High1 gets second victory, Bucks take one in overtime

The Bucks and High1 faced off Tuesday and Wednesday night for back to back games. Both teams hadn't been having great success so they were both looking for a silver lining and both managed to get it.

Tuesday

After a days rest, the Icebucks were back playing again. They got things started quickly in the first as only 41 seconds in, number 41 Bembridge scored. A few minutes later Dong-hwan Song scored for High1 tying it up. Both teams took a penalty in the first but neither team was able to capitalize.
In the second Tonosaki scored for the Bucks giving them the lead again, but again a few minutes later Barney scored for High1 tying it back up. Mid-way through the second Swift got the puck from Barney while short-handed and gave High1 its first lead of the game.

High1 held the lead until early in the third period when Ueno scored for the Bucks, also while short-handed. Neither team had a powerplay goal, but both scored short-handed. Neither team was able to score during the remainder of the third period which took them to overtime.

Overtime solved nothing, despite 5 shots apiece, and they had to go to a shoot-out. Bembridge scored for the Bucks in the final round giving them a 4-3 victory. The Bucks outshot High1 53 to 45 making it the highest shot output of their road trip to Korea. The two points would also assure the Bucks that they would not leave Korea without getting any points after

Bembridge had a goal and 2 assists for the Bucks while Swift also had a goal and 2 assists for High1.

Wednesday

After their loss Tuesday night, High1 was hoping to get some points on Wednesday night. Michael Swift got just about all of them.
High1 started very quickly in the first and just kept coming. Barney started the scoring at 1:13 and Yu-won Lee scored again at 4:48 of the first, the only goal Swift didn't get involved in. Presumably because he was stretching for the show he was about to put on. Swift scored 33 seconds later. Then again at 9:28 of the first and after only 13:12 into the game he'd already completed the hat trick. At some point during all of this the Bucks called a time out but it did little to stop the bleeding. High1 was faster, all over the puck and the Bucks couldn't get any kind of sustained pressure. Late in the first the Bucks showed a glimmer of life when Ohmachi scored. Bringing the score to 5-1. Both teams made it through the first without taking a penalty.

In the second there was some minor controversy over a scramble in front of the High1 net. As bodies flew, and players hacked at the puck, with the High1 goalie down and out, the whistle was blown moments before a Bucks player shot it in the net. It is unclear as to why the whistle was blown. Young, for High1, received a penalty for cross-checking but the puck was completely untouched by High1 players between the time the cross-check happened and the puck found its way into the net. Not just untouched there was a large and clear exclusion zone around the puck. The Bucks coach questioned the referee as to why he blew the whistle but there seems to be no good reason for this. The net was firmly only its pegs, and any interference with the goalie was completely of High1's own doing. The Bucks were unable to convert the powerplay and surely these kinds of calls take the wind out of a team. Swift scored at the 34 minute mark with his fourth goal of the night putting High1 up 6-1. Ueno brought them back a little closer A few minutes later with a goal of his own.
Photo: The stick on the left is a Buck stick entering the play

Midway through the third Barney scored his second of the night putting High1 up 7-2 more or less dashing even the remotest hopes for a comeback. Late in the third a hard hit along the boards resulted in a minor scuffle that saw a Bucks player come in very late to the party. The hit did not generate a penalty call, but Bembridge took exception to the hit and cruised in from mid-way across the ice to attack Sun-il Suh. After a short tussle on the ice, they were both given double minors for roughing, Asia League code for a fight. At some point the referees really must start giving out instigator or additional penalties when it is absolutely clear that one player has made a distinct effort to start an incident. A late powerplay goal by the Bucks did little to console them as they lost 7-3.

Swift scored 4 goals and had 2 assists having a hand in all but the second goal, this catapulted him up the points ranking, almost doubling his points total on the season. Barney had 2 goals and 3 assists while Dong-hwan Song put together 3 assists. Bonk had 3 assists for the Bucks.

 

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