Bucks Open 2007-08 Season Tonight In New Mexico
October 19, 2007 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Laredo Bucks News Release
RIO RANCHO, NM- The Laredo Bucks of the Central Hockey League will open up the 2007-08 season tonight against the New Mexico Scorpions, in a rematch of last years Southern Conference Finals. Game time is set for 8:15 CST.
Laredo (0-0-0, T-1st Southeast Div.) at New Mexico (0-0-0, T-1st Southwest Div.), 8:15pm CST, Santa Ana Star Center
Radio: Norteno 1490am (Pre-game show 8:00pm CST)
Internet Radio Broadcast: www.laredobucks.com (Courtesy of Sportsjuice)
TV: CHL Network (www.nifty-tv.com/chl/)
All-Time Series (Regular Season):
Bucks lead 4-1-2
2006-07: Series tied 1-1
2007 Playoffs: Bucks won 4-1
The Bucks begin their quest to regain the Ray Miron President's Cup tonight, when they face the Scorpions. The last time these two teams met Laredo won the 2007 Southern Conference Championship on the Scorpions home ice.
Laredo is led once again by veteran Jeff Bes. Entering his 16th season (5th with Laredo) Bes needs just one goal to become the Bucks all-time leading goal scorer with 121. He is currently tied with Chris Grenville at 120. Bes, the 2004 CHL MVP, is already the Bucks all-time leader in points (344), and assists (224). Bes sat out all of all three of the Bucks pre-season games.
The Bucks will suit up eight returning players in tonight's season opener (Bes, Igor Agarunov, Paul Elliott, James Hiebert, Steve Simoes, Chris Korchinski, Serge Dube, and Adam Rivet).
Last season Bes led the Bucks in scoring netting 28 goals, with 40 assists, for 68 points, despite missing 13 games. 2007 All-Star defenseman Adam Rivet played in all 64 games scoring 20 goals, with 36 assists, for 56 points, while fellow All-Star Chris Korchinski scored 24 goals, with 29 assists, for 53 points. Korchinski had six game-winning goals in the regular season, and four game-winning goals in the playoffs.
The Bucks have added three players with professional experience, fourth-year defenseman David Walker (Long Beach captain, ECHL), third-year goaltender Dustin Traylen (Port Huron, UHL), and 2007 ECHL all-star Rane Carnegie (Bakersfield). Walker had 15 points last season, and is looked upon for his leadership to the younger Bucks. Traylen, who will enter the season as Laredo's number one goalie, went 22-17-4 for the Flags, with a .912 save percentage, and a 2.76 goals against average. Carnegie scored 13 goals, with 25 points for 38 points in his all-star year for the Condors.
The Bucks have added some promising rookie scorers in forwards Brent MacSween and Matt Summers. MacSween had 86 points last season in the MJAHL, while Summers put up 119 points in the MJHL, both Summers and MacSween were all-stars in their respective leagues. MacSween had five goals in three pre-season games for the Bucks, including a hat-trick, and three power-play goals.
Scorpions new head coach Randy Murphy will make his debut tonight. Murphy is familiar to Scorpions fans, having played for New Mexico in two separate stints (1999-2001 & 2004-05), and spending last season as Ray Edwards assistant coach. As a player Murphy played in 199 games with the Scorpions, netting 107 goals, with 143 assists, for 250 points.
Murphy will have seven players back from last years team, including their leading scorer, Chris Robertson. Robertson scored 20 goals, with 45 assists for 65 points for the Scorpions last season. New Mexico has four Veteran's on their roster with forwards Shawn Skiehar, and Blair Stayzer, who played for Corpus Christi last season, along with defenseman, and Rio Rancho native, Vladimir Hartinger, and goaltender Mike Minard. Last season Minard had a .899 save percentage, and a 2.67 goals against average in 46 games played for the Belfast Giants of the EIHL.
The Bucks and Scorpions will do battle again Saturday night at the Santa Ana Star Center. The puck will drop again at 8:15 CST.
*Bucks Notes*
*The Bucks have opened every season on the road
*The Bucks are 2-3 all-time in season openers
*This is the first time the Bucks have opened a season against a team from the Southwest Division
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Central Hockey League Stories from October 19, 2007
- Scorps fall on opening night - New Mexico Scorpions
- Bucks win opener 8-2 - Laredo Bucks
- Richards steals show as Hounds win opener - Youngstown SteelHounds
- Bats lose a close one in opener, 5-4 - Austin Ice Bats
- Wray's tallies lead Rage to season-opening win - Rocky Mountain Rage
- Gorillas fall in opener - Amarillo Gorillas
- Rayz fall to Bees 3-2 in season opener - Corpus Christi IceRays
- RiverKings win on opening night - Mississippi RiverKings
- Texas Brahmas beat Austin Ice Bats in season opener - Fort Worth Brahmas
- Mudbugs fall in season opener - Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
- Opening Night Sellout Expected - Wichita Thunder
- Rage Name Team Captains - Rocky Mountain Rage
- Hounds Game Night Preview - Youngstown SteelHounds
- Eagles Begin Championship Defense, Fifth Anniversary Season Tonight - Colorado Eagles
- CHL Opens 16th Season Tonight - CHL
- Bucks Open 2007-08 Season Tonight In New Mexico - Laredo Bucks
- Youngstown Assigned two Blue Jackets Draft Picks - Youngstown SteelHounds
- It's Opening Night - Mississippi RiverKings
- Mudbugs regular season roster released - Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
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