Sudden Death
Suspense
Mudbugs beat Bucks 2-1 in game four OT thriller; take commanding
series 3-1 lead.
04.24.04 -- Bossier City, LA, - The Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs took control
of the 2004 CHL President's Cup Finals with a 2-1 overtime victory in
game four before 7,285 fans at the CenturyTel Center.
In game
three, forward Forbes MacPherson was the hero as he scored the only goal in
a 1-0 win, and in game four he potted the overtime winner 58 seconds in to
give Bossier-Shreveport a three games to one lead in the best of seven series.
For the
sixth straight game in the playoffs the Mudbugs struck first. Defenseman Jim
Sprott scored on a wrist shot for a power play tally at 13:40 to give Bossier-Shreveport
a 1-0 lead.
In the
second period the Bucks kicked it into high gear and came out firing. Mudbugs
goalie Ken Carroll was terrific, but at 6:35 Bucks defenseman Steve Weidlich
swooped up the loose puck then stick handled down behind the net and wrapped
it around the near post and into the cage to get Laredo on the board and tie
the game at one.
The goal,
the second of the playoffs for Weidlich, ended a 101-minute scoreless drought
for Laredo that dated back to Game Two. The Bucks out shot the Bugs 13-5 in
the period.
In the
third period Laredo goalie Marco Emond made two huge saves on Mudbugs forward
Chris Brassard with less than six minutes to go to keep the game tied. Late
in regulation the Bucks got some chances, including captain Brent Cullaton
alone in front with 20 seconds to go, but Carroll turned Laredo aside to force
sudden death.
In overtime
the Mudbugs capitalized quickly as defenseman Travis Bell teed up a shot from
the point that Emond stopped, but MacPherson was there to jam in the rebound
58 seconds into sudden death for the win.
Carroll
stopped 34 of 35 shots to improve to 9-3. Carroll has recorded a .960 save
percentage in the Finals. Emond played well; allowing just two goals on 20
shots, but for the second straight night suffered a hard luck loss.
