Pilots, Mudbugs open the season with wins

September 14, 2018

Odessa 6 @ Topeka 7 (SO) – It was a wild night and successful debut for the Topeka Pilots as they earned an extra point in a 7-6 shootout win over the visiting Odessa Jackalopes. Austin McCarthy was the hero for the Pilots as he recorded a hat-trick and the shootout-winner. It took just over two minutes for the season’s first goal to be scored as Jared Christy lit the lamp for the Jacks. The Pilots would respond with McCarthy’s first goal. The Jacks regained the lead as Christy scored yet again, only to see it answered late in the period by Zeke Zeier to make it 2-2. In the 2nd period, the Pilots took control with goals from Nick Woodward and McCarthy. Odessa came storming back in the 3rd period with two goals from Zach Heintz and Rex More to knot the game at 4-4. McCarthy would then put Topeka back on top with a shorthanded goal, which completed his hat-trick. Odessa came right back to tie the game at 5-5 with a goal from Carl Skarstrom. Less than a minute later, Topeka once again took a one-goal lead wit a goal from Brandon Schultz, but the Jacks had another answer as Vaclav Zidek scored to tie the game at 6-6. In the shootout, both Dalls Tulik and McCarthy scored, while the two Jacks shooters went scoreless. Sam Metcalf made 32 saves in the win. Alex Camarre took the loss after making just 6 saves before being lifted for CJ Hapward, who made 23 saves. Boxscore

 

Corpus Christi 1 @ Shreveport 4 - The defending NAHL Robertson Cup Champions, the Shreveport Mudbugs, defeated the Corpus Christi IceRays, 4-1, in Thursday’s season-opening contest inside George’s Pond at Hirsch Coliseum. IceRays Captain Kyle Moore opened the game’s scoring at the 5:59 mark of the first period. The power-play tally came on an outside wrist shot from the right wing with assists from Anthony Firriolo and Coltan Wilkie. The Mudbugs responded just 20 seconds later when Warren Natyshak tied the game at 6:19. The 1-1 stalemate carried into the first intermission with Shreveport outshooting the IceRays by a 12-8 margin. CJ McGee gave the home team the lead with a power-play goal for the Mudbugs at 5:21 of the second period. Each team fired 15 shots in the middle frame, but McGee’s tally was the only goal of the period. Anton Rubtsov and Dakota Concannon added tallies for the Mudbugs in the third period to secure the three-goal victory. Shreveport goalie Leo Chuard made 35 saves to pick up the win in his first game in a Mudbugs uniform. IceRays Netminder Florian Mnich made 34 saves in the loss. Boxscore