Texas falls just short in 3-2 loss to Topeka
January 21, 2012 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Texas Tornado News Release
The Texas Tornado were unable to earn a road sweep against the Topeka Roadrunners this weekend, as Topeka salvaged a split of the two-game series with a 3-2 win on Saturday night at Landon Arena. Joakim Jutras started in goal for the second straight night and made 26 saves, but Topeka goaltender Peter Traber earned his 16th win of the season.
Topeka got on the board very early on a goal at just 0:48 by Mick Bruce. Bruce, who served a one-game suspension on Friday, took a pass at the right point from Ben Bahe and snapped a wrist shot towards goal. The puck went off the left skate of Tornado defenseman Michael Hoy and redirected past the pads of Jutras and over the goal line for the lone marker of the opening period.
It remained a 1-0 Topeka lead through the rest of the first period and the majority of the second, but C.J. Reuschlein scored his 12th goal of the season to tie the score at 13:35. Reuschlein was skating directly behind Jordan Greenberg, who made a nice move to get past a Roadrunners defender. He had the puck poked off his stick by a second Roadrunner defenseman, but Reuschlein was there to back the play up and get a wrist shot past Traber to make it a 1-1 game.
Before the close of the second period, however, the Roadrunners picked up a goal allowing them to take another one-goal lead into the dressing room. After the Tornado were overaggressive in the neutral zone, Topeka broke into the Texas zone on a 3-on-1. Quick passing from Andrew O'Leary and James Ring allowed Sean Gaffney to break to the near post and tap the puck in for the go-ahead goal at 18:18 of the second period.
In the early stages of the third period, a Topeka penalty put the Tornado on the power-play, but the Roadrunners were the ones who were able to capitalize. Topeka cleared the puck the length of the ice and Dan Dupell beat all five Tornado skaters to the puck, Dupell walked out front on the wraparound to beat Jutras and make it a 3-1 game on his 18th goal of the season.
Topeka maintained their two-goal advantage through most of the remainder of the third period, but when the Roadrunners were whistled for too many men on the ice with 3:30 left to play, Tony Curtale opted to pull Jutras in favor of the extra attacker and create a 6-on-4 Tornado advantage. The decision paid off as a scrum in front of the net created the havoc the Tornado were looking for, and Jordan Lovick was able to backhand the puck past Traber and cut the lead to 1.
With the teams once again 5-on-5 after the power-play goal, Jutras went back to the bench with about 1:30 left to play, but the Tornado were not able to beat Traber a second time with the extra attacker, and Topeka held on for the 3-2 win.
The Tornado will be back in action on Friday, January 27th when the Fresno Monsters come to Dr Pepper Arena. Opening faceoff for Friday's game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
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North American Hockey League Stories from January 21, 2012
- IceRays Fall to Wildcats in Overtime 2-1 - Corpus Christi IceRays
- Texas falls just short in 3-2 loss to Topeka - Texas Tornado
- Kalamazoo Wins, Improves Home Record to 12-2-1 - Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings
- Win Streak Snapped at Six as 'Runners Fall - Topeka Pilots
- Nagelvoort, Stars Blank Jets, 1-0 - Traverse City North Stars
- Wild Win Fourth Straight - Wenatchee Wild
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