Amarillo: The Wranglers broke their five-game losing streak with a 5-to-3 victory over the Odessa Jackalopes Saturday night. Amarillo claimed three out of the possible four points of the weekend with the win.
The Wranglers would open the scoring at the 10:54 mark when Glebs Prohorenkovs converted on the power-play with assistance from Aidan Carney and Michael Spinner. Just under three minutes later, Amarillo would double their lead when Oliver Bezick set up Ben Biester for an easy re-direction goal. Max Gutjahr would keep the Jackalopes off the scoresheet to secure a 2-to-0 edge going into the first pause.
Amarillo would find the back of the net again in the second period when Aidan Carney converted on a breakaway for his third goal of the season eight minutes into the period. Just under three minutes later, newcomer Jayden Price would net his first goal as a Wrangler to open up a four-goal lead for the Wranglers.
Odessa would break through Gutjahr when Ty Neckar scored his first goal of the season at the 11:05 mark of the second. Neither team would find the back of the net for the remainder of the period, and the Wranglers would have a 4-to-1 lead going into the third.
Odessa would score nine minutes into the final period when Ryan Mansfield buried his sixth goal of the season to cut the Amarillo lead back to two. In the last minutes, the Jackalopes would pull their goalie and take advantage with an Evan Orr goal from the point to make it a 4-to-3 game.
With only 19 seconds left in the game, Drayton Todoroff would score an empty-net goal to secure the victory for the Wranglers. Amarillo improves to 19-10-1-1 on the season and snaps a five-game losing skid. Max Gutjahr made 25 saves en route to his 17th win.
The Wranglers will stay home and host the New Mexico Ice Wolves next Friday and Saturday for another clash of top teams in the division.