Yesterday the Jacks hosted the Wichita Falls Warriors for the first time this season. It is the second-straight weekend that these two teams are going up against one another. Odessa is 2-2 against the Warriors this season. Last season Wichita Falls went 5-0-0-1 at the JackShack. Odessa won last Saturday in OT, 6-5, which snapped their longest losing streak of the season at four games (0-3-0-1).
The Jacks started the game aggressively by pressuring Daniel Duris from all angles. Trevor Taulien (7) scored the first goal of the game at the 6:43 mark of the period. The Jacks kept their foot on the gas and were able to get on the scoresheet again before the period ended. Tanyon Bajzer (9) put it past Duris with only 1:08 left on the clock. After 20 minutes of play the Jacks were leading, 2-0, and outshooting the Warriors, 13-8.
The intermission did not stop the Jacks’ momentum as Nick Ahern (2) scored off his own rebound 58 seconds into the middle frame. Wichita Falls scored their first goal shortly past the halfway point of the period. William Lawson-Body (9) beat Noah Rupprecht after a mad scramble at the top of his crease. The score would remain 3-1 until there was less than a minute left to go in the period. Tanyon Bajzer (10) broke up a play in the offensive zone and was able to roof the puck past Duris. Putting the Jacks up by three once again. Odessa took a 4-1 lead into the second-period intermission. They were still outshooting Wichita Falls, 20-19.
The Jacks once again scored within the first two minutes of a period. This time it was J.R. Perdion (11) making it the largest lead the Jacks have had against the Warriors all season. Even with some power-play opportunities in the final period, the Warriors could not find another answer. Resulting in a 5-1 victory for Odessa. It was the first win for Rupprecht since Jan. 7th against Amarillo. The Warriors outshot the Jacks, 32-25. Wichita Falls went 0/4 on the power play and Odessa went 0/2.
The Jacks enter game two tonight with a record of 21-13-1-2 (45pts). Wichita Falls is now 16-14-5-2 (39pts) on the season. Odessa is now on a two-game win streak and looking to sweep the Warriors for the first time this season. The Jacks have not swept an opponent since Dec. 10-11 against New Mexico. Odessa is now 3-3-0-1 in 2022 and Wichita Falls is 5-2-1. The Jacks are tied with New Mexico for the most goals in the South (123). The puck drop for tonight’s game is scheduled for 7:15 pm CDT. After the game, the Jacks will be auctioning off their game-worn 25th-anniversary jerseys.
Photo credit: Danne Braden
