John DeCaro misses Luke Sellars' game winning goal as the Brahmas take a 3-2 lead in the third period

That's three in a row

The Brahmas defeat the Mudbugs 4-2

The Texas Brahmas defeated the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs by a score of 4-2 tonight at the NYTEX Sports Centre. The Brahmas looked sharp as they earned their third win in a row for the first time this season.

Highlights included two defensive goals and an empty-netter in the final two seconds of the game. With the win, the Brahmas record goes to 10-9-3 (.523) and they are now tied with Rio Grande Valley for fourth place in the Southern Conference with 23 points. Both teams are three points behind Laredo (11-4-4).

There was a fair representation of Mudbugs fans in the audience, but nowhere near what we used to see during the 2007-08 season. I wish more would make the trip - they are a great bunch of fans to have visit at NYTEX. I was taken aback by the one gentleman who was wearing a Mudbugs sweater with a New York Yankees cap. There's just something wrong with that. But hey, to each his own.

Dale Lupul was on the bench alongside Scott Muscutt in civilian clothes. Lupul looked like a natural as an assistant coach up there. Hate to see him anywhere but on the ice, but it looks like his playing days may be over.

The game opened up with each team feeling the other out, with several changes to the roster having been made on both sides since they last met on November 8th.

A Tripping call on Mudbug defenseman Simon Mangos led to a power play goal from Justin Kinnunen at the 8:06 mark of the first period. Kinnunen received a pass in the high slot and fired a shot just inside the post on John DeCaro’s stick side to open the scoring. Jordan Cameron and Matt Burto were credited with the assist.

The Brahmas out shot the Mudbugs 8-7 in the opening period and maintained the 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission.

The Brahmas opened the second period with 1:21 remaining on a man-advantage thanks to a late Hooking call on David Pszenyczny. Then, Joe Ori was called for Tripping at the :40 mark, giving the Brahmas an early five-on three but they were unable to capitalize before Pszenyczny was released. A Holding call on Grant Jacobsen at the 1:52 mark led to some four-on-four play, during which Tyler Skworchinski added another goal to the Brahmas tally. Skating into the low slot, Skworchinski beat John DeCaro with a wrister to make it a 2-0 score at the 2:18 mark. Matt Burto and Luke Sellars assisted.

After three unsuccessful power plays in the second frame, the Mudbugs finally broke through on the man-advantage late in the period. Controlling the puck low in the Texas zone, Brett Smith fed a pass to Tyrel Lucas, who quickly wristed it over Joe Palmer’s glove to get Bossier-Shreveport on the board at the 16:31 mark. Simon Mangos was also in on the assist.

The Brahmas out shot the Mudbugs 9-8 in the middle frame and had a 2-1 lead after 40 minutes.

A Hooking call on Travis Clayton led to a bloody nose for Matt Burto and an early power play opportunity for the Brahmas at the 2:11 mark of the third. Less than a minute later, defenseman Chris St. Croix was called for a High Sticking Double Minor, giving the Brahmas their second five-on-three of the game at the 3:06 mark. It only took 15 seconds for the Brahmas to convert with Luke Sellars scoring his first goal of the season at the 3:21 mark to extend the lead to 3-2.

The ‘Bugs kept battling and got back within one on a power play opportunity when Travis Clayton beat Joe Palmer with a shot to the top corner at the 16:19 mark. Shawn Limpright and Jeff Kyrzackos were credited with the assist.

The 'Bugs continued to battle for the equalizer and Scott Muscutt pulled John DeCaro in the final minute of the game, but Grant Jacobsen got hold of the puck in the final seconds and scored on the empty net to cap off the 4-2 win.

The third period shot count was 11-7 and the game count was 26-24, advantage Bossier-Shreveport.

Joe Palmer made 24 saves on 26 shots and earned the win. His record goes to 5-3-2-1. John DeCaro made 20 saves on 23 shots and takes the loss. His record goes to 5-6-0.

The Brahmas went 2 for 8 on the power play. Bossier-Shreveport went 0 for 7. The Brahmas were assessed 14 minutes on 7 infractions; The Mudbugs received 16 minutes on eight infractions.

The 3rd Star of the game went to Matt Burto two assists on the night. The 2nd Star was awarded to Joe Palmer for his performance in net and the 1st Star went to Luke Sellars for an assist and the game winning goal.

You can view the box score here

You can view my photos from the game here

The Brahmas will spend the next couple of days preparing for Wednesday night's home game against the second place Allen Americans (15-4-1, 31 points). This is the first game between the two teams since a hit from James Hiebert put Americans netminder Charlie Effinger on injured reserve.

Photo Credit: Robert Keith

Insider Preview: Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs @ Texas Brahmas

Third meeting tonight at the NYTEX Sports Centre

The Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs (9-9-0, 18 points) are in town tonight for the third meeting between the two teams this season. The Brahmas won the first game 6-4 on Ocober 30th at the CenturyTel Center. The Mudbugs won the second game at NYTEX by a score of 2-1.

The Mudbugs are coming off last night's 5-4 home loss against the Amarillo Gorillas.

The Mudbugs have struggled with injuries and inconsistent play at all positions so far this season but they always play hard against the Brahmas. The two teams are very well matched and it should be a good game tonight.

The Mudbugs are 5-3-0 on the road thus far this season. The Brahmas are 5-4-0 at home.

The Mudbugs' top three scorers include Travis Clayton (F) with 15 points (7 G, 8 A, +6), Joe Blaznek (F) with 13 points (8 G, 5 A, -5) and Shawn Limpright (F) with 12 points (6 G, 6 A, +2). Their leading defensive scorer is Simon Mangos with 11 points (2 G, 9 A, +1).

Their top goons are forward Neil Clark (36 PIM) and defenseman Kirk Medernach (29 PIM).

On special teams, the Oilers have the number 10 power play with a 14.14 percentage and the number 15 penalty kill (last in the league) with an 77.78 percentage. They have scored one short-handed goal this season.

Goaltender duty has been split between Ken Carroll (4-4-0-1) and John DeCaro. (5-5-0). Carroll is ranked eighth in the league with a 2.67 GAA and second with a .924 save percentage. DeCaro is ranked 17th with a 3.26 GAA and 15th with a .899 save percentage.

The Brahmas top three scorers are Kevin McLeod (D) with 16 points (9 G, 7 A, -3), Grant Jacobsen (F) with 15 points (8 G, 7 A, -1) and AJ Gale (F) with 15 points (8 G, 7 A, 0). McLeod is the only defenseman in the league that leads his club in scoring. Last Saturday in Allen, McLeod registered his first professional hat trick.

On special teams, the Brahmas remain last in the league with a 9.76 percentage and 10th on the penalty kill with an 82.09 percentage. They are tied with Tulsa for the league lead in short handed goals with six.

The Mudbugs have struggled with injuries all season and have four players currently on injured reserve including defensemen Dale Lupul and Scott Kalinchuk and forwards Neil Clark and Justin Aikins. Defenseman Tysen Dowzak has been recalled by the Hartford Whalers (AHL). The Mudbugs have signed Bear Trapp (F) and Luis Tremblay (D).

For the Brahmas, forward Jason Deitsch has remained a scratch for two weeks. It is unknown if he will play tonight.

The game begins at 7:05pm and will be broadcast on CHL-TV if you can't be there.

Photo Credit: Robert Keith

0-8-2!

Brahmas beat Corpus Christi 2-1, Wildfong remains perfect against Ice Rays

The Texas Brahmas won their tenth straight game against the Corpus Christi Ice Rays tonight at the NYTEX Sports Centre. With the win, the Brahmas record goes to 9-9-3 (.500) and they remain in fifth place in the Southern Conference.

Corpus Christi took the 1-0 lead when Justin Quenneville one-timed a pass from Ryan Garbutt deep into the offensive zone and past Jaeger at the 3:06 mark. Ryan Bennett was also credited with the assist.

Less than two minutes later, Anders Strome scored the equalizer from right in front of IceRays netminder Kevin Nastiuk. Elias Godoy gained control of the puck just below the circles and to the right of the goal, spun half-circle and fed a perfect strike to Strome, who scored his fourth goal of the season. Ross Rouleau also assisted.

The Brahmas led the shot count 11-8 in the first frame and went into the locker room tied at one.

The second period was all about defense for the Brahmas, who allowed just two shots from the Ice Rays versus their 12.

There would be just one more score in the game as Grant Jacobsen scored his eighth goal of the season (and 190th career point) at the 4:31 mark with a little help from Elias Godoy and Anders Strome.

Corpus Christi outshot the Brahmas 12-7 in the final frame and came as close as a puck hitting the post to tie the game but it was not to be and the game ended with the Brahmas on top.

The final shot count was 30-22, advantage Brahmas.

Brett Jaeger made 21 saves on 22 shots and earned the win. His record goes to 5-6-1. Kevin Nastiuk made 28 saves on 30 shots and takes the loss. His record goes to 4-4-0.

The Brahmas went 0 for 5 on the power play. Corpus Christi went 0 for 3. The Brahmas were assessed eight minutes on four infractions; The Ice Rays received 12 minutes on six infractions.

The 3rd Star of the game went to Luke Sellars for his performance on defense tonight. The 2nd Star was awarded to Elias Godoy who had two assists on the night and the 1st Star went to Brett Jaeger for his performance in net.

You can view the box score here

You can view my photos from the game here

Observations:

• In nine games against Corpus since 2007-08, Grant Jacobsen has 15 points (7 goals, 8 assists) against Corpus. (Thanks to Greg Rajan for pointing this out)
• Strome: four points in two games and leads the Brahmas in shot percentage (.222).
• Not to take anything away from the Brahmas' performance, but Corpus Christi is a better team than the one we saw tonight. Maybe they were tired from whooping Arizona's tail last night or maybe it was a brutal bus ride. I don't know, but this team is better than the two shots attempted in the middle frame.
• CHL Commissioner Duane Lewis was in the house for tonight's game. Wonder why?
• Tonight ends James Hiebert's two-game suspension. He should be on the ice for tomorrow's game with Bossier-Shreveport.

Photo Credit: Robert Keith

Pete Rouleau signs with the Port Huron Icehawks

Former Brahmas forward returns home to play in IHL

The Port Huron Icehawks (IHL) announced today that they have signed former Brahmas forward Pete Rouleau to their injury-laden roster.

Rouleau, a native of Hancock, Michigan, returned to his home state after playing eight games with the Brahmas this season. Last season, he scored 36 points (13 G, 23 A, 0) in 52 games played during the regular season. In the playoffs, he tallied nine points (4 G, 5 A, +6), including two power play goals in 14 games culminating with the winning of the Ray Miron President’s Cup.

The 26-year old forward began his collegiate career at Finlandia College and led the team in points during his freshman season, with 39 points in just 25 games. He then transferred to Michigan Tech and after a slow first season with the team, hit his stride and scored 30 points his junior season and 29 points during his senior campaign. He led the team in scoring both seasons and was named most improved player his junior season and team MVP his senior year.

After graduating from Tech, the forward played seven games in the ECHL, including one game with the Idaho Steelheads and six with the Pensacola Ice Pilots.

Rouleau joins former Fort Worth Brahmas Larry Sterling (G) and Cory Stillman (C) who also play with the Icehawks. He is expected to play in his first game tonight against the first place Muskegon Fury (where former Brahmas Travis Banga and Robin Big Snake play). The Icehawks are in second place in the IHL with an 11-5-0-1 record.

Photo Credit: Robert Keith

Insider Preview: Corpus Christi @ Texas Brahmas

Ice Rays seek first win against Brahmas in almost four years

The Texas Brahmas (8-9-3, 19 points) play host to the Corpus Christi Ice Rays (8-8-2, 18 points) on Friday night at the NYTEX Sports Center. It is the first of six meetings between the two teams this season.

Since rejoining the league in 2007-08, the Brahmas have owned the IceRays, who are 0-7-2 against Texas since Dan Wildfong took over behind the bench.

Corpus Christi’s last win against the Brahmas came on Feb. 11, 2006, when Randy Murphy scored in overtime for a 3-2 win over the Fort Worth Brahmas. You can also add the fact that head coach Brent Hughes has not coached a win over Wildfong’s Brahmas since the Austin Ice Bats won the final game of the 2007-08 season on March 22, 2008.

With all that said, I would not discount this Ice Rays team. Now, I’ve only seen them play in person once and that was a solid performance against a very good Allen squad. They’ve also had a couple of wins against Laredo and Rio Grande Valley. Are they good enough to beat the Brahmas. No. But that depends on which Brahmas team is on the ice on Friday night.

The Ice Rays are coming off a 6-1 home win against the lowly Arizona Sundogs on Thursday night. The Brahmas are well rested after their 3-1 victory over the Tulsa Oilers on Sunday.

The Ice Rays are 4-4-1 on the road thus far this season. The Brahmas are 4-4-0 at home.

Corpus Christi’s top three scorers include Chris Richards (C) with 16 points (4 G, 12 A, -2), Jereme Tendler (LW) with 15 points (10 G, 5 A, +2) and Justin Quenneville (C) with 14 points (7 G, 7 A, +3). Their leading defensive scorer is Jason Tessier with 13 points (3 G, 10 A, -3).

Their top goons are forward Ryan Garbutt (69 PIM) and defenseman Tyler Sheldrake (61 PIM).
On special teams, the Oilers have the number eight power play with a 15.52 percentage and the number eight penalty kill with an 83.33 percentage. They have scored two short-handed goals this season.

The Ice Rays haven’t really had a number one goalie since Kris Tebbs was waived on November 19th.

My choice would be Kevin Nastiuk (4-3-0), who signed with the team as Tebbs departed. He stopped 27 of 28 goals on Thursday night against Arizona and is ranked third in the league with a 2.41 GAA and second with a .926 save percentage.

Kevin Desfosses (2-3-0) is their other backstopper. I saw him play against the Allen Americans on November 7th and he seemed pretty solid in net. He is ranked 14th in the league with a 2.78 GAA and 12th with a .911 save percentage.

The Brahmas top three scorers are Kevin McLeod (D) with 16 points (9 G, 7 A, -3), AJ Gale (F) with 15 points (8 G, 7 A, 0) and Jordan Cameron with 15 points (4 G, 11 A, -2). McLeod is the only defenseman in the league that leads his club in scoring. On Saturday in Allen, McLeod registered his first professional hat trick.

On special teams, the Brahmas remain last in the league with a 10.17 percentage and 12th on the penalty kill with an 81.68 percentage. They lead the league in short handed goals with six.

According to Greg Rajan, the IceRays placed defensemen Jeff Alcombrack (retroactive to Sunday) and Steven Later (retro to Nov. 17) on injured reserve. Later is expected to start skating again next week. Meanwhile, Jereme Tendler didn't play much of the third period after taking a puck off the leg.

Jason Deitsch has been a scratch for a few games and is not expected to play on Friday. The Brahmas now list newly acquired forwards Scott Thauwald (#20) and Mark Kolanos (#25) on their roster. Thauwald is scheduled to play on Friday. Kolanos' status is unknown.

This should be an entertaining game. Also, it’s puck night at the NYTEX Sports Centre. The first 1,000 ticketed fans will receive a free Texas Brahmas puck courtesy of Capital One Bank. If you can’t be there in person, tune in to CHL-TV for free (Friday night only).

More roster moves

Thauwald in, Reese out. Rights to Kolanos and Cacciola exchanged

The Brahmas announced a trade with the Arizona Sundogs today acquiring forward Scott Thauwald and the rights to Mark Kolanos for Jason Reese and the rights to David Cacciola.

Thauwald is in his second professional season, first in the CHL, and has accumulated eight points (4 G, 4 A, -7) in 16 games played with the Arizona Sundogs. The Rochester, Minnesota native netted his first career hat trick against the Laredo Bucks on November 4 in a 9-0 victory. Last year, Thauwald dressed in 67 games in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) with the Augusta Lynx and Utah Grizzlies. Prior to going pro, the 6-foot forward attended Colorado College (NCAA) and played 135 games for the Tigers, collecting 48 points (26 G, 22 A) and 56 penalty minutes.

Also obtained were the rights to forward Mark Kolanos. Kolanos played two seasons with the Sundogs (2007-09) and put up 51 goals and 57 assists in his time in the valley. The third year pro made his rookie season a memorable one as he was a finalist for the CHL Rookie of the Year and was named on the All-Rookie Team along with Brahmas forward Tyler Skworchinski. Last season Kolanos recorded 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) in three games against the Brahmas.

Both Kolanos and Cacciola have not played this season. Jason Reese played 16 games for Texas and tallied 9 points (3 goals, 6 assists) in his rookie season.

Photo Credit: Robert Keith