Bulls blast Mustangs 6-1 in lone NAHL game on Thursday
Amarillo 6 @ New Mexico 1 - Four goals in the first six minutes of the first period powered the Amarillo Bulls past the New Mexico Mustangs 6-1 on Thursday night at the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.
It was the Bulls 45th win of the season and their league leading 23rd on the road. The Bulls will enjoy the day off on Friday before concluding their regular season schedule on Saturday night with their second game against the Mustangs.
It was a fast start to the game for the Bulls with three goals in the first 2:11 of the opening period. Ryan Cole tallied from Clint Carlisle and Michael Erickson on terrific work near the front of the net. Thirty seconds later, Brooks Behling put a backhand shot up high on Jake Stafford. John Gustafsson added to the scoring when he fired a shot up high from Greg Gibson. Four minutes later, Joe Kozlak scored on the power play from Zane Popilock and it was 4-0. After New Mexico trimmed the advantage to 4-1 on a goal from Patrick Anderson, but the Bulls went right back to work and it was Michael Erickson with the tip at the side of the net from Clint Carlisle and Ryan Cole.
The second period was scoreless but the Bulls still had the shots advantage 11-3.
In the third period the Bulls rounded out the scoring when Clint Carlisle scored on a feed from Brandon Lubin and Ryan Cole at 16:53.
Goaltender Gregg Gruehl stopped 19 of 20 shots he faced, while Mustangs goaltender Jake Stafford took the loss making 43 saves. There were a total of six power plays in the contest with each team scoring once.
