18U Midget Major Prep News 2007-2008

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                                                                             Sunday, February 10, 2008                                                                    

 

Bulldogs Win Texas State Championship!!!

 

Champions - 18U Prep

 

 

18U Preps Go 3 OTs in "Wild" Win...

 

Tier II - 18U Division:  In another "Wild" game that will go down as one of those exciting ones in Alliance history, the 18U Preps scored the game-tying goal in the final minute, teased everyone with a celebration after an overtime goal that was eventually disallowed, and then finally won it for real in the 3rd OT to capture the 18U Tier II State Championship and a trip to the 2008 Rocky Mountain District Championships.  The 4-3 win over the Houston Wild is Alliance's 4th Tier II 18U State Championship in the last 5 seasons, avenging their loss against the Wild in last years State Final.

 

Alliance - 4, Houston Wild 18U Prep - 3 (3OT):  In what surely was one of the greatest games in USA amateur hockey history, the Alliance Bulldogs 18U Prep team dug themselves out of a hole against the Houston Wild 18U Prep team and came back to win the Texas State Tier II Championship in triple overtime, 4-3.  In doing so, the Bulldogs avenged a heartbreaking loss to the Wild in last year's State Championship Game, and improved its record against the higher ranked Wild to 4-1-1 for the season.   The Bulldogs overcame a rash of penalties and a disputed/dis-allowed goal in overtime in the see-saw battle.  The Alliance netminder turned away an astounding 67 of 70 Wild shots in the game, while the Wild goalie saw 63 shots plus one sweet, sweet game-winning goal.

 

Alliance dominated play in the early going.  At one point in the first period, the Bulldogs held an 11-3 shot advantage, but the Wild still generated some hairy scoring chances.  The Bulldogs successfully killed off a 5-on-3 penalty, but seemed to lose some momentum.  Shortly after the penalty kill, the Wild scored to take a 1-0 lead.  The Bulldogs outshot the Wild 13-11 in the first period but were in a 1-0 hole at the end of the period.

 

The Bulldogs found themselves in a 5-on-3 shorthanded situation once again early in the second period.  They played with Wild fire once too often, because this time Houston capitalized with a power play goal to extend its lead to 2-0.  As has often been the case with the 18U Preps this year, Alliance stormed right back after an opposition goal.  With 13:40 on the clock in the second, the Bulldogs sprung loose on a 2-on-1 break and the ensuing shot squirted off and over the Houston goalie and into the net.  Wild 2, Dogs 1.  The Wild took control of the ice at this point and launched a furious assault on the Bulldog goal.  Alliance relied on a brick wall in goal to hold off the assault.  The Bulldogs had a late power play but squandered it and left the ice after two periods staring at a 2-1 deficit in goals and a 37-24 deficit in shots on goal.

 

The third period has often been Alliance's best and the third period of this game started on par.  The Bulldogs came out strong, but were unable to score.  Halfway through the third period, the Wild scored again to take a two goal lead, 3-1.  But this was the State Championship and the Bulldogs refused to lose heart.  Minutes later, a Bulldog maneuvered through the slot toe dragging and crosscutting backwards, similar to Mike Modano's move against the LA Kings a few years ago, and went towards the net once clear of defenders.  He shot and scored with a perfectly pegged wrister and the Dawgs were back in bidness, behind 3-2.  Sick, sick move. 

 

Alliance then proceeded to come close to letting the refs decide the game. Deep in the third period, Houston enjoyed still another 5-on-3 power play but were unable to solve the Alliance goaltender.  From the time they were merely one man short, Alliance let the dogs out on the Wild goal and stormed the net on rush after rush.  Finally, with only 30 seconds left in regulation, Destiny found its Dog when an Alliance attacker wrapped around the Houston goal and hit his man with a perfect centering pass deep in the slot.  BINGO.  TIE SCORE.  YOUR MAMA.  Alliance continued to attack in the waning seconds of regulation and a Bulldog attacker almost stuffed it in short side with time expiring.  To overtime.

 

Alliance carried its momentum into overtime, and held the edge in play.  The game went into the second overtime, and with 8 minutes left in the second ten-minute overtime period, Alliance scored the apparent game winner when a pass across the slot was kicked by a Bulldog to his stick and directed past the goal line into the net.  Apparently, the referee saw the puck kicked but did not see the redirection with the player's stick, as the goal was disallowed after close to a minute of mad, Alliance celebration.  All that meant was that the Bulldogs would get to celebrate twice, because on this day, on THIS day, they would NOT BE DENIED. 

 

The Bulldogs continued their attack, and they had many chances, including a shot that clanged off the post with 2:24 left in double overtime.  Then, in triple overtime, the Alliance captain found his spot in the slot and showed the world why he wears the "C" with a wicked snap shot that was labeled for the goal, stick side, and twanged the rope for the Texas State Championship.  4 to 3, Good Guys win!!

 

On to Oklahoma for the Rocky Mountain Regional Championships.  Don't leave your heart medicine at home.

 

 

                                                                              Saturday, January 26, 2008                                                                    

 

Alliance- 5, Houston Wild- 4 (2OT):  The Alliance Bulldogs 18U Preps showed great tenacity in twice coming back from two goal deficits to win in double overtime versus the Houston Wild 18U Prep team.  The Bulldogs scored with only 2 seconds on the clock in the second overtime.  What a thriller!

 

The teams traded chances in the early going, and Alliance found itself in penalty trouble.  With a four-on-three manpower advantage, Houston opened the scoring with a power play goal on a sharp angled shot that burrowed its way into the net.  The Bulldogs killed another penalty and the first period ended with the Wild leading 1-0.

 

Early in the second period, the Bulldogs found themselves with the tables turned and a four-on-three power play.  However, when the first Wild player emerged from the penalty box, his teammate hit him with a home run pass.  On the ensuing breakaway, the shot rang off the post and Houston scored on the rebound in a scramble in front of the Bulldog net.  Houston enjoyed a 2-0 lead until with 8:00 on the clock in the second period, an Alliance forward was pulled down on a breakaway and prevented from getting off a shot.  He took advantage of the penalty shot he was awarded and the Bulldogs were back in business. 

 

Just a minute and a half later, a Bulldog stole a Wild pass, skated in on a 2-on-1 rush on the net and picked the top corner, high glove.  Nice play.  With the second period drawing to a close,  Alliance made a strong bid for the lead with multiple back door opportunities, but no dice, the period ended with the teams deadlocked, 2-2.

 

The third period started with the fates twisted against  Alliance .  In the first four minutes of the period, the Bulldogs rang shots off the post twice, and in one of its only rushes in the early going, the Wild scored on a 2-on-1 chance.  The Bulldogs gave up another power play goal and found themselves in a 4-2 hole nearly halfway through the third period.  With 8:34 left in the third, Alliance scored what proved to be the first of three unanswered goals.  The Bulldog forward wrapped around the net and hit his teammate with a pass in the low slot.  Bingo.  Late in the period  Alliance knotted the score at 4-4 when a hustling Bulldog rushed the net, shot, and put his own rebound behind the Wild goalie.  To overtime.

 

In the first five minute overtime, Alliance held the edge in play, which under tournament rules was 4-on-4 hockey.  There was no scoring, however, and the game went to a second overtime.

 

The second overtime was played in a three-on-three format.  There were several chances either way and players on both sides were visibly gassed at various junctures.  In the wee moments of the second overtime period, Houston cleared the puck out of its zone, but a Bulldog hustled the puck back into the Wild zone and let fly a sick snap shot that found its home blocker side.  The clock read 2.6 seconds.  The Alliance players stormed the ice to enjoy their hard fought 5-4 victory.    The Bulldogs face a formidable opponent in the semifinals, the #1 seeded Darien Huskies.

 

 

 

 

                                                                              Friday, January 25, 2008                                                                    

 

Alliance- 5, Phoenix Firebirds- 3:  In a rough-and-tumble Friday afternoon matchup at Valley Ranch, the Alliance Bulldogs 18U Prep team got a win in the round robin portion of the Alliance Dallas Cup Tournament.  The score was 5-3.  Alliance survived its now common overabundance of penalties in the later stages of the game, and solved a very solid Firebird goaltender five times en route to its win.

 

The Bulldogs took their first penalty less than one minute into the game, a harbinger of things to come.  Alliance successfully killed it and got some momentum going with good pressure in the Phoenix end of the ice.  The teams traded chances and Alliance survived another shorthanded situation late in the first period.  It looked like the teams would come out of the first period scoreless until the Bulldogs got caught with too much stickhandling deep in their own zone, turned the puck over and a Firebird painted the corner of the Bulldog net with only 3 seconds on the clock.

 

Less than four minutes into the second period, Alliance evened the score at 1-1 when a Phoenix defensive mistake led to a Bulldog open net goal.  Alliance turned up the heat and with 8:58 left in the second period, scored a power play goal on a very pretty passing play.  2-1 Dogs.  Phoenix reciprocated with a power play goal of its own on a bang-bang passing play down low with just over three minutes left in the second period to tie the score, 2-2.  The teams left the ice for the flood between periods 2 and 3, and the Alliance faithful breathed a sigh of relief when their heroes at least got through the Zam with no penalties.

 

The Bulldogs didn't take long in the third period to regain their lead, when they scored another power play goal.  A Bulldog shot from the point pinballed around the crease before the Dogs slammed it home for a 3-2 advantage.  The next ten minutes of the game found the Bulldogs covering their penalty paw tracks with several shorthanded situations, but got good goaltending and did an admirable job of clearing the puck out of trouble. 

 

With 5:26 left in regulation, a Bulldog penalty killer made an unbelievable play, stealing the puck and worming his way through two Phoenix defenders en route to a breakaway he converted with a perfect shot blocker side.  Holy moly, 4-2 Alliance .  Phoenix stormed right back twenty seconds later and took advantage of a Bulldog defensive end turnover with a quick pass into the slot and quick shot, cutting the Alliance lead to 4-3.  The Bulldogs then got a golden opportunity to put the game away, finding themselves with a 5-on-3 power play with only 3:18 to play, but salted it away. 

 

Things got feisty and half of the respective teams' benches moved to the opposite side of the ice next to the scorekeeper.  With 1:18 to play, Alliance was shorthanded and Phoenix upped the ante by pulling its goalie.  After a hairy Firebird scoring chance was thwarted, however, a Bulldog forward doused the Firebirds with a long empty net goal.  The score remained 5-3 until the buzzer sounded.

 

The Bulldogs are hopeful they picked up some momentum heading into Saturday's quarterfinals versus the second seed from the American Division.  They would be well served to get religion about avoiding dumb penalties.

 

 

 

 

                                                                              Thursday, January 24, 2008                                                                  

 

Darien (IL) Huskies- 4, Alliance - 2:  After sleepwalking through the first period and a half of play, the Alliance Bulldogs fell short in a third period comeback bid against a talented Darien Huskies squad in their tournament opener Thursday morning.  The Bulldogs were bitten as much by their own lack of discipline as by the Huskies.  The game saw the usual suspects streaming to the penalty box and a seemingly endless series of shorthanded situations for Alliance , including several 5-on-3 disadvantages.  The Bulldogs were outshot by a wide margin and only solid goaltending kept the damage from hemorrhaging.

 

The Bulldogs should have known the game would be called extra tight when they drew a 2-and-2 penalty just over two minutes into the game.  Unfortunately, Alliance surrendered a goal on the first power play and fell behind 1-0.  The Bulldog goalie kept it to that score with some nice saves on several chances in the next few shifts of the game.  The Bulldogs threatened to tie when they connected with a home run pass, but failed to convert it and a subequent power play. 

 

It went from bad to worse when Alliance failed to hustle on the backcheck and the Huskies made hay with their resulting 3-on-2 rush by deflecting a hard pass into the top corner of the net.  Finding themselves in a 2-0 hole late in the first period, the Bulldogs promptly made it worse by getting another penalty at the 2:14 mark.  This time, however, they successfully killed the penalty to keep the score at 2-0 after one.

 

Alliance dug its hole deeper less than two minutes into the second period when they turned the puck over in their defensive zone and Darien  cashed in with a pretty passing play.  Another successful penalty kill and five minutes later, Alliance finally scored with a top shelf laser to cut the score to 3-1.   The penalties really mounted on the Bulldogs for the balance of the second period.  At the 9:49 mark, they killed one penalty only to get back in a worse situation less than four minutes later when one Bulldog got a 2-and-2 for mouthing on top of a crosscheck, and another Bulldog hit the sin bin at the same time. 

 

Darien made quick work of its 5-on-3 advantage with a deflection to increase its lead to 4-1.  The Bulldogs could not stand to see a player leave the box and picked up another penalty to give the Huskies back their 5-on-3 advantage.  This time, the Alliance goalie stood tall, and the Bulldogs capitalized on a Huskie miscue.  The lone Bulldog forward on the ice stole the puck deep in the Huskie zone and cashed in on his breakaway for a Bulldog bone, making the score Darien -4, Alliance- 2.  With 1:27 left in the second period, the Bulldogs found themselves with a rare power play, but were unable to take advantage of the opportunity to cut the Darien lead.  They left the ice for the flood between periods still trailing 4-2.

 

In the third period, the teams traded several power play opportunities, but neither could score.  Alliance threatened several times to make it a one goal game but could not put the biscuit in the basket.  The Bulldogs pulled their goalie to mount an attack in the last moments of the game, but even that show of force was nullified with more penalties.  Too little, too late and too many blasted penalties for the tournament hosts, who lost by a final score of 4-2.

 

 

 

                                                                              Monday, January 21, 2008                                                                    

 

 

Alliance - 6, Tulsa Flames 18U AA- 0:  The Alliance Bulldogs 18U Prep squad won the Texas Star Winter Classic Tournament in style, with a 6-0 victory over the Tulsa Flames in a Monday afternoon contest at Dr. Pepper StarCenter in Plano .  The Bulldogs rode a strong attack for the entire game and solid goaltending at critical junctures, especially early in the game, to victory.

 

From the beginning of the game, the Bulldogs skated with energy and applied good pressure on the Tulsa goal.  It finally paid off at the 6:20 mark of the first period when an Alliance player ripped a shot off the post and his teammate converted the rebound for a 1-0 lead.  Not long after that, the Bulldogs spun straw into gold with a shorthanded goal, when a Bulldog forechecker stole the puck at the Tulsa blueline and converted his breakaway into a 2-0 lead.  The first period ended with Alliance ahead 2-0.

 

The second period began with a penaltyfest, with the Bulldogs getting more time in the sin bin than Tulsa .  Once evenhanded, Alliance unleashed a furious barrage of hard shots on the Tulsa net and eventually scored to make the score 3-0, Good guys.   The Bulldogs kept up the pressure and put home a rebound off a sizzling slapshot that handcuffed the Flames netminder, who had just come into the game to replace the first Tulsa goalie.  4-0 Alliance.  

 

Alliance did not let up.  With 6:06 left in the second, the Bulldogs all but mugged the Tulsa goalie on the way to their fifth goal.  The Bulldogs continued to apply good pressure through the end of the period but picked up several penalties and only succeeded in maintaining their 5-0 lead.  Mercifully, the clock ran on running time fror the balance of the game beginning with 3 minutes left in the second period.

 

The third period saw continued pressure by the Bulldogs, and play got a bit chippy at times with the lopsided score. Tulsa was largely resigned to its fate, however, and never mounted a serious comeback threat.  The Bulldogs sealed the deal in the last minute of play of the game with their sixth goal of the game, and hung on for a well deserved 6-0 shutout. 

 

The Bulldogs and their coaches deserve credit for a well played tournament, with the challenge of the Alliance Dallas Cup tournament looming later this week.

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                              Sunday, January 20, 2008                                                                    

 

‘Dogs Earning Championship Game of the MLK Tournament...

 

Alliance - 2, Kelvin Clippers - 2: The ‘Dogs were fortunate to survive a sluggish first period only down by a goal. They were outshot 8-2 and once again played shorthanded as they took untimely and undisciplined penalties. the first period ended with the ‘Dogs on the wrong end of a 1-0 game thanks to the timely saves made by the ‘Dogs goaltending. the ‘Dogs finally got into the flow of the game, after a stiff lecture from the coaching staff between periods.

 

This contest featured some old fashioned rough and tumble midget hockey, the way it used to be played. The Clippers set the tempo with aggressive play and bone crunching checks. The ‘Dogs finally woke up and began to respond in kind! Hard work, smart play and shots on net paid off with a tying goal at the 5:25 mark of the 2nd period. The ‘Dogs took the lead prior to the close of the period as a tough angled shot by an Alliance forward from along the boards found its way past the Clippers goalie. The ‘Dogs outshot the Clippers in the 2nd period 13-6.

 

Once again the ‘Dogs created their own adversity and found themselves killing penalties for over half of the third period. The penalty kill was disciplined in their defensive zone keeping the Clippers Power play outside the prime scoring areas. The Clippers finally scored just as the Alliance returned to even strength to tie the score 2-2. The Alliance had just completed killing off three consecutive shorthanded situations and got caught running around in their defensive zone.

 

The ‘Dogs were able to withstand an aggressive Clippers team that need a win to keep their tournament hopes alive which included pulling their goalie late in the period for a sixth attacker. Thanks to great goaltending and intelligent play within the ‘Dogs zone the final horn sounded in a tied score sending the ‘Dogs off to the championship game and the Clippers on to the consolation round.

 

 

 

                                                                              Saturday, January 19, 2008                                                                 

 

Bulldogs Trip Aces 3-0...

 

Alliance - 3, Texas Aces - 0: The Bulldogs had an evening face-ff for the second game of the round robin for their contest versus the Texas Aces. The Aces came out strong and controlled the play for the early part of the 1st period generating a few good quality early scoring chances. However the ‘Dogs goalie was more than equal to the task. The ‘Dogs were able to gain some traction as the period progressed and finally got on the board late in the 1st period on a power play goal. Some hard work in the corner allowed the Alliance forward to create enough space to zip a nifty pass to the goal mouth where his line mate was in perfect position for the tip in.

 

The ‘Dogs extended their lead early in the 2nd period with their 2nd power play goal of the game. The Alliance D-man rotated down low to the face-off circle and received a pass on his tape from the Alliance forward and snapped a shot that found the back of the net. The ‘Dogs didn’t make things easy on themselves as the “parade to the penalty box” forced the ‘Dogs to play shorthanded for the remainder of the 2nd period and well into the third. Fortunately the stingy penalty kill of the ‘Dogs was able to limit the number of quality scoring chances.

 

The ‘Dogs extended their lead midway thru the third period and preserved the shut-out for the Alliance goalie for a 3-0 victory. The ‘Dogs outshot the Aces 45-19 but the story line of the game was the superb goaltending by the Aces netminder who was able to keep the Aces in the game.

 

 

 

 

Bulldogs Scorch Blazers in Tournament Opening game 8-3...

 

 

Alliance - 8, OK City Blazers - 3: The Bulldogs returned to their winning ways in the opening round robin game of the MLK tournament in Dallas this weekend. The puck dropped for the opening face-off and the ‘Dogs were “off to the races” as they jumped out to a 1-0 lead on the first shift of the game and never looked back. The ‘Dogs extended their lead to 3-0 in the second period before the Blazers were able to get on the scoreboard with the first of their three power play goals of the game.

 

The ‘Dogs were able to control the tempo for most of the game getting superb goaltending when they needed the big save and timely goals from the offense to quell the surge from the Blazers. The game was highlighted by offensive show of a troika of Bulldogs forwards that generated 14 points in the game. This was a performance that even the infamous Detroit Red Wings “Production Line” would be proud of!

 

 

 

                                                                              Sunday, December 9, 2007                                                                    

 

Alliance 18U Preps Take Vegas Title...

 

Forget about the Floyd Mayweather 10th round decision, or the finale of the Ultimate Fighter.  The real sports news out of Las Vegas for the weekend of December 7-9 was that the Alliance 18U Prep Bulldogs brought home the bacon from the Nevada Stars Invitational Tournament held at the beautiful Las Vegas Ice Center.   The Bulldogs were 3-1 for the weekend, and were able to beat a very big and talented Phoenix Polar Bears squad in the championship game, despite the letdown of having lost to Phoenix in the round robin when Alliance gave up two goals in the last minute and thirty seconds to lose 2-1. 

 

Alliance - 3, Phoenix Polar Bears - 1:   (Championship Game) The Alliance Bulldog 18U Preps faced the Phoenix Polar Bears in a rematch for the championship of the Nevada Stars Invitational Tournament.  The Bulldogs were determined to achieve a different outcome than they had in the first game and put forth an excellent effort in prevailing 3-1 to win the tournament.  Alliance once again got great goaltending, and did a better job staying out of the box and getting the puck out of their own zone in the second game versus the Polar Bear squad.  The game saw great back and forth action.

 

Alliance scored three minutes and seven seconds into the game on a two-on-one break to take a 1-0 lead.  The Bulldogs seemed to draw confidence from the goal, and their goalie was obviously in the Polar Bears' heads, making sparkling saves for the second consecutive game versus Phoenix.  Six minutes into the game, Alliance survived a firestorm as Phoenix attacked furiously.  Bulldog effort nearly paid off again late in the first period when a home run pass sprung Alliance on a breakaway, but the attempt was thwarted by the Polar Bear netminder.  The Dogs went on the power play at the end of the period and chalked up a 2-0 lead when an Alliance attacker deflected a shot from the point past the Phoenix goalie.  The lead lasted to intermission.

 

The second period was wild and wooly, with fast back and forth action.  Neither team could put the biscuit in the basket, however.  The score after two periods of play remained  2-0 in favor of Alliance.

 

Alliance surrendered a power play goal to Phoenix with 13:20 left in the third period on a nice tic-tac-toe play by the Polar Bears, and the Bulldog lead was cut to 2-1.  The Bears threatened several times over the next several minutes, but again were thwarted by the Bulldog goaltender.  With only 2:23 remaining in regulation, Alliance sealed the deal.  With Phoenix pressing for a score and creating havoc in front of the Bulldog goal, Alliance generated a clearing pass that sprung an Alliance winger on a breakaway.  He converted his opportunity into a 3-1 Bulldog lead.  Phoenix came on strong for the remainder of the game and pulled its goalie, but the Bulldogs held them off for a hard-earned win and the CHAMPIONSHIP.

 

 

                                                                              Saturday, December 8, 2007                                                                  

 

18U Preps Get Vegas Win #2...

 

Alliance - 5, West Valley (Calif.) Wolves - 3:  Licking their wounds from their morning loss, the Bulldogs took the ice versus the West Valley Wolves for a 4:00pm tilt.  The Bulldogs pounced on the Wolves and kept the play in the West Valley end for much of the game, which was more one sided in favor of Alliance than the 5-3 score might indicate.  Bulldog play grew listless in the third period and the never say die Wolves took advantage to score two goals in the final five minutes of the game.   Too little, too late for the Californians.

 

Alliance came out of the chute with several good scoring chances in the first period, but was unable to score until twelve minutes into the period.  An Alliance forward stole the puck deep in the WV zone, swooped across in front of the net and went against the grain with a neat backhand.  1-0, Good guys.  Two minutes later, the Bulldogs increased their lead to 2-0 when a home run pass found its mark and the Bulldog cashed in his breakaway.  At the first intermission the score remained 2-0 Alliance.

 

Less than a minute into the second period, a lightning fast breakout and good work on the boards led to a scoring opportunity and the Bulldog forward scored with a short side laser to make the score 3-0 Alliance.  The Wolves goalie dug in, however, and repelled good pressure by the Bulldogs in the fat part of the second period.  The stand paid off for West Valley, as the converted a rebound into a goal.  With 6:25 remaining in the second period, the Alliance lead was cut to 3-1.  A minute later, the Wolves threatened to make it a tight game with a power play.  The Alliance goalie stood strong, however, and made a beautiful blocker save on West Valley's best chance.  The Bulldogs countered furiously, beginning with a breakaway with a minute left in the game.  They kept the pressure on and with seconds left in the second period converted a 2-on-1 outmanned chance into a 4-1 lead going into the third period.

 

The third period saw the Bulldogs in penalty trouble again, but their penalty kill was up to the task.  At even strength, the Wolves finally broke through again, and scored with 6:44 left in the game on a nice pass across the crease.  4-2 Your Heroes.  It didn't take long for the Bulldogs to fight back, however, and an Alliance winger notched the third goal of his hat trick with 5:27 on the clock.  Then, the penaltyfest began, with several Bulldogs taking turns tasting the Gatorade in the Alliance sin bin.  Alliance successfully killed the first part of a 5-on-3 situation, but with one Dawg still in the box, West Valley scored a power play goal, short side, with 2:49 left.  That was all she wrote, however, and the Dogs rode out the rest of the game preserving their two goal lead for a final score of 5-3, in favor of the bees knees.

 

 

 

Bulldogs Take a Split on Day 2 in the Desert...

 

Phoenix Polar Bears - 2, Alliance - 1:  Alliance faced a large, speedy and talented Phoenix Polar Bear team at 8am Saturday morning.  The game was a heartbreaker.  Despite being outshot by a wide margin, Alliance rode smokin hot goaltending and clung to a 1-0 lead until deep in the third period.  Alliance successfully killed three 5-on-3 penalty deficits in the game.  The Bulldogs, however, picked up some ill advised late penalties, ran around in their own end and surrendered two goals in the final minute and a half of play to lose the game, 2-1.

The first period saw much action in the Alliance end of the ice.  Play grew extremely chippy both ways, with many penalties, mucho machismo and a fiery crowd.  Nothing puts out a fire like a good power failure, though, and the teams were blessed with a temporary power outage with 8 minutes and change still left in the first period.   The delay and a rare mid-first period Zam gave the teams time to cool off and the game was back in control when play resumed.  Later in the first period, Alliance survived a prolonged 5-on-3 siege.  0-0 after the opening stanza.

 

Alliance opened the second period with some excellent scoring opportunities.  Eighteen seconds into the period a Bulldog ripped a shot off the crossbar that went straight up in the air, but the Polar Bear goalie picked up the puck and collected it.  Moments later the Bulldogs narrowly missed on a 2-on-1 rush.  The Bulldogs matched Phoenix rush for rush in the second and finally got the go-ahead goal on the power play with 3:27 left in the second.  A Bulldog found a teammate with a perfect centering pass across the crease and it was 1-0 Alliance.  The Polar Bears mounted a furious counterattack just twenty seconds later, but the Bulldog goalie sealed them off and repelled several chances in a mad scramble right in front of the Alliance net.  The last minute of the period saw Alliance with another 5-on-3 penalty kill, but the Bulldogs survived the balance of the second period with their 1-0 lead.

 

The Bulldogs played with fire in the third period with several more penalties, finding themselves with another 5-on-3 deficit with six minutes elapsed.  Alliance killed those penalties and found themselves with the flip, a 5-on-3 power play, with 7:51 left in regulation.  The Bulldogs squandered their opportunity, however, when a Bulldog picked up a penalty moments later.  The Polar Bears pressed the action towards the end of the period.  The Phoenix faithful openly wondered whether they would ever solve the Alliance goaltender, who continued to stand on his head.  But alas, the Polar Bears tied the game with only 1:20 on the clock with a bang-bang pass across the crease.  The game went from bad to worse.  With time expiring, the Polar Bears cycled the puck in the Alliance end.   The Bulldogs were caught flatfooted when a Phoenix player carried the puck into the slot off of the cycle and shot through a screen for a big, big goal and a 2-1 lead.  The remaiining 30 seconds expired with no scoring and the Bulldogs choked on the 2-1 bone.

 

 

                                                                              Friday, December 7, 2007                                                                    

 

'Dogs Light Up the Stars in Las Vegas...

 

Alliance - 5, Nevada Stars AA - 1:   The Alliance 18U Preps took the ice at 8pm, some 12 hours after arriving in Las Vegas, to take on the host team, the Nevada Stars.  The long day didn't seem to faze the Bulldogs, who scored a goal only 48 seconds into the game and never looked back, winning 5-1.

 

After scoring the opening goal less than a minute in the game, the Bulldogs surrendered a matching early goal to the Stars, when a Nevada shot from the slot sprouted legs and wiggled out of the backside of the Bulldog netminder's armpit.  The score was 1-1 with three minutes elapsed in the game.  Alliance successfully killed off two penalties and was unable to capitalize when the ref reciprocated with a call on Nevada.  Then, with 4:48 left in the first period, a Dawg pounced on a fat rebound and put it home for a 2-1 Alliance lead.

 

The Bulldogs put the game away with three goals in the first four minutes of the second period.  Less than a minute into the stanza, an Alliance forward broke loose on a breakaway and cashed the win ticket for a 3-1 lead.  Almost two minutes later, an Alliance winger made a smart feed to his trailer, who popped it low glove.  4-1 Dogs.  

 

Only a minute later, the Bulldogs drew oohs and aahs from the crowd with a beautiful tic-tac-toe play off of an Alliance steal at the attacking blue line.  Alliance got good support at its goal line moments later when its goaltender made a nice glove save.  The balance of the period saw the penalties mount on Vegas, but Alliance could not push its margin beyond 5-1 as the Stars goalie made some nice stops.

 

After the post-second period Zam, the teams came out rather flat.   The lifeless third period saw little action but for a narrow miss for the Bulldogs late in the period.  The Bulldogs skated off with a 5-1 win.

 

 

                                                                              Saturday, November 24, 2007                                                              

 

Alliance Finishes Strong in USHN Challenge Cup...

 

Alliance - 3, LA Jr. Kings AA - 2:  This game began to resemble yesterday’s performance, including a quick opening period power play goal by the Los Angeles Jr. Kings AA to take a 1-0 lead. From the opening faceoff the ‘Dogs looked sluggish. However, the ‘Dogs again enjoyed the benefits of having an ice cut after the 1st period giving the team an opportunity to re-energize. This time though, the break seemed to payoff as the ‘Dogs began to get into the flow of the game.

 

The Kings expanded their lead to 2-0 but even so the momentum of the game shifted in favor of the ‘Dogs. Hard work and persistence paid off as the ‘Dogs netted two late period goals one of the short handed variety to tie the game going into the third period. In the period the ‘Dogs outshot the Kings 12-6. This was the ‘Dogs 8th game in 8 days but the players sucked it up and played an inspirational period of hockey. Crisp passes, tenacious fore checking and aggressive back checking were the highlights of the period bringing a smile to the face of Coach Chaney.

 

The ‘Dogs found themselves in a 5-3 shorthanded situation but the disciplined penalty killing of the ‘Dogs was able to thwart the Kings effort to take the lead. Just past the midway point of the 3rd the ‘Dogs center iceman was not to be denied and netted the go ahead goal on a hardworking effort. This proved to be enough as the ‘Dogs were able to keep the Kings of the scoresheet to finish the tournament with a hard fought 3-2 victory.

 

 

                                                                              Friday, November 23, 2007                                                                    

 

Too Much Turkey, Too Much NXi...

 

Team NXi - 6, Alliance - 0:   The ‘Dogs were looking to build momentum in the last round robin game of the tournament coming off their dominating effort from their Thanksgiving Day victory over the Omaha Energy.  It appears that Team NXi AAA had different plans. Right off the opening faceoff, Team NXI pressed play into the ‘Dogs defensive zone and scored just .08 seconds into the period. The quick goal seemed to suck the energy out of the Alliance bench and Team NXI controlled play for the remainder of the period, outshooting the ‘Dogs 10-2.

 

The Alliance almost snuck out of the period but just as time was expiring Team NXI buried another shot into the back of the net to expand their lead to 2-0. The ‘Dogs had a chance to regroup as end of period ice cut came at an opportune time. Unfortunately the on ice play didn’t change with the break as the Thanksgiving Day meal appeared to weigh down the ‘Dogs.

 

The 2nd period play was also dominated by Team NXI as they expanded their lead to 5-0 by scoring two even strength goals and one on the power play. The ‘Dogs didn’t ever get into a flow in this game and Team NXI was able to add a third period goal and cruise on to a 6-0 victory which sent the ‘Dogs to the consolation round.

 

 

 

                                                                              Thursday, November 22, 2007                                                                

 

'Dogs Rebound with Solid Win on Turkey Day...

 

Alliance - 6, Omaha Energy AAA - 1:  After licking their wounds from game one of the EHK USHN Challenge Cup tournament, the resilient Bulldogs returned to the ice for a thanksgiving matinee game against the Omaha Energy AAA. The team looked energized and ready to play during their pre-game skate. The first period was played to a 0-0 deadlock, but the ‘Dogs were executing their game plan to perfection. Even though the ‘Dogs were out shot 7-4 the disciplined positional play and ability to stay out of the penalty box nullified the Energy from being able to generate any quality scoring chances in the period.

 

The ‘Dogs were able to jump out on top early in the 2nd period on a quick snapshot by the ‘Dogs right winger who beat the Energy goalie cleanly high glove side just inside the elbow of the goal. You could see the frustration mounting as the ‘Dogs defensive play stifled the Energy from generating an attack. The Alliance expanded their lead to 2-0 a blistering shot from the point that the Energy goalie left uncovered on the crease and the Alliance forward pitch forked the loose puck through the five hole. The ‘Dogs continued to make the most of their scoring chances by burying their third even strength goal of the period.

 

With time ticking down the Energy were able to muster some pressure in the offensive zone that resulted in an Alliance D’man covering the puck in the crease. This resulted in a penalty shot being whistled by the referee. The Energy forward was able to make a nice deke on the outstretched Alliance goalie to finally get on the scoreboard. The excitement appeared to be too much for the Energy forward to handle as his post goal celebration earned him a two minute penalty for taunting. Moreover the temporary boost in momentum gained from the late period score was lost as the on ice antics by the Energy forward only served to fuel the fire of the Alliance players and coaching staff.

 

Penalties mounted for both teams in the third period as the referee was determined to maintain law and order. The ‘Dogs were able to survive their shorthanded situations while expanding their lead on a power play goal on a nifty cross ice pass to a an Alliance forward camped out just outside the goalies crease by the D’man that had rotated down low from his point position. The Energy had the last opportunity to mount a comeback as the ‘Dogs found themselves two men short.

 

The disciplined positional play continued as not only were the ‘Dogs successful in killing off the first penalty but added to their lead with a beautiful breakaway shorthanded goal by an Alliance D’man that picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone and swooped in on the Energy goalie slipping  the puck five hole. As the third period closed the Energy pulled their goalie with a face off in the Alliance defensive zone. The ‘Dogs used the opportunity to fire length of ice shots at the Energy open net much like shooting clays in the open field.

 

On the third attempt the Alliance D’man was able to zero in and score the 6th and final goal of the game. This was a big win and confidence builder for the ‘Dogs.  It demonstrated to the players that patience and discipline in executing the game plan drafted by the coaching staff pays off!

 

 

                                                                              Wednesday, November 21, 2007                                                            

 

18U Preps Schooled by Rampage AAA...

 

Colorado Rampage 18U AAA - 8, Alliance - 2:   The Alliance Bulldogs 18U Preps opened the EHK USHN Challenge Cup tournament with an 8-2 loss to the Colorado Rampage.   The Rampage dominated the game from the get go and were the beneficiaries of a lopsided penalty tally to boot.

 

The Rampage scored early and often.  Alliance, as seems to be a habit, got in penalty trouble early in the first period and the Rampage took advantage, with a screened snipe on their very first power play to take a 1-0 lead.  Colorado rarely if ever looked back, scoring three more goals in the first period, while your Dogs only mustered a single goal on a rare Alliance power play.

 

Colorado got another goal early in the second period to make the score 5-1 and the Bulldogs struggled to stop the bleeding with a goalie change.  But alas, the Rampage scored again less than a minute later to make it 6-1.  The game settled into a back and forth battle until late in the period, when the Rampage capitalized on a Bulldog error deep in its own zone to take an 8-1 lead.

 

On a positive note, Alliance won the final period of play, scoring the only goal of the third period at the 7:50 mark.  The Dawgs can chalk this opening loss up as a learning experience, but better batten down the hatches, as the EHK Challenge Cup field is formidable.

 

 

                                                                              Sunday, November 18, 2007                                                                   

 

Silver Stick Semi-Finals:  Owls Dethrone 'Dogs...

 

Grand Rapids - 3,  Alliance - 2 (OT):   The coaches are always telling the players to put teams away early in the game. They are told the longer teams are allowed to hang around the more they believe they can compete. If ever this theory came to fruition this was the game.

 

Alliance entered this game confident and ready to move thru the semifinals and on to the final game for a rematch with the Troy Sting. This was an opportunity for the ‘Dogs to  defend their Midland regional championship and again compete at the Silver Stick final in Sarnia . All that stood in their way was the Owls from Grand Rapids .

 

The first period resembled a good sparring match as the ‘Dogs attempted to instill their will on the Owls by taking one goal leads on two separate occasions only to have the Owls quickly respond with a goal of their own and knotting the score. The second Owls goal was shorthanded with only .25 seconds remaining in the first period. This served to boost the confidence of the team from Grand Rapids.

 

The first period ended deadlocked 2-2 and the “Dogs knew that they were playing a team that was gaining confidence. The Dogs worked hard to try and establish some momentum in the game but each time they had a scoring chance the Owls net minder was equal to the task. The Dog’s relentlessly fore checked the Owls as the clock wound down and forced a turnover deep in the Owls zone. The ‘Dogs forward picked up the loose puck and shot through traffic only to hear the cling of the iron…a goalies best friend!

 

The game ended in regulation tied 2-2. Silver Stick rules require a 4 on 4 overtime be played until a winner is determined. The Owls hung around long enough and got the break they were looking for. Just .34 seconds into overtime the Owls forward jumped on a loose puck at the Alliance Blueline and was able to find enough daylight between the goalies pad and the post to send the ‘Dogs home!

 

 

                                                                              Saturday, November 17, 2007                                                              

 

SS Game 3: Battle of Unbeatens Lives up to Its Expectations...

 

Troy Sting - 5, Alliance - 3:   Game 3 of the round robin was a meeting of the two remaining undefeated teams in the Silver Stick Regionals tournament. This was a much anticipated match up and drew a nice crowd on the glass. The Troy Sting coaching staff sported their national Champion patches from their 2004-2005 season. Some of our Bulldog players competed in the National tournament that the Sting eventually won as Bantams and knew we would be in for a good battle.  

 

As expected, players on both sides played with emotion and a lot of energy. The Sting were able to establish the early lead by taking advantage of a power play on a penalty that was whistled before the ice was dry. The “dogs responded quickly and knotted the score 1-1 on a power play goal of their own. The 'Dogs took a quick lead in the second period on a wrist shot from the point that maneuvered its way through traffic and into the twine. The Sting were not to be denied and answered the challenge by scoring the tying goal less than a minute later. The teams traded good scoring chances at each end as the play was fast and furious.

 

The ‘Dogs took a 3-2 lead late in the second period but were not able to hold it. The Sting quickly struck back with another tying goal allowing just .23 seconds to elapse thus nullifying any momentum that the Bulldogs attempted to establish. The pace continued in the third period as both teams traded scoring chances but the goaltending was up to the challenge. At the 9.25 mark of the third period the Sting took their second one goal lead of the game and extended it to two goals burying a shot off the crossbar just 5 seconds later.

 

This quick change of momentum seemed to suck out all of the energy out of the hard working ‘Dogs. The two goal lead taken by the Sting was all they needed as the 'Dogs were never able to establish any sustained pressure in the Stings zone through the remainder of the game. During the post game handshake both teams expected that this game was only a preliminary of what would be a rematch in the championship game the next day. Unfortunately this was not to be!!

 

 

SS Game 2: Blades Play with an Edge, But are Blanked by the 'Dogs...

 

Alliance - 2, Flint Blades - 0:   The Dogs seemed to have a lot of energy during their pre-game skate. They were going to need it as they were up against the rough and tumble Flint Blades. The Blades came into town ready to do battle. From the opening face-off in this game the ‘Dogs were focused on the task at hand. Both teams were frequent visitors to the penalty box.  Once again the strict enforcement of the new standards by the officials was responsible for a lot of special teams play on both sides.

 

The ‘Dogs were able to work through the penalties and eventually controlled the flow of the game with quick outlet passes and overwhelming puck possession time. The Alliance goalie was able to keep the Blades fore checkers off balance by continually controlling the Blades entry pass into the zone and getting it up  the ice to an Alliance forward for a quick transition. This coupled with another good game in net had the Alliance with most of the momentum.

 

In spite of dominating the shot count the Alliance were only able to take a 1-0 lead at the end of the period. Penalties were the name of the game in the second period as 9 more penalties were whistled by the referee. The Alliance continued to put on a passing clinic but weren’t able to finish off the chances. The Blades net minder stood tall keeping the game a one goal margin. The Blades were on the power play as the 2nd period wound down determined to even the score. The Alliance penalty killer had other plans.

 

They took advantage of an errant pass and quickly worked it up ice and ultimately into a short handed goal for a 2-0 lead. Frustration built up for the Blades in the third period and the referee was determined to maintain control of the game as 11 more penalties were called 8 of which were on the Blades. The Alliance net minder was able to nullify the few scoring chances that the Blades had in the third period earning the Alliance goaltenders their second shutout of the tournament.

 

 

                                                                              Friday, November 16, 2007                                                                   

 

Silver Sticks Game 1: Bulldogs Bury the Valley...

 

Alliance - 6, Grand Valley - 0:   The Bulldogs arrived in Midland Michigan at 3:30PM for a 7:30PM face-off to defend their Silver Stick Regionals championship. First up was the Grand Valley Stars. The travel from Dallas seemed to take its toll as the Bulldogs could not get into the flow of the game. Of course the ‘Dogs didn’t do anything to help themselves as they were whistled for 8 penalties in the first period, two of which were of the 10 minute variety!! Frustration was beginning to set in as the period closed with no score.

 

The 2nd period began the same way the first period ended as the parade to the “sin bin” continued. Finally at the 11:37 mark of the second period the ‘Dogs lit the lamp. This seemed to settle the team down a bit and the players were able to generate a number of scoring chances with some slick passes and nifty one on one plays. Prior to the close of the period the ‘Dogs added a power play goal that brought a sigh of relief to the Alliance bench. The third period commenced and momentum was clearly shifting in favor of the battling ‘Dogs.

 

The focus on hard work overcame the earlier frustration as the Alliance netted three third goals including a 5 on 3 shorty to take a commanding 5-0 lead with just over 8 minutes remaining in the game. This along with some key saves by the Alliance net minder when the Alliance needed it deflated the Stars and the Dog’s cruised on to a 6-0 victory. Unfortunately the thrill of victory was coupled with the agony of defeat (16 team penalties) as the Dogs couldn’t adjust to the officials and earned Coach Chaney a view of game two from the stands.

 

 

                                                                              Saturday, November 10, 2007                                                                   

 

Bulldogs Take One on the Chops...

 

Texas Attack 16U AAA - 6,  Alliance - 2:   In a Saturday morning tilt at Valley Ranch, the Texas Attack 16U AAA team avenged their loss earlier this season to the Alliance 18U Preps.  Although the game was close until late in the second period, ultimately the Attack outplayed and outhit the Bulldogs in the second and third periods and pulled away to a 6-2 victory. 

The Attack scored two early goals to take a 2-0 lead in the first period.  Alliance outplayed the Attack late in the period with several chances on the Attack net.  Finally, with 2:08 left in the first period, the Bulldogs scored on a deflected slap shot to cut the Attack lead to 2-1.

Early in the second period, the two foes traded chances, and the Alliance goaltender stood tall with some sparkling saves to keep his team close.  Finally, with the Bulldog goalie trapped on the ice, the Attack scored high with 6:15 left in the period.  Later in the second, Alliance went on the power play and scored when the Bulldog player made a nice rush through traffic in the Attack zone and went short side to notch the Dogs second goal and make the score 3-2, bad guys. 

 

Seconds later, the Attack counterpunched and scored on a nice give-and-go with a cross-crease pass and shot to take a 4-2 lead.  A Bulldog penalty late in the period gave the Attack the opportunity to break open the game, and they cashed in with a power play goal.  The score was 5-2 after two periods.

The Attack notched their final goal early in the third period and held the 6-2 lead for the balance of the game.  The Bulldog goalie stayed tough to the bitter end and made some spectacular saves.  Play got rather ugly in the third period, with several fierce hits.   

The Bulldogs intend to rebound from the drubbing with a good showing this week at the Silver Stick Regionals in Midland , Michigan .  Their first game is with their archrival from last year's Regional, the Ft. Wayne (IN) Komets.

 

 

                                                                              Monday, October 8, 2007                                                                            

 

Alliance 18U Preps Go 4-1, Take AA Championship at Eastern Mass Columbus Day Classic...

 

The Alliance Bulldogs 18U Prep Team won the AA bracket of the 2007 Eastern Mass Columbus Day Classic held at the New England Sports Center in Marlborough, Massachusetts October 5-8, 2007.  Along the way, the Bulldogs beat Tier I teams from New England and racked up a 4-1 record overall.  Their only loss was against the Tampa Bay Maple Leafs, who made it to the finals of the AAA bracket, and the margin of defeat against the Maple Leafs was one goal plus one late empty netter. 

 

So far, the 18U Preps are holding their own against stiff competition this season, and are pleased with the organization's strategy to play a tougher independent schedule than the league schedule played last year.

 

AA Bracket Championship Game:  Alliance - 6, York (PA) Devils- 4.   In the championship game of the AA bracket, the 18U Prep squad showed its character in overcoming a 3-1 deficit to win the game and the championship hardware.  The Bulldogs won a hard fought 6-4 victory over the York Devils, in a fast, yet tight checking game.

 

York got out to a 1-0 lead midway through the first period with a power play goal.  The Devils cashed in with 4 players deep on a cross-crease pass.  With 4:41 left in the first, Alliance evened the score at 1-1 with a nice deflection of a slapshot from the point.  The period ended deadlocked at 1-1, with the Bulldogs surviving two minutes of a four minute penalty kill to close the stanza.

 

The second period opened with the Bulldogs successfully killing the balance of the four minute double minor.  With 8:07 on the clock, an Alliance defensive miscue lead to a Devil rushing the Dawgs net all alone and he cashed it in for a 2-1 York lead.  The Devils increased their lead less than 4 minutes later with a nice goal on a give-and-go play.  The Dogs did not wallow in the 3-1 deficit for long, however, and capitalized on a bad pinch by a York d-man with a nice goal on a 2-on-1 rush from their own blue line,   The score was 3-2 in favor of the Devils after the second period.

 

The tide turned heavily in the Dogs' favor in the third period.  With 10:53 on the clock, an Alliance forward picked off the puck at the attacking blue line, stick-handle around a York defender and fired a sick, Nieuwendyk-esque, Harley-kick forehand against the grain that smoked the York goalie.  The goal knotted up the game at 3-3.  At the 4:27 mark, during 4-on-4 play, Alliance scored on a slapshot from the point to take its first lead of the game, 4-3. 

 

Soon, a Bulldog power play yielded more chances.  With 2:26 left, a Bulldog cashed in, swiveling in the slot and scoring with a wicked wrister deep in the York slot.  5-3 Dogs.  Desperate times call for desperate measures and York pulled its goalie immediately, but a Bulldog scored an empty netter for a commanding 6-3 lead late in the game.  Perhaps too commanding for the tired Bulldogs, as they let  a York forward score on a late wraparound goal.  Nonetheless, Alliance was ecstatic with a 6-4 come-from-behind victory and the AA Championship Trophy. 

 

 

                                                                              Sunday, October 7, 2007                                                                            

 

Bulldogs Enter Championship Round of Columbus Day Classic...


 The Alliance Bulldogs 18U Prep hockey team won two of three games versus Tier I competition in the round robin portion of the 2007 Eastern Mass Columbus Day Classic held at the New England Sports Center in Marlborough , Massachusetts.  The team heads into the championship round as the 6th seed overall in the 16 team field.

Alliance opened play Friday night against the Condon Jr Terriers 18U Tier I squad (Massachusetts), and won a very hard hitting, high scoring game 7-4.  The Dogs' next opponent was the Tampa Bay Maple Leafs (Tier I), a team that competed well and advanced to the Semi-Finals of the Tier II nationals last year.  In a very tight checking and close game, the Dawgs lost their comeback bid when the Leafs scored an empty netter in the last minute of the game.  Alliance fell short by a 4-2 score. 

 

Sunday morning, Alliance  gave perhaps its best effort of the tournament in beating the Manchester Flames Tier I team (N.H.), 6-4.  Though the Dogs surrendered four goals, it could have been much worse because Alliance was constantly on the penalty kill throughout the game.

Because of a seeding quirk, the Bulldogs play Manchester again Sunday night at 10:30pm in the first round of championship play. 

 

Alliance- 2, Manchester (N.H.) Flames- 0.   Because of a seeding quirk, the Bulldogs' opponent in the semifinals of the AA bracket was the same Manchester Flames team they had faced Sunday morning.  There was significant testosterone built up after the first game, and the rematch boded as a challenge for the referees.  In a somewhat ugly and very bizarre youth hockey game, the Dawgs came away with a victory when the Flames forfeited with Alliance up 2-0 with 10:28 on the clock in the second period.

 

Manchester came out flying in the first period, with a resolve for a different outcome than they had Sunday morning.  Alliance matched them stride-for-stride, however, and jumped out to a 1-0 lead with only 3 minutes elapsed in the first period.  The 1-0 lead remained after the first period came to a close.

 

Early in the second period, the Bulldogs took a 2-0 lead after an Alliance forward made a great end-to-end rush and his teammate slammed home the rebound off of his chance.   Play was becoming somewhat chippy.  With just over 11 minutes on the clock in the second, a Manchester player was ejected from the game for a penalty punctuasome over-the-top trash talking.  Seconds, later, he was joined off ice by an Alliance player who retaliated with an ill-timed cross-check.  Then, all craziness broke out. 

 

The officials shouted at the Manchester head coach, and he climbed up on the boards to yell back.  In the process, he lost his balance, fell back and hit his head on his bench, losing consciousness and gaining a large gash on the back of his head.  Medical help arrived and the coach was carried away on a stretcher,  The scene of an unconscious and heavily bleeding coach led the assistant coach to forfeit the game.  Post-game reports confirmed that the Manchester coach was okay and did not suffer serious head injuries.   A bizarre game to say the least.  The Bulldogs then advanced to the Championship Game of the AA bracket in the tournament.

 

Alliance- 6, Manchester (N.H.) Flames- 4.  Sunday morning, Alliance  gave perhaps its best effort of the tournament in beating the Manchester (N.H.) Flames Tier I team, 6-4.  Though the Dogs surrendered four goals, it could have been much worse because Alliance was constantly on the penalty kill throughout the game.  It was one wide open contest.

 

Alliance broke out fast, scoring two goals in the opening two minutes of the game.  The Dogs added to their lead with 9:13 left in the first period, when an Alliance shot from the right half boards snaked its way home for a 3-0 lead.  At the 6:34 mark, Manchester cut the Alliance lead to 3-1 with a power play goal on a pass across the crease.  With 4:39 on the clock, Alliance re-upped its lead to 4-1 with a slapper, again from the right half boards.  The Flames fought back quickly, slamming home a rebound to cut the Dogs' lead to 4-2 a mere 20 seconds later.  The score remained 4-2 after the first period.

 

Living dangerously again, the Dogs survived a 5-on-3 disadvantage and successfully executed its penalty kill to begin the second period.  Soon after coming back to full strength, Alliance scored on a beautiful bang-bang pass across the crease to take a 5-2 lead.  With 7:18 to go in the second chapter, a Bulldog defenseman scored goal 6 for Alliance , with a strong pinch, intercepting a pass, making a nice move and getting off a rocket that eluded the Flame netminder.  6-2 Good Guys.  Not content to play with a full deck, the Bulldogs were penalized with 27 seconds left in the second period, and again the Flames made them pay with a power play goal to cut the Dawg lead to 6-3 at the end of the period.

 

The third period was low scoring with Manchester scoring the sole goal of the period.  Alliance committed two defensive errors on the same play, leading to the Manchester goal that made the score 6-4 in favor of Alliance .  A two goal lead is never that comfortable, and was made even less so when Alliance found itself with a 5-on-3 penalty kill with 1:42 left in the game.  The Dawgs held on to their penalty killing bone by the fingernails on their paws for a hard-earned 6-4 victory.

 

After this game, Alliance and the other teams in the 16 team field were re-seeded for the championship round of play.  The Bulldogs lost out on the fourth and final seed in the AAA bracket by virtue of a goal differential tiebreaker with other teams, and went into the AA championship bracket as the second seed.

 

 

                                                                           Saturday, October 6, 2007                                                                          

 

 

Tampa Bay Maple Leafs- 4, Alliance- 2.  The Dogs' next opponent was the Tampa Bay Maple Leafs (Tier I), a team that competed well in Tier I nationals last year.  Two Alliance players sat out the game because of suspensions arising out of the Condon game.  In a very tight checking and close game, the Dawgs lost their comeback bid when the Leafs scored an empty netter in the last minute of the game.  Alliance fell short by a 4-2 score. 

 

Early action in the game was frequent and furious.  Both teams failed to convert on good chances, including breakaways, when the other team's goalie was up to the task.  The first period ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

 

There was still no scoring in the game until late in the second period.  With 4:57 left in the second, Tampa Bay opened the scoring with a fluky deflection of a shot from the high slot.  1-0 Leafs.  Just over a minute later, the Maple Leafs opened up a 2-0 lead with a nice cross-crease pass and tip-in.  Alliance answered in short order, cutting the lead to 2-1 when an Alliance forward converted a nice pass from directly behind the net.  The second period ended with the Tampa Bay Maple Leafs holding a 2-1 edge over your heroes.

 

Bulldog hearts sank again early in the third period, when Tampa Bay again increased its lead to 2 goals, when they converted a 3-on-2 break with a nice pass across the low slot.  Tampa Bay 3- Dawgs- 1.  Again, the Bulldogs fought back, connecting with a deflected slapper from the short point to cut the Leafs' lead to 3-2 with just over nine minutes to play in the game.  Neither team could score in the homestretch, however, until the Bulldogs pulled their goalie.  With just 14 seconds on the clock, Tampa Bay salted away the game with an empty netter off of an Alliance miscue at its own blueline.  The final score was 4-2 Bad Guys.

 

 

                                                                              Friday, October 5, 2007                                                                            

 

18U Preps Open Eastern Mass with Win...


 Alliance- 7, Condon (MA) Jr. Terriers- 4:   The Alliance 18U Preps opened the 2007 Eastern Mass Columbus Day Tournament in Marlborough , Massachusetts with a 7-4 victory over the Condon Jr Terriers.  The game was very hard hitting and there were plenty of penalties.  The Bulldogs came out of the gate fast, scoring their first goal in the first minute of the game, capitalizing on a Terrier turnover.  The hockey was hard nosed and neither team scored again until their was just over a minute left in the first period when Condon converted a rebound off of a 2-on-1 rush into a goal.  The teams were deadlocked at 1-1 at the end of the first.

The Bulldogs seized control of the game at the beginning of the second period, scoring three goals in the first five minutes of the period to take a 4-1 lead.  Condon picked up the hitting as frustration set in.  Alliance suffered a bad reversal when it had a golden chance to increase its lead to four goals but Condon scored instead.  The Bulldog skater went in on a power play breakaway, but hit the post and Condon moved the puck quickly with a home run pass the other way.  The Terrier player converted to make the score 4-2. 

 

With just over 4 minutes to play in the period, Alliance made it 5-2 with a beautiful bang-bang pass across the crease.  Not content with that lead, the Dawgs peppered the goal with a series of shots near the end of the period, finally paying off when a hard working forward rammed home a rebound for a 6-2 Bulldog lead.  The Dogs also were not content to play with a full squad and found themselves on a 5-on-3 penalty kill at the end of the second period and going into the third.

Condon capitalized on its power play early in the third period and scored on a pretty tic-tac-toe play to cut the Alliance lead to 6-3.  With 8:27 on the clock, there was a large scuffle after a player-goalie collision after a chicken race for the puck between the Condon goalie and Alliance player.  The Bulldogs got the short end of the penalties bone and found themselves on the penalty kill for much of the remainder of the game.  The teams traded goals and scuffled some more, for a final score of 7-4 in favor of the good guys.

 

 

                                                                    Saturday, September 22, 2007                                                                            

 

18U Preps Get Goals, Goals, Goals...

 

The Houston Wild 18U Prep team came to town for a return engagement and what a set of games it was.  In all there were 29 total goals scored as both teams revved up the offenses.

 

Alliance Bulldogs 18U Prep - 8, Houston Wild 18U Prep - 7:  The offensive battle between these two evenly matched 18U Prep teams continued in game 2.   It appeared that the Wild were focused and ready for the 7:45pm face-off as they jumped out on top of a listless Bulldogs team to take a 4-1 lead in a period that was thoroughly dominated by the Wild in all aspects of the game.

 

The between period inspirational speech by Coach Chaney must have been one that Knute Rockne would be proud of, as the Alliance players awakened and put their game in gear. The Alliance players all responded with hard work and began winning the one on one battles.

 

They were rewarded for their efforts with 5 2nd period goals of their own in response to two tallies by the Wild. Even with all of the offensive firepower exhibited by both clubs nothing had been determined as the teams remained knotted at 6 goals apiece to begin the 3rd period.

 

The Alliance quickly established momentum in the period by scoring an unassisted even strength goal just 36 seconds into the period. As had been the case throughout the day leads for both teams were short lived and this one was no different. The Wild tied the game on an unassisted even strength goal of their own less than two minutes later.

 

Finally the Alliance put tan exclamation point on a fantastic comeback by scoring what turned out to be the game winning goal at the midway point of the period and hanging on for the victory by tightening up their defense and goal tending for the remainder of the game.

 

Players, coaches and parents are looking forward to the continuation of this rivalry throughout the season.

 

Alliance Bulldogs 18U Prep - 8, Houston Wild 18U Prep - 6:  In the first game of the day, The Alliance jumped out on top to a quick two goal lead on a pair of nifty backhand shots that found the back of the net by the Alliance forwards.  That lead was short lived, as were others throughout the game, as the Wild quickly took advantage of a power play opportunity and cut the lead in half.

 

Just before the close of the first period the score was knotted by the Wild on an unassisted goal. The Wild opened the scoring in the 2nd period with a power play goal to take the lead but two shifts later the Bulldogs tied the game. The teams would exchange goals again but the Wild jumped out on top to take a one goal lead 5-4 just before the close of the period with a nifty tic tac toe play.

 

 

The Wild kept the momentum going with a quick goal to start the 3rd period and take their first two goal lead of the game. That triggered a flurry of goals by the resilient Alliance offense as they tallied the next 4 goals of the game that concluded with an empty net goal a two goal margin of victory and a final score of 8-6 Bulldogs

 

 

 

 

                                                                    Monday, September 3, 2007                                                                                

 

Alliance 18U Prep Finishes Weekend with a Flourish...

 

The Alliance Bulldog 18U Prep squad started its 07-08 campaign on Labor Day weekend with strong competition, playing back-to-back games Saturday and Sunday in Houston versus the Houston Wild 18U Prep team, and another on Monday afternoon versus the Attack 16U AAA.  

 

Each game was a nail-biter, with none decided by more than a goal.   After tying the Wild, 3-3, on Saturday, and losing a one-goal game to the Wild Sunday, 5-4, that at one point seemed in hand, the Bulldogs defeated the Attack on Monday afternoon, 3-2, to end the weekend on a strong note.

 

Alliance Bulldogs 18U Prep - 3, Texas Attack 16U AAA - 2:   The Alliance Bulldog 18U Prep team returned to action Monday afternoon at Polar Ice in an exhibition game versus a speedy and skilled Texas Attack 16U AAA team.  The game drew a nice crowd, including many curious shoppers and a spirited Josh Monrreal fan club.   

 

Alliance struck early, scoring two unanswered goals in the first period, and held on to win, 3-2  The Bulldogs were outshot 40-14 in the game, but made their shots count and got some sparkling goaltending at their own end of the ice.

 

Alliance scored its first goal just two minutes into the game on a power play.  The Alliance player tallied one from the high slot when his shot crawled up the Attack goalie's glove, popped up into the air and fell behind the goalie into the net for a 1-0 Bulldog lead.  The Bulldogs held that thin margin despite a 5-on-3 penalty kill with 11:00 left on the clock in the first period. 

 

Alliance went on the power play with just over 7 minutes remaining in the period, and scored at the 6:43 mark when the Alliance winger walked around the back of the net with the puck and roofed a backhand.  Alliance held a 2-0 lead after the first period of play.

 

Early in the second period, the Bulldogs withstood some serious Attack pressure in the deep zone.  All was good in Mudville until a Bulldog defensive lapse led to an Attack breakaway.  The Attack player enjoyed a free skate from his own blue line tucked it over the Bulldog netminder's outstretched pad.  It was still 2-1, good guys.  There was no further scoring for either team in the second, and Alliance survived several penalty kills with some timely clears and extra solid goaltending.

 

Alliance reopened its two goal lead with 7:05 on the clock in the third period.  An Alliance slapshot from the point generated a fat rebound and the Alliance forward was johnny-on-the-spot and poked it home.  The Bulldogs held that lead for less than three minutes, however, when they gave the Attack another "gift" power play and the Attack converted it with 4:15 left to play. 

 

There was a flurry of shots on the Alliance goal until the Attack put home a rebound to make the score 3-2 Alliance.  The Dawgs then were the beneficiaries of a power play with 3:00 left in the game, but failed to score.   Luckily, Alliance survived some hair raising moments at the end of the game, and held on to win the game by a 3-2 margin.

 

 

                                                                    Sunday, September 2, 2007                                                                                

 

Bulldogs Lose Early Grip...

 

Houston Wild 18U Prep - 5, Alliance - 4:  In a Sunday morning matchup, the Alliance Bulldog 18U Preps took on the Houston Wild 18U Preps in Houston.  In a heartbreaker, the Bulldogs came on like a tidal wave in the second period to break out to a 4-1 lead, but eventually surrendered that lead and lost 5-4.

 

The tight play from Saturday continued in the first period of Sunday's game, with the teams trading chances without success.  It was a goaltender's battle with sparkling goaltending at either end of the ice, especially at Alliance's end.  Alliance continued its woes with penalties, some real and some imagined.  At the 9:07 mark, the Bulldogs killed off a 5-on-3 deficit.  The first period ended with the score deadlocked at nil.

 

The Bulldogs stormed out in the second period and scored two goals in quick succession.  The first was a yeoman's goal, with an Alliance player poking home a rebound.  Then, an Alliance forward smoked a Wild d-man to the outside and went in on the goal alone, converting the opportunity into a 2-0 Bulldog lead.  The two goal lead was short-lived, however, as the Wild came back to score and make it 2-1 Bulldogs.  Then, Alliance got another hardworking goal down low, and what minutes before had been a scoreless game was now 3-1, Good Guys. 

 

The Bulldogs smelled blood and increased their lead to 3 goals with 9:30 left on the clock in the second.  Spirits were high with the Alliance faithful, but those spirits would soon deflate.  At the 6:54 mark, the Bulldogs gave up a 2-on-1 rush and the Wild forward connected on a good shot against the grain.  A scuffle ensued and Alliance drew a 5 minute major while the Wild drew a minor penalty.  The Wild capitalized on their opportunity with 2:52 on the clock, scoring on a deflected slapper to narrow the Bulldog lead to 4-3, where the score remained to the end of the second period. 

 

The Wild came out flying early in the third period, but the Bulldog goalie and defense stood strong.  Penalties would prove to be Alliance's downfall.   With 14:46 left in the game, a Wild player broke loose on a breakaway with a Bulldog tying him up at the last minute and the Alliance goalie poke checked the puck off of his stick. 

 

The Wild were awarded a penalty shot, which they converted.  Game tied, 4-4.  The Bulldogs took another major penalty and just over a minute later, on a 3-on-2 break, the Wild converted their power play opportunity into the game winning goal.   Alliance found itself with a 5-on-3 advantage with 3 minutes left in the game and got good pressure on the Wild goal, but no dice.  The Bulldogs last ditch efforts also fell short after they pulled their goalie for the last 1:30 of the game.

 

The fierce and even competition could foreshadow some great contests between these two teams later this season.

 

 

                                                                    Saturday, September 1, 2007                                                                              

 

Alliance - 3, Houston Wild 18U Prep - 3:  In its opening exhibition game of the season, the Alliance 18U Preps took on a Houston Wild 18U Prep squad that had been practicing for several weeks, and had already played Junior A competition in the Chowder Cup in New England. 

 

The Bulldogs held their own in a seesaw battle that saw them even the score three times after falling behind.  The Bulldogs played a respectable game, but fell victim to too many penalties and defensive foibles to win the game.  Alliance had to dig deep to finish the game strong, as 17 minute stop time periods took their toll on the Dogs.

 

The first period was scoreless as the teams traded chances and goalies at both ends of the ice stood tall.  Bulldog players hit posts on two key opportunities, including a breakaway and 2 on 1 outmanned chance late in the period.

 

Both teams got on the board in the second period.   Houston opened the scoring 5 and a half minutes into the second period with a bang-bang play on a cross-crease pass.  No chance for the Bulldog goaltender.  The Bulldogs nearly tied the score moments later, when an Alliance skater rang one off the crossbar.  If the Dawgs were playing "posts," they'd be up 4-1 at this point.  Finally, with 6:40 left in the period, a Bulldog shot from the right point lasered its way through screens and found nothing but net. 

 

The Wild stormed right back and threatened to take their lead back with two breakaways in the next three minutes of the game, but the Bulldog goalie stoned them both.  With 2:37 left in the second period, however, Alliance gave up a goal to the Wild, but worked hard in the wee seconds of the period.  The hard work paid off as a Bulldog slammed home a rebound to even the score, 2-2 after two periods of play.

 

Alliance continued to struggle with penalties and deep zone defensive play in the third period.  With 14:03 left, the Bulldogs found themselves at the short end of a 5 on 3 power play.  Less than two minutes later, the Wild converted on their power play when the Houston player batted a rebound out of the air into the net.  Then, still shorthanded at the 10:46 mark in the third period, the Bulldogs dodged a bullet when the referee correctly noted that an apparent Wild goal in the midst of a crazy scramble in front of the Bulldog goal had been kicked in by the Houston player. 

 

Just a minute later, Alliance found life in that redemption and charged down the ice and scored on a 2-on-1 outmanned rush with a nice cross-crease pass and conversion.  Neither team scored again in the last nine minutes of the game, and the final score was 3-3.  Both teams slept on the sister kisser before facing off again the next day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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