Bucks drop fourth game in a row: blanked by Rayz 4-0
January 20, 2008 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Laredo Bucks News Release
LAREDO, TX- The Laredo Bucks of the Central Hockey League fell to the Corpus Christi Rayz 4-0 Sunday afternoon, in front of 3,540 fans at the Laredo Entertainment Center.
The Bucks dropped their fourth straight game to fall to 26-12-2 (54 points). The Bucks have lost consecutive home games for the first time this season, as they lost to Bossier-Shreveport last Saturday 6-2.
The last time the Bucks lost four games in a row was February 9th-14th of last season.
Jason Tapp stopped all 26 shots he faced to pick up his first shutout of the season for the Rayz (15-17-5, 35 points)
The Rayz took a 1-0 lead on the power-play at the 13:40 mark of the first period. Brent Howarth took a pass at the left circle from Geno Parrish and sent a one-timer past Bucks goaltender John Ceci. It was Howarth's13th goal of the season.
The Bucks (16-5 at home) outshot the Rayz in the first 20 minutes 11-6, with Corpus goaltender Jason Tapp setting aside all 11 Laredo shots, and Ceci stopping five of six.
Laredo's penalty killing unit was busy in the first period, as they killed off four of five Rayz power-plays. The Bucks came up empty on three power-plays in the first period.
The Rayz took a 2-0 lead at the 15:46 mark of the second period, as Justin Quennville scored from the right crease past Ceci on the power-play. Ceci dove out of the net leaving Quennville to put the puck in. It was Quennville's 12th goal of the season.
Both teams put up eight shots in the second period, with Tapp stopping all the Bucks attempts, and Ceci setting aside seven of eight.
The Bucks penalty killing unit was busy again in the second period, killing off all three Rayz power-plays.
The Rayz tallied twice more in the third period.
Corpus took a 3-0 lead with s shorthanded goal with 3:28 left in the third period. Adam Hogg stole the puck in front of the Bucks net, and stuffed it by Ceci.
With 2:10 left in the game Laredo pulled Ceci to have an extra attacker. With the Bucks net empty Adam Smyth scored an empty net goal from the length of the ice to make it 4-0.
Ceci stopped 16 of 19 Rayz shots in the loss to fall to 1-2 on the season.
The 4-0 loss to the Rayz was the Bucks second home shutout of the season, as they were blanked 3-0 by Arizona on December 9th.
The loss keeps Bucks head coach/GM Terry Ruskowski at 449 career coaching wins.
The Bucks are back in action this Friday night when they get a rematch with the Rayz at the American Bank Center, before playing at Bossier-Shreveport the next night. Laredo's next home game will be January 30th when Brent Cullaton's Rocky Mountain Rage come to town. Tickets are still available by calling 718-BUCK (2825).
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