Bucks beat Eagles 5-3 in finals re-match
January 6, 2008 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Laredo Bucks News Release
LAREDO, TX- The Laredo Bucks of the Central Hockey League beat the Colorado Eagles 5-3 Sunday at the Laredo Entertainment Center, in a match-up of the two teams who have won the last four President's Cup Championships.
With the win the Bucks improve to 25-8-2 (52 points), while improving their home mark to 15-3.
The win was Terry Ruskowski's 448th career coaching win.
Jeff Bes scored two goals and handed out an assist to lead Laredo to the victory, while increasing his CHL-leading point total to 55 (23-32=55). Kevin Beech set aside 27 of 30 Eagles shots to pick up his 10th win in net.
The Bucks took a 1-0 lead at the 10:12 mark of the first period as Adam Rivet took a pass from Steve Simoes, and sent the puck in from the left side of the crease past Eagles goaltender Bryan Bridges. It was Rivet's 10th goal of the season.
Colorado tied the game up at 1-1 with 3:55 left in the first period as Mike Lukajic broke free past the Bucks defense and put the puck past Beech.
Laredo re-took the lead at 2-1 on the power-play. Bes sent the puck from the left corner towards the Eagles net, the puck hit off of a Colorado defender's skate and went past Bridges. It was Bes' 22nd goal of the year, and it was assisted by Serge Dube and Andrew Desjardins.
The Bucks (15-3 at home)outshot the Eagles in the first period 13-8.
Laredo killed off nearly a full two minute five on-three power-play early in the second period, as Beech made several key saves.
Colorado tied the game up at 2-2 on the power-play at the 12:30 mark of the second period as Scott Polaski sent a slap shot from the right circle past Beech. It was Polaski's 11th goal of the season.
The Bucks would then score two straight goals to lead 4-2 going into the third period.
Laredo made it 3-2 at the 14:01 mark when Dube sent the puck towards the net from the slot, then at the very last minute Bes tipped it by Bridges to give the Bucks the lead.
The Bucks increased their lead to 4-2 on the power-play with 11 seconds left in the period when Chris Korchinski scored his 14th goal of the season as he sent a shot from the slot past Bridges. Rivet and Matt Summers picked up assists on the goal.
Colorado (18-9-4, 40pts)made it 4-3 Bucks with a little over 13 minutes left in the third period, as Steve Haddon took a pass from Fraser Flipic in the crease and lifted it past Beech.
The Eagles pulled Bridges around the 1:40 mark to get an extra attacker to try and tie the game.
With 30 seconds left Rivet sent a shot from center ice into the empty net making it 5-3 Bucks.
After today the Bucks will be off until next weekend January 11th and 12th, when they host Arizona on Friday, and Bossier-Shreveport on Saturday on fan appreciation weekend.
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Central Hockey League Stories from January 6, 2008
- Rycroft's 20th delivers win - Rocky Mountain Rage
- Bucks beat Eagles 5-3 in finals re-match - Laredo Bucks
- Eagles lose in Laredo, win 3 of 4 on road trip - Colorado Eagles
- Rayz "power" past Killer Bees 6-1 - Corpus Christi IceRays
- Bucks Host Eagles Today In Finals Rematch - Laredo Bucks
- Schneekloth's OT Goal Gives Eagles Fifth Straight Win - Colorado Eagles
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