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NAHL Odessa Jackalopes

Jacks Ring In New Year With 4-1 Win

December 31, 2011 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Odessa Jackalopes News Release


ODESSA, TX - In their final home game for three full weeks, the Odessa Jackalopes erased any memory of Friday's 9-1 loss with a decisive 4-1 victory over the Texas Tornado at Ector County Coliseum on Saturday night. With the win, the Jackalopes improved to 11-16-4 on the season and with 26 points, remain alone in 5th place in the NAHL's South Division stadings, two points shy of the Corpus Christi IceRays for the division's fourth and final playoff spot.

One night removed from their worst loss of the season, the Jacks came out energized on Saturday, snatching a 1-0 lead on Josh Obregon's sixth goal of the season, an even-strength marker at 6:26 of the first period on assists from Zach Mertes and Lawrence Cornellier. The Jacks took the lead into the early stages of the second period when Obregon doubled it, striking again at 3:35 of the frame for his seventh goal of the season, with Cornellier picking up his second assist of the night and Darren Lapic notching a point as well.

The suddenly potent Jacks attack wasn't done yet, as Willie Faust tapped home a Jalen Krogman pass four minutes later to make it 3-0 Odessa with Mikko Virtanen picking up the secondary assist on the play and after a Mychal Monteith power-play tally early in the third pulled the Tornado within a pair, Faust potted an empty-netter late, his team-leading 13th goal of the season, to lift the Jacks to victory by a final score of 4-1.

All told, seven Jackalopes skaters scored at least one point in the game and Faust, Krogman, Obregon and Cornellier each had two points in the Odessa victory. With the win, the Jackalopes improved to 2-2-1 against the Tornado in 2011-12 with just two games remaining in the teams' regular-season series.

After giving up five goals in back-to-back games for the first time all season, Jackalopes netminder Connor Hellebuyck bounced back in a big way on Saturday, stopping 42 of the 43 shots he faced to earn his tenth win of the season in his 17th consecutive start. Next up for the Jacks, it's a season-long seven game road trip, beginning Friday, January 6th at Dr. Pepper Arena in Frisco against Texas.

The Odessa Jackalopes celebrate their 15th Anniversary in 2011-12 and drop the puck on their inaugural campaign as a member of the North American Hockey League. Season tickets, mini-plans, and single game tickets are available by calling (432) 552-7825 or by visiting the Jacks online at www.jackalopes.org.

Be sure to follow the Jackalopes on Twitter @LetsGoJacks all season long and don't forget to 'Like' the official "Odessa Jackalopes" fan page on Facebook.

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