Americans Force Game Seven on Wednesday

With the home crowd behind them, the Allen Americans beat the Laredo Bucks 3-2 at the Allen Event Center. The best-of-seven Conference Semifinals series is tied 3-3 with the deciding game tomorrow night at the AEC.
 
Neither team could generate a goal in the opening frame, which marked the first time that the teams headed to the locker rooms in a 0-0 deadlock. Laredo had the first four shots in the game, but Allen picked up the pace and ended the period with a 17-9 shot advantage.
 
Forward Nino Musitelli gave Allen a 1-0 lead 4:02 into the middle frame. The Americans, already playing aggressively, cranked up the intensity after the goal. Laredo’s Todd Griffith responded with his eighth point of the series to even the score 1-1. The second period ended with the score knotted at one.
 
Hungry for a win, the Americans scored first in the third period, too. Defenseman Jordie Benn found forward Matt Radoslovich in front of Pier-Olivier Pelletier at 5:28. Pelletier turned away Radoslovich’s initial shot, but the forward pounded the rebound into the net to put Allen up 2-1. Seven minutes later, Justin Bowers poked the puck around Pelletier’s pad on a breakaway to increase the Americans’ lead to two goals. Darryl Smith brought the Bucks within one again at 15:38 on the power play, but Allen refused to let them tie the game.
 
With 1:03 remaining in the third, captain Jarret Lukin was called for a tripping penalty. Laredo called a timeout and returned with six skaters on the ice. Despite the two-man advantage, the Bucks could not get another puck past Americans’ backstop Chris Whitley. The final score was 3-2.
 
Whitley made 22 saves tonight, while Pelletier stopped 40 shots.
 
Allen will host the can’t-miss game of the season tomorrow, April 7, at 7:30 p.m.