Gorillas Take 2-1 Series Lead in Southern Finals

The Amarillo Gorillas got the monkey off their back Thursday night by posting their first home win of the playoffs, knocking off the Laredo Bucks 4-2 in Game Three of the Central Hockey League’s Southern Conference Finals. Amarillo’s penalty killing unit held the Bucks scoreless on eight opportunities and won for the first time in the post-season when not scoring the first goal of the game to take a 2 to 1 series lead. Shawn Degagne enjoyed another fine outing in the Amarillo net, making 40 saves while the Gorillas were outshot 42-26. Scott Wray, John Dean, Jason Reesor and Derek Hahn (into an empty net) handled the Amarillo scoring, while Patrik Nilson and Chris Grenville replied for Laredo. Game Four of the series is scheduled for Friday evening in Amarillo, as is Game Four of the Northern Conference Finals, with the Wichita Thunder hosting the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs.


Laredo 2 @ Amarillo 4
Amarillo Leads Southern Conference Finals 2-1

In seven playoff games to date for Amarillo, the team scoring the first goal of the game has gone on to victory. Not so in Thursday’s Game Three of the Southern Conference Finals, as the Gorillas fell behind 1-0 to Laredo on Patrik Nilson’s marker 3:12 into play. Amarillo potted the next three consecutive goals to take a 3-1 lead, and held on for a 4-2 victory and a 2-1 series lead. Scott Wray replied for Amarillo just a minute after Nilson’s third of the playoffs with his second goal of the season, sending the teams to the locker rooms tied 1-1 after the opening twenty minutes. John Dean’s power play goal 6:45 into the second made the margin 2-1, then Jason Reesor’s deflected goal 2:14 later gave Amarillo a 3-1 bulge. Laredo sniper Chris Grenville got on track with his first playoff marker 38 seconds later, but that’s as close as the Bucks would come, with Derek Hahn sealing the win with an empty net goal with 16 seconds to play. Grenville had an excellent opportunity to tie the game with three minutes left to play, but Shawn Degagne came up with the biggest save of the game from point blank range.


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