WICHITA FALLS, TX – The Wichita Falls Warriors (6-7-1-3) hosted the Amarillo Bulls (8-6-2-1) for the first time this season in the second meeting between the two South Division opponents.
The first period began a fast paced, back and forth contest. Both teams were able to transition defense to offense seamlessly through the neutral zone leading to chances on the other end. The Warriors were looking to challenge the Bulls top special teams units and would get their chance late in the first on the power play. Wichita Falls would take a 1-0 lead on the man advantage 14:25 into the first when Drake Usher (1) put home his first goal of the season and first as a Warrior. The Warriors had another power play to end the first but would not be able to convert this time and they would take a 1-0 lead to the first intermission.
In the second period the Bulls top power play unit would tie the game on a power play of their own 7:09 into the period to tie the game at 1-1. The Warriors had two new forwards in the lineup from the trade with Minot earlier this week Carter Korpi and Joseph Harguindeguy and one of them would make an instant impact. The Warriors would head back to the man advantage for the third time in the game and would capitalize again. This time it was Harguindeguy (7) in his first game with the Warriors who would score his first goal as a Warrior and give Wichita Falls a 2-1 advantage heading to the third.
The Warriors would keep up the pace to open the third period. It was Ryan Robinson (6) who would continue his offensive prowl scoring his fifth goal in six games. It was Thomas Weis (12) who made a nice move and found Robinson in front for his second assist of the game. The Warriors were up 3-1 with under three minutes to play. Then things would turn after the Warriors would take a late penalty. The Bulls would score twice at 18:28 and 19:58 with the net empty and the extra skater on to tie the game at 3-3 and send the game to overtime.
In overtime it was the goaltenders who would shine. Owen Bartoszkiewicz for Wichita Falls and Andrew Takacs in his first start of the season for Amarillo stopped every chance in the extra period that came their way. Bartoszkiewicz would even stop a 2-on-1 for the Bulls to help get the game to a shootout.
In the shootout, Bartoszkiewicz would stop the first two attempts from the Bulls and Takacs would stop the first two attempts from the Warriors William Lawson-Body and Thomas Weis. The shootout would come down to the third and final round. The Bulls would go first and score as Harrison Scott would give Amarillo the advantage. The Warriors needed to score next to keep the game alive and it fell on the shoulders of one of the newest Warriors, Carter Korpi. Korpi shot for the top right corner, but would miss the net and the Bulls would take a 4-3 win in the shootout. The Bulls outshot the Warriors 41-24. The Warriors would pick up one point in the loss.
Andrew Takacs (1-0-0-0) recorded the win for Amarillo. He recorded 21 saves on 24 shots faced. Owen Bartoszkiewicz (5-4-1-2) recorded the loss for Wichita Falls. He recorded 40 saves on 43 shots faced.
Next up, the Warriors matchup again with the Bulls on Saturday, January 16 at the Kay Yeager Coliseum on Cobra Kai Night. Puck drop is at 7:05 PM.
