Cotton Kings game night preview vs Laredo
November 23, 2005 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Lubbock Cotton Kings News Release
11/23/05 - LAREDO BUCKS (8-5-1) @ LUBBOCK COTTON KINGS (7-6-1) - 7:05 PM LUBBOCK MUNICIPAL COLISEUM
PRE-THANKSGIVING FEAST
The Lubbock Cotton Kings kick off this week's action by hosting the Southern Conference and Southeast Division leading Laredo Bucks. The two-time defending Southern Conference Champion Bucks come to Lubbock as one of the hottest teams in the CHL, winning 8 of their last 11 games. Tonight's battle, which pits the Southwest Division co-leaders against the Southeast Division leaders, will give one of the team's an advantage among the top of their division. With the Kings and Bucks being the only two teams in action tonight, a win by Lubbock would place them in sole possession of first place in the Southwest Division and a win by Laredo would give the Bucks a four point advantage over Rio Grande Valley in the Southeast Division.
THE SERIES
Tonight is the first of three meetings this season and the 15th all time meeting between the two clubs. Laredo has dominated the all-time series with an 11-1-2 series mark. Lubbock is 3-10-1 all-time against the Bucks, but last season they went with 2-1-0 against the Bucks with Lance Leslie, who is a former Buck, posting a 1.95 GAA and a 93.2% save percentage to aid the Kings. The all-time leading scorer in the series is Chris Grenville, who has 16 points off 9 goals and 7 assists for Laredo against Lubbock, while Lubbock's all-time leader against Laredo is Paul Fioroni, who has a goal and 7 assists for 8 points.
THE LAST TIME
3/1/05 - Laredo forward Igor Agarunov scored twice en route to a 3-0 Bucks win in front of 5,830 fans at the Laredo Entertainment Center.
The Laredo Bucks scored the only goal of the first period with just over 45 seconds remaining in the first. After playing solid defensively around Lance Leslie for most of the period, the Kings had a defensive zone lapse when Laredo forward Darryl Lloyd centered the puck to Agarunov in the slot. Agarunov's backhand swipe eluded Lesile to give the home team a 1-0 lead at the break. Both teams were 0/1 on the man advantage while the Bucks had eight of the 14 combined shots in the period.
Agarunov scored his second goal of the game, while both teams were 4-on-4, with a move off the half wall towards the slot. A screen in front, and a perfect shot just inside the left elbow where the post meets the crossbar, gave the forward his second red light and the Bucks a 2-0 lead. The Bucks were 0/1 in the second and both teams saw four minutes of 4-on-4 play. Laredo out-shot the Kings 11-4 in the second to take a 19-10 lead on the shot chart.
The Bucks took advantage of their 2-0 lead through two periods and the chance-taking by the Cotton Kings to increase their lead in the third. Laredo Captain Jeff Bes scored his first goal of the game with 9:40 left in the period by sliding a backhand underneath Leslie. James Hiebert and Petr Taticek both had assists on the play to give the Bucks their final goal of the contest. Laredo out-shot the Kings 25-15 and had the only power play chance in the third.
Jeremy Symington earned his fourth professional shutout in the win and his first in over two seasons. Leslie stopped 22 of the Bucks 25 shots and gave the Kings a chance to win.
ROSTER CHANGES
Lubbock is without the services of forwards Aaron Goldade, who is on the IR. Laredo comes in with a few changes, as San Antonio of the American Hockey League has assigned goaltender Dov Grumet-Morris to the Bucks. The Bucks waived goaltender Michael Dilorenzo to make room for Grumet-Morris.
STANDINGS
Kings - 15 points, 1st place (tied), Southwest Division. Bucks - 17 points, 1st place, Southeast Division.
TEAM LEADERS
Kings - Nolan Graham 15 points; Nolan Graham 10 goals; Bobby Brown 8 assists; Matt Macdonald 40 penalty minutes. Bucks - James Hiebert 22 points; James Hiebert 8 goals; James Hiebert 14 assists; Hans Benson 69 penalty minutes.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kings - Power play: 15.1% 10th, Penalty killing: 88.3% 2nd. Bucks - 15.8% 9th, Penalty killing: 79.5% 15th.
GOALTENDERS
Kings - Lance Leslie (5-4-1, 1 SO, 2.29), Brett Koscielny (2-2-0, 1 SO, 2.01). Bucks - David Lemanowicz (1-0-0, 0 SO, 1.00), Dov Grumet-Morris (0-0-0, 0 SO, 0.00)
WHAT'S NEXT
Lubbock - Friday, November 25th 7:05 PM vs. Memphis RiverKings Lubbock Municipal Coliseum
Laredo - Friday, November 25th 7:30 PM vs. Odessa Jackalopes Laredo Entertainment Center
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