12U A

The Bulldogs are proud to host the Kelvin Clippers during this weekend's Texas Star Winter Classic. The Clippers, a high school team from Winnipeg, are being billeted by several families from the Bulldogs' 12U A and Mite teams during their stay in Dallas.

Through the first day of tournament competition, Kelvin has posted a 2-0 record with victories over the Brandon Bulls and Austin Roadrunners. A victory on Sunday night against the Oklahoma City Blazers would propel the Clippers into the 18U championship game on Monday.

The Clippers compete in the Winnipeg High School Hockey League, and currently sit in 2nd place in their league with a 15-2-1-1 record.

The school's hockey program is has been in existence for only 10 years, and the team is seeking their first ever league championship. So far, the players and coaches have been treated to a Tex-Mex team dinner, and a visit to a Dallas Stars practice in Frisco. Several of the players and families are also planning to attend the Dallas Stars game on Monday afternoon.

Thanksgiving is a time for celebration, thanks, and reflection on the many blessings we have experienced, but sometimes it just comes down to believing Thanksgiving was created for hockey tournaments. Evidence of that is the 1,730,000 Google hits on "Thanksgiving Hockey." The biggest weekend of the season is heading our way, as this week 11 Alliance teams will play almost 50 games in 5 different tournaments, from the mountains of Colorado and the deserts of Arizona, to the shores of Lake Michigan and to the city lights of Bid D.

The big draw, as in tradition with years past, is the always competitive Mile High Thanksgiving Tournament in Littleton, Colorado, where five Bulldog squads will compete with some of the best teams in the west. Our two top Midget Major & Minor teams will compete here locally, starting play Wednesday in the nationally recognized US Hockey News Challenge Cup, and the Bantam AAA team will get a taste of Chicago in the Team Illinois Thanksgiving Tournament. The 12U PeeWee A team will get warm at the Thanksgiving Shootout in Phoenix, while our Squirt teams will stay at home in Valley Ranch with the Dallas Stars Select Fall Roundup.

Alliance – 4, Texas Aces – 2: The Alliance 12U A team returned to the win column in NTXHL play, with a hard fought 4-2 win over the Texas Aces A on Saturday at Stonebriar. The Bulldogs took advantage of an early Aces' penalty, converting a power play just 4:55 into the game for a 1-0 lead. The Aces tied the game with just :07 remaining in the first period with a power play tally of their own.

The second period began just like the first, as the Bulldogs scored on an odd-man rush 1:52 into to the period to take a 2-1 lead. The Bulldogs controlled play throughout the period, but could not capitalize on numerous scoring chances. Despite strong play, the Bulldogs had to withstand 2 disallowed Aces' goals to maintain a slim lead heading into the final period.

The 3rd period turned into a penalty-fest, with both teams killing off critical 2-man advantages, until the Bulldogs struck quickly for 2 goals within 57 seconds midway through the period. The penalties continued, as both teams struggled to

gain any momentum. The Aces closed the gap to 2 goals as the final horn sounded.

After the game, the Bulldogs were off to Group Dynamix in Carrollton to participate in a team building event before heading to Phoenix on Thursday to participate in the Thanksgiving Shootout.

Highland Park Blue – 7, Alliance – 5: ITC Richardson was the sight Sunday afternoon for the first meeting of the Alliance Pee Wee 12U A and the HP Jr. Scots Blue Pee Wee team. In a fairly physical game, the Scots took control of NTXHL league play when they put up 2 points in the first half of period 1. But the Bulldogs pulled together, and with lots of hustle and a power play opportunity, they shot one in the net at 3:31. With only 45 seconds left in the period, a beautiful shot from the blueline by a Bulldog defenseman tied the game at 2.

The 2^nd period started much the same, when the Scots added 3 more goals, one on a 5-4 power play. Credit goes to the fighting Bulldogs, who managed successful 5 on 4, and 5 on 3 penalty kills during the period. Then the excitement increased tenfold, when on a 5 on 4 power play, the Bulldogs took the puck at the drop all the way to the net to up the score to 3. Someone pushed the rewind button, and the exact same play was repeated with the same result just 7 seconds later to end the period within reach for the Dogs at 5-4.

Alliance showed that practice pays off, when they started the 3^rd period with another successful 5 on 3 penalty kill for over a minute. At even strength, the Scots scored their 6^th goal. In crowd-pleasing fashion, the Bulldogs, down by 2 men, deked a defensemen and made a goal on a masterful break away. Let us not forget our goalie, who made excellent saves on powerful shooting by the Scots. But in the end, Highland Park, who owned the scoreboard the majority of the game, put in their last goal, and Alliance left the ice with a 7 – 5 loss.

Stars Select Major – 7, Alliance – 4: After coming off a disappointing loss yesterday in an exhibition, the Alliance Pee Wee 12U A Bulldogs were ready to rumble in NTXHL action at Valley Ranch on Sunday. Apparently, the Stars Select Major were ready for the Bulldogs. With a lot of hustle out of both teams, it was the Stars that put up not just the first, but the first five goals of the game to open up a 5-0 lead.

Two of the goals were on 5 on 4 and 5 on 3 Stars power plays, two were full–strength and one was a short-handed goal. Finally, with less than 5 minutes left in the second period, Alliance made it to the scoreboard with an assist from behind the net. The Dallas Stars Select managed to add another goal to their list with just 46 seconds left in the period to make it a 6–1 game.

The third period showed a renewed spirit and determination from the Bulldogs. Teamwork and another beautiful assist help put on in the net to make it a 4-goal spread at 6-2. A short-handed breakaway goal by a Bulldog shortened the Stars lead to 6-3. Hopes to shut-out the Stars in the 3rd period were ruined when Dallas came back to increase their score to 7 with another goal.

Alliance answered back with an assist from the blue line to a Bulldog who put one in the net with a wrap-around goal to make it 7-4. Lots of action and third period penalties made play interesting as the two teams spent the last 1:16 with only 3 players each on the ice. No points resulted and the game ended in a loss for Alliance.

Ice Jets ’95 AA – 5, Alliance – 1: Lucky for Alliance Pee Wee 12U A this was just an exhibition game, but a good experience as they went up against a AA team on Saturday afternoon at Valley Ranch. After winning the puck at the first drop, the Ice Jets '95AA took the puck down the ice and turned the scoreboard 1-0 in their favor with a wrap-around goal in the first minute of the game.

The Ice Jets scored a second time on a 5 on 4 power play goal to open up a 2-0 lead. Alliance had a couple of 5 on 3 power play opportunities, but failed to convert any of these into goals. The Bulldogs also stopped the Jets 5 on 3 power play, and kept them from scoring again.

Period 2 started much the same way, as the Ice Jets put two in the net within four minutes to make it 4-0. Fast-paced action kept the puck moving up and down the ice, but only penalties, not goals, were the result.

Facing a four goal deficit, the Bulldogs stopped a potential shut-out by getting one in the net in the 3rd period to make it 4-1. Credit goes to good passing, a beautiful assist and a nice shot to this goal. But the Ice Jets responded with their fifth and final goal at 10:55. The rest of the period saw few penalties, but lots of skating as both teams tried to add to their tally. The scoreboard showed 5-1 in favor of the Ice Jets when the final buzzer sounded. The ‘Dogs will hopefully use this experience as they look forward to a league win tomorrow against the Dallas Stars Select Major team.

OKC Blazers – 7, Alliance – 2: The 12U PeeWee A team suffered a forgettable 7-2 loss to the Oklahoma City Blazers in NTXHL play on Sunday at Polar Ice in Grapevine. The Bulldogs got off to a strong start, scoring on their 2nd shot for a 1-0 lead just 1:10 into the game. The Bulldogs made it a 2-0 game midway through the first period, with a nice goal off a rebound from the OKC goalie.

During the second period, OKC was able to keep it a 2 goal game, despite taking 8 penalties as the Bulldogs were unable to convert on several good scoring opportunities. The two goal lead was quickly cut in half, on an opportunistic goal by the Blazers. At the end of an OKC penalty, a player coming out of the penalty box grabbed a loose puck and skated in for a breakaway goal to make it 2-1 with just 1:22 remaining in the second period.

OKC started the 3rd period with 3 power play goals within the first 4 minutes to take a 4-2 lead, as the Bulldogs took some untimely penalties. It only got worse for Alliance, as the Blazers scored 3 more power play goals within a 3 minute span midway through the final period for the 7-2 final score. The Bulldogs will look to shake off the loss, and will face the Dallas Stars Peewee Major team next weekend.

Alliance – 8, Dallas Stars Select – 2: The 2^nd regular season NTXHL game for the Bulldogs started off a little shaky, as they allowed the Dallas Stars Select Minor to score twice half-way through the first period.

The first goal for the Stars on a 5-4 power play, and the second goal on even strength play was enough to put Alliance in a bad mood, trailing 2-0. But the Bulldogs used that anger to their advantage, and came back to score 8 unanswered goals.

After a check by a Bulldog at the blue line, the puck was picked up by a teammate who faked the goalie and scored the first Alliance goal with 1:30 left in the first period to make it a 2-1 game. Great passing after the puck drop in the 2^nd period allowed a power play goal by the Bulldogs to tie the game up at 2-2. Their next goal came a just a minute later, as again passing and teamwork took the puck to the net, and much to the Stars goalie’s dismay, it was a trickler that made the score 3-2 for Alliance.

The last period was dominated by Alliance. A pass from the blue line fed a man at the net, whose shot on goal was stopped, but the rebound was knocked in to change the scoreboard to 4-2 early in the third. Goal 5 was scored with a 5 on 4 power play, as Alliance rushed the net. Good teamwork and passing down the ice shored up the last three goals.

With the shots on goal nearly equal at 26 for Alliance and 27 for Dallas Stars Select, credit goes to great Bulldog goaltending for stopping any attempts by the Stars to change their side of the scoreboard. Alliance left the ice with a 2-0 record in regular season play.

Alliance – 5, Ice Jets '94/95 A - 2: The first regular season NTXHL game versus Ice Jets '94-'95A ended in what will hopefully be the first of many wins for the Bulldogs this season. Hard work by Alliance in the corner fed the man at the net for the first goal. Only ten seconds later, a one-man rush after the face off made the score 2-0. With two Bulldogs in the penalty box, the Ice Jets were able to put one in the net with less than 2 minutes in the first period making it a 2-1 game.

The second period was just as successful for Alliance, as they managed to stop any goal attempts by the Ice Jets. The Bulldogs third goal came at 11:56 when they stole the puck, turned around the play and deked the Ice Jets goalie. A nice pass allowed the Bulldogs to score a short-handed goal ending the period with a 4-1 lead.

The third period was business as usual. Alliance worked hard to kill penalty minutes during the period, and managed to triumph until the Ice Jets scored half-way through the period again with a 5 on 3 power play. The Bulldogs had the last word, scoring the fifth time when a beautiful pass across the slot was shot into the Ice Jets net making the final score 5-2 in favor of Alliance.

Alliance – 4, Houston Aeros - 1: The Bulldogs were ready for a win, after falling three straight during the Stars Select Texas Shootout Labor Day Tournament over the weekend. Alliance started the count with a goal at the 9:55 mark for a quick 1-0 lead. The Houston Aeros fired back with a good rebound goal, ending the first period in a 1-1 tie.

It would be the first, but also the final goal for Houston. A fantastic 2nd period for the Bulldogs resulted in three more goals to make it 4-1 headed into the final frame. Good teamwork, positioning, passing, and goaltending kept Alliance on top. The third period proved competitive for both teams, but it was Alliance that left the ice with the 4-1 win.

Texas Aces A - 6, Alliance – 3: The third game of the Stars Select Texas Shootout Labor Day Tournament proved challenging for the Alliance Bulldogs as they faced the Texas Aces A. The Bulldogs jumped on the ice with fervor, and scored the first goal short-handed at 10:48. The 1-0 lead was short-lived, as the Aces tied the game, scoring on the same power play 19 seconds later to make it 1-1. Two more Aces goals on re-bounds raised their lead 3-1. The period ended with Alliance increasing their score and making it 3-2 with a goal assisted by one of their defensemen.

Alliance allowed another power-play goal by the Aces in the 2nd period, making it a 4-2 game. The Aces lead was then increased again when they knocked in a rebound goal for a 5-2 lead. The crowd went wild when the puck was dropped, and Alliance scored off the drop at the 2:29 mark to narrow the margin to 5-3. Period 2 ended with what would become the final score, when the Aces took advantage of a 3 on 1 opportunity turning the scoreboard to 6-3 in favor of the Aces. The Aces continued to dominate through the third period, and ended the game with a 32-13 shots on goal lead over Alliance and the win

DJHA Minor '95 - 2, Alliance – 1: Alliance played their second game of the Stars Select Texas Shootout Labor Day Tournament Saturday morning against DJHA Penguins Minor '95 and it was a close one. The Bulldogs fell behind early, allowing a breakaway goal by the Penguins in the first 16 seconds of play. It took nearly the entire 1st period, but Alliance answered with a beautiful unassisted goal from the blueline to tie it up at 1-1 with 1:25 left to play in the period. DJHA answered back immediately with another break-away, and subsequently the game-winning goal, ending the period with the lead at 2-1.

DJHA controlled the puck in the 2nd period, out-shooting Alliance by a 13-9 margin by the end of the period. The third period was the final downfall for the Bulldogs, when they failed to convert three 5 on 3 power play attempts. However, excellent Alliance goal-tending during the entire game kept the DJHA score low, and gave the Bulldogs a chance to the end.

PeeWees Fall in Texas Shootout Opener...

Stars Select Major - 4, Alliance - 1: Alliance faced a good opponent in the Stars Select during their opening game of the Stars Select Texas Shootout Labor Day Tournament, and played a strong 1st period, out-shooting the Stars 5-3. The 2nd period proved more difficult for the Bulldogs, as the Stars gained control of the scoreboard at the 11:36 mark with a turnover in the neutral zone resulting in a goal and a 1-0 lead. The Stars extended their lead at the 10-minute mark with their second goal to make it 2-0. With less than 30 seconds left in the 2nd period, the Stars took advantage of a break-away and ended the period with a 3-0 advantage.

Alliance came out stronger in the 3rd period, and did not allow another Stars goal until the last minute of the game. Alliance rallied and stopped the shut-out by putting one in the net on a power play goal with 19 seconds left in the game for the 4-1 final score.

Alliance 5, FB Maple Leafs 2: The Alliance 12U A team tuned up for the Texas Shoot Out with a 5-2 exhibition win over the Farmers Branch Maple Leafs All Stars on Saturday August 26th at Polar Ice. The Bulldogs opened the scoring with a goal for a 1-0 lead at the 5 minute mark. Farmers Branch immediately responded with a goal of their own to tie the score 1-1. The Bulldogs regained the lead 2 minutes later on a beautiful wrap-around goal. Farmers Branch closed out the first period scoring on a breakaway for a 2-2 tie.

Alliance took the lead for good early in the 2nd period on a breakaway goal for a 3-2 lead. The Bulldogs made it 4-2 at the end of the period with some beautiful passing and a goal into a wide open net. The Bulldogs guaranteed the win in the first minute of the 3rd period with a nicely executed 2-on-1 rush for the final 5-2 margin. Alliance out-shot the Maple Leafs 28-14 and controlled play for the majority of the game.

The Bulldogs open play in the TX Shootout Tournament at 6:00AM on Saturday 9/2 against the Stars Select Major team.

Friday, August 11, 2006

U12 PeeWee A Roster & Preliminary Schedule Released...

The Alliance U12 PeeWee A Roster and Preliminary Schedule for the 2006-2007 season was released today, and there are a lot of newcomers to the Bulldogs on this team. The preliminary schedule indicates they will start the season with an exhibition against the Farmers Branch Maple Leaf All-Stars, and then hit their first tournament of the season with the Dallas Jr. Stars Select Texas Shootout Tournament during the Labor Day Holiday.

Later in November, the Bulldogs will spend their Thanksgiving in Phoenix for a warm weather break and some more tournament action.

The remainder of the schedule up until December will be released following the NTXHL scheduling meeting, scheduled for later this month.