LAREDO, Texas – The Laredo Bucks had a season that saw them looking through the windscreen at the Texas Brahmas and only belatedly in the rearview mirror at the hard charging Killer Bees. All season was a blur of teams passing the Bucks.
So the post season started with a bang and a reminder of Bucks’ teams of the recent past. A quick start gave the Bucks a 2-0 series lead and the Jackalopes seemed out of the series.
Odessa has changed the landscape of the CHL by moving into the upper tier of the CHL and leaving their brethren behind in the lower echelons.
Game six on Tuesday night in Laredo may have put the finishing touches on the Jacks future. Trailing 3-2 with seconds remaining in the game goalie Juha Toivonen was pulled for an extra attacker.
With 34 seconds left in regulation, Dominic Leveille picked up his second goal of the game and the marker to force overtime. The goal came as a dagger to the heart of the Bucks who were counting on a seventh game in this series.
But with less than six minutes gone in the first overtime session, Ross Moyer twisted the dagger and left it in as his goal pushed the Jacks into the Conference Finals against the Texas Brahmas.
For his two goals Leveille picked up the first star of the game and Thinel, Sebastien was named the second star with his four assists on the night.
Sebastien Centomo took the loss again for the Bucks with 33 saves on 37 shots. Centomo was solid in net all series but needed support on the back lines as well as from the offense. Laredo was 0 for 3 on the power play Tuesday night.
Toivonen was once again steady in net in making 22 saves on 25 shots.
The Jacks are now looking to out duel the Brahmas in the conference finals and move on to the CHL Finals.
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