The Shreveport Mudbugs finished out their three week homestand with a split of the first-place South Division archrival Lone Star Brahmas.  The Mudbugs enter the weekend on a three game slide.  Friday night’s 2-1 loss extended that streak to four games.  Shreveport bounced back on Saturday night with a 3-2 overtime win over the Brahmas.

The split left Shreveport in fourth place with 50 points.  The Mudbugs are only 1 point behind second-place El Paso and Amarillo.  Lone Star remains in first place with 59 points

The Mudbugs will be on a crucial three week road trip starting with a trip to make some headway in the race for second place against El Paso.  The next weekend will be to hold back the fifth-place New Mexico Ice Wolves from climbing into playoff contention. Shreveport will end the road trip with a three game series at Corpus Christi.  

Lone Star 2, Mudbugs 1

The first-place Brahmas pocketed the first goal in the first period by David Skuhrovec a little under eight minutes remaining in the first period.  Shreveport received the first power play of the night on a slashing call.  Lone Star killed the power play and maintained their 1-0 lead to the end of the first period.  

The penalty box stayed active in the second period and spilled over into the third period.  Shreveport had another opportunity at a power play from an Antti Autere high sticking called.  Lone Star withstood the one m a disadvantage.  Mudbug Lucas Deeb was sent to the sin bin on a charging call.  Shreveport held off the Brahmas.  The Mudbugs finally caught a break with a goal by Ryan Burke with assists by Brayden Cook and Hayden Nichol.

One last tussle at the end of the second period would send the two teams into 4-on-4 action starting the third period.  Austere picked up his second penalty of the period with a roughing call as Shreveport’s Wil Murphy was also charged with roughing.  The two teams were knotted at 1 heading into the final period. 

Lone Star would snatch the game-winning goal midway through the third period hold on for the 2-1 win and extend Shreveport’s slide to four games.

Elliot Seguin-Lescarbeau would have 16 saves in the loss

Mudbugs 3, Lone Star 2 OT

Shreveport started a man down less than two minutes to start the game as Kyan Haldenby was sent to the penalty box on a tripping call.  Shreveport survived the power play.   Shreveport would get their power play opportunity next but was unable to score.  Lone Star scored first on a Connor Bergeron goal with 3:20 remaining in the first period.  The Brahmas carried a 1-0 lead into the second period

Autere was the antagonizer for the Mudbugs once again on Saturday night as Shreveport got the one-man advantage on a roughing call.  With 40 seconds remaining in the power play, tempers flared again as Lucas Deeb and Logan Heroux were called for roughing along with Brahmas Jacob MacDonald.  Both teams survived to full strength.  Shreveport even the score with a goal from Nick Marino.  Brent Litchard and Wil Murphy were credited with the assists.  The Mudbugs took the lead with less than five minutes remaining in the second period with a goal from Brayden Cook.  Cook was helped by Logan Heroux and Wil Murphy.  In the closing minute of the second period, the Mudbugs would go into the third period a man down as Hayden Nichol was called for kneeing.  

Less than a minute into the third period and the Brahmas with the man advantage, Bergeron scored his second goal of the night scoring the equalizer.  The rivalry burned later into the period as once again the two went to 4-on-4 with Charlie Masek called for roughing and Alex Park called for unsportsmanlike conduct.  No change in the score occurred.  Just eight seconds out of the penalty, Park returned to the penalty box on a tripping call.  Shreveport held off Lone Star again and the two were unable to break the 2-2 stalemate in regulation.  

Shreveport struck fast in overtime as Ryan Burke scored and broke the four-game losing streak.  Liam Fleet and Collin Vassallo were given the assists.  

Eliot Seguin-Lescarbeau collected 26 saves in the Mudbugs’ win

Mudbugs will head across the state of Texas and face the El Paso Rhinos starting on Friday evening.