Saturday, March 31, 2007                                                                                  

 

 

Alliance Bulldogs Tier I 16U Midget Minor AAA

 

16UAAA Title Hopes End in National Semi-Finals...

 

Tier I - 16U Midget Minor: Shattuck - 5, Alliance – 1:   The Alliance 16U Midget Minor AAA Bulldogs made it as far as only 2 other Bulldog teams had previously, but the ride ended abruptly against Shattuck St. Mary's in the Semi-Finals of the 2007 USA Hockey National Championships.  As a result, Alliance players will proudly take their Bronze Medals and head for home looking toward next year.  Shattuck rode the strength of 2 power play goals to take a 3-1 lead after one period of play, added another man advantage tally in the 2nd for good measure, and topped it off with a even strength goal in the final frame for the win.

 

The 2006-2007 Alliance 16U Midget Minor AAA team becomes the 3rd Bulldog team to win a Bronze Medal at Nationals, joining the 2003-2004 12U PeeWee and 14U Bantams, and are the first Alliance 16U team to do so.  These Bulldogs end an impressive season in which they won 4 tournaments and registered an outstanding 46-9-4 season record.  Congratulations to Head Coach Chris Kostopoulos and the boys on a great season!

 

 

18U AA Wins NTXHL Championship!!!

 

Midget Major AA Champions - Alliance Bulldogs

 

Alliance Defends Title, Sweeps for the Championship...

 

18U Midget Major AA: Alliance – 3, OK City - 1:   On a late finish to a big day for Alliance Midget Teams, the the Bulldog 18UAA team made it a clean sweep over the Oklahoma City Blazers and for Midget NXTHL titles, as they took Game 2 to win their best 2 of 3 series and the NTXHL Playoff Championship very late Saturday night in Frisco.   It is the 2nd straight NTXHL Championship for the Alliance Midget Major AA, as they took the 2006 title as well.

 

The Blazers did not make this one easy, just like in Game 1.  The Bulldogs opened the scoring late in the first period to take a 1-0 lead at the first intermission, but OKC came back to tie it up at 1-1 early in the 2nd frame.  Just when it looked like the game would head into the final period all tied up, the Bulldogs struck paydirt with less than a minute left in the 2nd period to re-take the lead at 2-1.  The game stayed close and in doubt until the final minute, when the Bulldogs would add an empty-netter to ice the game and the championship. 

 

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.  The Championship was sweet for many Bulldogs in their first season with Alliance, as well as for Head Coach Phil Chaney, also in his first season as a Bulldog Coach.  Congratulations to Coach Chaney and the 18UAA Bulldogs for a great season!

 

 

16U AA Wins NTXHL Championship!!!

 

Midget Minor AA Champions - Alliance Bulldogs

 

Bulldogs Use 3-Goal Comeback to Take League Title...

 

16U Midget Minor AA:  Alliance – 3, Ice Jets - 2:  In another really close game, the Bulldog 16UAA team fell behind this time by a score of 2-0 to the Dallas Ice Jets, but came back to score 3 unanswered goals, including the game-winner with less than 8 minutes remaining to take Game 2 in the best 2 of 3 series for a sweep and the NTXHL Playoff Championship Saturday afternoon in Frisco.  

 

Game 2 was almost the reverse of Game 1 earlier in the morning, but instead of Alliance, it was the Jets that jumped out to a 2-0 lead. 

 

Unlike the morning game, though, the Bulldogs did not wait until the final period to make their comeback and get on the scoreboard, as they made the score 2-1 Jets before the end of the 2nd period, to make the climb a little bit less formidable for the final frame.  Alliance let the Jets know it would not be easy for them early in the 3rd, when they tied the score at 2-2 just over 2 minutes into the period.  The Championship was sweet for many Bulldogs in their first season with Alliance, as well as for Head Coach Jeff Ramsay, also in his first season as a Bulldog Coach.  Congratulations to Coach Ramsay and the 16UAA Bulldogs for a great season!

 

18UAA Bulldogs Take NTXHL Championship Series Opener...

 

18U Midget Major AA: Alliance – 6, OK City - 3:   As one person said, "It wasn't pretty, but it was a Win", as the Alliance 18UAA team broke a 3-3 tie in the 2nd period to score 3 unanswered goals to beat the Oklahoma City Blazers in Game 1 of their best 2 of 3 series for the NTXHL Playoff Championship. 

 

The Bulldogs heavily out-shot the Blazers, who made the most of their opportunities when they got them.  The Bulldogs will attempt to close out the series when they meet again late tonight for Game 2 at 9:30pm in Frisco.

 

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 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.

 

16UAAA Gains National Semi-Finals with Big Shutout...

 

Tier I - 16U Midget Minor: Alliance – 5, Little Caesars - 0:   The Alliance 16U Midget Minor AAA Bulldogs came to play early Saturday morning, and the #5 Ranked Detroit Little Caesars paid the price, as Alliance rolled to a 5-0 shutout win to advance to the Semi-Finals of the 2007 USA Hockey National Championships.  After taking a 1-0 lead in the first minute of the contest, the Bulldogs opened it up with 3 more in the 2nd period to take a commanding 4-0 lead into the final frame.  Alliance will now face Shattuck St. Mary's, a 2-1 winner over the LA Selects in their Quarter-Final match-up.  Semi-Final game time is Saturday afternoon at 4:45pm EST.

 

 

16UAA Takes 1-0 Series Lead with 3-1 Win over Jets...

 

16U Midget Minor AA:  Alliance – 3, Ice Jets - 1:  In a really tight game, the Bulldog 16UAA team held off a late rally by the Dallas Ice Jets, and got a late goal of their own to take Game 1 in the best 2 of 3 series for the NTXHL Playoff Championship early Saturday morning in Farmers Branch.  The Bulldogs will attempt to sweep the series and take the Championship in Game 2 at 2:30pm later today in Frisco.

 

The Bulldogs had taken a 2-0 lead after 2 periods in what was still a close game, but the Jets made it even closer at 2-1 with a 3rd period tally.  Alliance responded to re-take a 2-goal lead on another goal with just over 3 minutes remaining, and then fought off the Jets in the final minutes for the win and a 1-0 series lead.

 

 

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…

 

National Championship Quarter-Finals

 

Tier I - 16U Midget Minor:  Starting off with 2 good wins in Games 1 & 2, the Bulldogs were reminded in Game 3 how good the competition is as they move into the playoffs at the 2007 USA Hockey National Championships.  With a National Ranking of #6 by USHSHO, the Bulldogs still know that 4 of the 5 teams ranked above them are also playing in the Quarter-Finals, including Detroit Little Caesars, who they play at 10:00am on Saturday.

 

 

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.

 

 

NTXHL Championship Finals

 

16U Midget Minor AA:  The Bulldog 16UAA team battled hard all year, and were rewarded for their efforts with a NTXHL Regular Season Championship.  That honor is behind them now, and they will have to come ready to play when they face the Dallas Ice Jets in a best 2 of 3 series for the NTXHL Playoff Championship.  The ‘Dogs and Jets have split their 4 NTXHL meetings this season, so it should be a great series, with Game 1 at 7:00am early Saturday morning in Farmers Branch, and Game 2 at 2:30pm in Frisco.

 

 

18U Midget Major AA:  The Alliance 18UAA team cruised through most of the season like a well-oiled machine, along the way racking up a 16-4-0 league mark and capturing a NTXHL Regular Season Championship.  One of those 4 losses came against the Oklahoma City Blazers, who they play in a best 2 of 3 series for the NTXHL Playoff Championship this weekend.  The Bulldogs will hopefully remember the sting of that result, and get after it on Saturday, with Game 1 at 2:00pm in Farmers Branch, and Game 2 at 9:30pm in Frisco.

 

 

                                                                      Friday, March 30, 2007                                                                                        

 

16UAAA Nipped 2-1, Still Advances to National Quarter-Finals...

 

Tier I - 16U Midget Minor:  LA Select - 2, Alliance – 1:  The Alliance 16U Midget Minor AAA Bulldogs played the LA Selects for the 4th time this year, and again it was a tight one, with the Selects coming out on top this time.  With both teams already assured of a berth into the Quarter-Finals of the 2007 USA Hockey National Championships, the only thing at stake was who would get the #1 Seed.    The Bulldogs will go into Saturday's 10:00am game as the #3 Seed from the National Conference, and will play the #2 Seed from the American Conference, Detroit Little Caesars.  

 

 

Alliance 16UAAA forward Dylan Rupar represented the Bulldogs in the Easton Skills Competition, and came away as the winner in the 16U Tier I Division in the Fastest Skater event with a time of 15.03 seconds.  Congratulations Dylan!

 

 

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 Michigan Jaguars from the American Conference.  Michigan won all 3 of their pool games by out-scoring their opponents 12 to 3.

 

Alliance 18U Prep forward Nick Lazorko represented the Bulldogs in the Easton Skills Competition, and came away as the winner in the 18U Tier II Division in both the Fastest Skater with a time of 15.9 seconds, and the Puck Relay event with a time of 18.3 seconds.  Congratulations Nick!

 

                                                                    Thursday, March 29, 2007                                                                                     

 

16UAAA Takes Another Win at Nationals...

 

Tier I - 16U Midget Minor:  Alliance – 5,  S. Conn. Stars - 2:  The Alliance 16U Midget Minor AAA Bulldogs jumped out to a 2-0 lead after one period, extended it to 3-0 before the Southern Connecticut Stars closed the gap to 3-2 after 2 periods, and then put the game away with 2 more goals in the final frame for a 5-2 win in Game 2 of pool play today at the 2007 USA Hockey National Championships in Fraser, Michigan.  

 

It looked like Alliance might just cruise to their 2nd straight win, but the Stars battled back in the 2nd period to keep it a game.  Both teams battled close in the 3rd period, before the Bulldogs would put the game away with 2 goals 12 seconds apart late in the final period to go to 2 regulation wins, no losses, and 6 points in the National Conference Liberty Division standings. 

 

The Bulldogs play Game 3 tomorrow at 12:30pm against the LA Selects, the Pacific District Champions.  The 2 teams have played 3 times this year, resulting in a 1-1-1 record for both teams.

 

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                                                                                  

 

16UAAA Takes a Win in Nationals Opener...

 

Tier I - 16U Midget Minor:  Alliance – 6, Team Wisconsin - 4:  After a tight opening frame that ended tied 2-2, the Alliance 16U Midget Minor AAA Bulldogs opened it up on Team Wisconsin and then held off a late rally to come away with the win in Game 1 of pool play today at the 2007 USA Hockey National Championships in Fraser, Michigan.  

 

Alliance dominated the second period, out-shooting the Central District Champions 14 to 2, and took a 4-2 lead into the final period.  After Wisconsin closed a 5-3 Bulldog lead to within 1 with just over 3 minutes left, Alliance would add an empty-netter in the final minute for the 6-4 final score. 

 

The Bulldogs play Game 2 tomorrow at 10:15am against the Southern Connecticut Stars, the New England District Champions.

 

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 25, 2007                                                                                    

 

16U AA and 18U AA Advance to Championship Finals...

 

16U Midget Minor AA:  After winning the Regular Season Title, the Alliance Bulldog 16U AA team went 3-1-0 this weekend to advance to the best of 3 Championship Series of the 2007 NTXHL Playoffs, where they will face the Ice Jets next weekend in Farmers Branch for Game 1, and Frisco for Games 2 & 3.

 

18U Midget Major AA:  The Midget Major Bulldogs added 4 more wins this weekend to their Regular Season Title, and will also advance to the best of 3 Championship Series of the 2007 NTXHL Playoffs, where they will face the Oklahoma City Blazers next weekend in Farmers Branch for Game 1, and Frisco for Games 2 & 3.

 

12U Preps Fall in Championship Shootout...

 

12U PeeWee Prep:  Ice Jets '94AA - 2, Alliance - 1 (SO):  After falling hard in Game 1 of the best of 3 Championship Series in the 2007 NTXHL Playoffs, the Alliance Bulldogs fought back to win Game 2, handing the Jets an unfamiliar loss, something they had not experienced through 20 regular season league games.  The Bulldogs then pushed the envelope in the Championship Game, tying the game at 1-1 in the 2nd period, then taking the Jets all the way through a scoreless overtime and into a shootout before falling.

 

Top Seed Takes Squirt Preps in Championship Series...

 

Squirt Prep:  The Bulldogs battled hard to earn their spot in the best of 3 Championship Series of the 2007 NTXHL Playoffs, but the top seed DJHA Penguins, sporting an impressive 18-1-1 record through the regular league season, took wins in Games 1 & 2 to take home the top prize.

 

                                                                         Friday, March 23, 2007                                                                                     

 

Spring Camp Schedule Posted by Week and by Age...

 

The detailed schedule is out for the Alliance Spring Camp 2007, and is posted to the Camp web page by both the weekly schedule and by age groups.  The schedule for the off-ice activities is still being determined and will be posted as soon as it has been finalized.  To the see the schedules, click HERE...

 

Frozen 4 Entry Closed, TV Schedule Posted, Games Begin...

 

The entry for the 3rd Annual Frozen 4 Contest has been closed, and games start this afternoon.  The television broadcast schedule has been posted, with all 12 regional contests being telecast by ESPNU.  The Frozen 4 Semi-Finals will be broadcast by ESPN2, while the Championship Game will be aired by ESPN.  

 

We hope you thought about those tie-breaker numbers, because it will probably come down to that to determine a winner, just like the last 2 years.   Among the 16 teams in the tournament, you picked twelve (12) different winners for the National Championship.    To see the teams picked and TV schedule, click HERE...

 

                                                                       Thursday, March 22, 2007                                                                                  

 

Former Bulldog Headed to Jr. B National Championships...

 

Former Alliance Bulldog Mark Gillings (1987) is headed to the Junior B National Championships in Grand Rapids, MI March 29th - April 2nd as a member of the Phoenix Polar Bears.  The Polar Bears rolled through the Western States Hockey League (WSHL) this season, with an impressive 43-2-0 record.  Phoenix then went 6-0 in the playoffs, capturing the league title with a Finals sweep of the El Paso Rhinos.   This will be the 6th straight trip to the National Championships for Phoenix.

 

Mark is a 2006 graduate of Coppell High School, and last played for Alliance when he as Captain of the Alliance Midget Major AA team in 2005-2006, which won the NTXHL Championship and the 18U Tier II Texas State Championship.  To read more about Mark, go to the Bulldog Alumni page by clicking HERE...

 

 

 

 

 

NTXHL Playoffs - 2 Teams in Championships, 3 in Semi-Finals...

 

Last weekend ended up good for Bulldogs in the 2007 NTXHL Playoffs, as 2 of 3 Alliance teams earned a spot in their respective Championship Series, with the 12U Prep and Squirt Prep teams competing this weekend for the league title.

 

Three more Alliance teams will compete in their respective Semi-Finals this weekend, with the 18U Midget Major AA, 16U Midget Minor AA, and 14U Bantam AA teams each in NTXHL playoff action.  The 18UAA and 16UAA are each coming off a Regular Season Championship in their division. 

 

The 18UAA racked up an impressive 16-4-0 record to run away with the Midget Major AA division, while the 16UAA pulled off a 12-5-1 mark to capture the Midget Minor AA crown in a close race.

 

You can click on the "Weekend Games" tab at the top of our home page, which will take you to a schedule indicating all the Alliance games being played this weekend, with results as they become available. 

 

                                                                        Tuesday, March 20, 2007                                                                                  

 

3rd Annual Frozen 4 Contest is Here Again, Deadline Extended...

 

Once again, the NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Championship Tournament is upon us, and back by popular demand for the 3rd straight year, Alliance is again offering you the chance to learn more about College Hockey and have some fun doing it.   Just like many of you already do for the NCAA Basketball Tournament, and did for the NCAA Hockey Frozen 4 last year, we are having another NCAA Hockey Frozen Four Bracket Contest. 

 

There is no money involved, and it is just for fun.   However, there will be prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place winners - nothing spectacular, just hockey related!   We had contestants from all over the United States last year, and many returning contestants are biting at the bit to get their selections submitted.    Hurry, as the entry deadline has been extended to 12:00 noon Friday March 23rd.  To get started picking the winners, click HERE...

 

                                                                        Monday, March 19, 2007                                                                                   

 

Alliance Again Well Represented at RMD Development Camp...

 

Congratulations to the more than 30 Alliance players that were recently selected at the Texas Affiliate Camp (TAC) in Dallas to represent Texas and Oklahoma at the Rocky Mountain District (RMD) Development Camp, which is scheduled for May 2-6 at the Olympic Oval in Salt Lake City, Utah. 

 

For a list of Alliance players selected, click HERE...

 

                                                                        Friday, March 16, 2007                                                                                     

 

NTXHL Playoffs - Weekend Schedule Posted...