Shreveport Mudbugs Win Their Season Opener At Home

The defending NAHL Robertson Cup Champion Shreveport Mudbugs opened their new season with a convincing 4-1 win over the Corpus Christi Ice Rays last night on their home ice.

The Mudbugs were down 1-0 to start the season after the Ice Rays scored the first goal of the season on George's Pond at Hirsch Coliseum. But just 20 seconds later, returning Mudbug Warren Natyshak scored the first goal of the year for the Bugs.

Natyshak wasn't the only one getting down with the home team scoring. Brand new Bug CJ McGee broke the 1-1 tie, with what would prove to be the game winning goal, in the second period.

A couple of former Mudbugs foes, now Bugs players, added goals too. Anton Rubtsov, who played last year for the Lone Star Brahmas, and former Ice Ray Dakota Concannon both added goals for the Mudbugs in the third period.

New goalie Leo Chuard, from Geneva, Switzerland, stopped 35 of 36 shots for the Mudbugs on the way to his first victory of the year.

The Bugs are back in action Saturday night, as the franchise raises their banner for the Robertson Cup Championship. Puck drops at 7:11pm Saturday night in Shreveport.