02/27/11

We came off a really big weekend with two wins against Odessa and Allen and then we played at home on Monday against Wichita and had a good game; we played really well and ended up winning 4-1 and then the next day we got on the bus to go to Wichita.

On the bus ride, I found out I was suspended, so that wasn't good news - it would have been nice to know before I got on the bus. But it was alright; it was alright to be there. It was a pretty ugly game up there. We started off really well, went up 4-0, then 5-1 and then just kind of didn't play well and they battled back and you know, it was big for us to come out of there with two points.

At the end of the day it wasn't the prettiest game for us but we got two points on the road and that's what we were trying to do.

We headed back to Texas to play in Allen on Friday night. I thought we played really well but we came up short. We had a couple of chances but we just didn't bury them late in the game and came up a little short, but I thought we played really well. That game could have gone either way. Allen's a very good team but we're sticking right there with them. We've just got to find a way to beat them.

A very busy week continued for us as we got on the bus to Bossier City and played the pink ice game there - probably the worst ice we've played on all year long. It was like playing with a bouncy ball out there, but again we got the job done. It was a sloppy game both ways but we got the job done with a 5-3 victory over there.

We got right back on the bus to play a 4:00 pm game against Bloomington; a team we've never seen before. I thought we came out very strong. We were all over them and we took the 1-0 lead and we got some chances and for some reason, just couldn't put the puck in the back of the net and then it turned around and they got a couple goals on a couple of breaks and we just couldn't find our way back. It was a game that I thought we could have really changed the momentum early if we would have buried a couple more of those opportunities.

You know, it happens. We've played a lot of hockey recently and our goalie played really well and made some big saves...so now we've got to get some rest and get back on the bus tomorrow to go to Odessa (laughing).

It's tough - it's life in the minors, I guess. I mean there are a lot of guys that are sore and beat up with little injuries. We've got to take our day off tomorrow and re-focus and try to get a big win on Tuesday.

We've got to take our days off and be smart and really take care of our bodies at a time like this because we play Tuesday and then have a couple of days off and then we're back into four games in five nights again with Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday, so there's really no time to be messing around right now. We've got to stay focused and try to take care of our bodies the best we can.

Sgroi granted leave by league

Brahmas forward Mike Sgroi has been granted leave by the league according to Pointstreak. Don't fret, Big Mike will be back! Personal matters need some attending to, according to GM Mike Barack.

Photo Credit: Robert Keith

Brahmas sign former Notre Dame defenseman Brett Blatchford

Won three National Championships with Texas Tornado

The Texas Brahmas have signed former Texas Tornado great, Brett Blatchford to the roster according to Pointstreak. He is expected to be on the ice for Friday night's game in Allen.

Originally from Temperance, Michigan, Blatchford moved to Frisco in 2003 to play hockey for the Tornado, where he played defense and served as team captain during their three National Championship seasons (2003-06). He still holds the all-time record for assists by a Tornado player.

In 2006, Blatchford was named to the North American Hockey League first team and was also honored with the NAHL Academic Achievement Award.

He earned a scholarship to play hockey at the University of Notre Dame and graduated last May with degrees in psychology and sociology from the College of Arts and Letters.

Blatchford played in 153 career games with the Irish and tallied 73 points (6 G, 67 A, +11) and 101 penalty minutes. His best season came in 2008-09 when he had a career-high 25 assists with no goals for 25 points.

During his time at Notre Dame, the Fighting Irish won two Central Collegiate Hockey Association titles and competed in the NCAA Division I National Championship game.

During his senior season, Blatchford was awarded with the Charles "Lefty" Smith Coaches Award. The award is presented to the unsung hero of the hockey program, a player who is unheralded, has overcome adversity and shows loyalty and commitment to his teammates, Notre Dame hockey and the University of Notre Dame.

Blatchford finished the 2009-10 season playing professionally for the Chicago Wolves (AHL) and the Idaho Steelheads (ECHL). He signed with Toledo Walleye for the 2010-11 season and appeared in three games, collecting one assist before he was released in October. Blatchford returned to Frisco and has been working with the Texas Tornado organization since.

Photo Credit: Daniel Mears/The Detroit News

Brassard signs with the Brahmas...at least for the weekend

Former Mudbug captain comes out of retirement to help a friend

captain Chris Well, here's something you might not have expected - Former Bossier-Shreveport MudbugsBrassard coming out of retirement to join...the Texas Brahmas?

Actually, not a complete surprise for some...including our friend Roy Lang, Jr. of the Shreveport Times who broke the story today. You can read it here.

The Toronto, Ontario native played seven seasons in Bossier City and was the Mudbugs’ leading scorer in three of those campaigns. The 6-foot, 205-pound winger known for his wicked slap shot tallied 402 points (155 G, 247 A) in 413 regular season games with the 'Bugs. Brassard is one point shy of 600 for his professional career.

Maybe he gets it as a Brahma?

Brassy will be on the ice in purple and black at the Allen Events Center for Friday night's game and will play against his old team on Saturday night at the CenturyTel Center.

Photo Credit: Robert Keith

Deitsch suspended for two games

League rules on alleged hit on Wichita's Robinson

Brahmas captain Jason Deitsch was assessed a two game suspension by the Central Hockey League due to what the league called "an illegal hit to the head" on Wichita's Matt Robinson.

The Brahmas reviewed the video of the game and believe that the evidence is inconclusive. An appeal is being lodged with the hope that the suspension will be reduced to one game, but it is doubtful the league will consider a reduction.

Deitsch will miss Wednesday night's game against Wichita and Friday night's game against Allen, both on the road.

Photo Credit: Robert Keith

Greg Hogeboom named Oakley/CHL Player of the Week

10 points tallied in three games

Well on his way to becoming one of the most productive players in Brahmas history, our own Greg Hogeboom became the first member of the 2010-11 roster to earn the Oakley/CHL Player of the Week honor.

From the CHL release:

The Central Hockey League announced today that Texas forward Greg Hogeboom has been named the Oakley Central Hockey League Player of the Week for the period ending February 20, 2011.

Hogeboom has helped the Brahmas become the hottest team in the Berry Conference winning five straight games. Last week, the Etobicoke, Ontario native had multiple-point efforts in all three Texas games totaling four goals and six assists, along with a +8 plus/minus rating.

In Tuesday’s 4-2 win at Laredo, Hogeboom assisted on a pair of goals including the game winner. He then recorded back-to-back four point nights with two goals and two assists in both Friday’s win over Odessa and Saturday’s win over Allen.

On the season, the 6-0, 190-pound forward leads the Brahmas in scoring with 62 points (25 G, 37 A) and is ranked just outside the top 10 in the league sitting in the 11th spot. His 11 power play goals are tied for third in the league.

Oakley CHL Player of the Week
Greg Hogeboom, Texas Brahmas
Position: F
(Weekly Totals)
Games Played: 3
Goals: 4
Assists: 6
Points: 10
Plus/Minus: +8

Photo Credit: Robert Keith

02/20/11

We were coming off another big weekend. We beat Tulsa and Rio Grande Valley, so we were coming off a couple of wins.

We headed to Laredo on Monday. They're struggling at the bottom of the standings, but we feel they're still a very competitive team. They're missing a couple of their really good players but they still have a lot of firepower. You can never take anyone lightly, especially this year in this conference.

So went down there and had a really good game. We won 4-2; another big win for us - another three wins in a row and then it was back on the bust to come home and get ready for a big weekend at home against Odessa and Allen.

Odessa's been struggling of late and we know Allen is a strong team. They both have a lot of firepower, so we knew it was a big weekend ahead of us. On Friday night, we played really well and beat Odessa 5-1. We had a pretty good all-around game, but we had to forget about that one and get ready for a big game against Allen on Saturday.

We hadn't beat the Americans all year and they were a team that had lost a couple of games in a row coming into our building, so we had to take advantage of that and get on them early. We did just that, with a couple goals late in the first period and then they came back with a strong power play - they scored three power play goals, but we kept battling and ended up with the win, 5-4.

It was a big win for us, to get that monkey off of our backs and get that first win against them. We play them three or four more times, so that was a big win for us. It was an all around good week for us but we can't be satisfied with that. We have another big week coming up with five games to play through next weekend, so we just need to get some rest and get ready for that.

We feel that we're confident and we can play and we can win and we can beat anybody but we also know we're going to be tired at times so we have to be aware of that and play smart and conserve a little bit of that energy heading down the stretch. We've just got to take it one game at a a time and try to win each game individually and then move on to the next one.

A special shout out to Shawn Limpright

For those who really, really dislike the Allen Americans, we salute you!

Brahmas fans - Christmas came early 5:06 into the first period of last night's game at the CenturyTel Center when Mudbugs winger Shawn Limpright re-arranged the face of Bruce Graham of the Allen Americans.

5' 11", 185 pound Limpright takes out 6' 6", 235 pound goon Graham...fantastic!

By the way, doesn't Graham remind you of Doug Niedermeyer in Animal House?

I can (and will) watch this one over and over and over...

Here's the highlight reel. Video courtesy of "panmmc" on YouTube

Here's the whole fight. Video courtesy of "EricBoulton26" on YouTube

Photo Credit: Les Stockton

02/13/11

We had another long week of practice. Actually, we had Wednesday off because some bad weather that came in. There are few guys who had some minor, nagging injuries so coach gave us the day off so we didn’t have to drive in with the bad weather.

It was back to work on Thursday and back on the bus to Tulsa. The Oilers have been a tough team for us this year, so we wanted to go in there and do whatever it took to get two points. We actually came out really strong and ended up with a 2-0 lead really early in the game which is very important for us. We played pretty well and ended up with the 3-1 victory there.

Then it was back on the bus to come home to play Rio Grande Valley, who were in Wichita, so they were traveling just as far as we were; maybe a little farther. They’re another team that’s near the bottom of the standings but every game with them is a tight game. They work really hard.

We got off to an early lead and then they came back with three goals to go up 3-1. They took it to us in the second period but we started to get some momentum back. We got a big goal on the power play late in the second and that gave us momentum going into the third. I thought in the third period, we were all over them and we ended up tying it and getting the win in overtime. It was a very big weekend for us, getting two wins.

Our new players - Muncy, Bradley and Reid - have fit in really well with the team. We have a pretty good team here and we welcome guys in. Its part of the game – guys come and go. You hate to see guys leave when they leave but its part of the business and the coaches have to do whatever they think is best for the team. Making changes sometimes is a good thing. All three of the new guys are great guys and they fit in really well.

We have a long hard stretch here heading towards the end of the season and we’re looking forward to it. We’ll get some rest and we’ll be back on the bus on Monday to go to Laredo.

Chad Woollard's first period goal breezes past Jerad Kaufmann

Brahmas defeat Killer Bees 4-3 in OT

Ihnacak tallies game-winner

Three Brahmas power play goals (!), two penalty shots, two fights (Woollard's first in two years), a Gordie Howe hat trick...what more can you ask for on a Saturday night at the NYTEX Sports Centre? Oh yeah - an overtime win is always nice!

From the Brahmas' press release (edited):

Chad Woollard, who owns arguably one of the hardest shots in the league, displayed his signature shot on the power play when he blazed the puck from the top of the point past Rio goaltender Jerad Kaufmann for a 1-0 Texas lead. The excitement in the building went up a notch as the face off at center ice became the stage for a fight between Brahmas enforcer Mike Sgroi and Bee's forward Brett Clouthier.

At the 9:17 mark, Nick Sucharski was tripped up on a breakaway leading to a penalty shot attempt; only to be stopped by Texas net minder Wayne Savage. A goal from Zak McClellan, with just over a minute remaining in the first evened the game, sending the teams to the locker rooms tied at one.

The first shot in the second period found its way to the back of the net for the Bees and a deflected shot by Tyler Lehrke in front of Savage gave the visitors a 3-1 lead.

Sgroi had an opportunity to cut the lead with a penalty shot of his own but was rejected by Kaufmann. The struggling Brahmas power play seemed to have been revived for the contest when 30 seconds into the man advantage, Greg Hogeboom netted the special teams tally for his 20th goal of the season.

Chad Woollard and Killer Bee's defenseman Kyle Radke mixed it up in front of the home bench and earned matching five minute majors for their efforts 18:24 into the middle frame.

The Brahmas had the lone goal of the third period which was also their third power play tally of the night when Greg Hogeboom went top shelf for his second of the night, tying the score and ultimately sending the game into overtime.

Just 1:21 into the extra frame, Darryl McArthur found a wide open Brian Ihnacak, who tallied the game winner.

You can view my photos from the game here (not all have been edited yet)

Photo Credit: Robert Keith

Brahmas defeat Oilers 3-1

Woollard, Hogeboom lead Texas attack

The Texas Brahmas had a solid night at the BOK Center in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma and came away with a 3-1 victory led by two first period tallies by the team's leading scorer's, Chad Woollard and Greg Hogeboom.

It was a physical game featuring a fight just two seconds into the second period when Tyler Allen and Tulsa forward John Mori squared off. After several uppercuts were thrown both were sent off to serve five minute major's.

In a span of 2:11 in the second period, the Oilers were called for four penalties making for a very full penalty box.

Mick Lawrence lit the only lamp in the middle frame with an assist from Woollard at the 17:49 mark.

Down 3-0, the Oilers scored their only goal at the 8:05 mark of the final frame on a goal by Sean Erickson.

Wayne Savage had another spectacular night in net, His record goes to 11-8-3-1 with a 2.53 GAA (fourth in the league) and a .920 save percentage (fifth in the league). Savage leads all rookie 3 Star Leaders with 24 star points.

With the win, the Brahmas' record goes to 22-15-5 (11-8-2 on the road) and with 49 points, they hold the fourth slot in the Berry Conference, just one point behind Tulsa and Bossier-Shreveport and two points ahead of Mississippi.

You can view photos from the game by Les Stockton here

The Brahmas will host the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees tonight at the NYTEX Sports Centre.

Photo Credit: Les Stockton/Pro Hockey News

Youngclaus waived

Wildfong continues roster re-do with 25 regular season games remaining

The Texas Brahmas have waived defenseman Phil Youngclaus, Pointstreak confirmed today. Youngclaus, 27, contributed two assists and 12 penalty minutes in 18 games with the team this season.

The Methuen, Massachusetts native signed with the club on December 21st, when the Brahmas had three blue liners on IR (Dudas, Saunders and Hurley). He is the fourth defenseman to be removed from the roster this season. Former team caprain Craig Minard was waived on October 20th, Kevin Kraus was waived on November 6th and Steven Later's rights were traded to Missouri on Sunday.

George Bradley was added to the roster on Monday, completing a trade with the Evansville Icemen.

Photo Credit: Robert Keith

Brahmas acquire defenseman George Bradley

Completes Pierce, Harvey trade with Evansville

The Texas Brahmas have announced the acquisition of defenseman George Bradley from the Evansville Icemen.

Bradley, 26, has split his season with the Icemen and Colorado Eagles for the 2010-11 campaign. In 19 games with Evansville, the 6' 3" Burlington, Ontario native registered a pair of assists and 13 penalty minutes. With Colorado, he had an assist and 19 penalty minutes in 16 games played. Last season Bradley skated with the Allen Americans for six games.

Prior to going pro, Bradley defended the blue line for Brock University (CIS). In 102 games, the steady defenseman tallied 17 points (2 G, 15 A) in five seasons (2005-2010). The acquisition completes the trade that sent goaltender Jeff Harvey and forward Matt Pierce to the Icemen on January 4th.

Photo Credit: Daniel Martin Russell

Later rights traded to Missouri

Popular defenseman completes Muncy deal

The Texas Brahmas completed their trade for center Sean Muncy today by dealing the rights to defenseman Steven Later to the Missouri Mavericks. The terms of the deal stipulate that Later must report to the Mavericks to complete the trade. If he does not, the Mavericks will retain his rights and receive an additional player from the Brahmas at the end of the season.

If Later reports to Missouri, he will join winger Todd Griffith on the Mavericks roster as a result of the transaction initiated last Friday.

Later has registered 20 points (3 G, 17 A, -5) and 95 penalty minutes in 31 games played with the Brahmas this season.

Later, 26, is currently in his sixth year of professional hockey. The Winnipeg, Manitoba native played his first three seasons in the ECHL and 11 games with the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies during his rookie season.

“Steven Later is a big and strong defenseman who instantly makes us a better hockey team,” Mavericks’ Head Coach Scott Hillman said. “He has a lot of experience and is the kind of player other teams do not like to play against.”

In total, Later has played in 268 professional games in the AHL, ECHL, IHL and CHL and has tallied 140 points (44 G, 96 A) and 1,045 penalty minutes.

Later played for the Muskegon Lumberjacks (IHL) during the 2008-09 season where he had career highs in points with 29 (6 G, 23 A) and penalty minutes (296).

Update: Per Greg Rajan - Ex-IceRay Steven Later didn't play for Missouri in the Mavericks' win at Mississippi on Tuesday night and according to some of those who know Later, it appears as if he won't be reporting to Independence and could be done with pro hockey altogether. If that's the case, it's a shame because he has a lot of talent.

Photo Credit: Robert Keith

Sunday 02/06/11

We’re coming off a busy weekend. We were in Rio Grande Valley for two games and then back home for Sunday. We didn’t play too well on Friday night and ended up losing and then Saturday we came back and had a really good game and ended up winning.

We were on the bus for an eight or nine hour ride back home and then had to get ready to play Fort Wayne at 4:00pm at home on Sunday. I don’t think we played very well. We were tired, I think, and didn’t play the way we needed to but we ended up getting a point out of the game, which was big for us. It was one of those games where they played way better and they deserved to win. For us to get a point finished the weekend off well.

We didn’t have much time to rest. We got right back on the bus at 1:00pm on Monday to Odessa, which was our normal travel schedule (the day before the game). We had actually heard about the weather coming in and we heard that Odessa was having some ice problems, so there was talk of maybe canceling the game but we decided we could get there and that it would be better if we just played the game.

The condition of the ice really wasn’t bad. I guess a pipe had busted under the rink at the one end. When we got there on Monday, we could see them working on it; they dug through the ice and into the cement to get to the pipes and try and fix it. I was surprised - it actually turned out alright for the next night. They didn’t have it ready for a morning skate so we didn’t skate in the morning, which was OK but by game time it was in pretty good shape. We had a really good game there and won it 4-1.

We spent the night in Odessa after the game because of the big storm that came in and then we ended up getting stuck on the bus for a day and a half, trying to make it home. The ride was alright…It was definitely taking a long time and you’re on a bus and it’s so small and you can’t move anywhere. I think everybody dealt with it fine. It’s one of those things that nobody had any control over. We got on the bus at eight in the morning on Wednesday and we knew it would be a long trip but we expected to be back that night at some point. I think we drove until about six at night and the roads just weren’t getting any better. It was getting dark, so it wasn’t getting any safer and we made the decision to stop. They made some calls and there were no hotels within 20 miles of where we were that had enough room for everybody. We sleep on the bus when we’re driving anyway, so we just slept on the bus for that night.

So that was a rough trip back but we made it back. We went to practice on Friday morning to get ready for the game on Friday night which was, after we left practice, we found out the game was canceled because of more bad weather that came in.

We came back on Saturday night and I thought we had a really good game. We’ve struggled against Allen this year. I really thought we deserved to win that game. We had a lot of scoring chances. Their goalie played really well and kept them in the game and gave them a chance to win and they won a tight game 2-1.

Sgroi photos improperly used in bizarre Facebook scheme

Massachusetts college professor arrested for threats to New Orleans police officer

In a felony complaint filed in a U.S. District Court in Louisiana on January 25th, Gary O’Bireck, a 57-year-old associate professor at Anna Maria College near Worcester, Massachusetts, is accused of threatening New Orleans police officer Brooke Duncan over a rape allegation reportedly lodged against Duncan in September 2007.

O'Birek, who lives in Elmira, N.Y., taught sociology and criminal justice at the college, was taken into custody Monday by Worcester police on a federal warrant. Federal records show he will be charged with stalking and threats via interstate communication. Officials for Anna Maria College said they were not aware of the allegations until Monday and a spokesperson said that Mr. O’Bireck was placed on administrative leave "pending the resolution of personal issues."

O'Bireck's LinkIn profile indicates he earned a Ph.D., Sociology, Deviance and Criminal Justice at York University 1988-2004.

The officer was accused of rape in September of 2007. Mr. O’Bireck is accused of posing as the alleged rape victim’s boyfriend to threaten the officer. The alleged victim, now 23, is a Worcester, Massachusetts native who briefly attended Loyola University in New Orleans.

Authorities tracked the e-mails and Facebook pages back to Mr. O’Bireck’s address in New York and searched his home on January 20th. Mr. O’Bireck has allegedly admitted to FBI agents that he sent the messages.

To transmit his threats to the 32-year-old Duncan, investigators allege that O’Bireck created a phony Facebook page under the name “Michael LovesMayhem," which has since been closed by the popular social networking site. Among the profile photos used on the page was a photo improperly lifted from Brahmas forward Mike Sgroi's own Facebook page. The image shows a bare-chested Sgroi, allegedly toting an AK-47 assault rifle with bayonet.

In several messages sent from the Facebook account, O’Bireck allegedly indicated that he was a fellow law enforcement officer and claimed to be affiliated with members of the Hells Angels motorcycle club, who would “chop you into pieces. Think chainsaws,” according to the complaint.

In 10 games with the Brahmas this season, the 32-year-old Sgroi, who also competes as a mixed martial arts fighter, has registered three points (1 G, 3 A, +2) and 51 penalty minutes.

In an interview with The Smoking Gun website, Sgroi said that he was unaware that his photos had been hijacked and placed on the fake Facebook page central to the case against O’Bireck. Sgroi said that he does not know O’Bireck, adding that he believed that photos of him were lifted from his actual Facebook page, which boasts over 2000 friends.

“Facebook has become more trouble than it’s worth,” Sgroi said.

See original articles from The Smoking Gun here and here, and from the Worcester Telegram & Gazette here and here.

Photo Credit: Robert Keith

As the goalie turns...

Brahmas sign ninth year pro net minder Reid

The Texas Brahmas have signed veteran goalie Scott Reid according to Pointstreak. Reid, 34, began the season with the Edinburgh Capitals (EIHL), but left the team after several of his teammates abandoned the floundering franchise.

Reid has received what I think is some unfair criticism for his decision to leave the Capitals, who have a season-long lease on the bottom slot in the United Kingdom's 10-team Elite Ice Hockey League with 15 points and a 6-30-1-2 record. Reid stuck it out through 34 games and 1,964 minutes of playing time, ending his time with the club sporting an 8-24-2 record, a 5.19 GAA, a .869 Save Percentage and 84 penalty minutes.

As I said before, Reid made his decision to leave the Capitals only after many other key players had jumped ship, including Daniel Madsen, Alex Kim (played three games in Germany), Chris St Jacques (the club's top points scorer - now playing in Germany), David Lomas, Adam Taylor (the club's top goal-scorer - now playing in the ECHL) and leading defenseman Jacques Perreault (now with the Quad City Mallards).

More to come...

Here a couple of goalie fight videos which feature Reid, courtesy of YouTube.

Photo Credit: Mark Tredgold

Brahmas acquire Muncy in trade with Mavericks

Todd Griffin dealt to Missouri

With Monday's trade deadline looming, the Brahmas have made a move, picking up center Sean Muncy in exchange for winger Todd Griffith and futures with the Missouri Mavericks.

Muncy, 26, began the season with the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees, where he began his pro career during the 2009-10 season, putting up a respectable 47 points (14 G, 33 A) and 46 PIM
in 61 regular season games played. His points total was fourth best among his teammates.

Muncy played in 37 games with the Killer Bees this season, registering 31 points (14 G, 17 A) and 42 PIM. He was dealt to the Mavericks on January 16th, in exchange for defenseman Dominic D'Amour. In six games, Muncy had no points and was a minus-4 while the Mavericks slipped into the middle of the Turner Conference.

“We needed to make a change,” Mavericks coach Scott Hillman said in the release. “This is in no way a reflection of Sean’s performance, and we thank him for his efforts and wish him the best of luck.”

The Chesterfield, Missouri native played at Brown University for four seasons (2005-2009) amassing 29 points (11 G, 18 A). The trade reunites Muncy with former Brown teammates Sean Hurley and Brian Ihnacak.

Griffith, also 26, tallied 11points (5 G, 6 A, +6) and 79 PIM in 16 games as a Brahma since signing with the team on November 5th. The fifth year professional's previous CHL experience has been with the Laredo Bucks during the 2005-06 playoffs and during the 2009-10 season.

Photo Credit: Robert Keith

Beech placed on waivers

Former CHL Goaltender of the year had unfortunate performance as a Brahma

The Texas Brahmas placed goalie Kevin Beech on waivers today, it was confirmed by Pointstreak.

Beech, 24, went 8-4-2-1 this season, with a 3.25 GAA and a .891 Save Percentage. He was relieved in four other games, the last at Rio Grande Valley on January 28th after allowing two goals in 17:39 played.

The Brantford, Ontario native was the 2008-09 CHL Goaltender of the Year and a member of that season's All-CHL Team after starting 50 games with the Mississippi RiverKings. He finished the regular season with a 35-12-3-3 record, a 2.44 GAA and a .906 save percentage. He was also first in the league in minutes played (3025:11) and wins (35).

Last season, he was forced to limit his activities after a necessary off-season hip surgery to remove cartilage buildup. He began the season on the 30-day IR and was finally activated on December 4th. His first start, against the Missouri Mavericks two days later, was a 4-2 victory with Beech stopping 18 of 20 shots faced.

He went 6-3-2 with the RiverKings before he was traded to Corpus Christi for future considerations. With the IceRays, Beech went 12-7-2, helping to propel the team into the Southern Conference’s final playoff spot.

Unfortunately for Beech and the IceRays, the Brahmas took the first round of the playoffs 2-0, thereby ending their season and in the end, closing the books on the franchise as the team would fold in May.

Beech is a much better goaltender than this season's stats reflect and we wish him the best in the future.

Photo Credit: Robert Keith

Tonight's game @ Allen postponed

Weather, road conditions cited

The Allen Americans, in conjunction with the Texas Brahmas and the Central Hockey League, have announced that tonight’s game between the two clubs will be rescheduled due to weather.

The game, originally scheduled to take place at 7:30 pm tonight at the Allen Event Center, will be rescheduled for a later date. All major school districts in the Dallas/Fort Worth area were closed again today with the major snowfall in the area overnight into this morning.

“Our principal concern is the overall safety of the players and fans of both teams, as well as the safety of our staff,” Americans President Matt Canavan said. “While rescheduling a game is certainly not something we enjoy having to do, both organizations felt like it was the right thing to do in this case.”

The Americans will honor any ticket from the rescheduled game on the make-up date. If fans cannot make it to the rescheduled game, the option will be available to exchange tickets for any remaining 2010-11 regular season home game.

“The weather this week in many areas of the country has certainly created some obstacles and made travel difficult on several teams,” CHL Commissioner Duane Lewis said. “But the safety of our fans, players and staffs is paramount and it is in everyone’s best interest to postpone this game.”

The game between the Brahmas and the Americans scheduled for Saturday night at the NYTEX Sports Centre will go on, with the opening puck drop slated for 7:30 pm.

Photo Credit: Robert Keith

Brahmas/Americans game to be broadcast on Time Warner Cable Sports

Saturday night's contest will be featured on the Texas Channel

The Texas Brahmas will host their cross-town arch rivals, the Allen Americans on Saturday night at the NYTEX Sports Centre and once again, Time Warner Cable will be there to tape the event. The game will be available to watch on Channel 185 on Sunday evening at 7:00 pm. The schedule for additional viewings will be released soon.

This will be the sixth regular season meeting between the two teams and the second on the Brahmas' home ice. Texas has failed to solve Allen thus far this season and only one game has been close, a 5-4 contest decided by a shootout at the Allen Events Center on October 16th.

A goalie duel between the Brahmas' tandem of Wayne Savage and Kevin Beech and the Americans' Scott Campbell (7-2-0) is expected this weekend in a two-game series beginning Friday night in Allen.

The Americans currently lead the CHL with 61 points and a 30-8-1 record, but several teams are inching closer, including the Brahmas who currently reside in second place in the Berry Conference.

The Brahmas were 5-0 in the post-season when The Texas Channel (then known as Metro Sports) covered the games in 2009, the year of the franchise's first Central Hockey League championship win. The games can be found on "Video-on-Demand" (VOD) on Time Warner Cable Channel 634.

There's no reason to be anywhere else than the NYTEX Sports Centre on Saturday night and tickets are still available. The first 1,000 in attendance will receive a free Texas Brahmas mini-stick.

Remember - It's not just hockey. It's Texas Brahmas hockey - Be there, be loud, believe!

Image Credit: Time Warner Cable