Laredo, Texas – All the Laredo Bucks needed to do was get home.
The defending Central Hockey League champion Bucks extended their home winning streak to 15 games Sunday night with a 5-4 overtime win against the Colorado Eagles in Game 3 of the Ray Miron President’s Cup series.
Bucks center Jeff Bes scored his second goal of the night shorthanded with 8:36 left in overtime to trim the Eagles’ series lead to 2-1.
Game 4 is tonight, with Game 5 on Wednesday also in Laredo. If necessary, the series would return to Loveland for Games 6 and 7.
With the Bucks’ Mark Wires in the penalty box for high sticking at the 10:45 mark of overtime, Colorado’s Greg Pankewicz had a shot blocked near the top of the right faceoff circle. The long rebound went out to Laredo’s Brent Cullaton in the neutral zone.
Cullaton skated down the left side 2-on-1 with Bes. Cullaton centered the puck to Bes, who put a wrist shot over goal- tender Tyler Weiman to end the game. It was Bes’ team- high eighth playoff goal.
Trailing 3-1 in the second period, the Bucks scored three consecutive goals. Bes tied the game 3-3 early in the third period with a one-timer. Laredo took a 4-3 lead on forward Lou Dickenson’s goal at the 13:41 mark.
Eagles defenseman Lee Ruff forced the overtime with less than two minutes left in regulation when he picked up a loose puck in front of Bucks goalie David Guerrera and scored.
The Bucks, who went 0-for-5 on the power play, had a chance in overtime after Aaron Grosul was called for hooking at the 2:20 mark, but Colorado killed the penalty.
Before the game, a scuffle during warm-ups resulted in the Eagles’ Fraser Filipic and the Bucks’ Steve Weidlich serving five-minute majors.
Colorado 2 1 1 0 – 4
Laredo 1 1 2 1 – 5
First period – 1, Colorado, Nelson (Pankewicz, Tobler), 4:16, (pp). 2, Colorado, Marsh (Robertson), 13:54. 3, Laredo, Paiement (Hiebert, Agarunov), 14:26. Penalties – Bes, Laredo (elbowing), 2:59; Paiement, Laredo, double minor (spearing), 4:27; Nelson, Col (hooking), 6:24; Bes, Laredo (high sticking), 6:40; Hyman, Laredo (unsportsmanlike conduct), 16:34; Mallette, Col (unsportsmanlike conduct), 16:34; Hiebert, Laredo (interference), 17:27; Filipic, Col (roughing), 20:00; Filipic, Col, major (fisticuffs), 20:00; Weidlich, Laredo (slashing), 20:00; Weidlich, Laredo, major (fisticuffs), 20:00.
Second period – 4, Colorado, Tobler (Nelson), 5:28. 5, Laredo, Cullaton (Dickenson, Bes), 12:51. Penalties – Mallette, Col, major (fisticuffs), 18:47; Simoes, Laredo, major (fisticuffs), 18:47; Weidlich, Laredo (roughing), 18:47; Williamson, Col (roughing), 18:47; Tobler, Col (roughing), 19:26.
Third period – 6, Laredo, Bes (Dube, Cullaton), 3:12. 7, Laredo, Dickenson (Cullaton, Hiebert), 13:41. 8, Colorado, Ruff (Robertson), 18:11. Penalties – Zirnis, Col, double minor (high sticking), 4:17; Marsh, Col (high sticking), 10:23.
Overtime – 9, Laredo, Bes (Dube, Cullaton), 11:24 (sh). Penalties – Grosul, Col (hooking), 2:20; Wires, Laredo (high sticking), 10:45.
Shots – Colorado 10-4-3-6 – 23. Laredo 5-8-11-8 – 32. Power play opportunities – Colorado 1-of-6. Laredo 0-of-5. Goalies – Colorado, Weiman, 32 shots-27 saves. Laredo, Guerrera, 23-19. A – 8,002.
