Shootout gives Bees first win over Odessa

HIDALGO – It was hard to tell after the Killer Bees’ 4-3 shootout win over Odessa on Saturday night just what they were saying in the dressing room, though the emotion was obvious. In the span of 10 minutes, the sound system played both Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” and rap, making simple conversations difficult to impossible. This was happening while players were ribbing each other for minor and petty offenses as they enjoyed each other’s company after a victory.

It certainly was different from the emotions the last two times the Bees played league-leading Odessa, when they lost by a combined 12-2.

“That was a really big game,” said forward Grant Goeckner-Zoeller, who scored the only goal in the last round of the shootout. “Obviously, they’ve had a great start to the year and we’ve had two tough games in their building already, so we really needed to come through and get those points. It’s a big step looking forward.”

The way the Bees (8-5-2) took that step wasn’t exactly the recommended way to beat a team like Odessa.

They fell behind 2-0 just 11:14 into the first period, rallied to take a 3-2 lead into the third but spent 1:51 of the third trying to kill a 5-on-3 Jackalopes advantage. Then, at the 11:30 mark of the final period, they allowed Collin Circelli to tie the game and eventually send it to a shootout.

But Goeckner-Zoeller’s shootout goal past Odessa’s Juha Toivonen and Andy Franck’s 37 saves plus five stops in the shootout, gave them their second win of the weekend. The first one, a 5-2 win Friday night over Texas was never in doubt.

Saturday’s, though, was a bit different. And maybe more rewarding to the players.

“That’s not the way we drew it up,” Franck said. “But we’ll take anything right now. A win’s a win right now.”

During those first two meetings against Odessa, the Bees were thoroughly outplayed and, though they progressed the second time, didn’t look anything like a team capable of competing with the Jackalopes. On Saturday night, they closer resembled a group that could at least stand up to Odessa.

The progress hasn’t been missed by coach Chris Brooks.

“It’s coming. It’s coming,” Brooks said. “It’s like climbing a mountain. You can’t get halfway up and then fall halfway back down. You need to continue to take those steps and steps and steps.”

ICING: The Bees wore their black jerseys Saturday night. Odessa had been told earlier to bring its white uniforms because Saturday was supposed to be a night the Bees were going to wear special jerseys to be auctioned after the game. The promotion, however, had earlier been postponed until Dec. 11. ... Daymen Rycroft's second-period assist gave him at least one point in 11 straight games, one short of the team record set last year by Jesse Bennefield.

Brian Sandalow covers the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4436.

Saturday’s Game

KILLER BEES 4, JACKALOPES 3, SO

ODE                           2        0       1       0   -   3

RGV                           1        2       0       0   -   4

Killer Bees win shootout 1-0

First period — 1, Odessa, Dunn 7 (Leveille, Bernard) 6:16 (pp); 2, Odessa, Pierce 9 (Circelli) 11:14; 3, RGV, Lee 4 (McClellan, Harr) 16:55. Penalties — Irving, RGV (slashing) 4:49; Schembri, RGV (tripping) 7:33.

Second period — 4, RGV, Bennefield 10 (Rycroft, Irving) 1:34 (pp); 5, RGV, Goeckner-Zoeller (Bennefield, Irving) 9:27. Penalties — Mbaraga, Odessa (tripping) 0:21; Van Drunen, Odessa (interference) 2:25; Bourbeau, Odessa (elbowing) 7:23.

Third period —  6, Odessa, Circelli 11 (Thinel) 11:30. Penalties — Rycroft, RGV (hooking) 3:42; McClellan, RGV (hooking) 4:08; Rycroft, RGV (trippng) 5:51; Irving, RGV (tripping) 15:13.

Overtime —  None. Penalties — Leveille, Odessa (hooking) 0:25 (one-minute); Van Drunen, Odessa (holding) 3:13 (one-minute).

Power-play opportunities: Odessa; 1 of 6; RGV: 1 of 5.   

Shots — Odessa: 12-12-15-1-0-40;  RGV: 13-14-7-5-1-40  

Goalies — Odessa: Juha Toivonen 6-1-1 (39 shots, 36 saves);  RGV: Andy Franck  4-3-2 (40 shots, 37 saves)

A — 5,097  T — 2:21

Referee — Ryan Hersey

Linesmen —  Nathan Farkas, Randy Sappo