Jorge Fernandez-Valdes has cemented his face on the Mount Rushmore of Lang’s Locks. The young star from Argentina drained a long birdie putt on the first hole of a playoff on the Korn Ferry Tour that secured a victory and the biggest payoff in the history of the Locks.
Fernandez-Valdes hit the wire as a 420-1 longshot and pushed our staggering profit over 90 units for the first five months of the year.
After I watched the playoff in a car on the way back from a Taylor Swift concert in Chicago, I logged into my FanDuel account only to see it had been “suspended.”
Here is the message I received: “There has been a routine check on your account in accordance with state regulations and guidelines. Your account
is under review and someone from the Accounts Team will be reaching out. Within 72 hours you will either be informed on the results of the check and instructions on next steps OR your account will be reactivated with no notice.
“To elaborate, your state regulatory body requires a standard compliance check for all wagers that are defined as ‘big wins.’ Such wins are defined as those that exceed a $600 payout and/or are paid out at odds of 300-1.”
More than 24 hours later, the account was restored. Apparently, the investigation showed there was clearly no wrongdoing, but we’re just that good!
Seeing the messages from those who were on board was amazing. I’ve never recommended a bet I don’t make myself, and seeing others prosper is the best part of this.
The Locks will soon have another home, but what an impact we’ve had in less than 18 months. Our total profit is more than 190 units. We’ve done our job!
Notes
All bets are measured in units. For instance, if your normal bet on a game is $100, that is one unit. If the bet is listed as .2 units, it’s a $20 bet.
Best line (as of Tuesday) is listed in parenthesis. Find the best price — one key to being a successful sports bettor! Shop around! Remember this is a VALUE-based system, so don’t settle for a price significantly less than the one listed. And jump on better prices!
It’s a long shot week. The value was gobbled up early in this week’s three events on the links. However, we unearthed some longshots to play with. We’re aren’t risking much, but let’s see if we can hit a big one. PGA Tour and the Korn Ferry Tour are in play!
Five months in, our profit is more than 50 units.
Good luck this week.
Notes
All bets are measured in units. For instance, if your normal bet on a game is $100, that is one unit. If the bet is listed as .2 units, it’s a $20 bet.
Best line (as of Tuesday) is listed in parenthesis. Find the best price — one key to being a successful sports bettor! Shop around! Remember this is a VALUE-based system, so don’t settle for a price significantly less than the one listed. And jump on better prices!
We didn’t have much action on the links last week, and that may be a good thing. Our terrific winning streak came to a halt at the PGA Championship. The most underrated stop on the PGA Tour is up next, but we won’t have any plays for Colonial.
However, we do have some light action on the DP World Tour and LIV Golf.
Good luck this week.
Notes
All bets are measured in units. For instance, if your normal bet on a game is $100, that is one unit. If the bet is listed as .2 units, it’s a $20 bet.
Best line (as of Tuesday) is listed in parenthesis. Find the best price — one key to being a successful sports bettor! Shop around! Remember this is a VALUE-based system, so don’t settle for a price significantly less than the one listed. And jump on better prices!
The North American Hockey League is a revolving door. The Tier-II developmental organization features players 16 to 20 (at the beginning of the season). They cycle in, they cycle out.
It’s bittersweet for fans, who are lucky to get three seasons out of a player. Garrett Steele was a bit of a unicorn, as the Shreveport Mudbugs captain recently finished his career after four seasons in town.
“I don’t spend any time waiting to get attached to guys. I love them,” Mudbugs head coach Jason Campbell said after his team was swept out of the NAHL South Division Final by Oklahoma last weekend. “Everybody is different — the certain things they bring on and off the ice, that’s what makes teams good and that’s what makes teams special. I’m lucky to be a part of it and I’m thankful to be a part of it.
“I don’t worry about getting too close to guys. I want to try to build a relationship – you get a lot out of that player-coach relationship.”
However, the ice hadn’t yet begun to melt on George’s Pond at Hirsch Coliseum when Campbell began to look toward the 2023-24 season. It’s the reality of the ever-revolving junior hockey world.
“The process starts almost immediately,” said Campbell, whose team finished third in the South Division with a 37-16-7 regular-season record. “The turnaround is pretty quick. We have to get focused.”
With exit meetings complete, many players have already headed home.
Steele is one of eight players on Shreveport’s roster who will age out (born in 2002) from this season’s roster. There’s sure to be more departures; those will be determined through training camps this summer.
Six of the eight players who will definitely depart are forwards. Also included is Simon Bucheler, who became the first Mudbug to capture the NAHL Goaltender of the Year award. He is committed to Mercyhurst University.
Those players account for more than 53 percent of the team’s goal production, including leading scorer Drake Morse, and 28 of its 37 victories between the pipes.
“We’re very thankful for the time they put in here because we ask a lot of these guys,” Campbell said. “My heart breaks for them, but they’re welcome anytime.”
The future of at least three other players — defenseman Logan Heroux (10 goals and 40 points in 2022-23), forward Kason Muscutt (seven goals and 13 points in his rookie season) and goaltender Nikola Goich (1.25 goals-against average in nine regular-season games) — is in question after they were selected in the (Tier-I) United States Hockey League’s 2023 draft.
Up first on the Mudbugs’ offseason checklist: prepare for the 2023 NAHL Draft set for June 14. Shreveport must complete tenders by June 11 and a pre-draft protected list (likely around 25 players) a day later.
Shreveport will then turn its attention to Main Camp, again scheduled for The George. Players must report to town by Aug. 11. The weeklong camp will produce the group that will advance to training camp. Cuts will continue to be made until the season begins in September.
The 2023-24 NAHL schedule should be released in early July.
The Mudbugs will aim to replace a slew of forwards and look to fill the void that plagued the team in the postseason.
Shreveport officially played eight games in the 2023 postseason, but including overtime, the time on ice equaled more than 10 games. The Mudbugs scored just 11 total goals, including one each in the final four postseason games.
“That tenacity — a little bit of tenacity around the net and some poise,” Campbell said. “We could have been a little better there.”
The search is on.
MOVING ON
Mudbugs who will not be eligible to play in the NAHL next season
Logan Gotinsky (25 career goals, 55 points with Mudbugs; three seasons)
Drake Morse (29, 66; two seasons)
Garrett Steele (47-103; four seasons)
Eric Vitale (17-37; one season)
Jaden Goldie (8-36; one season)
Jake Mack (28-58; three seasons)
Matthew Danzinger (2-17; one season)
Simon Bucheler (35 wins, eight shutouts; two seasons)
Our DP World Tour domination continued last week and led to a profit of more than seven units. The season’s second major championship, the PGA Championship, will take place at Oak Hill in Rochester, New York. We have one longshot win selection and a healthy amount of top-20 action. We also sprinkled in a couple of Korn Ferry bets.
As always, shop for the best number and good luck!
Notes
All bets are measured in units. For instance, if your normal bet on a game is $100, that is one unit. If the bet is listed as .2 units, it’s a $20 bet.
Best line (as of Tuesday) is listed in parenthesis. Find the best price — one key to being a successful sports bettor! Shop around! Remember this is a VALUE-based system, so don’t settle for a price significantly less than the one listed. And jump on better prices!
Midway through the season, the Shreveport Mudbugs authored a record scoring streak that included 14 consecutive games with at least three goals scored.
Those days seem like a lifetime ago.
Facing elimination Friday, the Mudbugs took the best in the North American Hockey League, Oklahoma, to double overtime at George’s Pond at Hirsch Coliseum. However, for the third time in the South Division Final, Shreveport couldn’t find a second goal – even with extra time.
The Warriors’ 2-1 victory put the finishing touch on a three-game sweep of the Mudbugs and sent Oklahoma to the NAHL Robertson Cup Final.
“Losing sucks,” Mudbugs head coach Jason Campbell said. “Everybody puts in a lot of time. It never feels good unless you win. I’m not saying it’s not worth it, because obviously you’re becoming better and doing good things throughout the year, but it’s disappointing.”
Like the first two games of the series, Friday’s finale featured a 1-1 score after two periods of play. Unlike the eventual blowouts in the first two games (4-1, 5-1), the Mudbugs had several chances to win the game but couldn’t find the net after Logan Gotinsky‘s goal 8 minutes into the first period.
The turning point came midway through the second period, when a Shreveport power play turned disastrous. Warriors forward Drew Sutton posted a short-handed goal to tie the game. Early in the second overtime, Joey Delgreco was left unattended on the back door and beat Simon Bucheler.
Oklahoma’s Daniel Duris stopped 44 of the Mudbugs’ 45 shots Friday.
“You have to go to the net, and I don’t think we went to the net enough,” Mudbugs captain Garrett Steele said regarding his team’s offensive woes in the playoffs. “We got more pucks through (in Game 3), but we just needed to get more bodies in front of the net. Sometimes, you don’t keep the game plan and that’s the result.”
Shreveport officially played eight playoff games this season, but including overtime, the time on ice equaled more than 10 games. The Mudbugs scored just 11 total goals, including one each in the final four postseason games.
“It’s hard to win a series if you get one goal a game,” Campbell said. “We had some great chances, but we couldn’t find a way to bury that second one. Unfortunately, our offensive woes bit us when we didn’t need it to.
“Hopefully we learn from it and we will be better from it.”
The Mudbugs, who finished third in the division during the regular season, advanced to the South Final for the fourth time in their six NAHL seasons (that featured playoffs), but fell short of their third Robertson Cup crown.
Steele is one of eight players on Shreveport’s roster who will age out before the 2023-24 season. Six of the eight departing player are forwards while Bucheler, who became the first Mudbug to capture the NAHL Goaltender of the Year, will also move on (committed to Mercyhurst University).
“I’m grateful and blessed – as cliché as it sounds,” Steele said. “The relationships that I grew here are what’s important. They are life-long and that’s what is really special to me.”
BEST OF THE BEST: Mudbugs’ stalwart Simon Bucheler has been chosen NAHL Goaltender of the Year. (Photo by CHRISTI LANG, Journal Sports)
By ROY LANG III, Journal Sports
The Shreveport Mudbugs aren’t in a good spot. That’s undeniable. However, the franchise has been unusually successful with its back against the wall, so could they put the 2022-23 season obituary on ice? At least for a while?
The Mudbugs will attempt to ward off elimination tonight at home in Game 3 of the North American Hockey League South Division Final. The Oklahoma Warriors, the best team in the league during the regular season, own a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-5 series and aim to complete the sweep when the teams face off at George’s Pond at Hirsch Coliseum beginning at 7:11 p.m.
Although the first two games were tied at 1 after 40 minutes of play, Oklahoma dominated both third periods and outscored Shreveport 7-0 to claim 4-1 (Game 1) and 5-1 (Game 2) victories.
“We’re going to be harder to play against this weekend,” Mudbugs forward Niklas Miller said.
Don’t expect the home team to roll over tonight. Since entering the NAHL in 2016, the Mudbugs are 10-3 faced with elimination, including a sparkling 6-1 record at The George.
“We’ve been here before,” Mudbugs head coach Jason Campbell said. “It is a big deal, there is pressure and all that, but this is why we play the game. You’re going to be up in some series and you’re going to be down – that’s life as well. We have to make sure we can handle it mentally and physically. All we can do is prepare ourselves as best we can and execute the game plan.”
If Shreveport wins Game 3, the teams will be back in action on George’s Pond on Saturday.
“You never want to go into a series thinking about being in a hole, or being ahead for that matter,” Mudbugs captain Garrett Steele said. “You have to come to the rink every day with the mission to beat the other team.
(The guys who will age out this year), we still have an opportunity to make sure it’s not the end this weekend. We’re blessed to have that chance.”
No matter what happens this weekend, Shreveport made its mark on the league’s postseason awards.
Simon Bucheler became the first Mudbug to earn NAHL Goaltender of the Year honors. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Saint-Laurent, Quebec, native led the league in wins (28). He posted the second-best goals-against average (1.92) and a solid .922 save percentage. He was second in the league with six shutouts and is committed to play NCAA Division-I hockey for Mercyhurst University.
Shreveport picked up a second major award when Hayden Nichol earned the NAHL’s Community Service Award.
Nichol led the team in the “Read Across America” campaign, reaching 32 schools and more than 4,700 kids in a three-day reading marathon in the area.
Nichol often surprised young fans by attending birthday parties and helped organize a surprise visit to a Special Olympic softball game to support Mudbugs honorary coach, Chris Layne. Nichol visited the Shriners Children Hospital to pass out stuffed animals and toys from the annual teddy bear toss game. The visit inspired him to shave his head for St. Baldricks LSU Health children cancer awareness.
His community outreach totaled more than 100 hours.
Mudbugs vs. Oklahoma
(Warriors lead best-of-5 series, 2-0)
Game 1: Oklahoma, 4-1
Game 2: Oklahoma, 5-1
Game 3: Tonight, 7:11 p.m., George’s Pond at Hirsch Coliseum
Game 4 (if necessary): Saturday, 7:11, George’s Pond
Game 5 (if necessary): Sunday, 7:15 p.m., at Oklahoma
One of the coolest things I’ve done over the past couple of years is purchase shares of a few racehorses through MyRacehorse. Groups like that give you the ability to buy microshares of thoroughbreds – to get in the game and experience the thrill of owning horses without the massive outlay.
The option was available (through a different group) to purchase shares of this year’s Kentucky Derby winner Mage. Some locals had a stake in the horse, and they can now say they own a Derby winner. I didn’t have that horse, but it didn’t stop me from making some sizable change on Mage’s nose. We gave you an across-the-board ticket and hopefully you cashed, too!
That, paired with another winning week on the links, sent our profit for 2023 to a yearly high – more than 50 units. Combined with last year’s 100-unit haul, we boast a staggering record. Maybe another 100-unit year wasn’t an unthinkable goal after all.
Let’s stay focused. The PGA Tour event in Dallas is a big pile of nothing in terms of value. A bad field and worse odds.
However, we have some plays for the DP World Tour and LIV golf. Let’s keep this train a chuggin’!
Notes
All bets are measured in units. For instance, if your normal bet on a game is $100, that is one unit. If the bet is listed as .2 units, it’s a $20 bet.
Best line (as of Tuesday) is listed in parenthesis. Find the best price — one key to being a successful sports bettor! Shop around! Remember this is a VALUE-based system, so don’t settle for a price significantly less than the one listed. And jump on better prices!
Two victories in Oklahoma would have been a dream and a split would’ve fit nicely into the Shreveport Mudbugs’ plans in search of another Robertson Cup. However, the worst-case scenario materialized as the North American Hockey League’s top team, the Oklahoma Warriors, swept the Mudbugs in the Games 1 and 2 of the South Division Final Friday and Saturday.
The most bothersome part of the weekend for Shreveport head coach Jason Campbell was the lack of fight when it mattered most.
Both games were tied at 1 entering the third periods, but the Mudbugs were hammered by a combined score of 7-0 in the final 20-minute sessions on Friday and Saturday nights. They now face elimination as the best-of-5 series shifts to Shreveport for Game 3 on Friday.
“We put ourselves in a position, on the road, both nights to win a hockey game and we didn’t execute,” Campbell told the Journal. “We weren’t hard enough to play against. We were OK and OK isn’t good against Oak City.”
Friday night, Oklahoma took the lead 3:17 into the third period and added another goal one minute later before escaping with a 4-1 victory. On Saturday, a slew of late Mudbugs penalties made it easy for Oklahoma to successfully defend home ice.
Shreveport was whistled for four third-period infractions and the Warriors broke the game open with power-play tallies 11:18 into the final frame and another 92 seconds later.
“There weren’t good penalties on our behalf,” Campbell said. “When you take undisciplined penalties that far away from our net they are not good. They were non-threatening penalties and they ultimately cost us.”
Oklahoma took Game 2, 5-1. The Warriors outshot the Mudbugs 20-10 in both third periods combined.
Defensive breakdowns were a problem and so were the penalties, but if Shreveport wants to extend its season past Friday’s game, they must find a way to generate offense. The Mudbugs managed just two goals in 120 minutes of action and posted 13 shots on goal in Game 1 and 19 in Game 2.
In seven postseason games (nearly the equivalent of nine games including overtimes), Shreveport has mustered just 10 goals.
“We have to shoot pucks,” Campbell said. “They blocked at least 10 more shots a game more than we did, too. We have to be better at finding a way to get shots through.”
Even with solid execution, that wouldn’t guarantee the Mudbugs will down the NAHL-best Warriors, but Campbell demands his team puts up a better fight at The George.
“We have to be hard to play against,” Campbell said. “We have to put everything into Friday night and hopefully that leads to a Saturday night.”
Mudbugs vs. Oklahoma
(Warriors lead best-of-5 series, 2-0)
Game 1: Oklahoma, 4-1
Game 2: Oklahoma, 5-1
Game 3: Friday, 7:11 p.m., George’s Pond at Hirsch Coliseum
Game 4 (if necessary): Saturday, 7:11, George’s Pond
Game 5 (if necesary): Sunday, 7:15 p.m., at Oklahoma
It’s long been obvious a trip to another Robertson Cup semifinal trip for the Shreveport Mudbugs would have to go through North Richland Hills, Texas, and Oklahoma City.
The Mudbugs completed the first half of the task with a scintillating five-game series triumph against Lone Star, punctuated by Monday’s 1-0 victory at the NYTEX Sports Centre. Now comes the final – and, on paper — biggest obstacle.
Shreveport begins the North American Hockey League South Division Final tonight against the league’s best team during the 2022-23 regular season – the Oklahoma Warriors, who are (literally) fresh off a sweep of Amarillo in the opening round.
“We’re in for a battle,” Mudbugs head coach Jason Campbell said.
The puck drop for Game 1 of the best-of-5 series is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. in Oklahoma City.
The Warriors posted a 44-14-2 overall record and took five of the eight matchups with the Mudbugs this season, but it wasn’t easy. Shreveport led in six of the eight games, but often couldn’t finish the job.
“No lead is safe against them,” Campbell said.
The goaltenders were the story in the Mudbugs-Brahmas series. Shreveport’s Simon Bucheler finished things off with a 25-save shutout while teammate Nikola Goich earned the team’s other two victories in the series.
Shreveport allowed just eight goals in five games against Lone Star.
Holding Oklahoma at bay in a similar way may be unrealistic.
“They pack a pretty powerful offensive punch,” Campbell said. “They can find ways to get offense all over the ice.”
The Warriors scored a league-best 253 goals – 38 goals more than the next closest team (Maryland) — during the regular season (4.22 goals per game) and scored 15 goals in three games against Amarillo.
“It’s a matter of us playing defense, playing our system to perfection,” Shreveport forward Logan Gotinsky said. “We need that high tempo and skill in their zone.”
Oklahoma’s Joey Delgreco ranked third in the NAHL with 69 points. Teammate Drew Sutton ranked sixth (64 points).
While Shreveport held Lone Star to eight goals, it also scored just eight in the series.
“We have more to give. I hope we’re able to bring that,” Campbell said. “I wish we could have finished more, offensively (against Lone Star). It’s going to be hard to win a hockey game against Oak City if you’re only scoring one or two goals a game.”
Game 2 is scheduled for Saturday (7:15 p.m.). The series will shift to George’s Pond at Hirsch Coliseum on May 12 (and May 13, if necessary).
NAHL South Division Final
(best-of-5 series)
Game 1: Friday, 7:15 p.m., at Oklahoma City
Game 2: Saturday, 7:15 p.m., at Oklahoma City
Game 3: May 12, 7:11 p.m., at George’s Pond at Hirsch Coliseum
Game 4 (if necessary): May 13, 7:11 p.m., George’s Pond
Game 5 (if necessary): May 14, 7:15 p.m., at Oklahoma City
Top-10 finishes by household names Alejandro Tosti (PGA Tour) and Scott Vincent (LIV Golf) helped us gain a profit for a second straight week.
Perhaps the drought is officially over. Profit is back over 30 units and we have a couple of tours to choose from this week.
I’ve also talked with my sources in the horse racing world. One in particular, dubbed “Peanut Butter,” has a strong recommendation. So, we have bonus “Run for the Roses” selections.
Good luck!
Notes
All bets are measured in units. For instance, if your normal bet on a game is $100, that is one unit. If the bet is listed as .2 units, it’s a $20 bet.
Best line (as of Tuesday) is listed in parenthesis. Find the best price — one key to being a successful sports bettor! Shop around! Remember this is a VALUE-based system, so don’t settle for a price significantly less than the one listed. And jump on better prices!
GAME-WINNER: The Shreveport Mudbugs celebrate a last-second, overtime game-winning goal by Drake Morse late Saturday night that forced tonight’s decisive Game 5 in the NAHL South Division semifinals. (Photo by CHRISTI LANG, Journal Sports)
By ROY LANG III, Journal Sports
With just 3 seconds on the clock late Saturday night, the Shreveport Mudbugs’ social media staff sent a post claiming a fifth period was coming. Shreveport’s general manager, Scott Muscutt, had started a Zamboni and was prepared to lay a fresh sheet of ice for a second overtime.
Who could blame them? Three of the first four games in the Mudbugs’ first-round playoff series with Lone Star had featured overtime – Game 1 was a franchise record four-overtime affair. It seemed another marathon night was in the works.
However, the Mudbugs’ bench wasn’t ready to concede another intermission on George’s Pond at Hirsch Coliseum. Facing elimination, the magic started when Shreveport associate head coach Michael Hill dialed up one of the team’s 23 face-off plays and the call was relayed from the bench.
“I was just ready to shoot,” Drake Morse, the team’s leading scorer during the regular season, told the Journal.
Jaden Goldie won the ensuing draw in the Brahmas’ zone and it trickled to teammate Liam Fleet, who quickly sent the puck to the top of the right circle. That’s where Morse ripped a one-timer that caught the inside of the left post and careened into the goal with 1/10th of a second left.
We will see you in North Richland Hills, Texas, on Monday.
Morse’s power-play tally – his second goal of the game — gave the Mudbugs a 3-2 victory and tied the North American Hockey League semifinal. Game 5 tonight at NYTEX Sports Centre will determine the victor of a series for the ages.
“The emotions were high all night,” Mudbugs head coach Jason Campbell said. “It was an intense game, they all have been.”
Friday, the Mudbugs were blanked by Lone Star goalie William Gramme, 2-0, in Game 3.
As Shreveport poured onto the ice following Morse’ blast Saturday, the victory celebration slid across the ice and stopped against the glass of a suite housing Emily Ward, the former Benton star who recently closed her LSU women’s basketball career with a national championship and dropped the puck for Game 4.
Foreshadowing? Well, the Mudbugs are still seven victories away from their third national title in six years. The first of the seven must come Monday. The winner of Game 5 will face the top-seeded Oklahoma Warriors in the South Division Final.
“We need to get as much sleep as we can — sleep is a weapon right now,” Morse said. “Lone Star has a bus ride home, so we’re going to try to out-recover them, out everything them (until Game 5).
“(On Monday) we just have to work,” Morse said. “We have to go in there and outwork them on every shift, every play.”
Shreveport’s Nikola Goich picked up his second win of the series with 27 saves between the pipes. Gramme suffered his first loss in the series for Lone Star. Both coaches have choices to make in Game 5.
The Mudbugs boast Goich and Simon Bucheler. Brahmas head coach Dan Wildfong will have to choose between Gramme and Arthur Smith.
“You can’t go wrong for all four of these guys, but there are tough decisions to make,” Campbell said.
Notes: The Mudbugs and Brahmas have faced each other in 18 NAHL postseason games. Both teams have nine victories and Lone Star owns the edge in goals, 37-35. However, Shreveport has won two of the three completed series … Morse and Jaden Goldie (who collected the game’s first goal Saturday) have combined to score the last four goals of the series for Shreveport … the Mudbugs moved to 5-6 in NAHL overtime playoff games. Morse joined Goldie, Dawson Sciarrino, Billy Feczko and Timothy Clifton in the members of the franchise’s overtime goal-scorer club.
Mudbugs at Lone Star
(best-of-5 series tied at 2)
Game 5: Tonight, 7 p.m., NYTEX Sports Centre, North Richland Hills, Texas
MUDBUGS’ TONESETTER: Garrett Steele has made major impact on the record book and his teammates with the Shreveport Mudbugs, who are home tonight and Saturday in playoff action. (Photo courtesy Shreveport Mudbugs)
By ROY LANG III, Journal Sports
The Man of Steel. Ironman. Captain.
These descriptions would make you believe a superhero is the topic. Well, that’s not far from the truth. Garrett Steele has been nothing less for the Shreveport Mudbugs.
Off the ice, the Chelsea, Michigan product is somewhat reserved. A pair of prescription glasses often masks the heart and determination to lead and to achieve. Winning championships (he already has one) is an obvious goal, but his desire to make his teammates better human beings may be an accomplishment with less pizzaz, but much more impact.
“I just hope the younger guys in the locker room can take a piece away from something I taught them – on the ice or off the ice,” Steele told the Journal. “It’s important to me to leave my mark on the people, not just the program.”
The Mudbugs, captained by Steele, are in the midst of a postseason run they hope ends in another North American Hockey League Robertson Cup title. Tonight, Shreveport hosts rival Lone Star in Game 3 of a South Division semifinal. The series is tied at one.
No matter when this quest for a Cup ends, it will be the end of the line for Steele in teal and purple.
“It’s tough to not think about it, but the boys make it easy – going into the locker room and letting the environment overwhelm me,” the 21-year-old Steele said. “There are only a handful of those situations remaining. I’ve been focused on taking that in and playing good hockey.”
While Steele’s tangible resume in Shreveport is still to be determined, his legacy is cemented.
“He’s the man of steel. He’s a true ironman,” Mudbugs head coach Jason Campbell said. “He doesn’t miss games. He plays so hard and physical. To play that style of hockey and for as many games as he’s played is hard to do.”
Steele is already the most-accomplished player for Shreveport in the NAHL. He’s made 206 regular-season appearances — 43 more than Davis Goukler and 87 more than the closest active Mudbug, Logan Gotinsky. Tonight will mark his 17th postseason game – his four career playoff goals are one off the NAHL franchise mark (Ryan Burnett, Giovanni Procopio). He also leads the franchise in career regular-season NAHL goals (47).
The numbers are gaudy, but Steele’s influence goes far beyond the boxscores. The former defensive back at Chelsea High has become Shreveport’s ironman despite a relentless approach to every shift, all while battling diabetes.
“He manages all that so well,” Campbell said. “He has great conditioning; he can withstand punishment and give punishment.”
Steele arrived in Shreveport in 2019. Early on, his ferocious pace cost him playing time.
“He came in working hard, but it took a while to get used to being able to play so hard every night. Sometimes, we’d play him one game and have to sit him the next because he was fatigued.”
Following Shreveport’s most recent Robertson Cup championship (2021), Steele replaced David Breazeale as the team’s captain.
“Watching (Breazeale) be a captain was so special to me because I knew one day that’s where I wanted to be and that’s what I had to do to get there,” Steele said.
Don’t look for a lot of hooting and hollering from the “C.”
“He leads by example,” Campbell said. “He’s not super vocal, but he can be. He speaks up when he has to. There are four or five times a year he lays into the bench. He has a great awareness of the pulse of the room and the way the guys are feeling on the ice.
“He is the captain. He carries himself that way, but includes everybody in the leadership process.”
In addition to Breazeale, Steele credits his father, Tucker, for providing “a great example of a leader.”
Said Steele: “I’ve followed my father my whole life and will continue to. He’s laid the brickwork for me to be able to be where I’m at today.”
The 5-foot-11, 195-pound forward was a bit skeptical of hockey in the south and the ability to “even keep ice in this weather,” but he was pleasantly surprised with the folks he encountered.
“The best thing is being around people who hold themselves to the Mudbugs standard,” Steele said. “They are special people.”
With just a handful of games left on George’s Pond at Hirsch Coliseum, Steele vows to soak up every fist bump to and from the ice and every moment on it.
“There’s just no other building like that with fans as engaged as they are here,” Steele said.
Steele had big shoes to fill as the fifth captain during the team’s seven NAHL seasons. It seems he’s done Breazeale, Jay Feiwell, Dominick Procopio and Steven Mather proud.
“All those guys, they buy into (Mudbugs hockey) and they are selfless in their journey to want to be captain,” Campbell said.
In addition to hopefully capturing a second Robertson Cup, how would Steele like to be remembered?
“I’m really proud of the way I’ve handled myself,” he said. “I’ve done a good job of being a role model when I need to be a role model and being a friend when I need to be a friend. I’ve grown more as a person down here than I have a hockey player – a lot of human growth.”
And the story’s not quite finished. If the Mudbugs can find a way to collect eight more playoff victories over the next three weeks, Steele could add “Superman” to his list of monikers.
Mudbugs vs. Lone Star
(best-of-5 series tied at 1)
Game 3: Tonight, 7:11 p.m., George’s Pond at Hirsch Coliseum
Game 4: Saturday, 7:11 p.m., George’s Pond at Hirsch Coliseum
Game 5 (if necessary): Monday, 7 p.m., NYTEX Sports Centre, North Richland Hills, Texas
We hit a record four Tours this week. My favorite bets in this edition have to be the DP World Tour’s Korea Championship, where we have guys like Ding Wenyi and Yoseop Seo.
We secured a little profit last week and look to build on it across the world.
Good luck!
Notes
All bets are measured in units. For instance, if your normal bet on a game is $100, that is one unit. If the bet is listed as .2 units, it’s a $20 bet.
Best line (as of Tuesday) is listed in parenthesis. Find the best price — one key to being a successful sports bettor! Shop around!
Remember this is a VALUE-based system, so don’t settle for a price significantly less than the one listed. And jump on better prices!
NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, Texas — Saturday night, Lone Star owner Frank Trazzera walked out of the NYTEX Sports Centre with a solid idea: “Game 3 between Shreveport and Lone Star will just start in sudden-death overtime.”
During the opening weekend of their North American Hockey League South Division semifinal between the Brahmas and Mudbugs, the teams played five periods of overtime.
Saturday, Shreveport forward Jaden Goldie helped his team avoid disaster when he beat Arthur Smith with a wrister in the final 90 seconds of overtime in Game 2.
“I’m a little gassed, it’s been a grind,” Goldie said. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
The Mudbugs’ 3-2 victory came less than 24 hours after the Brahmas took Game 1, 2-1, when Antti Autere scored 6:42 into the fourth overtime period.
Game 1 marked the longest game in the 26-year history of Mudbugs hockey.
“Just wild,” Mudbugs head coach Jason Campbell said about the first two games of the series. “As a coach you try to stay somewhat composed, but it’s a roller-coaster ride. (Friday) night, I felt like we took it to them in the first overtime and didn’t finish the job. Tonight, they took it to us and we came out with the win.”
The best-of-5 series shifts to Shreveport. Game 3 is set for 7:11 p.m. Friday on George’s Pond at Hirsch Coliseum. Game 4 will take place Saturday night. Should a Game 5 be necessary, the teams would travel back to the Metroplex for a 7 p.m. face-off on Monday, May 1.
“It’s crazy,” Goldie said. “We have a lot of respect for how they play. They play hard, sound, good systematic hockey.”
Saturday wasn’t void of heart-stopping moments for Shreveport. The Mudbugs led 2-1 when the Brahmas tied things up with just 4:07 remaining in regulation. In overtime, Lone Star caught their opponents in bad line changes on multiple occasions.
Mudbugs netminder Nikola Goich, who made his first playoff start, stopped breakaways and odd-man rushes to extend the game.
“Not a bad first playoff game,” Campbell said of Goich, who stopped seven Brahmas shots in overtime Saturday. “What a series so far.
“There is 100-percent something to clean up on the (line) changes. We can blame it on fatigue – you’re tired and you’re not thinking and you just want to get off, but it hurts us. It puts us in a bad spot. If you want to win, you’re going to have to play tired.”
Both teams did just last over the weekend.
Notes: Game 1 starters between the pipes, Simon Bucheler (41 saves) and William Gramme (44 saves) both played more than 126 minutes Friday and got the night off Saturday … this marked the second time in Shreveport’s NAHL history it played back-to-back overtime playoff contests (2021, games 2 & 3 vs. Amarillo in South Division semifinals).
South Division playoffs
Lone Star (2) vs. Shreveport (3), series tied at 1
Game 1: Brahmas 2, Mudbugs 1 (4 OT)
Game 2: Mudbugs 3, Brahmas 2 (OT)
Game 3: Friday, 7:11 p.m., George’s Pond at Hirsch Coliseum
Game 4: Saturday, 7:11 p.m., George’s Pond at Hirsch Coliseum
Game 5 (if necessary): May 1, 7 p.m., NYTEX Sports Centre
Oklahoma (1) vs. Amarillo (4), Warriors lead 2-0
Game 1: Warriors 5, Bulls 2
Game 2: Warriors 6, Bulls 2
Game 3: Friday, 7:15 p.m., at Amarillo
Game 4 (if necessary): Saturday, 7:15 p.m., at Amarillo
Game 5 (if necessary): May 1, 7:15 p.m., Oklahoma City
A postseason just wouldn’t be complete without an elimination series featuring the Shreveport Mudbugs and Lone Star Brahmas. The North American Hockey League’s 2023 playoffs have produced just that. Tonight, the teams begin a best-of-5 series at the NYTEX Sports Centre in North Richland Hills, Texas.
“Friday can’t get here fast enough,” Mudbugs head coach Jason Campbell said.
This marks the fourth postseason meeting between the squads since the Mudbugs entered the NAHL in 2016. Three previous series (Shreveport leads 2-1) have produced 14 games (both teams own seven victories).
Lone Star eliminated Shreveport in the first round last season with an overtime goal in Game 4 on George’s Pond at Hirsch Coliseum. Since 2016, the teams have met in the regular season 64 times (Lone Star leads, 33-31).
“I’m sure there are a couple (of secrets) up (Brahmas head coach Dan Wildfong) Fonger’s sleeve and maybe a couple up (Mudbugs associate head coach Michael Hill) Hilly’s sleeve,” Campbell said. “I don’t have any tricks. You have to be prepared for anything, but you know it’s going to be a good, hard battle – probably going to be a great series.”
It’s no surprise, given the history of these organizations, the matchup is labeled by defense and goaltending.
Five goaltenders in the entire NAHL played at least nine games and boasted a sub-2.00 goals-against average. Four of them are featured in the Mudbugs-Brahmas series.
Shreveport’s Simon Bucheler led the league in wins (28) and posted an NAHL franchise-record six shutouts. Teammate Nikola Goich was 5-1-2 with a 1.25 GAA this season. Lone Star’s Arthur Smith led the league in goals-against (1.59) and shutouts (seven), while teammate William Gramme matched his 18 regular-season victories.
“One goal might be enough to win a hockey game,” said Campbell, whose team won five of the eight matchups with Lone Star this season. “That’s a lot of pressure and it’s exciting.”
Bucheler and Smith have become friends since last year’s playoff matchup.
“I hate to say it, but he’s a really good guy,” Bucheler said. “There will be some friendly competition. He’s a good guy, but I’m trying to beat him.”
Smith plays the puck outside his crease as much as any goaltender the Mudbugs have faced. Wildfong often feels like he has a sixth skater on the ice.
“Smith has got us three or four or five goals this year,” Wildfong said. “He sees the ice, but his main goal is to stop the puck.”
Smith posted five assists last season and another one this year.
“He’s good at (playing the puck), I have to give him credit,” Bucheler said. “He’s calm with the puck. He has an assist against me, so I can’t knock him.”
Campbell said the Mudbugs must have different game plans depending on who’s between the pipes for Lone Star.
The Brahmas boast home-ice advantage after clipping Shreveport on the final weekend of the regular season. Shreveport’s loss to seventh-place El Paso allowed Lone Star the opportunity to steal the No. 2 seed.
“You always want home-ice, but we’ve won in their building and they’ve won in our building,” Wildfong said. “When you think home-ice is going to win the (freaking) series, it doesn’t. It’s going to be who wants it (freaking) more and who takes advantage of their opportunities.”
Fearsome foursome
Shreveport and Lone Star boast the best goaltending tandems in the NAHL.
Mudbugs
Simon Bucheler, 28*-7-2, 1.92 GAA, .922 save pct., 6 SO
y-Nikola Goich, 5-1-2, 1.25 GAA, .946 save pct., 1 SO
Lone Star
Arthur Smith, 18-6-4, 1.59 GAA*, .928 save pct., 7 SO*
William Graeme, 18-9-4, 1.99 GAA, .919 save pct., 2 SO
*-leads NAHL
y-didn’t play enough minutes to qualify for NAHL leaders
South Division semifinal
Lone Star (2) vs. Mudbugs (3)
Game 1: Friday, 7:30 p.m., NYTEX Sports Centre, North Richland Hills, Texas
Game 2: Saturday, 7:30 p.m., NYTEX Sports Centre
Game 3: April, 28, 7:11 p.m., George’s Pond at Hirsch Coliseum
Game 4 (if necessary): April 29, 7:11 p.m., George’s Pond
Game 5 (if necessary): May 1, 7 p.m., NYTEX Sports Centre
It’s a golf buffet on the betting scene this week as the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, DP World Tour and Korn Ferry Tour are all in action. We take a swipe at three of those events as we aim to break a bit of a skid. The overall profit is still robust, but normally the losing weeks are few and far between.
Louisiana’s PGA Tour event takes center stage, let’s see if we can get rolling with our home event.
Notes
All bets are measured in units. For instance, if your normal bet on a game is $100, that is one unit. If the bet is listed as .2 units, it’s a $20 bet.
Best line (as of Tuesday) is listed in parenthesis. Find the best price — one key to being a successful sports bettor! Shop around! Remember this is a VALUE-based system, so don’t settle for a price significantly less than the one listed. And jump on better prices!
Sportsbook legend
CAE: Caesar’s
FD: Fan Duel
MGM: Bet MGM
DK: DraftKings
BS: Barstool
BR: BetRivers
LANG’S LOCKS
Last week: -.5 units
2023 season: +27.6 units
2023 ROI: 40.0 percent
2022 season: +101 units
GOLF
PGA TOUR
Zurich Classic
Win bets
Beau Hossler & Wyndham Clark, .1 unit, +2850 (MGM)
Sunday afternoon, not long after he stepped off the bus following a 13-hour trip from El Paso, Texas, Jason Campbell was still ticked about what transpired in the Shreveport Mudbugs’ final series of the regular season.
In reality, just a 10-minute span changed the complexion of the playoffs.
“It’s very disappointing. We just weren’t ready to go,” Campbell said. “It’s unfortunate, because the last five periods of hockey (on the weekend) were pretty good. “It does piss me off still, but I have to move on. We made our own bed, so we have to deal with it. We have big job ahead of us.”
Friday’s 4-2 loss to El Paso, marked by a 3-0 deficit in the first half of the first period, means the Mudbugs will not sleep in their own beds during the first weekend of the postseason.
Even though the Mudbugs came back to defeat the Rhinos 2-0 on Saturday, Shreveport’s loss Friday, combined with Lone Star’s sweep of Corpus Christi, dropped the Mudbugs to third place in the North American Hockey League’s South Division, one point behind the Brahmas, who boast home-ice advantage when the rivals face-off in a best-of-5 opening round series.
Game 1 will take place Friday night in North Richland Hills, Texas, in the DFW metroplex at the NYTEX Sports Centre. Game 2 is set for the following night before the series shifts to Shreveport beginning April 28 on George’s Pond at Hirsch Coliseum.
Shreveport entered last weekend with a one-point lead on Lone Star and also had the tiebreaker to fall back on.
“We can always look back and find a point,” Campbell said. “We lost a game in Blaine we shouldn’t have. We lost a couple of big leads to Oak City. We can look back, but it’s not worth it at this point. The playoffs are set and we’re one of the four teams left competing for the South title.”
Even though Lone Star (37-15-8) owns home-ice for Games 1, 2 and potentially 5, Shreveport (37-16-7) has reason to be confident. The Mudbugs won five of the eight games during the season series, including two of the four in Texas. Overall, Shreveport won 19 games on the road and 18 at home.
“It boils down to competing,” Campbell said. “That’s everything. We have our systems and they have theirs. If you’re not willing to compete against them, they will beat you.
“We competed hard against them and were fortunate enough to beat them in the series, but we still finished one point behind them in the standings. We have a big-time job to do. They had a great season, too.”
A first-round series win would make Friday’s debacle moot.
Top-seeded Oklahoma will face No. 4 Amarillo in the other South semifinal after the Wranglers won their final nine games of the season to clip New Mexico by a single point for the final playoff spot.
Saturday’s 2-0 shutout by Shreveport goaltender Simon Bucheler gave him a pair of NAHL franchise records. Bucheler, who was pulled after allowing two quick goals Friday, broke a four-way tie and posted the most shutouts by a Mudbug in a single season (six) and the most wins in a single season (28).
James Durham, (2017-18), Maiszon Balboa (2019-2020) and Devon Bobak (2021-22) all posted five shutouts in previous seasons. Bobak also held the previous mark of 27 wins (2021-22).
Shreveport captain Garrett Steele completed his regular-season career with 206 games played (most in the team’s NAHL history) and 103 points, the club’s second-best mark (Gueorgui Feduolov).
Drake Morse’s tally to open the scoring Saturday set a Mudbugs NAHL record for game-winning goals (six). He passed the five-GWG seasons of Frankie Melton (2016-17), Carson Nichols (2019-20) and Dawson Sciarrino (2020-21). Morse also tied the franchise record for power-play goals in a single season (nine, also Melton in 2016-17).
Final NAHL South Division standings
z-Oklahoma (44-14-2), 90 points
x-Lone Star (37-15-8), 82
x-Shreveport (37-16-7), 81
x-Amarillo (34-23-3), 71
New Mexico (33-23-4), 70
Odessa (30-27-3), 63
El Paso (18-38-4), 40
Corpus Christi (11-42-7), 29
*top four make the playoffs
z-clinched division
x-clinched playoff spot
Final 2022-23 Mudbugs leaders
Goals: Drake Morse, 23
Assists: Logan Heroux, 29
Points: Morse, 51
Penalty Minutes: Kason Muscutt, 100
x-Game-winning goals: Morse, 6
Goals-against average: Simon Bucheler, 1.92
Save percentage: Bucheler, .922
x-NAHL franchise record
South Division playoffs
Lone Star (2) vs. Mudbugs (3)
Game 1: Friday, NYTEX Sports Centre, North Richland Hills, Texas
Gams 2: Saturday, NYTEX Sports Centre
Game 3: April, 28, George’s Pond at Hirsch Coliseum
ON A MISSION:While Shreveport has clinched a spot in the postseason, the Mudbugs still have something to play for this weekend. (Photo by CHRISTI LANG, Journal Sports)
By ROY LANG III, Journal Sports
The Shreveport Mudbugs are one of the hottest teams in the North American Hockey League. They won nine of 10 games and again clinched a spot in the postseason. However, with two games remaining in the regular season, their job isn’t finished.
The Mudbugs (36-15-7, 79 points) hold a slim one-point advantage over Lone Star (35-15-8, 78 points) for second place in the South Division. The rivals are already guaranteed to meet in the first round of the postseason. The No. 2 seed will have home-ice advantage, including the first two home games, for the five-game series.
The first scenario for Shreveport is simple: Win both games at El Paso this weekend and earn home-ice against the Brahmas for the series starting April 21 and 22. Should the Mudbugs and Brahmas finish in a tie, Shreveport would earn the No. 2 spot. The first tiebreaker is wins, the second tiebreaker is head-to-head record.
“It’s exciting (to think about) the bigger picture, but we have a lot to play for (this weekend),” Mudbugs defenseman Alex Park said. “There is a lot at stake. We’re keeping our head on straight and ready.”
Shreveport won five of the eight games against Lone Star this season.
However, the Mudbugs shouldn’t expect any help this weekend. The Brahmas host last-place Corpus Christi, the team swept by Shreveport last weekend by a combined score of 11-2.
“We want to be at home,” Shreveport associate head coach Michael Hill said. “It’s nice to sleep in your bed the whole week. It’s best to take care of business.”
Record book watch
Aye, aye captain: Garrett Steele will finish the regular season as the all-time NAHL Mudbug iron man and leading goal scorer. He has a chance to leave as the player with the most points, too. Steele has played in 204 games (Davis Goukler is second with 163). He’s scored 47 goals (Cameron Cook is No. 2 with 41). Steele entered the doubleheader at El Paso with 103 career points, three behind franchise leader Gueorgui Feduolov.
Triple Crown: In six seasons, one Shreveport player (Austin Brimmer, 2021-22) has led the team outright in points and assists (and consequently, points). This weekend, Drake Morse has an opportunity to join Brimmer. Morse tied with Steele for the team lead in goals (20) and his 28 assists trail team leader Logan Heroux by one.
Game-winners: Morse has already tied the franchise mark for game-winning goals in a single season. The 20-year-old Michigan product enters the weekend with five and has the best chance to pass Frankie Melton (2016-17), Carson Nichols (2019-20) and Dawson Sciarrino (2020-21). Jake Mack and Hayden Nichol enter the weekend with four game-winners each this season.
Special company: That Morse guy, again. He’s also tied the franchise record for power-play goals in a single season (nine). One more would supplant Melton (2016-17).
Winner, winner: Simon Bucheler has tied the franchise record for victories between the pipes in a single season. One victory this weekend would push the second-year Mudbug past Devon Bobak’s previous mark of 27 (2021-22).
Against all odds: Bucheler is also in a tight race for the franchise’s NAHL best goals-against average in a single season (for qualified goalies). He currently boasts a 1.9213 mark. During the 2019-20 season, Maiszon Balboa finished with a 1.9157 average. During the 2017-18 campaign, both Jaxon Castor (1.50) and James Durham (1.57) excelled between the pipes but missed the 1,200-minute threshold to qualify for GAA marks. This season, Bucheler’s teammate Nikola Goich boasts a 1.27 goals-against average, but has played just eight games.
Blank spaces: Bucheler is tied for another single-season mark – shutouts — but this room is a little more crowded. Three previous Mudbugs goaltenders have posted five shutouts in a season: Durham (2017-18), Balboa (2019-2020) and Bobak (2021-22).
The Masters didn’t boast a lot of Sunday drama, in fact it’s been a while since it has, and our picks weren’t much different. Taylor Moore had an opportunity to give us a nice profit for the week, but it wasn’t meant to be. We have plenty of house money, but just a couple of bets this week.
Good luck!
Notes
All bets are measured in units. For instance, if your normal bet on a game is $100, that is one unit. If the bet is listed as .2 units, it’s a $20 bet.
Best line (as of Tuesday) is listed in parenthesis. Find the best price — one key to being a successful sports bettor! Shop around! Remember this is a VALUE-based system, so don’t settle for a price significantly less than the one listed. And jump on better prices!
An uneven start to the 2022-23 campaign forced the Shreveport Mudbugs to play catch up from the jump. While they aren’t going to make it to the top of the North American Hockey League’s South Division standings, one heck of an impressive run has given them something they haven’t had in a couple of seasons.
Home-ice in their own hands.
Saturday, the Mudbugs completed a rousing sweep of Corpus Christi and moved into second place in the South Division – a place they hadn’t been since winning the first game of the season.
“It seems like such a long time coming – it’s been a journey,” Mudbugs head coach Jason Campbell said.
With two games left in the regular season, Shreveport is one point ahead of the Lone Star Brahmas in the race for the division’s No. 2 seed. The owner of the No. 2 seed will have home-ice advantage when the rivals face off in the first round of the playoffs.
“We want home ice,” Campbell said after his team dissected Corpus Christi by scores of 6-1 (Friday) and 5-1 (Saturday) on George’s Pond at Hirsch Coliseum. “You never know, you could get it for the second round, too.”
The Mudbugs finish the regular season with a two-game series at seventh-place El Paso on Friday and Saturday. The Brahmas will host Corpus Christi for their final two games.
Success came off the ice, too, as Shreveport captured its fifth straight NAHL attendance title Saturday. The Mudbugs finished their home schedule with an average of roughly 2,700 fans.
“Credit to the office staff,” Campbell said. “And the time we spend in the community pays off, too. Of course, I believe the players performing and executing helps. It’s a full-scale operation from hockey on, through. We’re thankful for the community’s support.”
Note: Former Mudbug defenseman CJ McGee helped Quinnipiac capture its first NCAA Men’s National Hockey Championship on Saturday. The 6-foot, 180-pounder played one season in Shreveport (2018-19), and he led Mudbugs blue-liners with 10 goals and 33 assists in 56 games. He earned first Team All-NAHL honors and was named to the NAHL All-Rookie Team. He was also the NAHL South Rookie of the Year.
Last week’s 3 Stars
Eric Vitale, collected three goals and an assist in a dominant effort against the IceRays.
Drake Morse, a three-point weekend for the Mudbugs’ season leader in several categories.
Alex Park, the defenseman had a goal and an assist in Friday’s win and added a helper on Saturday.
NAHL South Division standings
z-Oklahoma (44-12-2), 90 points
x-Shreveport (36-15-7), 79
x-Lone Star (35-15-8), 78
Amarillo (32-23-3), 67
New Mexico (31-23-4), 66
Odessa (30-25-3), 63
El Paso (17-37-4), 38
Corpus Christi (11-40-7), 29
*top four make the playoffs
z-clinched division
x-clinched playoff spot
Team leaders
Goals: Garrett Steele, Drake Morse, 20
Assists: Logan Heroux, Morse, 28
Points: Morse, 48
Penalty Minutes: Hayden Nichol, 88
Game-winning goals: Morse, 4
Goals-against average: Simon Bucheler, 1.92
Save percentage: Bucheler, .922
Up next
Shreveport completes the regular season with a road trip to El Paso (Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.).
Although the playoffs don’t begin for another couple of weeks, and, as always, the Shreveport Mudbugs will be there, the franchise has plenty to celebrate when the final regular-season homestand begins tonight.
Shreveport is red hot, a winner in nine of its past 10 games. A playoff matchup with rival Lone Star is a guarantee, but the Mudbugs’ late-season push has them in contention for the No. 2 seed in the South Division, which comes with home-ice advantage in the first round.
The Mudbugs (34-15-7) will play last-place Corpus Christi on George’s Pond at Hirsch Coliseum tonight and Saturday (face-off at 7:11 p.m. both nights) and begin the weekend three points behind Lone Star with four games remaining.
“We still have a job to do,” Mudbugs head coach Jason Campbell said. “We have to take care of our job this weekend. If we get a little help from around the league, maybe we move up in the standings. But, first things first.
“We know how we need to play. We know there are still things we need to fix. The focus is just on us, fine-tuning our game. Ultimately, we’re preparing to bring our game to (Lone Star in the postseason), instead of worrying about everything they’re going to be doing.”
Shreveport is 6-0 against Corpus Christi this season.
“These games matter,” Mudbugs defenseman Logan Heroux said. “If we come away with two clean sweeps and Lone Star only gets four points the rest of the way, that’s the 2 seed for us. That’s really big for us. These games are huge.
“The last-place teams? We don’t care. We’re going to approach this the same way we did (first-place) Oklahoma.”
The two-game series against the IceRays (11-38-7) at The George could be a victory lap for the front office. Shreveport enters this weekend in its usual spot, atop the North American Hockey League’s attendance list with an average of 2,669 fans per game. Corpus Christi finished its home schedule with a 2,618 average. Amarillo still has two home dates remaining with a 2,558 average.
“I heard about (The George) before I got there,” first-year forward Ryan Burke said. “There are so many fans; they are diehard fans, too. They support you through everything – good and bad. It’s amazing. It’s special here.”
The franchise is running on all cylinders; nearly back to pre-Covid levels. During the 2018-19 campaign, Shreveport led the NAHL with an average of more than 2,800 fans per game.
This week among the towering pines at Augusta National Golf Club, the PGA Tour is present. So is LIV Golf. And throw in the DP World Tour. Heck, even the best amateurs will compete. This is what a major is all about. And you’ll see a little bit of everything in this week’s selections.
We’re running cold of late (but we’re still up more than 30 units since Jan. 1). The Masters seems like the perfect tonic.
Notes
All bets are measured in units. For instance, if your normal bet on a game is $100, that is one unit. If the bet is listed as .2 units, it’s a $20 bet.
Best line (as of Tuesday) is listed in parenthesis. Find the best price — one key to being a successful sports bettor! Shop around! Remember this is a VALUE-based system, so don’t settle for a price significantly less than the one listed. And jump on better prices!
The Shreveport Mudbugs built multi-goal leads against Oklahoma this weekend – that was nothing new. However, this time Shreveport was able to seal the deal – times two – against the best team in the North American Hockey League.
Logan Heroux scored in overtime on Friday night to clinch a playoff spot and the Mudbugs outgunned the potent Warriors, 5-2, on Saturday night to lock up a date with rival Lone Star in the first round of the upcoming playoffs.
“We finally held a lead against these guys,” said Mudbugs head coach Jason Campbell, whose team had lost five of the first six meetings with Oklahoma. “That’s pretty huge for us. (The blown leads) were a big-time sticking point for us entering the weekend. We did the job we needed to do and now we have to move on and prepare for hopefully a long playoff run.”
Before the Mudbugs and Brahmas tussle once again in the postseason, there is the matter of seeding.
The Mudbugs (34-15-7) find themselves in third place, three points behind Lone Star (35-13-8) with four games remaining in the regular season.
The No. 2 seed will own home-ice advantage — including the first two home games — in the best-of-5 first round.
The Mudbugs play their final two regular-season home games on George Pond at Hirsch Coliseum when last-place Corpus Christi visits Friday and Saturday.
“We want to win these games,” Campbell said. “We want to get the second seed if we can get it, but we won’t do it if we’re not playing the right way.”
Heroux and Drake Morse collected four points apiece on the weekend (both two goals, two assists), but a personnel change helped spark the Mudbugs offense as well.
It was fitting if nothing else. And it worked; just like everything Campbell is doing right now.
On the opening weekend of Major League Baseball, Campbell decided to reunite the “MLB” line.
Forwards Kason Muscutt, Brent Litchard and Ryan Burke had success early in the season, but lines are often fluid in hockey, so the trio eventually found different line mates. They were back together this weekend and every member of the line scored a goal.
“It was intentional — something to shake it up a bit,” Campbell said. “Ultimately it worked out. We had four lines going pretty good this weekend.”
Last week’s 3 Stars
Logan Heroux, the overtime winner was just part of a stellar evening Friday.
Drake Morse, could be the most unheralded leading scorer of any team in the North American Hockey League. It seems every time you look at a boxscore, his name is everywhere.
Nikola Goich, returned from a short absence (head injury) and stopped 24 of 26 shots he faced Saturday. He is 4-0-2 between the pipes for Shreveport this season.
