Laredo Bucks Lead Double 4-2 Over Corpus Christi Rayz in CHL Season Opener

MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com - CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The defending CHL President’s Cup Champion Laredo Bucks used stellar special teams play to defeat the Corpus Christi Rayz 4-2 at the American Bank Center in the season opener for both teams on Saturday night. The Bucks scored a pair of power play goals and were perfect on the penalty kill as they picked up the road win. Laredo is on the road this Thursday in Bossier-Shreveport in a rematch of the 2006 President’s Cup Finals. The Bucks open at home on Saturday against the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees at the Laredo Entertainment Center. Face off set for 7:30 p.m.
 
The Rayz took the early lead on an odd man rush. Corpus captain Matt Turek led the two-on-one rush down the left wing and found forward Ryan Carter cutting down the right side for a tap in goal at 7:53 and a 1-0 Rayz lead. With 7:51 left in the frame Bucks forward Igor Agarunov drove Rayz defenseman Steve Pelletier into the glass in the right corner of the Bucks zone and shattered the glass pane causing a 26-minute delay. The Bucks tied the game on the power play after the extended delay. Forward Leo Thomas snapped a shot from the right circle that was stopped, but Agarunov was there to hop on the rebound and drive it home at 13:40. Late in the frame the Rayz retook the lead. Forward Justin Quenville spun into the Bucks zone and was stopped on his backhand try, but forward Kevin Watters pounced on the loose puck and scored at 18:34 for a 2-1 Rayz lead.
 
Laredo stormed out and took control in the second period. Forward Kris MacPhee took a pass, stepped inside the left circle and snapped home a wrist shot 1:16 into the frame to tie the game. The Bucks then went to work on the special teams. First Laredo survived a 54-second two-man advantage for the Rayz on the power play, then the Bucks went to work on a power play chance of their own. Defenseman Oriel McHugh teed up a slap shot from the left point that was deflected in by forward Serge Dube at 13:34 for a 3-2 Laredo lead. Just 2:28 later Bucks forward Tyler Lawson scored on a wrist shot that deflected off a Rayz defenseman to increase the lead to 4-2.
 
The Bucks played solid defense in the third to seal the win. FINAL SCORE Laredo 4, Corpus Christi 2.
 
Nathan Marsters stopped 31 of 33 shots to get the win and improve to 1-0-0. Ron Vogel allowed four goals on 25 shots and fell to 0-1-0. The Bucks were 2-6 on the power play while Corpus Christi was 0-9. The Rayz out shot the Bucks 33-25