BUCKS TOP ICERAYS 6-3
TEAMS SPLIT HOME AND HOME WEEKEND SET

A four-goal second period for the Laredo Bucks was the difference on Sunday, as the Bucks topped the Corpus Christi IceRays 6-3 at the Laredo Entertainment Center. The teams split the home and home weekend, as the IceRays record dropped to 7-8-2 on the year. The Rays return to the ice on Thursday night at 7pm for college night as they host the Arizona Sundogs. 
 
For the second straight game, the Bucks scored the only goal of the first period to take a 1-0 lead into the locker room. Jeff Bes beat Kevin Nastiuk with a wrist shot from the top of the right circle at 8:12 on a Laredo power play. The Bucks appeared to score earlier in the period when Evan Schwab’s shot pierced the net from the right circle at 3:25, but the goal was waved off after it was ruled Laredo interfered with Nastiuk’s effort move to his left to block the shot. The Bucks outshot the Rays 15-4 in the period. 
 
The Bucks extended their lead with a big second period. At 9:28 Mike Looby scored on a slapshot from the blue line on a power play to make it 2-0. 18 seconds later, Justin Styffe scored to make it 3-0. The IceRays cut the lead down on a two-man advantage power play goal by Chad Woollard. Chris Richards spotted Woollard on the doorstep and fed him tape to tape where Woollard buried it home at 12:16. But the Bucks increased their lead to 4-1 when Bes got his second of the night unassisted at 15:51. At the 17:00 minute mark the IceRays were whistled for a too many men on the ice call and Head Coach Brent Hughes protested the call and was ejected from the hockey game. The IceRays killed off a two-minute, two-man advantage, but Evan Schwabe scored at 19:44 to cap the period and give the Bucks a 5-1 lead heading into the third. 
 
In the third, Kevin Desfosses entered the game in relief of the IceRays net, and the IceRays made a late charge. Justin Quenneville scored at 1:33 to make it 5-2 Bucks. The IceRays inched closer on a Ryan Garbutt redirection goal at 8:39. The IceRays continued to pepper the Bucks net, and had chances, but that’s as close as they would come. Adam Rivet scored a shorthanded, empty net goal at 19:16 to finish the scoring.
 
Kevin Nastiuk (3-3) made 26 saves on 31 shots taking the loss. Kevin Desfosses made four saves on four shots and did not figure into the decision.  J.P. Levasseur (8-1-2) earned the win stopping 23 of 26 shots. The IceRays power play went 2-7 and the Bucks also went 2-7. The Bucks outshot the IceRays 36-26 in the game.