Bucks Get Big Third

Published on January 10, 2004 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Corpus Christi IceRays News Release


The Corpus Christi Rayz and Laredo Bucks battled a close game through two periods, Saturday night, until the Bucks opened up for three third period goals en route to a 5-1 victory to remain unbeaten against Corpus Christi in Laredo.

The first period was highlighted by a fast pace and end to end action that was showcased throughout the entire game. The Bucks got the more chances of the two teams, however rookie goaltender Rob Garrick was outstanding in his second consecutive start. He turned aside the first 14 shots of the game, however penalties racked up against the Rayz and eventually the Bucks converted on one of their many 5 on 3 man advantages. Referee Paul DePuydt called four Rayz penalties that overlapped one another, giving the Lareod Bucks close to five full minutes of two-man advantage time. Two of the penalties were verbal abuse of official penalties enforced by DePuydt, and the Bucks finished the period on a two man advantage, even after scoring a late goal with only 17 seconds remaining. The number one power play unit in the CHL worked the puck around the perimeter and then down low before Patrik Nilson one timed a shot past Garrick for the first goal of the game.

The second period began with 3:43 seconds of power play time remaining for the Bucks. The Rayz did an impressive job of killing off the penalties and gained the momentum as the period continued. The Rayz tied the game at one when Nick Udovicic deflected a shot through David Guererra, who got a piece of the shot, but it still trickled past him. The Rayz and Bucks traded chances after that, however the Bucks tallied late in the second with only 6.8 showing on the clock when Chris Grenville redirected a Jeff Bes pass into the net to give the Bucks a 2-1 lead.

In the third period, the Bucks scored three unanswered goals and sealed the deal as they improved to a CHL best 29-5-2. The Rayz dropped to 13-19-3 and remain with 29 points in fourth place in the Southeast Division. The Rayz now return home for their next three after spending 11 of their last 12 on the road. Their next game will be against the Laredo Bucks on Friday night. They have beaten the Bucks twice in a row at home.

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Central Hockey League Stories from January 10, 2004


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