Central Hockey League: Jackalopes give up three-goal lead in shootout loss

The Odessa Jackalopes raced out to a three-goal lead in the first period and looked primed to win for the third straight contest.

Visiting Bossier-Shreveport, however, had other plans.

Scoring twice in the second period and twice in the third to force overtime and then a shootout, the Mudbugs skated out of the Permian Basin with a 5-4 victory after Simon Mangos scored not one, but two goals in the breakaway competition.

The Jackalopes return to the ice at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday when they host the expansion Missouri Mavericks, coached by former Jackalopes defenseman Scott Hillman.

Mangos scored as Bossier-Shreveport’s second skater and then came back for 10th round, faking Jackalopes goaltender Joel Martin to the ice at the left post and then sliding the puck behind him inside the right post.

Mike Ramsay scored for the Jackalopes in the shootout to force the extra rounds.

In regulation, the Jackalopes (3-2) got goals from Mike Lesperance, Collin Circelli and Jean Bourbeau in the first 10:30 of the opening period to take a commanding lead.

But the Mudbugs (2-2) cut the deficit to one on goals by Mike Salekin and Travis Clayton in the second period, before Odessa’s Kenny Bernard scored to give the Jackalopes some breathing room heading into the second intermission.

In the final period, Joe Blaznek and Brett Smith scored goals just 1:46 apart, with Smiths’ marker with 5:11 left in regulation tying the score, 4-4.

Both teams had chances turned away in overtime, with Martin stopping a Mudbugs’ 3-on-1- rush just 25 seconds into the extra period. Bossier-Shreveport goaltender John DeCaro then returned the favor with one minute gone in overtime, making a glove save on a shot that was deflected below the right circle.