Mudbugs Upset Wildcats on Back the Blue Night
October 15, 2016 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Wichita Falls Wildcats News Release
In their first matchup in history against the Shreveport Mudbugs, the Wildcats struggled to generate consistent scoring and fell to the Bugs by a final of 4-2.
The Cats managed to feed off an animated crowd on Back the Blue Night, putting the pressure on Shreveport's goaltender John Roberts in the early going. Roman Kinal nearly scored his second goal in as many nights, ringing a heavy wrist shot off the crossbar from the left wing. However, it was the Mudbugs who struck first.
Just 2:21 into the game, Cameron Cook was given a feathery cross-ice pass by Jack Jaunich into the Wildcats' zone. Cook ripped a wrist shot from the top of the left circle past Evan Moyse to give the Bugs the lead. Shreveport's speed on counterattacks proved to give the Wildcats difficulties throughout the first period.
To start the second, Wichita Falls dominated the play. They wore down the Mudbugs to the point where they had troubles completing line changes. After minutes of sustained pressure, Ilya Skvortsov scored from a severe angle on a shot which fooled Roberts and gave the Russian his fourth point in just two games.
Generating a plethora of chances, Roberts put on a goaltending clinic in the middle period. He stopped fifteen of sixteen second period shots and kept his team tied. Roberts' teammates did not let him down. Near the end of the middle frame, Kieran Durgan caught the Cats sleeping in their own zone and set up leading scorer Frankie Melton right down the slot. Melton buried a glove-side shot and regained the lead for the Bugs.
Seamus Donohue gave Ryan Burnett a picturesque pass from the blue line on a Wildcats power play in the early stages of the third period. Burnett had only to tuck it into a wide open net past Roberts to tie the game back up for the Cats. With the score tied 2-2, Shreveport scored two unanswered power play goals. Erik Zohovs scored his fourth of the season and Cook tallied his second to the night. Shreveport would roll to a 4-2 victory.
Moyse was charged with his sixth regulation defeat of the season, stopping 20 of a possible 24 shots. Roberts stopped 35 of a possible 37, earning his third victory for the Mudbugs. The Wildcats will have next weekend off, and will travel to Amarillo to take on the Bulls on Friday, October 28th.
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