Bucks Send Sundogs to the Pound

LAREDO, TX: The Laredo Bucks, of the Central Hockey League, beat the Arizona Sundogs 6-3 in a very physical game on Wednesday night.

The Laredo Bucks and Arizona Sundogs met for the third time in the 2011-2012 season Wednesday night at the Laredo Energy Arena.  The Sundogs were the first team to notch a goal, when Daymon Rycroft scored on a breakaway at 2:50 in the first period.  At 9:18, Erik Boisvert put the puck past Sundog goaltender Scott Reid to tie the game 1-1.  Jason Reese assisted Boisvert on the goal.  Arizona would take the lead again when Patrick Schafer shoved in a rebound from in front of the net at the 11:41 mark. Only 36 seconds later, the Bucks would once again tie the game with a goal from Ryan Sparling.  Sparling was assisted from Rusty Masters and Joseph Harcharik.  The Laredo Bucks would take the lead during the final seconds of the first period, when Erik Boisvert scored his second goal of the night.  The powerplay goal, assisted by Jason Reese, was scored with only 25 seconds left in the period giving the Bucks a 3-2 lead.

The Bucks and the Sundogs continued the back and forth scoring in the second period.  Sundog forward Craig Macdonald tied the game 3-3, when he scored an unassisted goal at 10:59.  The Laredo Bucks took the lead again in the second when Matt Boyd scored a shorthanded goal at 14:33.  Adam Rivet and Jason Reese assisted on the goal.  The game took a physical turn at 18:58 when several players dropped the gloves, including Todd Griffith and Mark Nebus for the Bucks and Corey Toy and Craig Macdonald for the Sundogs.

The Bucks were on the penalty kill to start the third period. However, 59 seconds into the period the Bucks broke away and scored another shorthanded goal.   This time the goal was scored by Matt Hanson, who was helped by Adam Rivet and Neil Trimm, making the score 5-3.  Soon after the goal, the physical play took over leading to 6 straight Arizona penalties.  There were a total of eleven different Sundogs in the penalty box during the period.  This led to Adam Rivet scoring a powerplay goal at 18:04.  Joseph Harcharik and Mark Nebus had helpers on the goal.  The game ended with bodies on the ice, taking the Bucks/Sundog rivalry to another level.  These two teams still have four more games to play this season against one another.  The Sundogs will return to the LEA on Wednesday November 30th.