Nov. 26, 2011
SECOND PERIOD TEXAS SURGE DOOMS JACKS 3-0
Tornado ride three-goal frame to victory.
ODESSA, TX– In the third of three straight games against the Texas Tornado, the Odessa Jackalopes allowed three goals in three minutes in the second period and were unable to rally back, dropping a 3-0 decision to an opportunistic Tornado squad. With the loss, the Jackalopes fell to 8-12-3 on the season and with 19 points remain alone in fifth place in the NAHL’s South Division standings. After a 4-3 shootout loss to Texas on Wednesday, the Jacks defeated the Tornado 2-1 in a shootout at home on Friday night. With Saturday’s loss, the Jackalopes are now 1-1-1 against Texas through three of seven meetings between the two teams in the 2011-12 season series.
After a scorless first period, Texas winger Skyler Spiller broke the ice at 10:35 of the second with a rising wrister that beat Jacks netminder Connor Hellebuyck high to the glove side to make it 1-0 Tornado. Then just 19 seconds later, Mitchell McPherson deflected a Michael Miller shot from the right point past Hellebuyck for the second Texas goal. As if that weren’t offense enough, John Kirtland capped off the second period Tornado onslaught with an unassisted power play goal at 13:34 of the period to make it a 3-0 Texas lead.
Hellebuyck stopped 32 of the 35 shots he faced and with the loss fell to 7-9-3 in his 19th start of the season. Next up for the Jacks, it’s a weekend home series with the Wichita Falls Wildcats December 2nd and 3rd at Ector County Coliseum in the first meetings between the two teams in Jackalopes franchise history.
The Odessa Jackalopes celebrate their 15th Anniversary in 2011-12 and drop the puck on their inaugural campaign as a member of the North American Hockey League. Season tickets, mini-plans, and single game tickets are available by calling (432) 552-7825 or by visiting the Jacks online at www.jackalopes.org.
Be sure to follow the Jackalopes on Twitter @LetsGoJacks all season long and don’t forget to ‘Like’ the official “Odessa Jackalopes” fan page on Facebook.
— ODESSA JACKALOPES —
