After a convincing 7-2 win against one of the CHL's top teams their last time on the ice, the Arizona Sundogs were on the wrong end of a lopsided score this time.
The Odessa Jackalopes handed the Sundogs a 7-1 loss on Friday night before 2,910 fans at the Ector County Coliseum in Odessa. The Sundogs rode into town with a two-game winning streak but lost despite out-shooting their Southwest Division foe 46-27.
Torrie Wheat scored the lone goal for the Sundogs while netminder Kris Mayotte replaced starter Chris King in goal. King gave up four goals in the contest while Mayotte gave up three.
At 5:43 of the first, Arizona's Cory Stillman gave the Jackalopes their first power play of the game after a hooking call. Odessa's Mike Rutter scored his first of two power play goals in the opening period at the 6:48 mark. Five minutes later Rutter tallied his second of the night on an assist from Pascal Bedard and Ward after a Scott Seney interference penalty.
Less than two minutes into the second period Odessa picked up where it had left off, this time on a power play goal by Bedard.
Arizona finally got on the board at 9:52 of the second on a Wheat goal from Dan Laperriere and Stillman. Odessa wasn't finished in the period as Steve Shrum pushed one past King. King's four goals allowed on 16 shots were enough for Sundogs head coach Marco Pietroniro who substituted Mayotte for the struggling King.
Mayotte didn't fare much better in the third, allowing three goals on 11 shots. At 11:42 of the third, Margettie notched his second point of the night, this time on a goal from Rutter and Andrew Davis. Six minutes later, the Jackalopes would strike again, this time by Chris Brannen.
Odessa capped off the win with less than a minute left in regulation with their fourth power play goal of the night. Frustration set in for the Sundogs with Svagrovsky taking his second fight of the game, this time with Odessa's Margettie at the 20-minute mark of the third.
Odessa finished 4 for 10 on the power play while Arizona was unable to score a goal with the man advantage. Mike Gorman stopped all but one of the 46 shots faced for the Jackalopes. King stopped 12 of 16 and replacement goalie Mayotte stopped 8 of 11.
The Sundogs make a trip across Texas for a game against the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees tonight in Hidalgo. The Sundogs are 1-1-0 against the Killer Bees this season.
