Odessa, TX – A day after the best all around performance of the year, the Odessa Jackalopes (7-5-0-1) beat the Topeka RoadRunners (6-8-0-0) in another great performance. The matchup was the second night of three to kick off Red Ribbon Week with ECISD and the Education Foundation.
The Jackalopes onslaught continued as newcomers Eric Huss, Blake Bride, and Brandon Osmundson all scored their second goals of the season in the second period, before Evan Rochowiak and Lucas Herrmann added one of their own in the third. Brett Epp (4-4-0-0) turned aside 31 shots on the night en route to the victory and his first NAHL shutout.
After a scoreless first period, the Jacks turned the pressure up on Topeka to net three goals in the second period. It started as power play time expired, but the pressure was too much as Eric Huss tapped in the first goal of the game for either squad.
Blake Bride would add another at the 16:47 mark on the first power play of a double minor. Viktor Johansson tossed one towards the net and found the stick of Bride who makes a slick move to beat Topeka’s Emil Gransoe into the back of the net.
Another newcomer would get a goal on the second power play of the double minor when Brandon Osmundson did some of the same as Bride. Again, Johnasson fired one towards the net that Gransoe saved, only to find the stick of Osmundson. Brandon was able to collect the rebound and score the Jacks third goal of the night.
Topeka pulled their goaltender with 4 and a half minutes remaining, allowing the Jackalopes’ Evan Rochowiak to beat the defense for an empty netter and the 4-0 lead. With 10 seconds left, the Jacks would head to a power play when Lucas Herrmann found his first goal of the season. The 2000 birth year, stripped the defense, spun and fired a rocket past Gransoe for the Jacks’ fifth goal of the game.
Gransoe took on 44 shots, still able to save 40 of them, with the one empty netter on top of it. The Jacks penalty kill was perfect again, going 3-3 on the night while the power play netted three goals in the win.
The victory for Odessa was their second straight shutout of the season. The final game of the weekend between these two teams takes place tomorrow night at the Ector County Coliseum, with puck drop at 7:11 pm.
The 2017-2018 Odessa Jackalopes single game tickets are on sale now! To reserve your seats, contact the Jackalopes’ ticket office today at 432-552-7825 or hop on to www.jackalopes.org for more information.
Also, be sure to follow the Jackalopes on Twitter and Facebook (@LetsGoJacks), Instagram (odessajackalopes), and add us on Snapchat (odessajacks) all year long.
