The Colorado Bucks earned their first win in franchise history in a hard-fought battle with Lima’s Ohio Extreme. Lima also set new team records in the tough loss, their first in front of a raucous home crowd. 

Bucks Earn First Win of the Season

The Bucks were led on defense by goalkeeper Brando Bustos, who played a great game in the net while showcasing his downfield passing talent throughout the contest. Colorado was solid in front of Bustos, with Ben Gaido and Co-Captain Miguel Avilas flying all over the Apex Sports Zone. Forward Nasr Ali Abid did a lot to help keep possession with his team.

On offense, Colorado was led by midfielder Bryan Vazquez, who had a hat trick. Joshua Thompson contributed on the offensive end as well. Overall, it was a great team game for the Bucks, with several players pitching in on the nine-goal effort. 

Extreme Have a Lot to be Excited About

The Ohio Extreme needn’t hang their heads after their first-ever home opener. This team played hard throughout the game and held more possession of the ball than in previous weeks. The game was tight in the first half, with Colorado taking the first lead before Lima tied things up. 

Things would open up in the second half, with the Bucks taking advantage of any mistakes made by the Extreme on defense. Both keepers played well for the Extreme. Phil Klemen got the start and had some amazing sequences in goal. Zach Johnson played well and luckily seemed to avoid an injury during a second-period collision. 

Lima set some franchise records in front of their first home crowd. The Extreme scored four goals, twice their previous record. Forward Ian Richey etched his name in franchise history books with the first two-goal performance. His father, Steve Richey, scored the first goal in team history. 

The Extreme were the benefactors of several power plays in this physical contest. Every quarter after the first began with Ohio on the power play.  They’ll need to work on cashing in these opportunities to acquire the next piece of franchise history, their first MLIS win. 

What’s Next in MLIS?

The Extreme travel north to take on their in-state rivals, the Cleveland Crunch, on January 27th. The Bucks’ next game will be at home vs. the Omaha Kings.