Sundogs goaltender Kyle McNulty eyes the puck as teammate Matt Biondo and Tyler Skworchinski close in

Brahmas lose 4-1 to Sundogs

Six game win streak snapped

Sometimes it's the team you least expect to up and whoop the Brahmas. The Arizona Sundogs did just that on Friday night at Tim's Toyota Center in Prescott Valley.

And here I was thinking they were going to have goaltending issues. More power to Kyle McNulty who was as solid in goal as he's ever been. And although the Brahmas came into the game with a 4-1 record against the Sundogs in the five previous meetings, Arizona has always been a tough opponent as many of you witnessed last week at the NYTEX Sports Centre. Let's hope the boys can recover and pull out a win tonight.

With the loss, the Brahmas record goes to 13-10-3 and they remain in fourth place in the Southern Conference; just one point behind the Laredo Bucks in third place. With the win, the Sundogs improve to 4-1-1 in their last six games and move into sixth place in the Southern Conference, leapfrogging the Amarillo Gorillas and Corpus Christi IceRays.

An early breakaway by Konrad Reeder gave the Sundogs a 1-0 lead at the 8:33 mark of the first period. Reeder snuck in behind the Texas defense before collecting a pass from Linus Fagemo. Reeder faked a backhand before slipping the puck past Brett Jaeger for the score. Chris Bartolone was also in on the assist.

Kevin Gardner made it 2-0 at the 15:50 mark after picking up a loose puck in the neutral zone. Cutting across the font of the crease, Gardner was able to tuck the puck under the outstretched leg of Jaeger, who did his best to block the shot from the side of the net. Chris Bartolone and Konrad Reeder were credited with the assist.

Jaeger would leave the game less than two minutes later after landing on the ice awkwardly while making a save.

The period ended with no further scoring. The Brahmas had the narrow 14-13 shot advantage but went to the visiting locker room down by two.

Arizona defenseman Jon Landry prevented a score on netminder Kyle McNulty and then moved the puck up the ice to Konrad Reeder, who sent a wrister past Joe Palmer's high glove side. Reeder's second score of the night gave the Sundogs a 3-0 lead at the 3:53 mark of the middle frame. Kevin Gardner assisted.

Anders Strome finally got the Brahmas on the board with a wraparound goal at the 13:47 mark; his fifth goal of the season. He was set up by Braden Walls and Scott Thauwald.

Arizona had the 15-13 shot advantage and the 3-1 lead heading into the second intermission.

Kevin Gardner closed out scoring with his second goal and third point of the night, splitting the Texas defense and lifting a backhand over the glove of Palmer with 6:15 to play in the game.

The Sundogs out shot the Brahmas 6-4 in the final frame and 34-31 in the game.

Brett Jaeger made 11 saves on 13 shots before leaving the game at the 17:36 mark of the first period. His record goes to 7-7-1 with the loss. Joe Palmer made 19 saves on 21 shots in relief. Kyle McNulty stopped 30 of 31 shots for his second win of the season (2-6-1).

The Brahmas went 0 for 6 on the power play. Arizona went 0 for 2. The Brahmas were assessed six minutes on three infractions. Arizona received 14 minutes on seven infractions.

The 3rd Star of the game went to Kyle McNulty for his efforts in net. The 2nd Star was awarded to Kevin Gardner who had two goals and an assist and the 1st Star went to Konrad Reeder who also had two goals and an assist.

You can view the box score here

The two teams will face off again tomorrow night at 8:05pm CST. The game will be broadcast on CHL-TV. You can watch at Zuroma if you don’t want to pay for the live feed. You can also listen on Internet radio here

Photo Credit: Les Stukenberg/The Daily Courier

Brahmas sign Braden Walls

Rookie joins defense; will play tonight

The Texas Brahmas have signed rookie Braden Walls to a contract today per Pointstreak.com. The 24-year-old right wing will move to defense and is listed on the roster for this weekend’s games in Arizona.

The 6’ 2”, 206 pound native of Calgary, Alberta has been seen working with the team at NYTEX for the past couple of weeks.

When I asked Dan Wildfong about Walls, he sounded pretty excited about him.

Walls spent the last four seasons with the University of Alaska – Fairbanks (NCAA) tallying 52 points (26 G, 26 A) and 162 penalty minutes in 150 games played. He played three seasons of junior hockey in the Alberta Junior Hockey League with the Calgary Canucks (2002-03) and the Drayton Valley Thunder (2003-04, 2004-05), scoring 117 points (45 G, 72 A) and earning 289 penalty minutes in 157 games played.

Walls played with Kevin McLeod in Calgary and Brett Jaeger in Drayton Valley.

He had signed with the Wheeling Nailers (ECHL) this season but did not make the final roster.

Insider Preview: Texas Brahmas @ Arizona Sundogs

Brahmas play two-game road series in Prescott Valley

The Texas Brahmas (13-9-3, 29 points) have completed the brutal 18-hour bus ride and are in Prescott Valley for a two-game series against the Arizona Sundogs (8-13-3, 19 points) at Tim’s Toyota Center. This will be the second and third games to be played between the two teams this season. The Brahmas won the first meeting in overtime, 3-2 on December 11th.

The two teams have only played five times before in their histories, with the Brahmas owning the series 4-1.

The Brahmas have won their last six games in a row (Allen, Bossier, Corpus Christi, Tulsa, Arizona and Tulsa) and are battling the Laredo Bucks (13-6-4, 30 points) in the standings for the number three spot in the Southern Conference.

The Brahmas are 5-5-3 on the road thus far this season. Arizona is 2-8-1 at home.

The Sundogs were defeated 4-1 on Wednesday night by the visiting Odessa Jackalopes. They are 3-2 in their last five games but have had a dismal time defending their home ice, losing the last four games played at the Tim’s Toyota Center. Their highlight at home was a 9-0 slaughter of the Laredo Bucks on November 4th.

The Sundogs took a big hit on Wednesday when they placed J.F. Perras (7-7-2) on Goaltender Injured Reserve. Perras sustained an injury mid way throughout the first frame of last Sundays’ game against the Tulsa Oilers. That leaves them with Kyle McNulty (1-6-1) and the just signed rookie, Sergey Klimkovich in net this weekend. That’s bad news against a resurgent Brahmas offense. Klimkovich, 23, who at 6’ 3” and 193 pounds takes up a lot of net, has spent parts of six seasons playing in Russia. He skated in the Sundogs training camp before being left off the final roster. McNulty is ranked 21st in the league with a 3.69 GAA and 23rd with a .871 save percentage.

Arizona’s top three scorers include Konrad Reeder (F) with 21 points (8 G, 13 A, +4), Torren Delforte (F) with 10 points (10 G, 10 A, 0) and Kevin Gardner (F) with 20 points (8 G, 12 A, -2). Defenseman Chris Bartolone is the leading home scorer with 12 points (2 G, 10 A, +3). Their leading defensive scorer is Jon Landry with 18 points (4 G, 14 A, +1).

Arizona’s top goons are forward Kyle Hood (63 PIM) and defenseman Mike Nesdill (56 PIM).

On special teams, the Sundogs have the number 13 power play with an 11.38 percentage (13th at home at 12.2%) and the number eight penalty kill with an 83.44 percentage (12th at home at 80.6%). They have scored two short-handed goals this season.

Who will get the start in net for Arizona? My guess is McNulty on Friday and Klimkovich on Saturday unless McNulty manages a win, but what do I know?

In addition to Perras, forwards Matt Foy, Cedric Bernier and Jason Visser are all out on injured reserve and not expected to play as of this writing.

The Brahmas top three scorers are Jordan Cameron (F) with 25 points (5 G, 20 A, +3), Grant Jacobsen (F) with 18 points (12 G, 6 A, 0) and Kevin McLeod (D) with 18 points (10 G, 8 A, -3). McLeod is also the Brahmas leading defensive scorer. Jacobsen is the Brahmas leading road warrior with 12 points (9 G, 3 A, -4).

On Special Teams, the Brahmas are ranked 14th in the league with a 10.90 percentage (12th on the road at 10.8%) and ninth on the penalty kill with an 82.72 percentage (seventh on the road at 84.7%). They remain tied with Tulsa for the league lead in short handed goals with seven.

Brett Jaeger (7-6-1) and Joe Palmer (6-3-2)are the eligible starters this weekend. Jaeger is currently 12th in the league with a 2.96 GAA and 18th with a .894 save percentage. Palmer is currently sixth in the league with a 2.54 GAA and ninth with a .912 save percentage. I’m not sure how they will be used in this weekends contests.

For the Brahmas, forward Jason Deitsch remains on the 30-day IR retroactive to November 20th. He is not expected to dress tonight. James Hiebert will not play on Friday due his three game league suspension but will be eligible to play on Saturday. Justin Kinnunen was granted leave by the league and will not play this weekend.

The games will begin on Friday and Saturday nights at 8:05pm CST and will be broadcast on CHL-TV. You can watch at Zuroma if you don’t want to pay for the live feed. You can listen on Internet radio here.

Photo Credit: Robert Keith

Brett Jaeger named Oakley/CHL Goaltender of the Week

1.44 GAA, .953 save percentage for week ending December 13th

From the Texas Brahmas press release:

Sixty one saves, two wins and brilliant play between the pipes earned Texas Brahmas goaltender Brett Jaeger the Central Hockey League's "Goaltender of the Week" honors for his play in the week of December 6-12.

Jaeger earned victories number six and seven for the season over the weekend with wins over the Arizona Sundogs and Tulsa Oilers. On Friday, the Peace River, Alberta native closed the door on 35 shots against the Sundogs to help the purple and black earn a 3-2 overtime win.

On Saturday, Jaeger packed his strong play with him as the Brahmas traveled to Tulsa for a Texas-Oklahoma tilt. In the game, Jaeger allowed just one goal and stopped 26 shots for his fourth consecutive victory in net and the Brahmas sixth straight win.

Last season the netminder led the CHL in save percentage in the regular season (.929) and sat atop the leader board in the post season with a 2.20 GAA and a .930 save %. His stellar play led the Texas Brahmas to their first Championship, winning the President’s Cup in May.

Photo Credit: Robert Keith

Brett Jaeger stopped 26 of 27 shots faced tonight at the BOK Center

Brahmas win sixth game in a row

Kolanos, Jacobsen each score twice, Texas moves up to third place in the South

The Texas Brahmas handed the Tulsa Oilers their sixth loss in a row while earning their sixth win in a row tonight at the BOK Center. The 4-1 victory included two goals each scored by Mark Kolanos and Grant Jacobsen. Kolanos has three points on the night, as did defenseman Justin Kinnunen who had three assists.

The win moves the Brahmas into third place in the Southern Conference with a 13-9-3 record with 29 points. They remain six points behind Allen and Odessa, who are now tied with 35 points each. The win also puts the Brahmas in fifth place in the league.

The Brahmas scored first on a quick goal by Mark Kolanos at the 3:53 mark, assisted by Elias Godoy and Justin Kinnunen.

Just over five minutes later, a second tally would come from Grant Jacobsen, giving the Brahmas a 2-0 lead at the 8:56 mark. Elias Godoy and Mark Kolanos were in on the assist.

The Brahmas narrowly led the shot count 9-8 in the first frame but were in firm control of the period throughout. The Oilers struggled with passing and were never able to get any offensive momentum going.

The Oilers came out in the second seemingly more ready to play the game, and that was proven by a shorthanded marker by Jake Riddle on a breakaway at the 1:59 mark. Sean Erickson and Troy Riddle were credited with the assist.

Any hope of a Tulsa comeback was silenced Grant Jacobsen’s second goal, a quick, twice-defected shot off the face off past Oilers goalie Marty Magers at the 13:53 mark. Justin Kinnunen assisted.

The Brahmas led the shot count again in the middle frame, 14-10. The Oilers continued to struggle throughout the period which for them was included five trips to the penalty box. By the end of the period, head coach Bruce Ramsay was quite animated in his frustration with his team's play.

Ineffective play continued to hinder the Oilers in the 3rd period although they ended up leading the shot count 9-3. Outside of killing off a five on three advantage for the Brahmas in the opening minutes of the third, not much else would go their way.

The Brahmas scored once more in the final frame, a power play tally by Mark Kolanos assisted by Justin Kinnunen to extend the Texas lead to 3 goals. The Oilers had a 27-26 lead in the shot count but would end the night with a disheartening sixth straight loss.

The Brahmas now own the series, winning three of four meetings. The two teams will meet again on January 15th and 31st. Both games will be played at the NYTEX Sports Center.

Brett Jaeger made 26 saves on 27 shots and earned the win. His record goes to 7-6-1. Marty Magers made 22 saves on 26 shots and takes the loss. His record goes to 1-5-0.

The Brahmas went 1 for 8 on the power play. Tulsa went 0 for 8. Both teams were assessed 16 minutes on eight infractions.

The 3rd Star of the game went to Elias Godoy who had a power play goal and two assists on the night. The 2nd Star was awarded to Brett Jaeger for his performance in net and the 1st Star went to Kevin McLeod for an assist and the game-winning goal.

You can view the box score here

You can view Les Stockton's photos from the game here

Observations:

• The line of Mark Kolanos, Grant Jacobsen and Elias Godoy accounted for seven points tonight (4 G, 3 A). Jacobsen leads the Brahmas with game winning goals. Tonight was his third. He also leads the team with a .255 shot percentage.
• The Brahmas dressed 16 players, with 15 on the ice tonight. Only four defensemen played (Minard, McLeod, Kinnunen, Mason). Jason Deitsch is still on the 30-day IR. Ross Rouleau was out for undisclosed reasons. James Hiebert and Luke Sellars are serving league suspensions.
• Kevin McLeod leads all CHL defensemen in 3 Star points with 13. Joe Palmer leads all rookies with 15. McLeod is third among defensemen with 18 points. AJ Gale is second amongst rookies with 16 points.
• Tulsa's leading scorer, Rob Hisey, was held to no points tonight for the second game in a row.

The Brahmas will return home for a few days before making the long trip to Prescott Valley for a two-game series against the Arizona Sundogs.

Photo Credit: Les Stockton

Insider Preview: Texas Brahmas @ Tulsa Oilers

Brahmas looking for sixth straight win

The Texas Brahmas (12-9-3, 27 points) are at the BOK Center in Tulsa tonight to take on the Oilers (12-8-1, 25 points). It is the fourth meeting between the two teams. The Brahmas lead the series 2-1.

The Brahmas are red hot on a five-game winning streak while the Oilers have lost their last five dating back to the last meeting with the Brahmas at NYTEX on November 29th.

Tulsa's three top scorers include Rob Hisey (C) with 35 points (15 G, 20 A, +7), TJ Caig (RW) with 32 points (14 G, 18 A, +3) and former Brahma Aaron Davis (C) with 22 points (9 G, 13 A, -2). Davis is averaging better than a point a game. Their leading defensive scorer is Derek Eastman with 17 points (3 G, 14 A, +4).

Their top goon is the infamous right wing Rick Kozak (66 PIM).

On special teams, the Oilers have the number five power play with a 18.52 percentage and the number six penalty kill with an 83.47 percentage. They also have seven short-handed goals.

Kevin Armstrong (11-4-1-1) is expected in net for the Oilers. He is ranked 19th in the league with a 3.53 GAA and 20th in the league with a .885 save percentage.

Defenseman RJ Linder and forward Marty Standish are out on the injured reserve and as of this writing, are not expected to play tonight.

The Brahmas top three scorers are Jordan Cameron (F) with 25 points (5 G, 20 A, +3), Kevin McLeod (D) with 18 points (10 G, 8 A, -2) and Grant Jacobsen with 12 points (10 G, 6 A, -1) . McLeod is also the Brahmas’ leading defensive scorer. Gale and Cameron have scored the majority of their points on the road (Gale: 6 G, 5 A, 0 and Cameron: 2 G, 9 A, 0).

On special teams, the Brahmas are 14th in the league with a 10.81 percentage and 10th on the penalty kill with an 81.82 percentage. They lead the league with eight short-handed goals.

Brett Jaeger (6-6-1) will get the start tonight. He will be backed up by Joe Palmer, who is back from his one game stint with the Rockford IceHogs (AHL).

As of this writing, Jason Deitsch remains on injured reserve (shoulder) and Anders Strome is listed as a scratch. James Hiebert and Luke Sellars are also out due to their league suspensions.

The game begins at 7:35pm CST and will be shown on CHL-TV. You can join other Brahmas fans and watch it at Zuroma if you don't have a subscription.

Photo Credit: Les Stockton