Odessa Jackalopes defenseman John Wojciechowski chipped the puck up the left wing boards and team captain Ryan Mansfield did the rest in overtime Saturday against the Lone Star Brahmas.
Mansfield gathered the puck in the neutral zone, skated around a Brahmas’ defender and then slashed toward the net, getting goaltender Arthur Smith moving from right to left across the crease.
That movement gave Mansfield all the room he needed to slide the puck between the netminder’s pad for the game-winning goal just 1:24 into the extra period in North American Hockey League play at the Ector County Coliseum.
The victory improved Odessa to 28-25-1-2, good for 59 points.
Tanyon Bajzer also scored for the Jackalopes, with Wojciechoski earning an assist on that goal as well.
Odessa goaltender Gergely Orosz stopped 28 of the 29 shots he faced, allowing only a power-play goal by Lone Star’s Jacob MacDonald 9:31 into the third period.
The Jackalopes sit sixth in the South Division, six points behind fourth-place New Mexico, with four games remaining in the regular season.
The Ice Wolves defeated El Paso, 1-0, on Saturday in El Paso.
Odessa travels to face New Mexico on April 7 and 8 with their postseason hopes on the line as the Ice Wolves’ need just three points in their final four games to eliminate the Jackalopes.
