CROSTON LIFTS BEES TO SUDDEN VICTORY

Rio Grande Valley wins second straight game

HIDALGO, Texas – It all came down to Anthony Croston (Phoenix, Ariz.). With the result of the game weighing on his shoulders the Rio Grande Valley forward delivered when it mattered most, scoring on the final attempt in a shootout Tuesday at the State Farm Arena against the Odessa Jackalopes to lift the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees to a 2-1 victory.

After a scoreless overtime session and nine failed shot attempts in the shootout, a confident and focused Croston picked up the puck at center ice, skated in down the left wing and scored on a stick side shot that a beaten goaltender Eric Hancock never had a chance to stop.

“It was his bread and butter [move],” Killer Bees head coach Joe Coombs said of Croston’s shootout game-winner while noting his recent success in shootouts. “I thought it was a fantastic goal.”

A 1994-born forward, Croston has registered 10 goals and 15 assists (25 points) in 45 games with the Bees this season. He is also plus-13 on the year.

Nearly 50 minutes of hockey were played Tuesday before Odessa’s Matt Beranek gave his team the lead midway through the third period on a shot from the slot that was set up by Jake Kreutzer, who wrapped around the cage.

Beranek’s goal was the lone blemish on RGV goalie Olli Kalkaja’s (Oulu, Finland) night. He made 21 saves on 22 shots in 65 minutes of work before stopping all five shooters in the shootout. With the win, Kalkaja improved his season record to 14-6-6.

The Bees evened the score with 4:14 remaining in the third period when Ben Greiner (Newport Beach, Calif.) scored his team-leading 17th goal of the season during a 3-on-3 rush into the Odessa zone. R.J. Burns (Pearl River, N.Y.) and Sean Mostrom (Wayzata, Minn.) picked up the assists on Greiner’s equalizer.

Hancock was saddled with the loss in spite of making 29 saves on 30 shots and stopping four of five shooters in the shootout.

Neither team scored on the power play. Odessa failed in its only man-advantage of the game while Rio Grande Valley went 0-for-2 in its power play opportunities.

The win was the Bees’ second in a row, and it allowed them to climb into a second place tie in the South Division with the Topeka RoadRunners.

The Killer Bees (24-14-7) will try to sweep the Jackalopes Wednesday. Faceoff is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. at the State Farm Arena. To purchase tickets for Wednesday’s game, visit www.ticketmaster.com or the State Farm Arena Box Office. For more information, contact the Killer Bees at (956) 843-5651 or email info@killerbeeshockey.com.

KillerBeesHockey.com