Wildcats blank Odessa in lone NAHL game on Wednesday night
Wichita Falls 3 @ Odessa 0 - In the tenth of twelve regular season meetings between the two teams this year, the Odessa Jackalopes never could gain any traction in a 3-0 loss to the Wichita Falls Wildcats Wendesday at Ector County Coliseum in Odessa.
With the win, Wichita Falls clambered into a tie with the idle Corpus Christi IceRays for fourth place in the South Division and the final South Division playoff spot. Odessa will certainly have a say as to which team ends up postseason-bound as six of the Jackalopes’ remaining eight regular season games are vs. either Wichita Falls or Corpus Christi.
With the loss, the Jacks extended their active winless streak to 13 games, setting a new franchise record. At 6-43-3 and with 15 points, the Jackalopes remain alone in sixth place in the NAHL’s South Division standings.
After the first period crept by scoreless, Wichita Falls forward Kyle Bauman broke the ice late in the second, popping his team-leading 22nd goal of the season past Odessa netminder Nick Deery at 16:48 to make it 1-0 Wildcats. Then in the third, Bauman’s second of the game, a rebound tapper at 6:31, gave way to an empty-net tally from Tyler Ledford that sealed the Wildcats’ 3-0 victory.
Wildcats goaltender Evan Cowley stopped all 22 shots that came his way for his second shutout of the season. Goaltender Nick Deery was very good as well in defeat, making 40 saves.
