Buzzards smash Scorpions 4-0 on the road
Published on December 7, 2002 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
El Paso Buzzards News Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. â Revenge is sweet.
El Paso Buzzards head coach Craig Coxe knew this was a must-win game for his club after what happened the last time in New Mexico. The last time the Buzzards flew into the Tingley Coliseum to battle New Mexico; the Scorpions smacked the Buzzards 10-1 for their worst road loss in team history.
Buzzards' goaltender Blaine Russell wanted a reversal of fortune and get revenge.
The Buzzards played their best road game of the season with Russell making 27 saves and recording his first win and shutout as a Buzzard in the Buzzards 4-0 road victory against the Scorpions. The win snapped the Buzzards five-game road losing streak. Left winger Troy Linna scored a goal and an assist and defenseman Jason Tessier collected two empty net goals. Buzzards' right winger Darrell Upton added to the scoring with two assists, and Scott Mahar recorded his first goal of the season.
The Buzzards started off the game reverting back to their aggressive style of play. Mahar opened the scoring with a wrist shot from the slot beating Scorpions goaltender Luciano Caravaggio to give El Paso and early 1-0 lead. It was Mahar's first goal of the season as Linna and Upton assisted on the play. Buzzards' forwards Joe Gray and Mahar set the tone early winning key fights against the Scorpions and fore checking in the neutral zone effectively. The Buzzards for the first time in weeks, also led 13 to 9 in the shots on goal category.
In the second period, the Buzzards continued to apply the pressure in the Scorpions zone. Buzzards' forwards Josh Tymchak, Joey Grasso and Upton had numerous scoring opportunities on El Paso the power play. The Buzzards out shot the Scorpions 10 to 8 in the second period.
The third period started off with an inadvertent high stick by Gray on Scorpions defenseman Leigh Dean. Dean drew blood and drew a four-minute minor. However, the Buzzards answered the challenged and killed off the Scorpions power play with great defense by Buzzards' defenseman Rhett Dudley, Mike Zeibaq and Jeff Potter. Then lightening struck. Linna scored his fifth goal of the season on a wrist shot from the right slot, assisted by Paul and Upton to start off the third period scoring barrage. Then with Caravaggio pulled with under 1:26 to play, Tessier sent an 89-foot slap shot into the back of the Scorpions goal to score his third goal of the season. To cap the scoring, Tessier then sent a pass off the far side boards that trickled passed the Scorpions defense in to the back of the net to give him two empty net goals.
The win improves the Buzzards to 6-14-1 overall, and 2-6-0 on the road. New Mexico drops to 11-10-1 overall and 6-5-0 at home. The Buzzards played extremely well on special teams. They held the Scorpions scoreless on the power play with New Mexico going 0 for 4.
The Buzzards' next game will be at 7 p.m., Thursday, in the El Paso County Coliseum against the Amarillo Gorillas. Listen to all of the Buzzards games on 1380 KHEY, El Paso's Sports Ticket. The Gorillas remain in third place in the Northwest Division. The Buzzards retain the fourth place spot, 11 points back of Lubbock for third place.
Central Hockey League Stories from December 7, 2002
- Buzzards smash Scorpions 4-0 on the road - El Paso Buzzards
- Brahmas Slapshot for Sat. Dec. 7 vs. Corpus Christi - Fort Worth Brahmas
- Laredo @ Lubbock Preview - Lubbock Cotton Kings
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