 – Rhinos & Mudbugs are back on the ice for puck drop tonight as we begin the second game of this weekends’ series! Both teams exchange blows early in the period but it wouldn’t be until ten minutes in where Jonah Jasser scores the opening blow for the Mudbugs. Our very own Ethan Woolcott follows close behind to tie the game up at 1-1 with a shorthanded goal. With no more scoring in the first we head in to intermission still tied up.
Brendan Murray would be the only scoring we’d see in the second, but puts the Rhinos up 2-1 headed in to the third. Ian Kastamo finds himself in a favorable position early in the third with a powerplay goal for an insurance goal. Johnathon Berndt starts clawing back at the point gap and with 1:37 left to go in regulation time scored a goal for the Mudbugs, bringing them back within one point. 58 second left on the clock and Evan Hoglund finds an opening to tie up the game at 3-3, sending us in to overtime. Unfortunately for the Rhinos, Shreveport’s Vincent Diiulio takes the win with a goal not too far in to extra time.
Mudbugs take this game 4-3, splitting the series with the Rhinos.
Rhinos lead tonight with 38 to 34 shots on goal against the Mudbugs, with Goaltender Logan Hughes taking home 30 saves.
