Topeka, KS (March 20, 2016) – The Odessa Jackalopes allowed six unanswered goals Sunday including four in the 3rd and eventually lost 7-2 at Kansas ExpoCentre in the final match-up of the year between the two clubs.
Odessa took its first lead when Derek Brown fed a 2-on-1 pass to Hampus Sjodahl who opened up Tyler Johnson’s five-hole and snuck it through for his 34th of the year at 8:04. Brown nearly made it 2-0 Odessa when he just missed on backhand deke during a breakaway late in the opening frame. Moments later, Quinn Preston (16) tied the game for the Runners after he jammed home his initial shot that scooted past Jon Flakne at 18:56.
In the 2nd, Pierce Pluemer (7) recaptured Odessa’s lead at the 5:50 mark when he beat Johnson on a breakaway. Johnny Walker tied the game by poking a loose puck in the crease past Flakne at 8:36. At 18:35, JB Baker (15) scored his fourth goal of the weekend series on a rebound to give the Runners a 3-2 lead.
In the third, Topeka put four unanswered goals on the board to win convincingly, 7-2. Flakne (6-3-0) took the loss stopping 25 shots while Johnson earned the win making 27 saves.
The Jacks travel to the Banks of the Gulf of Mexico next Friday and Saturday to take on the Corpus Christi IceRays in the last regular-season road trip of the year.
The Odessa Jackalopes are in their fifth season in the North American Hockey League in 2015-16 and 19th in the Permian Basin. Single game tickets are on sale now for April 1,2,8,9. To reserve your seats, contact the Jackalopes’ ticket office today at 432-552-7825 or log on to www.jackalopes.org for more information.
Be sure to follow the Jackalopes on Twitter @LetsGoJacks all year long and don’t forget to ‘Like’ the official “Odessa Jackalopes” fan page on Facebook.
