Odessa Uses Strong 1st Period to make it a 2-1 series

From the Central Hockey League Website. www.centralhockeyleague.com

Destined to show the skill and strength that led them to 101 points during the regular season, the Odessa Jackalopes came out flying on Wednesday Night handing the Texas Brahmas just their third loss on home ice in the past three playoff seasons (15-2 at NYTEX Sports Center before tonight). The final was 5-2 and the win for the Jacks got them back in the best-of-7 series now trailing two games to one and guaranteeing they'll head back home at least for a game five on Saturday Night.

Odessa scored twice in the first period when Jeff Pierce's power play goal at 4:50 setting the tone. A pair of D-Men would strike net with Garrett Gruenke and Alex Dunn each scoring goals before the end of the opening frame making the score 3-0 after 20 minutes.

The Brahmas battled back in the 2nd period with Jordan Cameron and Justin Kinnunen each scoring power play goals making the score 3-2 after two periods but that is as close as the defending champions would get.

The Jacks gained some distance and put the game away in a 47 second stretch of the final period when Pierce scored his second of the game and Mike Ramsay struck making the score 5-2.

Sebistan Thinel had 4 assists in the game and Collin Circelli helped out on three of Odessa's goals.

Odessa outshot Texas 44-31 as Juha Toivonen, seeing his first action of the post-season, made 27 saves earning the win.

Brett Jeager, unbeaten in his previous seven playoff games, was pulled after allowing his 5th Odessa Goal and he took the loss stopping 32 of 37 shots he faced.

Texas Brahmas Lead Series 2-1


Game Boxscore

Odessa Jackalopes 6 Texas Brahmas 3 (3-0, 0-2, 3-1)

1-0 ODE: Jeff Pierce (PP) (Circelli, Thinel) 4:50 1st

2-0 ODE: Garrett Gruenke (Thinel, Cricelli) 7:20 1st

3-0 ODE: Alex Dunn (Thinel, Pierce) 10:32 1st

3-1 TEX: Jordan Cameron (PP) (Deitsch, Rouleau) 3:51 2nd

3-2 TEX: Justin Kinnunen (PP) (Skworchinski, Cameron) 10:33 2nd

4-2 ODE: Jeff Pierce (Circelli, Thinel) 5:54 3rd

5-2 ODE: Mike Ramsay (Swiniarski) 6:41 3rd

5-3 TEX: Adam Chorneyko (Pierce, Gale) 14:43

6-3 ODE: Dominic Leveille (EN) (Plante, Karlander) 18:42 3rd


Game Stats

SOG: ODE 44 TEX 31

PP: ODE 1/3 TEX 2/5

PIM: ODE 10 Minutes on 5 Penalties TEX 6 Minutes on 3 Penalties

Goalies: ODE Juha Toivonen 28 SVS on 31 Shots TEX Brett Jeager 32 SVS on 37 Shots Joe Palmer 6 SVS on 6 Shots

ATT: 2178

3rd Star: Justin Kinnunen (TEX)

2nd Star: Juha Toivonen (ODE)

1st Star: Jeff Pierce (ODE)