18U Prep

As most colleges have begun classes, the Alliance Youth Hockey Association would like to belatedly congratulate our 2007 graduating high school seniors who have moved on to the next stage of their lives. They played on either of our 18U AA or 18U Prep teams, and graduate in style, with the 18UAA capturing the NTXHL Championship, and the 18U Preps winning the RMD Championships and advancing to the USA Hockey National Championship Quarter-Finals.

A special note of recognition goes to 18U Prep players Jordan Bonzo and Jordan Hall, original Alliance players, each completing his 6th straight season wearing the Bulldog on his chest. Both Jordans were members of the Inaugural 2001-2002 Alliance PeeWee A team that won the Texoma Championship. Bonzo, who although not a senior last year, completed his playing career at Alliance last season. For a picture of the Jordans with that team Coached by Chris Kostopoulos, click HERE...

Saturday, March 31, 2007

18U Preps Bow Out in National Quarters...

Tier II - 18U Midget Major: Michigan - 6, Alliance – 2: After a deep and successful run late into the season, the 18U Midget Major Prep Bulldogs had it come to an end on Saturday afternoon, as they fell to the Michigan Jaguars in the Quarter-Finals of the 2007 USA Hockey National Championships in Fraser, Michigan. The Jaguars went on the beat the Mid-Fairfield Blues in the Semis and the Phoenix Force in the Final to capture the National Championship.

The Bulldogs took an early 1-0 lead in the 1st period, but were unable to hold back the Jaguars, who then raced out to a 4-1 lead in the 2nd period before Alliance would bring it to 4-2 in the 3rd. For many of the high school seniors on the team, it was their last youth hockey game as they head off to college in the fall, and Alliance will publish more information about those players early next week.

Big Day for Alliance Bulldog Teams

National Championship Quarter-Finalists

18U Prep 16UAAA

NTXHL Championship Finalists

18UAA 16UAA

Bulldog Teams Still in the Hunt for Championships...

After 7 months of thousands of teams playing hockey all across the United States and North Texas, it’s the last weekend of the season, and there are still 4 Alliance Bulldog squads playing, each with a chance to bring home a title.

At the 2007 USA Hockey National Championships, there are only 8 teams left in each age bracket, including the Alliance 16U Midget Minor AAA and 18U Midget Major Prep teams with a chance to win it all. At the 2007 NTXHL Championships, there are only 2 teams remaining in each of the Bantam, Midget Minor, and Midget Major divisions, with the Bulldog 16UAA and 18UAA teams each playing for a championship.

To see the times, locations, opponents, and results as they become available, you can go to the “Weekend Games” tab at the top of the Alliance web site, or click HERE…

Tier II - 18U Midget Major: After a slow start on Wednesday and an outright bad day on Thursday, the 18U Midget Major Prep Bulldogs appear to be gathering their feet back underneath themselves for the stretch run of single elimination play at the 2007 USA Hockey National Championships. The games played prior to today now mean nothing, and as all teams are good at this point, it’s anybody’s guess as to who will move on into the Semi-Finals on Saturday night. Alliance will face another unfamiliar foe at 12:00 noon, when they square off against the Michigan Jaguars.

Friday, March 30, 2007

18U Preps Gain National Quarter-Finals with Win over San Jose...

Tier II - 18U Midget Major: Alliance – 3, San Jose - 1: The Alliance 18U Midget Major Prep Bulldogs put together a complete game for the first time this week, and the result was a nice 3-1 win over the San Jose Jr. Sharks and a berth into the Quarter-Finals of the 2007 USA Hockey National Championships in Fraser, Michigan. The Bulldogs will go into Saturday's 12:00 noon game as the #4 Seed from the National Conference, and will play the #1 Seed from the American Conference, which will be determined later today.

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Penalties Hurt 18U Preps in Game 2 Loss...

Tier II - 18U Midget Major: Mid-Fairfield - 5, Alliance – 0: The Alliance 18U Midget Major Prep visited the penalty box early and often, and the results were ugly, as the Mid-Fairfield Blues used their skill on the man advantage to jump out to a 1st period 2-0 lead and cruised to a shutout win in Game 2 of the 2007 USA Hockey National Championships in Fraser, Michigan early Thursday. morning.

Alliance is still in contention for a Quarter-Final berth, but will have to get into the win column on Friday morning at 8:00am, when they play Game 3 against the San Jose Jr. Sharks, Pacific District Champions. The Bulldogs have faced the Sharks at Nationals before, when at the 2004 National Championships, San Jose eliminated Alliance in the Semi-Finals of the Tier II 14U Division. There are 3 players from Alliance and 2 players from San Jose playing on Friday that played in that 2004 game.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

18U Preps Drop Game 1 in Overtime...

Tier II - 18U Midget Major: Phoenix Force - 3, Alliance – 2 (OT): The Alliance 18U Midget Major Prep started slow and were outplayed in the 1st period by the Phoenix Force, but came back to even things up in the second, and it was anybody's game until the Force tallied the game-winner with just under 2 minutes left in overtime in Game 1 of the 2007 USA Hockey National Championships in Fraser, Michigan.

One positive of the overtime loss is that the Bulldogs will get 1 point in the standings for extending the game past regulation, which could come in handy when the playoff spots are determined on Friday. Alliance will try to get into the win column on Thursday morning at 8:00am, when they play Game 2 against the Mid-Fairfield Blues, the New England District Champions.

Alliance Starts Play Today at Nationals...

The Alliance 16U Midget Minor AAA and 18U Midget Major Prep teams start pool play today in the 2007 USA Hockey National Championships in Fraser, Michigan. The 16Us open up at 3:00pm against Team Wisconsin, the Central District Champions, who compete in the Minnesota High School Elite II league, which includes Shattuck-St. Marys and other other top Minnesota high school teams.

The Major Preps will start off at 12:30pm with the Phoenix Force from Milwaukee, Wisconsin - also Central District Champions. The Force is a program that offers players committed to their Wisconsin high school teams a competitive AAA fall schedule prior to the HS season. Force players come from 15 different high school teams in southeast Wisconsin.

Results from Alliance games this week and weekend will be posted to the Alliance "Weekend Games" page (see tab at top of page). Box scores, standings, and results will be posted continuously at the USA Hockey National Championships web site.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Bulldogs Head for USA Hockey National Championships...

The Alliance 16U Midget Minor AAA and 18U Midget Major Prep teams are headed to Fraser, Michigan today, to compete in the 2007 USA Hockey National Championships which begin tomorrow March 28th. Alliance returns to the National Championships after a 1 year absence, making this the 3rd Nationals appearance for the Alliance organization in the last 4 years, including a total of seven (7) Bulldog teams.

Alliance made its first appearance at the 2004 Nationals, when both the 12U PeeWee AA and 14U Bantam AA teams played in the Tier II Championships. Both teams played well and each came home with a 3rd Place finish and a Bronze Medal for their efforts.

Three Bulldog teams went to the 2005 Nationals, representing both the Tier I and Tier II Divisions, as the 16U Midget Minor AAA, 16U Midget Minor AA, and 14U Bantam AAA teams all advanced as Rocky Mountain District Champions.

This year, the format will be a "Super" National, as all midgets 16U & 18U, both Tier I and II, will all be playing at the same venue. This will allow for all the junior, college, and professional scouts & coaches to see all the prospective players in one location.

Activities at Nationals...

In addition to some really good hockey teams playing some great competition, there are also other activities happening during the Championships, including Opening Ceremonies, Host Hospitality Events, and the popular Easton Skills Competition. The 2007 Championships are presented by Easton Sports, will feature a range of competition to test the skill of players from teams participating in this year's tournaments. Individual skaters and goaltenders will compete in four events at various times throughout the tournament. For information about the events, click HERE...

USA Hockey National Championship Audiocasts...

Tell your friends and family at home who couldn’t make the trip to LISTEN LIVE ONLINE. Select games of the 2007 Nationals will be streamed live on usahockey.com.

All the selected game action from the Great Lakes Sports City facility in Fraser, Michigan will be brought to you live by USA Hockey announcer Dave Collins.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

18U Preps Win Tier II RMD Championship!!!

Headed to Nationals - 18U Midget Major Prep...

Preps Win All 5 Games, 1st Alliance 18U Team to Advance to Nationals...

18U Midget Major Prep: The Alliance 18U Prep team put their best hockey on the ice for 5 straight games, and the result was 26 goals scored, only 9 allowed, and 5 wins to capture the Tier II 18U Title at the 2007 Rocky Mountain District Championships on Sunday morning in Frisco.

The win sends the Bulldogs to the 2007 USA Hockey National Championships in Fraser, Michigan March 28th - April 1st. These Bulldogs become the 7th Alliance team to qualify for the National Championships, and this will be the first visit for any Alliance 18U team to Nationals. This particular group of players have experience at the National Championships, as this will be the 3rd trip for 3 players, and the 2nd trip for 6 others.

Monday, February 19, 2007

Bulldogs Win President's Day Championship!!!

Champions - 18U Midget Major Prep...

18U Preps Garner First Championship...

18U Midget Major Prep: After playing exclusively Tier I/AAA events all season and fairing OK, the Bulldogs took their first shot at a Tier II tournament and the results turned out great, as they captured the LA Jr Kings Tier II Challenge Championship with an overtime win over their hosts Monday afternoon in Los Angeles. The Bulldogs went 4-0-1 to capture their first tournament title of the season, in preparation for the 2007 Rocky Mountain District Championships in March.

President's Day Weekend Note.....Of the eleven (11) Alliance teams in tournament action this past weekend, more than 50% (6 teams) made appearances in a Semi-Final or Final, with the three (3) teams above bringing home a Championship. This does not include the 16U Midget Minor AAA, who went 4 and 0 in the Alliance President's Day Friendship Series, scoring 16 goals while allowing only 2, with 3 shutouts.

Sunday, October 8, 2006

Bulldogs Rebound Nicely in Boston...

Alliance - 9, Western Mass Blades - 2: As has become a nice trait, the Alliance 18U Preps have gotten stronger as they get deeper into tournaments, and Sunday morning was no exception, as the Bulldogs found their groove and blew out the Western Mass. Blades in Game 3 of the Eastern Mass. Senators Shootout in Andover, MA. Alliance played very well, and with a win Sunday night over the South Shore Dynamos, they could possibly earn a spot in the Semi-Finals on Monday.

Saturday, October 7, 2006

18U Preps Drop First 2 in Eastern Mass Shootout...

Eastern Mass Senators - 6, Alliance - 2: The Bulldogs fell behind in the first period 2-0, battled back to within 3-2 in the 2nd, but couldn't overcome a 3rd period parade to the sin bin and fell to the host Eastern Mass. Senators in Game 2 of the Eastern Mass. Senators Shootout in Woburn, MA Saturday night. The Senators took an early 1-0 lead on a shorthanded goal, which was followed by a bizarre play on which Alliance thought they had a delayed penalty advantage.

With the Bulldogs in control of the puck and the official's arm raised, the Alliance net-minder was headed to the bench for an extra attacker when it was discovered (too late) that the infraction was against the Bulldogs. Needless to say, the Senators took advantage and scored with an empty net once they gained control, which gave them a 2-0 lead at the end of one period of play.

In the 2nd period, the Bulldogs fell behind 3-0 before lighting the fire in the offense by scoring 2 even strength tallies to make it a 3-2 just over halfway through the contest. The Senators would later increase their lead to 4-2 before heading into the final frame, and then add 2 more in the third for the 6-2 final score. Penalties in the final period were 13 against Alliance and 4 for the host Senators.

Alliance not the only Bulldogs...

District 10 Bulldogs - 7, Alliance - 2: Alliance found out there is more than one set of Bulldogs out there, and the District 10 Bulldogs of Melrose MA are another good group of dogs in their own right, as they swept past the dogs from Texas in the opening game of the Eastern Mass. Senators Shootout in Andover, MA Saturday night. District 10 jumped out for a 1-0 lead in the first minute, followed by 2 more in the first for a 3-0 lead going into the 2nd period.

The Bulldogs from Massachusetts would add 2 more for a 5-0 lead before the boys from Alliance would ruin the shutout bid with a even strength tally of their own to make it 5-1 after 2 periods. Alliance would then create some hope early in the final frame, as they scored just under 2 minutes in to make it 5-2 with almost a whole period to go. District 10 would have nothing of a comeback, and scored twice more, once at 3 on 3, and again at 4 on 4 in the final minutes for the 7-2 ending.

Sunday, September 24, 2006

18U Preps Bring Home 2nd Straight Win...

Alliance - 5, Cleveland Jr. Jacks - 2: The Alliance 18U Preps had a rough start to the weekend, but finished strong, and will return home with their second straight victory after a solid win over the Cleveland Jr. Jacks in Game 4 of the Pittsburgh Vipers Midget AAA Shootout in Pittsburgh early Sunday morning. The Bulldogs traded 5 on 3 power play goals with the Jacks in the 1st period, and although Alliance was playing well, they were not yet able to pull away, as the 1st period end in a 2-2 deadlock.

The eventual game winner came in the 2nd period, as the Bulldogs struck again on the man advantage, this time on a 5 on 4 situation for a 3-2 lead. It was all the Bulldog net-minder and defense would need, as the Jacks would not see the lamp light again the rest of the day. Alliance put the game away in the 3rd and final frame, with two even strength tallies to finish the game and tournament on a strong note.

Alliance will have only one weekend off before they hit the road again in 2 weeks for the Eastern Mass. Senators Shootout in Andover, MA.

Saturday, September 23, 2006

18U Preps Gain Split in Viper Shootout...

Alliance - 4, Keystone Generals - 3: After falling behind in the opening period on (you guessed it) 2 power play goals, the Bulldogs dug in and refused to fall prey again to the man advantage goal for the 3rd straight game, and fought back to claim a win over the Keystone Generals in Game 3 of the Pittsburgh Vipers Midget AAA Shootout in Pittsburgh Saturday afternoon. Already down 2-0 and on the penalty kill again early in the 2nd period, Alliance reversed their fortunes with a shorthanded tally, followed by a goal on a delayed penalty call to drawn even at 2-2 late in the middle frame.

Just when things looked to be going their way, the Bulldogs appeared to inadvertently score the next goal on themselves just as the 2nd period was ending, putting them behind 3-2 headed into the final period of play. Alliance was able to keep the Generals off the scoreboard in the 3rd, tied it up at 3-3, and then got the game winner on a power play goal of their own with less than 2 minutes remaining. The final minute would be chaotic, but Alliance held on for their first win of the tournament. The Bulldogs will finish play on Sunday when they will face the Cleveland Jr. Jacks.

Alliance Drops Game 2 in Viper Shootout...

Amherst Knights - 5, Alliance - 3: It was same song, second verse for the Bulldogs, as again power play goals by the opponent spelled problems for Alliance in Game 2 against the Amherst Knights in the Pittsburgh Vipers Midget AAA Shootout in Pittsburgh Saturday morning. The Knights built a 4-0 lead on either power play goals or a goal scored just as an Alliance player was leaving the penalty box. There were not an unusual number of penalties in Game 1 on Friday, but this morning things returned to what has become typically normal across USA Hockey, with a high number of penalties being called due to the new emphasis and standards of play being enforced.

Alliance refused to cave in, though, and fought back with three goals of their own in a good third period effort before it was over. The Bulldogs come back later today in Game 3, when they will face the Keystone Generals of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Friday, September 22, 2006

Bulldogs Over "Powered" in Pittsburgh Opener...

Pittsburgh Predators - 5, Alliance - 1: At an age and competitive level where there are plenty of good hockey players on both teams, it many times comes down to special teams, and the Bulldogs lost the battle on that front, as the Pittsburgh Predators used four power play goals to pull away from Alliance in the first game for both teams in the Pittsburgh Vipers Midget AAA Shootout in Pittsburgh Friday afternoon.

Saturday, September 1, 2006

Alliance Re-Bounds with Solid Win in San Jose...

Alliance – 6, Alaska Wolves - 1: After getting shutout in Game 1, the Bulldogs made up for lost time, and the Alaska Wolves AAA were the victims in Game 2 of the San Jose Jr. Sharks AAA Invitational in San Jose on Saturday night. Alliance spent plenty of time on the power play this time, made the Wolves pay dearly, and cruised to their first win of the tournament and of the season.

After trading early goals for a 1-1 score, Alliance got one more in the opening frame and took a 2-1 lead into the 2nd period, with the shots being close at 10-9 Alliance. The Bulldogs pulled away with 2 more goals in each of the final 2 frames to cruise to the penalty-filled win. Both teams spent plenty of time on special teams, with a total of 30 penalties being dished out by the officials during the contest. Alliance won the game 6-1, and the shot battle by a 33 to 22 edge.

Bulldogs Fall to Familiar Foe in San Jose...

SJ Jr. Sharks - 3, Alliance – 0: Alliance headed west to face a familiar opponent, as they squared off against the Host Jr. Sharks in Game 1 of the San Jose Jr. Sharks AAA Invitational in San Jose on Saturday morning. The game featured four players from Alliance and three from San Jose that faced each other in the Semi-Finals of the 2004 Tier II 14U National Championships in Burlington, Vermont as Bantam AA teams. The Sharks took that game by a score of 6-4, and again handed the Bulldogs another defeat, this time by a score of 3-0 in the opening tilt of the Labor Day event.

After a scoreless first period in which the Sharks out-shot the Bulldogs 8 to 5, San Jose got the only goal they would need in the 2nd frame, scoring on a power play opportunity to take a 1-0 lead. Shots went again in favor of the hosts in the 2nd by a 12 to 8 margin. In the 3rd period, the Sharks again took advantage of another Alliance penalty, getting their 2nd man advantage tally and an insurance goal to make it 2-0. San Jose would then add an empty-netter to ice the game for the final score of 3-0.

Saturday, August 12, 2006

U18 Prep Roster & Preliminary Schedule Released...

The inaugural Alliance U18 Major Midget Prep Roster and Preliminary Schedule for the 2006-2007 season was released today, and this team will be the missing piece of the puzzle for Midget aged players still involved in Dallas Hockey. The team will spend the season competing at the Tier I level through an independent schedule of AAA events and showcases. To culminate the season, the team will compete at the 18U Tier II level for USA Hockey’s State, Regional, and National Championships, and make a run at being the first Texas based team to win a National Title at the Midget level of competition.

The Bulldogs will start the season with a 2-day Mini-Camp at Valley Ranch August 12-13, and then head to the west coast along with their U16 AAA brethren for the Labor Day Holiday to play in the Jr. Sharks Labor Day Kick-Off in San Jose, CA.

In addition to other events later in the fall, the Bulldogs will spend their Thanksgiving at home in Dallas, becoming the first Alliance 18U team to compete in the Tier I 2006 EHK Sports USHN Challenge Cup. They will also be the first Alliance 18U entry of the 2007 Dallas Cup this year in January, and eleven (11) players were on the Bulldog team that won the Dallas Cup 16U AAA Championship last year.

Construction is just about completed on their new dedicated dressing room at Valley Ranch, where they will practice and train this season.