I’m not sure I remember a Monday night game with so much on the line for the Shreveport Mudbugs.
Well, ‘Bugs fans, it all comes down to this. Tonight, April 29th, the Shreveport Mudbugs will take the ice at George’s Pond with the entire season hanging in the balance. Home ice advantage has never felt so important.
Why is Home Ice so Important?
Let’s talk about that for a moment. It’s no secret that what Shreveport has regarding a hockey program is a remarkable thing. Heck, it has been since the mid-90’s. However, in the NAHL, playing in Shreveport is an experience like no other. That goes, of course, for the team who gets to play in Shreveport night-in and night-out. However, it also goes for the visiting team arriving in George’s Pond. Year after year, the Mudbugs lead the league in attendance and when you look around the league, the difference in attendance is quite eye-opening.
The Mudbugs Average 3,100 Fans in Attendance
For those wondering, 3,434 tickets sold is a sell-out in Shreveport. In the South division, some teams average around 1,000, thanks to the popularity of one-sided seating in barns around the South. That might not sound like a huge number, but I can confidently tell you that a 2,500 fan differential is beyond noticeable and potentially game-altering. Also, you must consider the general atmosphere that Geore’s Pond provides. It’s an overall fan experience that I’d argue can’t be rivaled by any team in the NAHL.
Simply put, there is no place in the NAHL like a Mudbugs hockey game in Shreveport, Louisiana. Naturally, home ice feels like an even bigger advantage for the Mudbugs, as long as the fans pack the pond like they always do.
Tonight’s Game will Carry the Weight of an Entire Season
Tonight is easily the most important game of the year. There’s no doubt that the next game will certainly be the most important once the playoffs arrive, but there’s something extra special about an all-or-nothing game 5. For either team, the ‘Bugs or the visiting El Paso Rhinos, tonight’s game will carry the weight of an entire season, with everything hanging in the balance.
Home ice isn’t the only thing going in our Mudbugs’ favor this evening. As my friend Roy Lang lll with the Shreveport-Bossier Advocate pointed out, the Mudbugs are nearly flawless in all-or-nothing games. In their history in the NAHL, the ‘Bugs have won six out of seven when it comes to those pivotal games, and they’ll look to add to that already-impressive stat tonight. By the way, you can read Roy’s entire article HERE.
Tonight, the Shreveport Mudbugs take on the El Paso Rhinos in an all-or-nothing game 5, and I think I speak for the entire organization when I say they need you in the building. Home ice in the playoffs is earned all season long, now let’s get our tickets and make that building shake for three and a half hours.
The game starts at 7:11 PM, and tickets can be bought at MudbugsHockey.com.
