Laredo Beats Corpus 5-2, Bucks Simoes Scores Two Goals
March 24, 2007 - Central Hockey League (CHL) - Laredo Bucks News Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - The defending CHL President's Cup Champion Laredo Bucks got a pair of goals from forward Steve Simoes as they beat the Corpus Christi Rayz 5-2 at the American Bank Center on Saturday night to close the 2006-07 CHL regular season. With the win Laredo set a franchise record with their 22nd road victory of the season. The Bucks are the #3 overall seed in the CHL playoffs and they finish a Southern Conference best 42-16-5. Games One and Two of the first round of the CHL playoffs are set for Friday, March 30th, and Saturday, March 31st, at the LEC against the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees. Face off at 7:30 p.m. both nights. Individual playoff game tickets go on sale on Monday at 10 a.m. at the LEC Box Office, online and at all Ticketmaster outlets. For more info call (956)-718-BUCK (2825).
The Bucks jumped on the Rayz early as forward James Hiebert spun in a shot from the slot at 4:02. It was his second of the season. Corpus Christi tied the game as forward Ryan Carter put in the rebound of his own shot at 12:28. With time winding down in the frame Simoes found the puck on his stick to the side of the net and wristed it home with just 5.4 seconds left.
In the second Laredo extended their lead as forward Jeff Bes snapped in a wrist shot from the high slot top shelf glove side just 59 seconds into the period. The Rayz got back within a goal as Carter scored his second of the night on a shorthanded breakaway at 13:09 of the second. The Bucks spent the last 4:20 of the second period shorthanded, but were stellar on the penalty kill to protect the one goal lead.
In the third period Simoes connected again this time on a great backdoor feed from forward Donnie Margettie at 14:19 to make it 4-2. Late in the game forward Igor Pohanaka finished the scoring with an empty netter at 19:21. FINAL SCORE Laredo 5, Corpus Christi 2.
Kevin Reiter stopped 22 of 24 shots and improved to 17-6-1. Brent Zelenwich played the first 40 minutes and allowed three goals on 22 shots and fell to 13-10-3. Kevin Couture played the third period for Corpus allowing one goal on 12 shots. Laredo went 0-4 while Corpus Christi was 0-6 on the man advantage. The Bucks out shot the Rayz 35-24.
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