LAREDO, Texas –It would take four hours and forty three minutes of hockey, but at the final red light, the Odessa Jackalopes would have what they wanted – a best of three series for the Southern Conference semi-finals. The Jacks have the opportunity to win the first game in Odessa on Saturday. The Jacks’ fans can thank their League MVP Sebastien Thinel for the opportunity, as he tipped in a Jared Bourasa slap shot seven minutes into the second overtime to lift Odessa to the win and knot the series at 2 games apiece. Odessa has won two straight games in Laredo, a feat the Bucks fans have never seen before. The Jackalopes drew first blood in the extended battle as Brian Swiniarski sent a bullet from the right corner seven minutes into the game. It was Swiniarski’s first tally of the playoffs. A minute later, Laredo would answer with a backhander from Fergus, Ontario native Shawn Snider on a breakaway pass from James Hiebert. It was Snider’s second goal of the playoff series. Laredo would take the lead at 13:53 of the first when, skating 4 on 5, as Adam Rivet sent a shot from left point on an assist from Brent Cullaton. It was Rivet’s first goal of the series. As the first period was winding down, Odessa found their missing powerplay. Only three second after Bucks forward Darryl Smith was called for boarding, Odessa’s Russ Moyer would score from the faceoff on a shot from the point assisted by Paul Kelly at 18:57. Odessa had gone 0-18 on powerplay chances in the series before Moyer’s tally. Tempers flared in the second with Odessa’s Kenny Benard gathering an unsportmanlike conduct call 2 minutes into the period. Midway through, at 11:39, Laredo’s James Hiebert and Odessa’s Garret Gruenke would drop the gloves and enjoy the game from a different seating arrangement for a while. With 6:21 left in the second period, the Buck’s Bobby Russell picked up his second playoff goal with a pass on string from Darryl Smith on the right side of the crease. The game was knotted a 3-3. Neither team could find the twine in the third period, nor the first overtime period, which included a 4-3 powerplay chance for the Bucks. Shots on goal were fairly even, but tilted toward Odessa 44-41. Odessa’s Juha Toivonen turned away 38 of 41 shots. The Buck’s netminders split time in net with Andrew Martin stopping 25 of 28, and Sebastian Centomo 15 of 16 after commanding the crease after 8:13 of the third period. On Saturday night the two teams will find out who takes the series lead before an Odessa home crowd.
Contact rushe.hudson@prohockeynews.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment.