Game Recaps: Bulls at Warbirds (Sept. 27 & 28)

Casper stays hot, in back-to-back wins against Pueblo Bulls. And if you missed it, don't worry! Here’s a brief recap of both games.

Game 1 - 9/27 

Pueblo started off hot when, only three minutes in, Carsen Gause would find the back of the net, giving energy to the Bulls in a great start to their season opener. That would be the only goal scored in the first period. During the second period, there were a lot of shots from both sides, but goalies Ryan Henry (Warbirds) and Ryan Mitchell (Bulls) remained steadfast, both making save after save and shutting down any opportunities for scoring. And though Casper was down by one going into the third, they never seemed out of it. Instead, they came out flying, and Daniel Dunda found the back of the net, scoring his first Jr Goal and tying the game. Only two minutes later, defenseman Cole Jackson would also score, giving the Warbirds a 2-1 lead. Casper, with a relentless attitude, would not take their foot off the pedal, and Anton Petrovskiy caught Pueblo sleeping, giving Casper a two-goal lead. And let me tell you, the celebration was incredible to watch! You could feel the energy in the air, and a minute later Gavin Black would score as well, putting the final nail in the coffin. With that, the Warbirds secured the second win of the season!  

Game 2 - 9/28

Hoping for a different outcome from game 1, the Pueblo Bulls came out strong, and early in the game Gavin Barr found himself on a breakaway and scored, giving the Bulls the early lead. Unfortunately, with an accidental collision, goalie Peter Baldwin (Warbirds) would have to leave the game early due to an injury, and Ryan Henry once again would be called on. Standing strong and composed, Henry stopped shot after shot, giving life to a sold-out crowd and to his team. With the Warbirds down by 1 going into the second, they were energetic, not wanting their undefeated streak to be over yet. Reece Allman wired a shot past the goaltender early on, making it a tie game. And Casper wasn't done. In back-to-back power plays – and let me say, extremely beautiful plays – Owen Cross would score twice to give Casper the two-goal lead! Right after that, Casper was called on a 5-minute penalty, giving Pueblo the chance to strike back. But, with an extremely impressive penalty kill, Casper would refuse to budge, bringing their penalty kill rate up to 92%. The third was a game of shutdown defense, neither team giving an inch, but with 30 seconds remaining, Carsen Gause would score once again, cutting the lead down to 1 and giving life back to the Bulls. But it would be short lived, as Theodore Priem found the empty net on a weird bounce, giving the Warbirds the 4-2 win and maintaining their undefeated title!

The Casper Warbirds will be on the road for a three-game trip coming up! Starting Wednesday, they will face the also undefeated Spud Kings. On Thursday, they will play the Ogden Mustangs, and they will wrap it up on Friday against the Pueblo Bulls. You can catch all games on Flo.Sports and check in on our social media.