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Mudbugs Come up Just Short in Shootout

January 2, 2011 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs News Release


SOUTHAVEN, MS - Three Mississippi skaters scored shootout goals to help the RiverKings defeat the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs 3-2 Sunday afternoon at the DeSoto Civic Center. Even with the defeat, the ‚¬ËœBugs are 6-1-1 against Mississippi this year and stand at 20-11-1 after just their second overtime/shootout game of the season.

Jeff Martens ‚¬â„¢ late goal tied the game at two with less than two minutes remaining in regulation to help the Mudbugs earn a point before they were outscored 3-1 in the shootout. Justin Aikins and David Rutherford each recorded two assists for the Mudbugs, while John DeCaro made a season-high 38 saves.

Mississippi had three powerplay opportunities in the first period and scored on one of them when Derek Landmesser ‚¬â„¢s slapshot snuck past DeCaro through a screen during a 5-on-3 man-advantage at 12:24, putting the ‚¬ËœKings up 1-0. The teams combined for 22 shots in the opening frame.

The Mudbugs tied the game early in the second period when Justin Aikins helped set up Jamie Milam ‚¬â„¢s second goal in as many games on the powerplay at 1:55. 26 total shots were fired on net in a penalty-filled middle stanza that saw the teams combine for six more powerplays.

Another special teams goal put the RiverKings on top in the third as Louis Dumont scored on a shorthanded breakaway to make it 2-1. With time running down in the final period, Aikins picked up a loose puck in the Mississippi zone and slid it through the slot to Martens, who beat Larry Sterling for his 12th goal of the year with only 1:45 remaining.

The goaltenders exchanged saves through overtime and into the shootout, where Dumont gave the ‚¬ËœKings a 1-0 lead. Simon Mangos tied it for the Mudbugs in the third round, but Brian Ihnacak and Landmesser scored back-to-back to give Mississippi the win.

John DeCaro (9-4-1) stopped 38 shots to set a new season-high by a Mudbugs netminder this season. Larry Sterling (6-6-1) made 29 stops and turned aside three of four ‚¬ËœBugs shooters to earn the victory. The Mudbugs finished 1 for 7 on the powerplay, while the RiverKings were 1 for 4. Mississippi outshot Bossier-Shreveport 41-31 in the game, which was the 1,000th in the career of Mudbugs Athletic Trainer George Bullock, Jr..

The Mudbugs will next travel to Rapid City, South Dakota for their only game this year against the defending CHL Champion Rapid City Rush. Friday ‚¬â„¢s game will mark the ‚¬ËœBugs first visit to the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center since their Game 7 loss to the Rush in last year ‚¬â„¢s Northern Conference Finals.

Log on to the broadcast schedule page at www.mudbugshockey.com for radio broadcast information. The game will also be shown live online on CHL-TV.

Season and group tickets are on sale by calling 318-752-BUGS (2847) or by visiting our website at www.mudbugshockey.com.



Central Hockey League Stories from January 2, 2011


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