MISSOURI BEATS LAREDO IN DEFENSIVE BATTLE, 1-0

LAREDO, Texas – Karl Sellan scored the lone goal with 4:52 remaining in the game as the Missouri Mavericks beat the Laredo Bucks 1-0 at Laredo Entertainment Center Friday night.  The Mavericks handed the Bucks just their second loss in regulation at home in 12 games this season, and goaltender Doug Groenestege earned his second shutout stopping all 33 shots faced.  Groenestege now leads the Central Hockey League (CHL) with his two shutouts.

“We knew we would have another close one late in the game and we held on for a different outcome than previous games,” said Mavericks’ Head Coach Scott Hillman.  “The first period was the most challenging including a breakaway against us, but the guys settled down after that.  We stressed we couldn’t take penalties, and we only took a few all game.  It was a great game all around for every Maverick that stepped on the ice.”

Missouri is now 8-0-0 when allowing two or fewer goals this season and the team improved to 9-11-1 overall.  Sellan’s power play goal marked the fifth straight game in which the Mavericks have tallied at least one power play goal. 

Groenestege was called upon to make big saves early in the game, and the Mavericks’ goaltender had an answer for every shot stopping all 14 of Laredo’s shots in the first period.  Laredo’s netminder J.P. Levasseur was just as tough in net stopping all 14 of the Mavericks’ shots as well.  It marked just the second time this season the Mavericks went into the first intermission with a scoreless tie.

It was more of the same in the second period as Groenestege stopped 11 shots and Levasseur blocked seven to keep the game scoreless.  It was the first time in Mavericks history that the game remained scoreless after two periods.

Over 13 minutes into the third period, Missouri earned a power play after Maxime Lincourt was called for interference.  Sellan scored when he took a centering pass from Simon Watson and one-timed it past Levasseur at 15:08.  Jeff Christian earned the second assist on the play, and the Mavericks held on in the final five minutes for their fourth road win of the season.

Missouri finished 1-3 on the power play and killed all three of the Bucks’ power play chances.  It was the sixth time this season the Mavericks didn’t allow a power play goal, and the team improved to 6-0-0 when going perfect on the penalty kill.