Laredo Bucks Blog

Bucks stomped by Mudbugs 5-1

2007-03-15T21:08:00.000-05:00

The Bucks were easily taken care by the Mudbugs 5-1 at the CenturyTel Center in Louisiana on Tuesday night. The Abbott brothers, who have been huge contributors for the Bugs this season, combined for four goals and four assists en route to the Mudbugs' victory. With the loss, the Bucks fell two points behind Colorado in the Governor's Cup race, and the Eagles also have one game in-hand on the Bucks.
In the first, Mudbugs' goaltender John DeCaro was under assault, but he made some spectacular saves to keep the Bucks scoreless. DeCaro only surrendered one goal on thirty-six shots throughout the contest. Eric Marvin gave up five goals on only fifteen shots, and he was pulled in the opening minute of the third.
For the Mudbugs, Chris Abbott and MacPherson scored in the first, Cam Abbot in the second, and both Chris and Cam Abbott in the third. James Hiebert, making his 2007 Bucks debut, scored the lone goal for the Bucks. Laredo was outscored 10-3 in two losses at the CenturyTel center this season.

This game had absolutely no bright spot for the Bucks. The Bucks will have another opportunity to prove themselves Saturday night against Memphis in Laredo.
With only three goals in the past three games, the Bucks must find their scoring power to beat Memphis. Before this game, the Bucks' goalies allowed only four goals in the previous four games. The Bucks must back-up their goaltenders to remain one of the CHL's top competitors.

James Hiebert Returns

2007-03-15T10:39:00.000-05:00

James Hiebert has been signed to a five game contract by the Bucks, just in time for the Shreveport game tonight. He was reassigned by Manchester of the AHL from the Phoenix Roadrunners (ECHL) to the Bucks. I don't know how Ruskowski can pull transactions like this off. He got an AHL team that the Bucks are not even affiliated with to reassign him to another league right at the end of the season. Either Ruskowski has some good AHL connections or Phoenix had absolutely no use for Hiebert for this transaction to occur. I would say a little of both.
Hiebert can be a great goal-scorer and large physical presence on the ice, but he can also be a waste of a roster spot. There's some games when he gives 110% (game 7 two years ago against San Angelo comes to mind), and there's others where he spends the whole game in the penalty box. Hopefully, we'll see more of the former for the rest of the season and playoffs.

Night and Day Difference

2007-03-11T19:39:00.000-05:00

It was all a night and day difference: the Bucks play, the attendance, and the daylight outside when the game ended. I don't think anyone can justify shutting out Colorado 1-0 and then losing to Corpus 2-1, both at home. No matter what excuse that may come up, it surely cost the Bucks in their run to the Governor's Cup. Although Laredo and Colorado are tied, the Eagles, who own the tiebreaker with the Bucks, have one game in hand.

Neither team was able to get much going in the first. Laredo out-shot Corpus 12-8 in the period.
In the second, the Bucks struck first, thanks to Steve Simoes's determination and hustle. With a defender on him, Simoes managed to take a quality wrap-around shot that got Ron Vogel out of position. The puck came to a stop right in the slot, and Don Margettie slipped it past Vogel to put the Bucks up one. The Rayz then scored two in only two and a quarter minutes, starting with Justin Quenneville twelve minutes into the second and then Kevin Watters 14:16 in.
In the third, the Bucks were on the powerplay for a total of seven minutes and thirty-one seconds, while the Rayz had no PP time. Out of that 7:31, the Bucks had two full minutes on a 5-on-3 advantage, and they were unable to capitalize. The Bucks just couldn't properly set anything up while on any of those powerplays. All in all, quite a poor effort by the Bucks after Friday's great performance.
The Bucks fell to 19-8-3 at home, while they are 20-6-2 outside the LEC. In the previous four years combined, the Bucks lost only 16 games at home in regulation.
With the Bossier-Shreveport game this Tuesday in Bossier City, the Bucks need to regain their form very soon in order to compete with the CHL's best. Memphis will also visit Laredo this coming Sunday.

Bucks top Eagles 1-0 in exciting game

2007-03-10T09:15:00.000-06:00

The Bucks shutout the Eagles 1-0 last night in front of the first LEC shutout in almost a year. With the victory, the Bucks earned their eleventh consecutive victory, setting a franchise record.
This game surely lived up it its expectations. With the two best teams in the CHL and a sold out crowd, the LEC's atmosphere was the most electrifying I've witnessed in a long while.

The game started off with both teams missing several passes. In addition, way too many penalties were called in a game this important. With these two factors, I don't think there was any solid scoring chances for both teams throughout the first.
In the second, the Eagles took control of the momentum early, but it was instead the Bucks who scored the first and only goal of the night. While on a two-on-one breakaway, Chris Korchinski froze Eagles' goalie Marco Emond and then fired a shot glove side that was perfectly placed on the top-right section of the net.
Towards the end of the second, referee Tudor Floru awarded the Eagles with a penalty shot. The call instead should have been a two minute hooking penalty on the Bucks; there were several players all around the net, and a penalty shot should be awarded only when there is a breakaway with a man all alone. Anyway, the Eagles didn't have a Brent Cullaton on their roster (see this game), and Seth Leonard couldn't capitalize on the free shot.
It was Eric Marvin's time to shine in the third period. He came up with several spectacular saves throughout the period. Most notable was a diving glove save with just a few minutes left in the third.
The Bucks played with the determination needed to win these games. When players are diving constantly to block a shot, you know which team is playing with heart.

With the win, the Bucks have now secured the top spot in the Southern Conference for the fourth consecutive time. The Bucks are also two points ahead of Colorado although the Eagles have one game in hand.
This week will prove important for the Bucks in the quest for the Governor's Cup. The Bucks will return to the ice to faceoff against Corpus at home on Sunday. The Bucks haven't dominated Corpus as in previous years, and this game is the perfect time to send a statement to the Rayz. The Bucks will then travel to Bossier-Shreveport for a Tuesday game against the Mudbugs, who have the third most points in the CHL. Laredo will return back home over the weekend, which includes an important game against Memphis, the fourth best team in the league.

Bucks complete trade just before deadline

2007-02-13T20:03:00.000-06:00

While this certainly wasn't your CHL "blockbuster" trade just before the deadline, it should improve the Bucks. Palmer, who was traded to Odessa, and Seguin, who was traded to Tulsa, (both defensemen) weren't an asset to the team and probably won't be missed too much. In return, the Bucks received Don Margettie from Odessa and Fredrik Oduya from Tulsa. Just with a quick glance at stats, I'm surprised Odessa would trade out Margettie. I'm guessing he had ties to McKee and Odessa's new coach wanted to move him out. Whatever the case, Margettie seems to bring decent scoring talent as well as some physical play. Oduya's stats indicate he's solely an enforcer with a good amount of AHL experience. Simoes's addition to the roster should come any day on pointstreak. With Simoes, hopefully Ruskowski will move Dube back as a defensemen. Dube did a good job as forward, but by his style of play, his natural position is on the blue line. He scored more points per game as a defenseman than a forward, anyway.

Bucks playing without effort...

2007-02-13T18:58:00.000-06:00

The Bucks' poor home play continued this weekend, first with a loss to the sub-500 Arizona Sundogs on Friday, then another loss to the Rayz on Sunday. In between, the Bucks fell to the Bees on Sunday night in Hidalgo.

To sum it all up against the Sundogs: the Bucks played terrible. The Bucks were only able to score two goals against rebound-prone Chris King, and Reiter couldn't stop a beach ball. Jeff Bes scored just a minute and a half into the game, but the Bucks were unable to hold on. Brent Kelly, who ultimately scored a hat trick by the end of the game, answered just three and a half minutes later with a shot from Reiter's left side that easily got past him. With a double minor penalty against Arizona 16:38 into the first, the Bucks were in a prime position to tie the game. Instead, Cory Stillman extended the Sundogs' lead with a shorthanded shot that went five-hole thirty seconds after the penalty began. Chris Korchinski tied the game with a nice wrist shot three minutes into the second. The Sundogs answered once again just a few seconds later. Reiter got a only a piece of David Svagrovski's shot, and the puck slowly trickled in the net. Kelly struck again on a shot that easily sailed past Reiter's right side. Reiter was pulled after that, and both goaltenders stopped every remaining shot they faced. Kelly sealed the win for the Sundogs and his hat trick with an empty net goal.
I couldn't listen to the game in the Valley, so I can't write much about it. Just by looking at the scoresheet, Kouba took a stupid tripping penalty in overtime that resulted in RGV's OT goal just eight seconds into that penalty. Ruskowski seems to have lost it after that.
Back to Laredo on Sunday, the Bucks continued to struggle. A fight broke out right after the opening faceoff, which is whatever was leftover from the last Bucks/Rayz meeting. I couldn't figure out why Ruskowski would start Clark, but his job became quickly evident when the fight began. The Rayz' first goal is completely attributed to Jeff Bes's laziness. The Bucks were on the power play when Jeff Bes decides to have a penalty of his own seconds after the Rayz penalty began. Maybe Jeff Bes just wanted two minutes to rest, and he took the easy way out. Not only did he kill the power play, but the 4-on-4 situation resulted in the Rayz first goal. Bobby Chaumont answered halfway into the second, but the Rayz retook the lead before the second ended. The third was rather uneventful, except for a terrible hooking call charged to Paul Elliott by Steve Cruickshank. That resulted in a Todd Paul goal just four seconds later. I'd say the Bucks completely gave up after that. I cannot fail to give credit to the Rayz; they played with the hustle needed to win hockey games. That's the best Rayz team I've seen here in the past five years.
The "reported" attendance was 4,767, which I believe is the lowest this year )although there were much less people at the game.)

The LEC really needs to get their act together. With the carnival taking up the biggest LEC parking lot, anyone can guess the parking disaster at the LEC. Talk about a complete lack of planning. After circling the entire building and about 20 minutes later, we were finally able to get a parking space.
But the parkign wasn't the only problem. Those new metal detectors that were supposed to speed up the security check at the LEC did just about everything except that. They were so badly programmed it was (I can't even find a word to put here). According to fan reports, some passed through metal detectors that didn't detect anything. In my, and other's, case, the metal detectors simply "beeped" on everyone. As a result, we were also wanded, which just defeated the purpose of the metal detectors in the first place. Therefore, the process took twice as long, and the security lines at the LEC were longer than those found at both the Laredo airport and even DFW.

Bucks give up two 3rd period goals in loss

2007-01-21T11:00:00.000-06:00

After I missed four home games in a row, I had the displeasure of attending the last two home games (Youngstown & Wichita). Doesn't it feel like the Bucks can only beat the Bees and the Bats? To put this argument into numbers, the Bucks have won nine of their last eleven games. Out of those nine wins, eight of them came against Austin or the Valley.

Saturday's game:

In the first period, the Bucks and Thunder traded powerplay goals. Travis Clayton scored eight minutes in, then Chris Korchinski answered about six minutes later. The Bucks scored two goals in the second. But before I go on, I must give credit again to Chris Korchinski. Korchinski had a total of 20 penalty minutes coming into this game, but he took part in one of the best fights I've seen all year. Punches were flying between him and Wichita enforcer Matt Coughlin. Continuing on, Igor Agarunov took a shot about seven minutes into the frame that bounced off the top of Wichita's Sebastien Laplante's glove and into the net to put the Bucks up by one. Later, with a delayed penalty coming and an extra attacker on for about a full minute, defensemen Steve Weidlich fired a shot from the blue line that was just redirected by Igor Agarunov to put the Bucks up by two.
Now, for all who have been to the LEC, you know that the building is at its loudest during the "Minute of Madness" at the start of the third period. The unthinkable has occurred two home games in a row. Last week, Youngstown scored about two minutes into the third with the home crowd still roaring. Yesterday, Wichita's Jason Duda scored an unassisted, shorthanded goal just thirteen seconds into the third. I cannot figure out how the visiting team has scored twice with the crowd screaming. Shouldn't the home team be feeding off all the noise? To me, the Bucks are sending the message that "we don't care if everyone's cheering for us since we're not going to try any harder." Those were two sorry goals the Bucks gave up, and I attribute Wichita's win solely on that goal. Wichita scored once more in the third to erase the Bucks' lead and send the game into overtime. Only Wichita's Ryan Lauzon scored in the shootout to earn the game winning goal. I don't think anyone thought of this outcome after Wichita got hammered the night before in RGV.
Was Wichita really only held to fourteen shots on goal throughout the entire game? I didn't think the Bucks took forty-nine shots and Wichita was held to fourteen.

This surely isn't the best way to start a six game road trip. The real showdown comes this Wednesday, when the Bucks visit the Colorado Eagles.

All-Star Roster Thoughts

2006-12-30T21:51:00.000-06:00

With the 2007 All-Star roster announced, I must say the forward and defense selection for both conferences was just about as expected. Is anyone surprised Jeff Bes didn't make the team? I'm not; he doesn't give even 100% in any game, and it finally backfired on him. Dube's absence from the team is probably the only surprise. The problem with both conferences' roster is the goaltenders. Just by looking at the Southern Conference goalie lineup, anyone can see the South is in a bad situation. Where else will you see Jeremy Symington as a starter? In the last eight games, Symington is 1-5-1, and he was pulled once. I don't think those are all-star stats, much less a starter. I would've given JF Perras (Lubbock) the starting job. And Zelenewich capped off the South's goalie all-star selection. Although the stats don't show it, I thought Vogel played better than Zelenewich for Corpus. But who else does the South have? Only untested Dolson, Austin's Beaudry/Couture team, Bucks' struggling goalies, and recently injured Cacciola.

In the North, I can't believe Marco Emond did not earn the right to the all-star team. Only in the CHL would a 7-7, 2.94 GAA goalie (Laplante) beat out a 16-2, 2.65 GAA goalie (Emond).

Bucks top Rayz in OT

2006-12-23T10:11:00.000-06:00

Last night's game started off with a bang, as the Bucks scored two in the first 72 seconds. Reiter's play last night was far from spectacular; on one occasion, he decided to go behind his net and play the puck with about all five Rayz players in the Bucks zone. His pass resulted in an inevitable turnover, which in turn resulted in the Rayz' second goal.
In the second period of this tie game, Genovy's shot slowly passed the goal line to put the Bucks back up by one. Later in the frame, McIver evened the game on a shorthanded goal caused by a terrible turnover by the Bucks in the neutral zone along with a poor goaltending effort by Reiter.
Five minutes into the third, Bobby Chaumont scored on a rare Cruickshank powerplay to give the Bucks their third different lead of the night. Jason Baird responded about five minutes later with a top shelf goal that looked similar to Adam Powell's (Reiter-caused) goal. With a minute remaining in overtime, Leo Thomas was hammered in the left circle, but he still managed to hand the puck to Adam Rivet, who slammed it home.
With Austin and RGV wins, Corpus lost considerable breathing room in the division. With the win, the Bucks clinched the best record in the Southern Conference for the first half of the season, which gives Coach Ruskowski his third all-star berth.

I know the reported attendance is the total number of "paid" tickets, but with the turnout last night, I seriously doubt the Bucks sold 5,100 seats. Enron would be proud of these inflated numbers.

Bucks top Ice Bats 3-2

2006-12-09T17:53:00.000-06:00

Before anything else, the ice appeared to be in good shape and there was no glass related delays. The bottle of water I purchased expired on August 28, 2006, which is somewhat a improvement from October 10, 2005. The LEC is slowly getting there.
The Bucks seemed better than before, but still a little off. I don't know what happened on Bes's goal, as I was taking a bite of my taco. In the third, Michael Tucciarone fired a wrist shot right off the draw to give Austin the lead. The lead was short lived, as Justin Togiai inched the puck past goalie Kevin Couture to tie the game. Ten minutes later, Serge Dube fired home his game-winning shot from the blue line. Both goalies played exceptionally well and came up with big saves. Couture slammed the door on the Bucks during several second period opportunities, but Marvin played equally well and came up with nice saves throughout the game. The Ice Bats had trouble clearing the puck out of their own zone throughout the game, and it cost them.
Tudor Floru allowed the game to be more physical by keeping penalties to a minimum. He certainly called a better game than other refs I've witnessed this season.
Looking at attendance this year, it's a wonder how the LEC manages to get just over 5,000 people in the LEC. Is it just a coincidence that the attendance has been 5,009, 5,002, and 5,017 the last several games?
Around the league, Memphis was embarassed in Wichita, Corpus inched Rio Grande, two "No Category Misconduct" penalties were handed out in Prescott Valley, and what looked like a good game in Colorado.

Marsters stumbles in AHL season debut

2006-12-09T17:44:00.000-06:00

Former Buck Nathan Marsters gave up five goals in the first 40 minutes of play for the AHL's Portland Pirates. He was pulled during the second intermission, only to be replaced by Dov Grumet-Morris, another former Laredo Bucks goalie. Grumet-Morris gave up one goal on twelve shots in relief. To add another CHL name, former CHL referee Frederick LEcuyer was in charge for last night's game.

Based on what I saw during Marsters's short stay in Laredo, I don't think he's AHL material. I'd say other Bucks goalies such as Lemanowicz, Grumet-Morris, Guerrera, and Emond are more deserving of an AHL start.

Bucks drop 4 in a row

2006-12-02T23:12:00.000-06:00

With a 4-3 loss at home against the Ice Bats, the Bucks have now lost four games in a row and their hold on the southeast division. I expected Michael Dilorenzo to do much better than what he showed us last night. Dilorenzo was five seconds late to react to Austin's first goal, and Austin scored their second goal because Dilorenzo couldn't properly freeze the puck.
The Bucks were unable to get into a rhythm in the first period. Jeff Bes's trilogy of minor penalties throughout the first certainly played a part in causing this.
The Bucks played much better in the second, but it was not enough to make up for their poor play for most of the game. Kouba scored his forth of the season 14:08 in the frame after tipping in a previous shot in the crease. But before anything else could happen, a glass pane fell off and shattered during the celebration. Intermission was called early, and we saw the ice crew come out yet again to clean it up. The Bucks second goal, a nice MacPhee slap-shot, occurred without incident. Right after the Bucks third goal, two glass panes behind the Ice Bats' bench completely shattered. The bench was emptied so the two panes could be replaced, and Caution tape was placed on the row right behind the bench, and fans were forced to move. With about one minute left in OT, Austin wrapped the game up with a Julian Smith score.

Everyone needs a roster shakeup. The Bucks need one for playing without heart and determination. The Bucks management need one for not allowing fans to enjoy the game and use their camera. The LEC management and maintenance needs one for not keeping the ice and glass properly maintained.
Last Friday, the ice was in so poor of a condition that the advertisements were peeling off. And last night, the metal dividers fell off at least ten times and the three glass panes completely shattered.
Fans don't go to a game to see metal dividers falling and glass shattering. When the same metal divider falls off three times, I think it's time to buy new parts and replace everything. It seems like the LEC is cheap and refuses to purchase new parts. Where does the money for our $5 parking fee go? And how about the $3.25 water bottle that expired on October 10, 2005?

Is this the same Mark Lemelin?

2006-11-30T22:45:00.000-06:00

As stated before, Mark Lemelin, who refereed the Bucks recent game against the Bees, called an unprecedented 66 penalty minutes, which included 28 different minors. The same Mark Lemelin called only 36 minutes of penalties in the Rampage/Omaha AHL game tonight. I seriously doubt the penalty rules between the CHL and AHL differ that much, and I know the Bucks and the Bees didn't commit that many penalties. Talk about inconsistent.

Bucks fall to Bees

2006-11-29T16:24:00.000-06:00

The Bucks dropped another, this time to the Killer Bees. With the loss, the Bucks are now only one point ahead of Corpus Christi, who lost also lost last night's game, for the division lead.
It certainly was the Mark Lemelin escapade last night. He handed out a total of 66 penalty minutes throughout the game, which included an unheard of 28 minor penalties. Former Buck Jeremy Symington certainly played well in his return to Laredo, stopping 35 of 36 en route to the victory. Michael Dilorenzo surrendered three on 34 shots in his 05/06 Bucks debut. Ladislav Kouba didn't play well in his much-anticipated return off the IR for the Bucks. On a more positive note, Chris Korchinski, who earned the lone goal for the Bucks, extended his goal scoring streak to four games.
The Killer Bees are simply the best Killer Bees I've seen. They seem much improved than what I saw in the Tracy Egeland era. Egeland and former Buck David Guerrera currently aren't doing so well in Broomfield, CO.
The Blazers game is obviously still weighing heavy on the Bucks' minds. Hopefully the Bucks can get their confidence back with back-to-back games against the struggling Austin Ice Bats this weekend. Besides the lost confidence, it seems like the Oklahoma City game also took a toll on the attendance; a season low 4,587 purchased tickets for last night's game.

In blog news, the only Laredo Bucks blog received it's first comment from a viewer in Colorado who also ran into camera problems. Hopefully more comments come soon. In addition, the blog also was featured on Greg Rajan's Rayz blog for my segment on the camera incident last Friday.

Selfishness caused the loss

2006-11-24T22:54:00.000-06:00

I'll first start with a recap of the game, then read down for a story within a story...

What a disappointing loss this was. After the Bucks played fairly well on the powerplay in a very physical game, 5,645 fans left stunned after the breakdown we witnessed in the last minute. First, Korchinski and Chaumont, who both earned one goal and one assist, played exceptionally well and came up with timely goals. The Bucks had several chances to close up the game with an empty net, but the Bucks played individually instead of as a team in the last minute. In one situation, one Buck had another wide open for an empty net goal. Instead of passing, he selfishly shot the puck himself from a bad angle and missed it. The rest is history. OKC scored with 14 seconds left and again at the end of the game (I thought the horn sounded before the goal went in). I can't blame Marvin, who played well and got absolutely no help from his defense in the two goals to tie it. He should have stopped the overtime goal, but he had lost all his concentration. What a contrast to the way the Bucks played for the first 59 minutes of the game. This game sure brought me back to the Corpus Valentine's Day game last year.

After going through three complete hockey seasons without one picture, I decided to try out my new Nikon at the Bucks game. The lens of choice for the Bucks game was a large and heavy Tamron 70-300mm f/4-5.6 that would allow me to zoom up close to the action. I had heard of the "no lens longer than 3.5" allowed" rule, but thought a young, learning photographer would be allowed to enjoy one Bucks game behind the viewfinder. About 10 minutes into the first period, I was apparently reported by "someone with binoculars in section 120" who saw me using this "professional camera". A manager came by my seat and asked for me to put away my camera. I asked why, and was told that the camera was not allowed in the arena, and he threatened he would call the police to handle the situation. I told him the police aren't necessary for such a small situation, not to mention I was not breaking any laws. So I was soon escorted to the main entrance, where I was further interrogated as to why I brought my camera. To everyone, I stated I was a student who simply wanted to take pictures for one game. John Beckelhymer, the Bucks president, who was very unprofessionally dressed for his position, told me rudely that my type of camera wasn't allowed for fans. After he treated me like crap, he just walked off. Despite this, I'd like to thank the manager who first spoke to me about the camera situation; he tried to help me out at the end. I was also never given a paper in writing that defined what a "professional lens" was. I was told it was 3.5", but I never saw it on paper. For all season ticket holders, take a look on the back of any of your tickets. It states, "No cameras, audio or video recording devices are not allowed unless specifically stated." With the grammatical error, the statement means that all cameras, audio, or video recording devices are indeed allowed.
I know, rules are rules. But minor leagues are all about making the fan happy. I have never had a problem with my camera in any other arena, including stadiums like Fenway Park in Boston. I have lost some respect for the Bucks organization as a whole. If it wasn't for Terry Ruskowski, who knows where the Laredo Bucks would be now.

Bucks complete 2-1 week

2006-11-21T15:36:00.000-06:00

After an expected dominant win against New Mexico at home, the Bucks
traveled to Memphis (or just south of Memphis) to faceoff in consecutive
games against the Riverkings. The first game didn't go too well for the
Bucks; they lost by the largest margin this season. Marvin surrendered
five goals, and Marsters gave up one in relief. Dube and Chaumont both
scored for the Bucks in the game. Despite their poor performance, the
Bucks were able to bounce back well the next day. On Saturday, the
Bucks were able to beat the Riverkings in a close game. Chaumont picked
up another lamplighter, and MacPhee scored a couple. Chris Korchinski
scored the gamewinner 12:52 into the third. Both teams scored two goals
apiece on the PP despite only 16 minutes of PP time for both teams (yes,
Cruickshank was in-charge of this game).

Tomorrow's game should be a good one as the Bucks take on the southern
conference-leading CottonKings. Saturday should also prove exciting:
Oklahoma City will visit Laredo for the first time in history.

And finally, Pointstreak shows the inevitable on the transactions page:
" 11/21/06 DEL Lawson, Tyler (F) waived"

Bucks complete perfect weekend

2006-11-14T12:33:00.000-06:00

The Bucks capped off a perfect 2-0 weekend with a fantastic and exciting game against the Mudbugs at the LEC. The Bucks rallied from a 0-2 deficit to defeat the Killer Bees 5-2 on Friday night. Igor Agarunov scored two and Nathan Marsters, who hasn't started a game in several games, stopped 26 of 28 shots in the RGV game.
This game has been by far the most exciting this season. Like the night before, the Bucks once again fell behind 2-0 early in the first period. Bossier scored their first goal on a puck that just tricked in the net. Their second was a nice top shelf power play goal. It was a slow, Mudbug-dominated first period, with the exception of Leo Thomas's goal with just 40 seconds left in the frame. The second period was even; neither team scored. The Bucks caught iron twice in the second: the first hit the right post and the second hit the top crossbar on a breakaway. The Bucks came out more alive in the third period, and Leo Thomas got his second of the night 7:28 in the period. That tied the game up at two, and both goaltenders played well to send the game to overtime. The overtime period didn't showcase many shots. It seemed like there was more play in the neutral zone than in either offensive zone. With 12 seconds left, Bobby Chaumont slammed home the game winner after a good effort to get that shot off.

There's not much to complain about when you beat the Mudbugs, so I'll just say the Bucks seem to be changing too much (this created several Bossier chances and was the cost of several lost Bucks chances.)

Around the League- The Sundogs gave their fans a terrible franchise opener, losing to Youngstown 6-0. Colorado came back from a 4-0 New Mexico lead and won 7-6. The Bees have gone from first to worst in the SE division, and are currently on a four game losing streak.

Bucks go 2-0 for weekend

2006-11-09T15:40:00.000-06:00

The Bucks are on a two game winning streak for the first time this season, and they seem to have regained some offensive power. The Bucks scored 10 goals this weekend, 6 of them on the power play. This, along with a record above .500, certainly show some promise.
The defense was still shaky to say the least, giving up 8 goals in two games, including another shorthanded goal. The defense has much improved in penalty kills, but continues to give away pucks to opponents in the neutral zone (which has led to several breakaways) and right in the slot. Odessa capitalized on one of these neutral zone pass interceptions Saturday night, and Corpus scored two goals because of this back on Halloween.
Ruskowski seems to be more comfortable with Eric Marvin in net; he has started 4 in a row. His performances haven't been fantastic, but he seems to give more heart and effort than Marsters. Marvin's biggest weakness is by far breakaways and other "one-on-zero" opportunities for the opposition. I don't think he's stopped any breakaway shots. If the Bucks would go into a shootout with Marvin in net, it'll be a total disaster. Other than that, Marvin seems to play well and more comfortable on the PK and when he defense is properly set-up in front of him.

Around the league, the Arizona Sundogs’ affiliation seems to be paying off so far, with two players assigned in less than a week. Arizona, who has yet to play a home game, was picked as a favorite for this year’s championship by several CHL writers. Tulsa finally picked up their first win of the season. Wichita is leading the average attendance race, with Oklahoma coming in second. If the trend continues, this would be the first time Oklahoma doesn’t lead the average attendance in the CHL.

Bucks lose again

2006-11-01T07:57:00.000-06:00

The Bucks dropped another home game to the Rayz on Halloween night 5-3. Compared to this game, it seemed like two completely different teams took the ice. I haven't seen that Bucks team that showed promise in the season opener and that Rayz team that again showed disappointment. Vogel came up with some good saves for the Rayz throughout the game. Marvin played well for most of the first two periods, but it went mostly downhill for the last 21 minutes. The Bucks once again failed to display hustle and heart on the ice.
Kouba played well in his season debut, scoring two goals. But two complete defensive breakdowns towards the end of the third period cost the Bucks the game. Quenneville and McIver each challenged Marvin unopposed and capitalized on their breakaways. Quenneville's tally was shorthanded, the second given up by the Bucks in as many games.
Once Bes recovers from his injury, Dube needs to be reassigned back to his defensive position. I think he can help stop some of these total breakdowns since Kris Mallette certainly isn't providing the help I think most of us expected him to.
The Bucks have now lost two straight at home, an event that has not occurred since January of 2005. The Bucks also have about half the home losses of the entire 03/04 and 05/06 campaigns.

Genovy powers Bucks past Austin 5-3

2006-10-30T16:33:00.000-06:00

Aided by Jeff Genovy's hat trick, the Bucks came back from a poor home outing and took care of Austin. Eric Marvin played well in his first start, stopping 27 of 30 shots. The Bucks special teams seemed to have improved dramatically from the past two games, with the exception with the shorthanded goal they gave up. I think the Bucks just need some confidence to build up on. The defense seems to have committed several costly miscues so far, and only familiar names scored before the Austin game. The only troubling stat right now is the Bucks have given up 14 goals and scored 13. Everything else seems about normal for slow starters like the Bucks. With a strong outing from Marvin, it'll be interesting to see how the goaltender situation will play out in the upcoming games. Returning home after an important win is huge and should help out.

Around the league, only Youngstown, the most penalized team in the CHL, remains perfect. That's not surprising after seeing three of their players with 9 points. Oklahoma City is 3-0-1. Interestingly, OKC's top scorer is a defenseman with 10 points.

Bucks fall in home opener

2006-10-29T10:39:00.000-06:00

The Bucks were outplayed 4-2 by the Bees in a slow moving game yesterday. The Bucks just didn't have the drive and determination they had against Corpus last week. Passing was off, and puck handling was terrible. The Bucks even couldn't score on a 5-3 advantage that lasted more than two minutes. Marsters came up with some good saves, but should have stopped the first Bees goal without question. The Bucks will need to pick it up soon.

It was surprising to be greeted by security screeners who gave pat-downs and used wands for everyone who entered the LEC. I wonder if this is a one-time event or if it will continue throughout the season.

Former Buck Marco Emond in Colorado

2006-10-27T21:13:00.000-05:00

Former Laredo Buck Marco Emond has been signed by Colorado. He has 9 saves from 10 shots so far after one tonight. Emond and Guerrera should see each other plenty of times throughout the season.

Chris Murphy of the Mudbugs has been suspended for four games for his actions in last night's game. I wonder if it was the 46 penalty minutes or the "Physical Abuse of Officials Misconduct" penalty that took the most weight in the suspension. I'd take the latter, but 46 minutes in the third game of the season probably had more to do with the suspension that we would think.

Mudbugs all over Bucks

2006-10-27T16:40:00.000-05:00

It seems Roscoe is pretty upset with his "stupid hockey" team. I'm sure the team heard it all and should come back strong in the LEC opener. Once Bes is well and Kouba receives clearance, it'll be interesting to see who doesn't make the cut.

Here's Ruskowski on the Bucks penalties (hopefully Roy Lang doesn't mind I got these from his blog):
"We took a lot of them today. The turning point was the second period when we took all the penalties. They capitalized on it.

It’s stupid hockey. Stupid hockey. We should be drawing penalties instead of taking them. It’s called stupid hockey. We may not be the most talented team, but we may be the most stupid hockey team."

And I'm sure everyone's already seen this YouTube clip from the line brawl at the end of the game. If you haven't, well, there it is.

Another season has begun....

2006-10-26T21:32:00.000-05:00

The 2006-2007 CHL Regular Season has begun, and the Bucks have some defending to do this season. The Bucks looked strong beginning in the 2nd at Corpus Christi this past Saturday. They played much better than I expected them to for the season opener in Corpus. The Bucks' main weakness was allowing Rayz players to enter the defensive zone almost unopposed.

Listening to the Bucks/Mudbugs game tonight, I don't know if all those PP goals could have been stopped or the defense is just playing horrible. With so many penalties, you can't argue against the fact that the Bucks have taken some worthless penalties. Tyler Lawson seems especially vunerable to the unnecessary penalty bug; he has 4 minors in the game. So far, it seems like the Bucks PK needs some work.

And the Mudbugs just scored their first even-strength goal of the game. Down 5-2 with about 9 left, I'd say this game is about over. I can't see how Bossier can somehow lose this game with everything going their way.

Bucks up 3-0

2006-05-04T17:05:00.000-05:00

The Bucks took game 3 2-1 in OT in Bossier City. Jeff Bes slammed home a rebound early in OT from an initial shot by Brent Cullaton to win it for the Bucks. Griffith scored his first pro goal at a perfect time, as he tied the game on a shot over Carroll's glove during the third period. Grumet-Morris continued his excellent play in net, allowing one goal against a Mudbugs team whose scoring has been shut down. PK had another excellent night, turning aside all 9 PP chances for the Bugs. The Bucks need to continue dominating to prevent the Mudbugs from getting any chance to get back in this series. The Bucks now need one more win to claim their second championship in 3 years, and to kick the *.

Fort Worth Gone...

2006-05-04T16:54:00.000-05:00

Fort Worth has been granted by the CHL a suspension for the 06-07 season. The way things looked in Ft. Worth (got no cooperation from city officials for a lease on a bldg.), they might not be back in 07-08, either. The Brahamas' average attendance for this season was 3,801, down 4,601 from the year before. Team officials said Ft. Worth's new NBDL team took up prime weekend dates the past season, causing attendance to lower by exactly 800 in one year. The Brahmas and City of Ft Worth were unable to agree on a contract to lease two buildings in Ft. Worth. If I had to choose which team has the highest possibility to fold next, I'd say the Ice Bats. The Ice Bats, who also couldn't agree on a contract with the city for a lease on the Travis County Expo. Center, will be moving to the Chapparal Ice Center next year. The Ice Bats were forced to play in the Chap for two games three years ago in the Southern Conference Finals against the Bucks. The Chap seated 1,050 in both games. I don't think an arena that seats less than than 1,750 is going to cut it. And that's if the remodeling the Chap is undergoing finishes before the start of the season.

Bucks take Game 1 & 2

2006-04-30T11:31:00.000-05:00

After dismantling Wichita and Colorado, I thought the Mudbugs would play stronger, better, and with more confidence than I saw in games one and two. The Bugs special teams wasn't very impressive in both games, while the Bucks PP and PK have excelled. The Bucks have played the best all season in these two games (even if Hiebert did terrible in Gm 1), and the goaltending has stood strong. The all-powerful Cacciola gave up 4 goals in game one and the much-experienced Carroll gave up 2 for a loss in Game 2. It's no surprise Bossier is arguing the Elbowing penalty that gave the Bucks a 5-3 PP to tie it up at one, but we all know goalies are always protected the most by the refs (and yes, he did elbow Lemanowicz). The Bucks deflated the Bugs after scoring in 49 seconds in Game 1, but the Bugs answered back with a early goal just 18 seconds in game 2. The Bucks were able to come back after an early goal to win the game, something the Mudbugs couldn't do.

I'm not counting anything early, but this did cross my mind: For those (including me) that aren't going to Bossier, yesterday's game could be the last one seen in person for the season. The series is far from over, but it's just something that I'm sure crossed many minds.

Predictions for Finals

2006-04-30T11:30:00.000-05:00

As posted on Greg Rajan's Blog comment box before the start of the series, the Bucks will take this one in 6 games. The Bucks will win Game 1 & 2, take one in B-S, and come back to win game 6.

Bucks take care of Jacks

2006-04-30T11:28:00.000-05:00

As predicted, the Bucks took care of the Jackalopes easily. The Jacks were too slow and didn't have the fire the Bucks and the Killer Bees did. The award-winning Gorman was a non-factor in the series. After he played in game 5, I wouldn't doubt Dolson being the #1 goaltender for the Jacks next year.

Bucks/Jackalopes Preview

2006-04-13T09:06:00.000-05:00

It's on to Round 2, and I think the Bucks will have an easier time against Odessa than RGV. The regular season record shouldn't tell the story of Odessa and RGV; I think the Bees are a better team than Odessa. The Bucks have a better team on all aspects, and should take this one easily.
After seeing how the Bucks played against the tough Killer Bees, I'm leaning torwards Bucks in 5, but I'm sticking with my original picks from two weeks ago(below).

Conference Finals

Eagles over Mudbugs in 6 games
I think the Mudbugs are a great postseason team, but Colorado should have an edge in the series. Look for Bossier losing several one goal games.

Bucks over Jacks in 6 games
Bucks continue to have the Jacks number. I think Gorman is overrated; the Jacks offense is above average but they also have defensive breakdowns.

Bucks game-by-game

Game 1: Bucks 5, Jacks 1
Game 2: Bucks 3, Jacks 2
Game 3: Jacks 3, Bucks 1
Game 4: Jacks 2, Bucks 1 OT
Game 5: Bucks 5, Jacks 2
Game 6: Bucks 3, Jacks 1

Bucks up 2-0

2006-04-03T16:55:00.000-05:00

I was surprised at the Killer Bees play on Friday. That was clearly the best of the Bees I have ever seen them in Laredo. The Bucks are just clearly the better team, and that really showed in game 1. I still expect the Bees to win one at home, just as I stated in a previous post. Dov Grumet-Morris was outstanding on Friday, Lemanowicz just as good on Saturday. Bucks offense finally came alive in the past two games. The Bucks gave an effort throughout all three periods, which was a big fault throughout the season.

My First Round Picks...

2006-03-29T21:03:00.000-06:00

Northern Conference
Eagles over Blazers in 6 games
Mudbugs over Thunder in 7 games

Southern Conference
Bucks over Bees in 5 games
Jacks over Gorillas in 6 games

Hiebert gone for 5 games

2006-03-24T17:10:00.000-06:00

The ruling is out, and James Hiebert has been suspended for a charging penalty by the league for 5 games. Even though I didn't see the play, I wouldn't consider this a surprise. Since Hiebert just came off a 3 game suspension, a 5 game suspension seems to be what the CHL would give out for a Charging misconduct.

Ruskowski Coach of the Year

2006-03-24T17:09:00.000-06:00

Terry Ruskowski was honored to be CHL Coach of the Year earlier this week. This is the first time he receives the award.

Dube Most Outstanding Defensemen

2006-03-24T16:50:00.000-06:00

Serge Dube gets recognition for his great play, being the second Buck in 4 years to be named Most Outstanding Defensemen.

Dube, Grumet-Morris, Rivet on All-CHL teams

2006-03-20T17:34:00.000-06:00

Defensemen Serge Dube and rookies Dov Grumet-Morris and Adam Rivet have been voted into All-CHL teams.
All-CHL team: Serge Dube, currently on call-up with the Rampage, has had by far his best season with the Bucks, scoring 13 goals and 39 assists and a +56 rating in 49 games this season.

All-CHL Rookie team: Goaltender Dov Grumet-Morris, assigned by the Rampage earlier this year, has had a spectacular season, giving up only an average of 2.04 goals per game. Defensemen Adam Rivet is 16-22 (39 points) this season, and has a fantastic league-leading +39 rating.

Bucks 3-0 for weekend

2006-03-19T21:27:00.000-06:00

The Bucks went a perfect 3-0 during the weekend. Commentary on each game:

Friday vs. Memphis-
Game wasn't that exciting. Both teams were flat, but the Bucks scored on opportunities. Finally, there were fights at the LEC.

Saturday @ Austin-
Couldn't listen to Dominey's broadcast. Hiebert has a goal and three assists on his first day back after his suspension, and Chris Grenville had a hat trick. Bucks score three goals in under thirty seconds. Matt Barnes (Bats) rattled for six goals against.

Sunday vs. Corpus-
Corpus strikes first, but two goals by Grenville really helps the team out. Corpus scored late in the first to even the score at two after 20. No score in a slow second period, but Dov Grumet-Morris had a couple of spectacular saves in the second. The Bucks shut the door on Corpus in the third, with Kouba scoring a couple, Bes scoring one, and Grenville scores his third of the game for another hat trick. Grumet-Morris holds the Rayz to two goals, while Scott Reid gives up five to the Bucks.

Weekend Outstanding Performance- Chris Grenville. Six goals in two games? That's crazy!

Rayz Player Out for Career

2006-03-16T14:15:00.000-06:00

For more...
http://www.caller.com/ccct/rayz/article/0,1641,CCCT_11578_4546106,00.html

For the Boxscore on this game... http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/boxscore.html?gameid=194068

Bucks clinch Conference!?!

2006-03-15T17:23:00.000-06:00

With an Odessa loss last night, the Bucks should have clinched the southern conference (I think). Both teams have 6 games remaining, which totals to a maximum of 12 points. Since the Bucks are 12 points ahead of Odessa and own the tiebreaker, that should mathematically make them conference champions...

Just a few games left

2006-03-15T17:22:00.000-06:00

With the regular season winding down, it's amazing how fast the season has gone. The Governor's Cup race between Laredo and Colorado should be great to the finish.

Finally...A return to the blog!

2006-03-15T17:09:00.000-06:00

I'm not abandoning this blog...the best of the season hasn't even started.

2005-12-29T09:02:00.000-06:00

The Bucks played well in a 4-2 win vs. Corpus last night in Laredo. The ref's play calling was a little shaking, but putting that aside, it was the best game in Laredo in a while. The Bucks stepped up their play and skated well. It took a while to get passes on the mark, but Arcand-Kootenay's 3rd period goal was simply great. You must compliment Adam Davis for providing such a terrific feed for Arcand-Kootenay, who was patiently waiting on the edge of the right crossbar (view from opposite side of the arena). Brent Zelenewich had no chance on that play.

Bucks drop two games against the Bees

2005-12-19T10:33:00.000-06:00

I wasn't at either game, nor was I able to listen to them, so I really cannot comment on the games. Two one goal games losses are hard to swallow, so I'm hoping for a positive response for the Austin game this Friday. The Bucks need to figure out how to beat the Bees; it's not like they play them once or twice every season. The Bucks are 3-3-2 against the Bees.

Bucks take down Austin

2005-12-19T10:27:00.001-06:00

The Bucks took down the Bats 5-2 in Laredo in front of a season low (and maybe a franchise low) 4,909 fans. It was another slow game, but it seemed like Barnes only felt like playing at some points in the game. He let by goals that would have been stopped by any other goalie, but then made some spectacular saves. All in all, Austin just isn't the team it was in the Bucks inaugural season.

Bucks take down Austin

2005-12-19T10:27:00.000-06:00

CC Rayz: Reid Recalled by Milwaukee Admirals

2005-12-14T17:06:00.000-06:00

The Nashville Predators announced today that they have recalled goaltender Pekka Rinne from the Milwaukee Admirals (AHL). To replace his spot on the roster, the Milwaukee Admirals announced they have recalled goaltender Scott Reid of the Corpus Christi Rayz of the CHL. The Admirals are the Predators primary AHL affiliate, while the Rayz are not affiliated with the Admirals or the Predators. Scott Reid has compiled a record of 7-8-1 with a 2.33 GAA and a .917 SVPCT in 16 games.

It looks like Zelenewich might have some decent playing time this weekend. After Zelenewich played 34 games last season (rotating with Josh Blackburn), he has only been on the ice 4 times this season (out of 20 games), putting him on pace to play onlyabout 13 games this year. The Rayz play the Bees once and the Ice Bats twice through this coming Saturday.

Bucks lose to RGV

2005-12-12T17:15:00.000-06:00

The Bucks dug themselves in a hole during the second period that they wouldn't be able to get out of. The Bucks allowed three straight goals to Bencharski in the second. Although the Bucks scored 3 goals of their own within a little more than a minute in the third, a turnover to Billy Newson cost them the game.
Grumet-Morris obviously hasn't been playing up to par in his last two games. First 7 goals to Lubbock, then 4 to the Bees? His numbers have skyrocketed up after these two games. I wonder if he was just on a hot streak or if this is a cold streak. If Grumet-Morris continues to play like this, I would expect to see Ruskowski put Lemanowicz as the number 1 goalie.

Finally, the Rampage have a perfect weekend and go 3-0!

Bucks take a slow rematch 2-0

2005-12-11T20:05:00.000-06:00

The Bucks beat the Lubbock Cotton Kings 2-0 in Laredo yesterday night. It wasn't such a wild ride as last night. Throughout the game, both teams were flat, with the Bucks only showing up in the 3rd period. However, you must give credit to David Lemanowicz (1.01 GAA, .967 SV PCT); he stopped every shot he faced to get his second shutout of the season.

Bucks lose to C'Kings...Rematch tonight in Laredo

2005-12-10T12:29:00.000-06:00

The Bucks lost their second Friday game in a row, this time to Lubbock. I don't see Grumet-Morris giving up seven goals in one game, so I think this was probably a repeat of the Amarillo game in the beginning of the season. Looks like no one wanted to take control of the game. Tonight there should be a lot less scoring. My prediction, BUCKS 5, Lubbock 2.

Lance Monych gone...

2005-12-05T17:30:00.000-06:00

SA recalled Lance Monych after only 3 games with the Bucks. He posted 4 Goals, 0 PIM, 19 Shots (.211 shot/goal percentage). I thought he was Cullaton's replacement sent down by the Rampage.

I hope Dion Hyman enjoyed his one game in Corpus, since he has already been placed on the Corpus team suspended list. I wonder what happened....he's a great defensemen on the ice.

Bucks go 1-1 through the weekend

2005-12-05T17:26:00.000-06:00

The Bucks had a great game and a great win against the Mudbugs in Laredo Saturday night. Grumet-Morris now is 2-0 (4-0 overall) against the high-and-mighty Northern Conference, not to mention a 1.23 GAA and .950 save percentage.
The Bucks should have gotten a win against the Jackalopes. It looks like the offense wasn't clicking. It should be easier to get more than 2 goals on Mike Gorman.

Bucks up 2-1 on Wichita in 3rd

2005-11-26T21:46:00.000-06:00

Wichita took an early lead, but the Bucks are currently up 2-1 after a goal by Kouba 17 seconds in the 3rd and a perfect setup by Kouba to Bes 10:16 in the third. A Bucks win here will prove to all that they are truly a great team.

Wins vs. Southwest teams

2005-11-26T21:38:00.000-06:00

Seemed like two terrific performances by the Bucks to claim two wins in between Thanksgiving Day. Two shutouts in a row gives a hint that hopefully the Bucks finally have their goalie situation in order. Being honest, the Bucks needed to waive Chad Davis and Nathan Grobins. Although Michael Dilorenzo was playing good, it doesn't seem that he has the experience that matches that of Grumet-Morris, his replacement. Dilorenzo should get a decent backup job at the least on another team.
The Bucks took a commanding win in Lubbock on Wednesday 4-0, and then another win against a southwest team, Odessa 3-0 in Laredo. The Bucks took a tough call by the ref and a bad break, after Warschaw lost sight of the puck once and the puck was kicked in by mistake another time-- all in the second period.
League-leading Wichita is up next Saturday night in Laredo...Wichita won 5-3 Friday night against the Valley.

Bucks get new goalie

2005-11-21T18:55:00.000-06:00

3 strong performances by Michael Dilorenzo (3-0-1), couldn't keep him on the roster. The Harvard grad, Dov Grumet-Morris was assigned by the Rampage earlier today and replaced Dilorenzo. Grumet-Morris appeared in one Rampage game a while back, giving up 7 goals in a loss to the Iowa Stars.

Colorado tonight!

2005-11-12T14:41:00.000-06:00

The Bucks will once again battle with the Eagles tonight here in Laredo. The Bucks lost their season opener to Colorado on October 21 by the score of 2-4. Looks like a great game.

Bucks top Austin, Amarillo

2005-11-12T14:08:00.000-06:00

Two great performances by the Bucks fueled the team to be once again over .500. Dilorenzo, who was signed by the Bucks and replaced Chad Davis, had an outstanding outing, stopping 31 of 33 shots for his first win of the year. Hiebert had a goal and two assists while Cullaton tabbed a goal and an assist.
On Friday, Cullaton was called up by San Antonio (AHL) and the Bucks activated Jeff Bes from the IR.
An Amarillo comeback in the 4th quarter down 5-3 sent the game to a shootout. Ladislav Kouba and Jeff Bes scored during the shootout to give the Bucks another win. Nathan Grobins was outstanding in the shootout, allowing one goal on five attempts. James Hiebert had another great game, scoring a pair of goals and one assist. Hiebert currently leads the league in the 3 stars of the game stats, with 20 points (4 1st star). Jeff Bes also did great on his first game of the season, scoring two goals and two assists, including the game winning shootout goal.

Bucks up on Memphis 6-3

2005-11-06T08:59:00.000-06:00

Another Great Game!

The Bucks really opened up on the scoring...5 even strength goals and 1 empty net goal. Steve Simones proved me wrong, he played great in this game; hopefully he can keep it up (+4 in last 2 games). Grobins must have had a block against Parsons...3 goals? Don Parsons and St. Vincent practically put their team on their back the whole game, but the Bucks were just too much tonight.
The Bucks beat the Riverkings on all aspects, goals, fights, and Memphis was outskated. Hiebert continues to te, and Cullaton picks up his usual 2 assists. Serge Dube also helped out on 3 goals. Arcand-Kootenay had a 2 goal game, his first in the pros.
Nathan Grobins played yet another excellent game. Though he gave up 3 goals on 20 shots, he came up big when necessary. I don't know what the ref was thinking when he gave Grobins that Delay of Game call, he was clearly inside the box behind the net.
The Bucks still need a little work on the PK, they let Memphis score 2 goals on the PP.
I was surprised while checking the gamesheet on pointstreak...only 5,311 in attendance? It sure seemed like more (and sounded like more).
Whoever is the new PA announcer, please tell him how to pronounce Agarunov.

Bucks top Bees 4-2

2005-11-05T16:28:00.000-06:00

Looked like a great game!
Hiebert is on fire...another 2 goals and one assist gave him the honors of the #1 star of the game (2 #1 s in the last 3 games). Grenville got a goal and an assist and Cullaton picked up two assists. I can't leave out Grobins...24 saves on 26 shots!
The Bucks gave up 2 goals on 6 chances on the penalty kill (PK also scored a shorthanded goal), but scored 2 goals on 7 chances on the powerplay.

Benson again has to watch what he's doing. With 2 fights, one more major penalty and he's automatically suspended for at least one game.

Tonight here at the LEC against the Riverkings should be a good one. My prediction: 5-3 Bucks.

Oklahoma City Hornets (NBA)

2005-11-01T16:48:00.000-06:00

I wonder if the CHL schedule might be affected if there is a conflict of dates with the Hornets and the Blazers. They both play at the Ford Center; there is bound to be a problem, since the CHL uses almost every weekend during the hockey season.

Welcome Back, Steve Simones

2005-11-01T16:44:00.000-06:00

It is reported that Steve Simones has been signed and will return with the Bucks for this season. Welcome Back.

Comments

2005-10-31T18:14:00.000-06:00

As always, comments are welcome from readers. I want to hear your point of view.

Steve Simones?

2005-10-31T18:06:00.000-06:00

Rumors have it that Stevie Simones might come back to Laredo after being waived from an ECHL team. Steve Simones is a great player who plays with a lot of heart, but I don't know if the Bucks really need him right now. He had a great 2004 playoffs with the championship team, but his scoring production really decreased last year. It may be partly because of his injuries that were bugging him for most of the season. The Bucks can't either take another injured player on their roster.

Bucks are 1-4?

2005-10-31T18:02:00.000-06:00

After losing their first 3 games, the Bucks bounced back at home to defeat the Rayz yet again in Laredo by the score of 3-2. Their rebound after 3 tough losses was short lived, as the Bucks dropped another one in Hidalgo to go 1-4 in October. Last year, the Bucks went 2-3 in October and 5-0 two years ago.

The CHL toughening up the rule calling is already getting on my nerves. The sport is hockey, not basketball! The Bucks MUST improve on the penalty kill and cannot take any more stupid penalties to stay in games.

New Blog

2005-03-25T12:43:00.000-06:00

Here's the first and only blog on the Laredo Bucks. There are quite some message boards, though.

CHL Playoffs

2005-03-25T10:43:00.000-06:00

The Wichita Thunder were shutout by Ken Carroll of the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs last night. To me, it was not a surprise, Bossier always plays its A game in the playoffs.

The C'Kings outplayed Amarillo 3-1 in Lubbock. The C'Kings played their backup goalie, I guess the're saving Lance Leslie for the remainder of this three game stretch. Game two is in Lubbock tonight and Game three is tomorrow at the CC in Amarillo.