New Mexico Ice Wolves (20-13-2-1, 43pts) vs. Odessa Jackalopes (17-16-0-1, 35pts)
at Ector County Coliseum in Odessa, TX
Time: Friday 7:15 p.m. CDT | Saturday 7:15 p.m. CDT
Broadcast: (Home) HockeyTV | Listen Live Here
What You Need to Know:
All-Time Record: 11-14-0-1
Season Series: 0-2
Leading Scorers:
NMO: 33pts, Howard (21G, 12A)
ODA: 31pts, Mansfield (14G, 17A)
Top Performers:
The top two skaters for New Mexico have combined for 39 of the 116 goals they have scored this season. Which comes out to 33% of their total. The top three players for Odessa have a combined 45 goals. That is almost 50% of the Jackalopes total goals this season (92). Both teams only have three players with double-digit goals. Also, both teams have four of their top-five scorers aging out at the end of the season. Seven of the Jackalopes 11 power-play goals have come from their top-four players.
No Place Like Home:
This weekend is Odessa’s first set of games at home in 2023. Odessa is 8-5 this season at the JackShack. The Ice Wolves have a 6-7-1-1 road record when playing South Division teams. Odessa still has 15 home games remaining this season. Of those 15 games, 11 of them will be against a team that is currently in a playoff spot. The Jackalopes longest homestand in the second half of the season is seven games (Mar. 17 – Apr. 1).
Slim Margin:
Four of the last five games for Odessa have been decided by one goal. The Jacks are 7-3-0-1 in one-goal games this season. In comparison, New Mexico is 5-4-2-1 in games decided by one goal. The Ice Wolves have not swept an opponent since they played Shreveport on Nov. 4-5. Already this month, Odessa has two sweeps and a 5-2 record. Two wins for the Jacks would put them within four points of New Mexico and potentially two of Shreveport. Odessa has played New Mexico the fewest number of times compared to any other South Division team. Last year, the season series between Odessa and New Mexico was split, 4-4.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Ice Wolves (F: #13 – William Howard)
The 20-year-old is in his final season of junior hockey. The Grand Forks, ND native has scored the most goals in New Mexico Ice Wolves history (41). The captain currently leads the team in goals (21), points (33), power-play goals (6), and game-winning goals (6). The 6’2”/190lb. left-handed forward started his NAHL career with New Mexico in 2020-21 (31GP, 2G, 2A). Last season, the Augustana University commit finished second on the team in points after producing 42 (18G, 24A) in 56 games. Howard is currently on a three-game point streak (2G, 1A). He had a goal and an assist in both games against Odessa this season.
Jackalopes (F: #11 – Ryan Mansfield)
The Burlington, ON native is in his last year of junior eligibility. The 20-year-old currently leads the team in points (31) and is tied for first in assists (17). The 5’11”/195lb. left-handed forward put up 32 points (12G, 20A) in 56 games during his rookie campaign. Putting him fourth on the team in scoring. Mansfield leads the team in plus/minus at 10. He has played in every game for Odessa this season and has registered a point in 21 of them. Mansfield has scored a goal in each game against New Mexico this season. He also set a career-high point streak this season at nine games (6G, 9A). He enters this weekend with three assists in his last five games.
Photo credit: Danne Braden
