The defending champion Laredo Bucks got a pair of goals from All-Star defenseman Adam Rivet and beat the visiting New Mexico Scorpions 6-4 Saturday evening to take a 1-0 series lead in the Southern Conference Finals. Laredo registered three goals in a franchise playoff record span of 1:37 of the first period to jump to the early lead and they never looked back.

Game 1 Box Score: New Mexico 4 @ Laredo 6
Laredo Leads Series 1-0

Game recap courtesy of the Laredo Bucks
The Bucks exploded to start the game. Forward Leo Thomas stole the puck in the neutral zone, cut right side into the New Mexico zone and fed the puck backdoor to forward Steve Simoes who jammed it into the net at 3:57. It was his fourth of the playoffs. Laredo kept coming as forward Igor Pohanka feathered a centering pass from the left corner to the slot where forward Jeff Bes scored on a wrister at 4:57. It was the team leading 10th of the
post-season for Bes. Just 37 seconds later the Bucks were back at it as Pohanka scored his first of the playoffs on the rebound of his own shot for a 3-0 Laredo lead. The three goals in 1:37 eclipsed Laredo’s playoff franchise record of 2:21 on 03/20/04 against Rio Grande Valley. That ended the night for New Mexico goalie Scott Reid after five shots and brought on David Cacciola. The Scorpions settled down and got on the scoreboard when forward Konrad Reeder popped in a rebound at 12:06.

Early in the second period the Bucks added to their lead. On a power play chance Bes found Rivet cutting wide open in front for a tap in goal at 2:52. Later the Bucks again tallied on the man advantage as Rivet hammered in a one-timer from the top of the right circle for his second of the night and third of the playoffs making it 5-1 Laredo. With less than two minutes to play in the frame Scorpions forward Jeremy Garrison tallied on a power play at 18:36.

Early in the third period the Scorpions got closer as forward Craig MacDonald put in a rebound with a backhander at 5:51. Laredo answered as forward Chris Korchinski lifted in the rebound of his own shot at 13:26 for his third of the playoffs. The Scorpions completed the scoring when forward Mike Prpich scored his playoff leading 14th goal with 8.3 seconds left in regulation. Kevin Reiter stopped 30 of 34 shots and improved to 5-2. Reid allowed three goals on five shots in 5:34, but did not factor in the decision. Cacciola allowed three goals on 27 shots in 54:26 and took the loss to fall to 3-3. The Bucks were 2-5 on the power play while New Mexico was 1-5. The Scorpions out shot the Bucks 34-32. Game Two of the Southern Conference Finals will be Tuesday night at the Laredo Entertainment Center before the series shifts to the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho for Games 3,4 and 5, if necessary.


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