Bucks Tie Series With Huge 4-3 Win

LAREDO, TX- The Laredo Bucks beat the Allen Americans 4-3 Thursday night in game four of the Central Hockey League Southern Conference Semifinals at Laredo Energy Arena. The best of seven series is tied at two games apiece with a pivotal game five Saturday in Laredo. 
 
Pier Pelletier stopped 37 of 40 shots he faced and Todd Griffith had two goals to help the Bucks snap a five-game home playoff losing streak. The Bucks last home playoff win was April 25, 2008 against Arizona.
 
Laredo was outshot in the game 40-28.
 
The Americans jumped out on top of the Bucks very quickly as they tallied a shorthanded goal just 1:05 into the contest. Jarret Lukin jammed in a rebound from the bottom of the left circle to pick up his first goal of the playoffs.
 
The Bucks would strike back for two goals in a span of 10 minutes to take a 2-1 lead after the first period. Laredo improvees to 10-8 all-time in game four of a playoff series.
 
Brent Cullaton would tie the game at 1-1 at the 3:27 mark of the first when he streaked down the left side of the ice and hammered in a wrist shot from the top of the circle. The goal was Cullaton’s first tally in the CHL playoffs since April 27, 2006 where Bucks won game two of the President’s Cup Finals over Bossier-Shreveport. Cullaton has 13 career CHL playoff goals.
 
Laredo took a 2-1 lead with 6:33 left in the first period when Griffith jammed in a rebound from the bottom of the left circle to pick up his third goal of the playoffs.
 
The Bucks were outshot 15-12 in the first period.
 
Laredo took a 3-1 lead as they scored their first power-play goal of the series 1:20 into the second period. Neil Trimm jammed in a shot from the right side of the crease to pick up his third goal of the playoffs. Trimm scored a goal in games one and two.
 
Allen would cut the lead to 3-2 when Erik Adams scored on a laser slap shot from the top of the right circle 4:57 into the second. The strike was Adam’s third in the series and his second in as many games.
 
The Bucks would increase their lead to 4-2 with 3:39 left in the second period when they struck on the power-play again. Griffith scored his second goal of the game and his fourth of the playoffs with a rifle from the slot. Griffith now has six career CHL playoff goals.
 
Each team put up 11 shots in the second period. 
 
Colton Yellowhorn cut the Bucks lead to 4-3 with 6:02 left in the third period when he scored from the bottom of the right circle. Yellow Horn now has two goals in the series.
 
The Americans pulled their goaltender for the final 1:48 of the third period to try and tie the game but Laredo held on to tie the series. Laredo was outshot 14-5 in the third period
 
Chris Whitley suffered the loss as he stopped 24 of 28 shots in the contest.