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.

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.

After 2 big weekends back-to-back with the 2007 Rocky Mountain District Championships and NTXHL Qualifying Rounds, it's another big weekend for 3 more Alliance teams, as the 12U Prep, Squirt Prep, and Mite Prep teams are competing Saturday and Sunday in the Semi-Finals of the 2007 NTXHL Playoffs.

Squirt Prep: The Alliance Squirt Prep Bulldogs had the offense flying and the defense & goaltending tight, as they scored 20 goals while allowing only 5, in going 4 and 0 to capture the Championship of The Lincoln Memorial in Chicago over the weekend. The Bulldogs earned their title, as they competed against some very tough competition from Michigan and Wisconsin to bring home the hardware back down south to Texas.

Alliance – 3, Texas Aces – 2 (SO): Game 2 of the day and 3^rd of the Stars Fall Roundup with the Texas Aces was everything that a Hockey parent could hope for...The Bulldogs still had fight left in their sticks. The Aces jumped out to a 1-0 lead early in the 1st period, only to be re-buttled by the Bulldogs at the end of the period to tie it up at 1-1.

By the second period, the Dogs had gone ahead 2-1. The battle raged on defensively and offensively. In the final minutes, the Aces found the goal they had so desperately fought to get to make it 2-2. DON"T LEAVE YOUR SEATS, this is Texas and it is appropriate to have a shoot-out when the family gets together for Thanksgiving. The last remaining Bulldog stood bravely at his post. After 3 Dogs took their shots on the Aces...BULLDOGS WIN, BULLDOGS WIN. This extends the Bulldogs to a 5 game winning streak and a trip to the Sunday Playoff.

Alliance – 2, Austin – 1: Once again the Bulldogs where early risers, with a 7:15 am study time for their Stars Fall Roundup game against Austin at Valley Ranch. Adding to the fun, two more Bulldogs returned to the pack to complete the family reunion. The 8:15 game was fought hard and close. The teams exchanged goals (1-1) until the last 5 seconds ticked down, and the Alliance offense delivered a lethal blow ending the game in a Bulldog win, 2-1.

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 – 5, Houston Aeros – 0: Starting with a quick goal and picking up the pace from there, these Bulldogs stood tall in their second NTXHL tilt of the day against the Houston Jr Aeros A1. Even shorthanded by a penalty, the Bulldogs still scored again to take a 2-0 lead. By the end of the 1st period, the Bulldogs were playing with the efficiency of a well groomed Stanley Cup Team. Quick changes off the bench (great door work) kept every line fresh and hitting the ice at full stride.

The 2nd period started with another quick strike to make it 3-0. Shot after shot, the offense became even stronger. In the 3rd period, the Bulldogs where called for another penalty (more room on the ice), and again they scored shorthanded to increase the lead to 4-0. The Aeros made a gallant effort, but these Dogs refused to be mastered. The game ended 5-0, and it was a great job by the boys and coaches alike.

Alliance – 6, Austin – 4: Then God said "Let there be passing" and He saw it was good. The Bulldogs awoke to a 4:30 am wake up call with a 5:15am dry land, followed by a 6:00am NTXHL game of Keep Away with the Austin Roadrunners. The passing was intense, and the entire team engaged at every drop of the puck. The defense kept Austin out, while the offense passed their way to a 6-4 VICTORY...Great job one and all!

DJHA - 6, Alliance – 0: The Bulldogs took their show on the road to Austin and ran into a Saturday Dog Fight with DJHA Delisle in NTXHL action. With all the effort put forth, the Bulldogs could not shake off the leash. The Dogs managed 3 breakaways, but could not convert. The 2nd period was filled with DJHA passing combinations that looked great, but many were denied by the Bulldog’s Gatekeeper.

As DJHA continued to swarm, the Bulldog defense continued to grow stronger. There was still plenty of bite left in these Dogs. During the 3rd period, the Bulldogs defended a barrage of shots. There were moments at the Alliance net that were reminiscent of a mad dog guarding its bone, but to no avail, as the Penguins took away a win this time. A little talk about the game, a good meal, and a warm bed was the prescription on this night.

Alliance – 6, Houston Aeros – 1: After spending a couple of hours in intense obedience class reviewing last week’s game, the Dogs were unleashed on the Houston Jr Aeros A1 in this NTXHL contest in Valley Ranch. At 7:15 pm the Bulldogs took the ice, and by 7:25, it became rather apparent that it was feeding time at the Home Pound. Great passing combinations, along with a strong defensive game, gave these Bulldogs a well earned VICTORY.

DJHA - 5, Alliance – 4: In a physical game with DJHA Delisle, the Bulldogs suffered their first tournament defeat of the season in Game 3 of the Stars Select Texas Shootout Labor Day Tournament Sunday afternoon in Valley Ranch. After a shaky start where many teams would fold up and head to the doghouse, not these Bulldogs!

After giving up an early goal, the Bulldogs confidence might have been down, but their courage never wavered. Trailing 4-1 at the beginning of the third period, the Bulldogs scored 3 goals, capped by a tipped puck from center ice to create a breakaway goal to even the score at 4 all. These Dogs never gave up, and are now headed to the third place game on Labor Day with the Texas Aces.

Alliance – 12, Ice Jets '96AA - 1: In another high scoring output, the Bulldogs shot down the Ice Jets '96AA in Game 2 of the Stars Select Texas Shootout Labor Day Tournament Sunday morning in Valley Ranch, out-shooting them 46-11. The Bulldogs scored in the first 30 seconds of the game, and never let up, putting away 5 in the first, 4 in the second, and another 3 in the third. They saw a few more shots than the last game, but the goaltending and defense held strong for the team’s second tournament win!

Alliance – 8, OK City - 1: In their first game of the season, the Bulldogs delivered an 8-1 knockout punch to the Oklahoma City Blazers to win Game 1 of the Stars Select Texas Shootout Labor Day Tournament Saturday afternoon in Valley Ranch. The Bulldogs smothered OKC from the outset, out-shooting them 32-6 while spreading the assists & scoring across all 3 lines. The back-check and defense were superior, as Alliance never gave up an odd-man rush. Great first win!

The Alliance Squirt Prep Roster and Preliminary Schedule for the 2006-2007 season was released today, and there are a lot of returning players from the Alliance 2005-2006 Squirt A Champions and Squirt AA Finalists. The preliminary schedule indicates they will start the season with the Dallas Jr. Stars Select Texas Shootout Tournament during the Labor Day Holiday.

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

Saturday, March 25, 2006

Alliance Announces Squirt Teams & Coaches for 2006-2007…

“The New Alliance Youth Hockey Association” is pleased to announce our teams and coaches for the upcoming 2006-2007 season, and the Bulldog family will be growing again. With the purpose of escalating our foundation of development, expanding our reach across the DFW Metroplex and from the requests of many players and families throughout the area, Alliance will be fielding fifteen (15) teams next season, up from nine this past year.

Much like seasons past, we will again house teams to compete at the highest level of Tier I & Tier II competition across the country. New for this coming season, however, there will be the expansion of our successful Bulldog SQUIRT program.

Alliance will furnish 2 Squirt teams this coming season. The entire program will aspire to bring together a group of players who not only love the game but wish to benefit from the rigors of thorough skill development, concentrated small area training, and vigorous competition from one of the area’s most experienced and well respected coaches – Jouni Lehtola.

The 2006-2007 Alliance Squirt Prep Team will be the first in our new line of Bulldog “PREP TEAMS”. The Squirt Prep Team will be in place for those players who are being primed to make the transition to Tier I Hockey for the following 2007-2008 season, for those players that will then be eligible for our Tier I PeeWee AAA team.

Jouni is new to the Alliance Coaching Staff for the 2006-2007 Season, and comes to us from the Dallas Stars Select, where he just finished leading his Midget Minor AA team to the NTXHL League Championship. For more information about Jouni, click HERE...