ODESSA, TX — It was a game worthy of the rivalry, and it ended well for the Jackalopes. Odessa (16-23-1-1) defeated the Amarillo Bulls (31-4-2-3) 4-3 in the shootout at the Ector County Coliseum.
Amarillo got the scoring stared first off a power play goal, even though the Jackalopes had the better of the chances in the first period.
In the second the Odessa offense came alive. James Crossman scored on the power play when a rebound drifted to him in the high slot and he gunned a wrist shot into the back of the net to tie the game 1-1.
Joseph Winkelmann also scored his first goal as a Jackalope after Oscar Tyskhagen came into the zone wide right. Tyskhagen tried to turn the corner toward the goal but failed. The puck went off his stick and through the crease area right to Winkelmann. He made no mistake as fired the puck into an almost open net to give Odessa a 2-1 lead.
This lead only lasted about three minutes or so as the Bulls scored on another power-play goal to tie the game 2-2.
In the early stages of the third period the Bulls took the lead 3-2 after a pass deflected off a Jackalope stick and into the back of the net.
Odessa fought back brilliantly though and it was Kellen Tharaldson who evened the score. Tharaldson jumped the passing lane of an outlet pass and skated untouched into the high slot. Unleashing a powerful shot, it sailed into the back of the net.
With the score tied the Jacks and the Bulls went to a shootout. Alex Camarre was brilliant making five saves, including a highlight reel quality save to rob Logan Jenuwine of the game winner.
With no one scoring in OT, the game shifted to a shootout. The Jackalopes, after falling down 1-0 early in the shootout stayed alive thanks of Tyskhagen. But in the end it was Lev Bure, the native of Malibu, California, who won the game for Odessa on a nifty fore-hand-back-hand move before shooting the puck five-hole and into the net. Bure was mobbed by his teammates after, visibly emotional after a hard fought win against their rival.
The Jackalopes will be on the road for the rest of the month as they embark on a six game road trip that starts with a series against the Shreveport Mudbugs.
