Bantam AA

Sunday, March 26, 2006 Bantam AA Finishes with Strong Showing in NTXHL Playoffs...

Alliance - 1, Stars - 0: The Bulldogs played well in all 4 games this weekend, dropping their first 2 games in OT, and winning their last 2, including a close shutout over the Stars to complete their season and the NTXHL Playoffs Sunday afternoon in Plano. Alliance finished the season with a positive 24-22-2 record, with nine (9) of those losses being by one goal and/or in overtime, and 4 of them against "AAA" teams.

Sunday, February 26, 2006 Alliance Finishes League Play with Win over Ice Jets...

Alliance - 6, Ice Jets '92 AAA - 4: The Bulldogs finished the NTXHL Regular Season on a strong note, handing the 1st Place Ice Jets '92 AAA only their 3rd league loss of their season. The win was the second in a row, and 4th league win in their last 5 NTXHL games, going 4-0-1 during that stretch. The Bulldogs will hopefully use the momentum as they enter the playoffs as the #4 Seed, finishing with a league record of 13-8-1.

Alliance - 3, HP Scots - 1: After giving up a power play goal with 11:31 remaining in the first period, the Bulldogs got tough and scored an even strength goal in each of the three periods to beat the HP Jr. Scots in NTXHL action at Valley Ranch on Saturday afternoon.

Stars - 4, Alliance - 3: The Stars broke a 3-3 tie with a power play goal with only 2:09 remaining in the 3rd period, and with the win stayed in contention to advance to the Championship of the Tier II U14 Division at the 2006 Texas State Championships being held at Polar Ice in the Grapevine Mills Mall. The Stars can advance to the final with a win over the Ice Jets on Sunday morning, and with the loss, Alliance has been eliminated from contention of advancing.

The Jets out-shot the Bulldogs in the 1st period by a 17-9 margin, but could only manage a 1-0 lead at 5:55 on a shot that was tipped past the Alliance net-minder for the only score of the period. The second period was closer in shots at 16-13 Jets, and no one was able to strike paydirt, with the period ending scoreless and a game score of still 1-0 Ice Jets headed into the final frame.

The Bulldogs kept playing toe-to-toe in the 3rd, but 2 Ice Jet goals close together in the early part of the period for a 3-0 lead took the wind out of the Bulldog sails. Alliance out-shot the Jets 12-11 in the last period, but final shots for the game went to the Jets at 44-33.

Bantam AA - 4, Lone Star Wolves - 4: The Bulldogs let a win get away from them on Saturday at Valley Ranch, and come away with a NTXHL tie against the Lone Star Wolves. Lone Star scored first on the power play, with 3:07 remaining in the 1st period for a 1-0 lead. The Bulldogs countered that with a power play goal of their own with 1:13 remaining in the 1st to tie the game at 1-1. The Bulldogs would score three unanswered goals to take a 4-1 lead with 11:48 remaining in the game. However, the Wolves didn't quit, and would get three goals in the last period, with the final one at 1:57 to salvage a 4-4 tie with the Bulldogs.

Bantam AA - 7, Texas Aces - 4: The Bulldogs fell behind for the second day in a row, this time they were down 2-0 to the Texas Aces when they decided enough was enough. The Bulldogs closed their deficit to 2-1 with 1:29 remaining in the 1st period, and then took charge, out-scoring the Aces by 3-1 in the 2nd period to go up 4-3, and then kept on attacking with three more goals in the 3rd period for a 7-4 NTXHL victory.

Bantam AA - 8, DJHA '92 AAA - 1: After falling behind the DJHA '92 AAA Penguins 1-0 in the first two minutes of the game, the Bulldogs showed their muscle by evening the score with 8:29 remaining in the 1st period, scored 4 more times in the 2nd period, and then added 3 more in the 3rd period for a convincing 8-1 NTXHL win.

Wednesday, January 18, 2006 Bulldogs Earn State Tournament Berth with Win over Aces…

Bantam AA - 5, Texas Aces - 4: The Bulldogs took the early lead in this State Tournament "playdown game" by getting on the board first with 7:19 remaining in the 1st period for an initial 1-0 lead. However, the Aces came back at the 6:09 mark with a goal of their own to tie the game at 1-1. The Bulldogs would come back right before the end of the opening frame to light the lamp with 1:12 remaining in the 1st period to re-take the lead at 2-1 headed into the 2nd period of play.

The Dogs got two more goals in the 2nd period to build what they thought was a comfortable lead of 4-1 going into the 3rd and final period. The Aces came out in the 3rd period and scored two goals within 31 seconds of each other to close the Bulldogs lead to 4-3 with 11:25 remaining in the game. The Aces then tied the score at the 7:50 mark, but the Bulldogs came right back and re-took the lead again with 7:14 remaining in the game and held on for a 5-4 win. The Bulldogs have now secured a spot in the U14 Tier II Texas State Tournament with this victory.

Alliance – 1, Colo.Eagles - 0: Continuing their defensive play throughout the tournament, the Bulldogs made the only goal of the game stand up for a shutout victory over the Colorado Jr. Eagles in their final game of the Texas Star Winter Classic Tournament in Farmers Branch. Alliance got the game winner at the 8:52 mark of the 1st period, and no, it was not a shorthanded goal for a change. Alliance went 3-1-0 in the tournament, only allowed 2 goals, and earned 2 shutouts in the process. Next action for the Bulldogs will be this Wednesday, when they play the Texas Aces in a U14 Tier II State Play-down contest at PSA in Plano, game time set at 8:30pm.

New Mexico - 1, Alliance – 0: The Bulldogs have lived by the shorthanded goal this tournament, but they died by it Sunday afternoon, falling to the New Mexico Moose in Game 3 of the Texas Star Winter Classic Tournament in Farmers Branch. Each game the Bulldogs have played this tournament has been a defensive battle, and 2 of the 4 goals scored by Alliance have been of the shorthanded variety. This game was no different, except the Alliance power play unit was the victim this time, and the Moose shorty came with only 8:53 remaining in the game. Despite out-shooting New Mexico 19 to 16, the Bulldogs were unable to hit paydirt.

Saturday, January 14, 2006 Bulldogs Shutout Colorado for 2nd Texas Star Win…

Alliance – 2, Colo. Rampage – 0: The Bulldog defense and goaltending continued where they left off earlier in the day, and 2 goals were more than enough for Alliance to beat the Colorado Rampage in Game 2 of the Texas Star Winter Classic Tournament in Farmers Branch Saturday night. After a scoreless 1st period, the Bulldog penalty killers struck again for their 2nd shorthanded tally of the day and first of the game to take a 1-0 lead at the 9:32 mark of the 2nd period. Alliance added an insurance goal in the 3rd to seal the win and a 2-0 tournament record.

Alliance – 2, KC Outlaws – 1: The Bulldogs finished off a comeback win with the game winner coming with only 23 seconds remaining, as they defeated the Kansas City Outlaws in Game 1 of the Texas Star Winter Classic Tournament in Plano Saturday morning. The Outlaws took a 1-0 lead late in the opening period with a power play tally, and it looked like they might make that stand up for the win, as the two teams battled into the 3rd period with the score still 1-0 Kansas City.

Saturday, December 17, 2005 Bantam AA Goes into Christmas Break with 3 Straight Wins…

Alliance – 9, Tulsa – 2: The Bulldogs finished off a perfect week with a convincing win over the Tulsa Flames, going 3-0 in NTXHL games and improving their league mark to 10-5-0. The Bulldogs showed that they came to play on Saturday night at Valley Ranch by scoring only 27 seconds into the game for a very early 1-0 lead.

They followed that goal with another only 2 minutes later to make it 2-0, and then added another one again 2 minutes after that to build a 3-0 lead in the first 5 minutes of the game. Alliance then continued to maintain the momentum throughout and cruised to a 9-2 win over the Flames, bringing their overall season record to 15-13-1.

The Bulldogs finished off the first half of the season strong earning a well-deserved rest through the Christmas Holidays, and will pick back up in action after the first of the new year.

Wednesday, December 14, 2005 Bantam AA Takes 2^nd Straight, Beats DJHA ‘91…

Alliance – 3, DJHA ‘91 - 2: The weeknight league game has proven to be good medicine for these Bulldogs, as they took their 2^nd straight NTXHL game in as many nights with a win over the DJHA '91 AA Penguins in Valley Ranch on Wednesday night.

After a scoreless 1st period, DJHA got on the board first with an even strength goal with 5:15 remaining in the 2nd period for a 1-0 lead. However, the Bulldogs didn't quit, and tied the game at 1-1 with 10:04 remaining in the 3rd. With one of their captains in the lockerroom trying to close a gash above his eye, the Dogs stepped up and took a 2-1 lead with 4:57 remaining in the game, and then scored again with :47 remaining to go up 3-1. DJHA would get a goal as time expired for the final of 3-2.

Alliance – 3, Jr. Stars – 1: After dropping their last NTXHL game for their first league loss in almost a month, the Bulldogs were ready to get back to their winning ways. Alliance did just that on Tuesday night, as they took the Stars Major AA in Valley Ranch, utilizing the short-handed goal and coming from behind after an early Stars lead.

The Stars got on the scoreboard first, on an even strength goal for a 1-0 lead only 4 minutes into the game. The Dogs tied it at the 7:24 mark of the 1^st, when a Bulldog forward stole the puck in the neutral zone and raced untouched to the net where he finished it off with the goal to make it 1-1. In the 2nd period, the Bulldogs unleashed their vicious penalty kill, and scored two short handed goals within 33 seconds of each other to go up 3-1. Both teams had power play opportunities in the 3^rd, as 11 penalties were called, but neither team could find the net and the game ended up at 3-1 in favor of the good guys.

Arapahoe - 7, Alliance – 1: In their 2nd game at the 34th Annual Mile High Thanksgiving Holiday Tournament, the Dogs got a taste of AA hockey Colorado style as the Arapahoe Warriors scored 18 seconds into the game, and then scored 3 goals in each of the first two periods as they beat the Dogs 7-1. Alliance will attempt to come back to the win column on Friday, with a game against the host Littleton Hawks.

Calif Gold Rush – 6, Alliance – 3: In their first game at the 34th Annual Mile High Thanksgiving Holiday Tournament, the Bulldogs were not up to the challenge from the Gold Rush. The Gold Rush took a 2-1 lead after the first period. In the 2nd period, an Alliance forward picked up a loose puck and roofed one over the Gold Rush goalie to tie the game at 2-2. However, the Gold Rush came right back with three goals in the next 4:19 to go up 5-2 and cruised to a 6-3 win.

Alliance – 7, DJHA ’91 AA - 3: "Who Let's the Dogs Out" was heard in Plano this morning, as the Bulldogs showed up ready to play in this NTXHL tilt, as they jumped on DJHA '91 AA for three power plays goals within 2:00 minute span in the middle of the 1st period. However, DJHA fought back with a goal of their own to close the Bulldog lead to 3-1 at the end of the first period.

DJHA scored midway through the second period to close the Bulldogs lead to 3-2, but the Dogs came right back 1:18 later to go up 4-2. Then, while killing a penalty in the last two minutes of the 2nd period, an Alliance forward stole the puck in the neutral zone and out-raced two DJHA defenders to the net and scored shorthanded for a 5-2 Bulldog lead. DJHA closed the Dogs lead to 5-3 midway through the 3rd period, but the Dogs were "let out" again as they scored two more goals to end the 3rd period and won the game 7-3.

Bantam AA – 3, Tulsa – 2: The Bulldogs got back in the win column Saturday afternoon, in their NTXHL game against the Tulsa Flames at Valley Ranch. Alliance started the scoring with 4:05 remaining in the 1st as they scored shorthanded for a 1-0 lead. The Dogs would score again in the 1st with 1:24 remaining to go up 2-0.

The Dogs got the second period going, as they went up 3-0 with a goal only 20 seconds into the period. However, the Flames would get a power play goal with 13:34 remaining in the 2nd to close the Dogs lead to 3-1. Tulsa made it close as they scored again with 8:56 remaining in the game to close the gap to 3-2, but the Dogs held on for the win.

Jr Scots - 3, Bantam AA - 1: The Bulldogs didn't bring their best when they showed up at ITC for their NTXHL game on Saturday. The HP Jr. Scots scored a power play goal only 1:17 into the game for a quick 1-0 lead. That lead would hold until the Dogs scored shorthanded to tie the game at 1-1 with 12:09 remaining in the 3rd. However, the Scots would take the lead again with 6:48 remaining in the game at 2-1, and followed that goal with another at 4:45 for the final of 3-1. Next NTXHL game for the Bulldogs will be on Saturday November 12th against the Tulsa Flames at Valley Ranch.

Bantam AA - 5, Houston Hitmen - 2: The Bulldogs started strong against the Houston Hitmen in this NTXHL contest at Valley Ranch Saturday afternoon, getting on the scoreboard first with an even strength goal at 5:40 of the 1st period to take an early 1-0 lead. The Hitmen would later take advantage of the Bulldogs having too many men on the ice, as they scored a power play goal at 1:42 in the first to tie the game at 1-1.

The Bulldogs were even stronger in the 2nd period, as they would tally 3 even strength goals and 1 shorthanded goal to go up 5-1. The Hitmen would then get a shorthanded goal of their own with :59 seconds left in the 2nd period to close the Alliance lead to 5-2 headed into the final frame. Neither team could find the net in the 3rd, and the final score was 5-2 in favor of the Bulldogs.

Next action for the Dogs will be against the HP Jr. Scots in NTXHL action, Saturday November 5th at the Ice Training Center.

Bantam AA – 1, Farmington Hills Flames – 6: In this semi-final game of the Chicago Cup Fall Classic against the Farmington Hills Flames, the final score was not reflective of the game. Farmington scored twice in the first period for a 2-0 lead after one period. The Flames added another goal to go up 3-0, but the Bulldogs would get a goal of their own with 3:51 remaining in the second to close the Flames lead to 3-1.

The Bulldogs battled the much bigger Flames through half of the 3rd and then with 5:00 remaining, got the opportunity they needed, a 5 on 3 power play and the face off in their offensive zone. A Flames forward, however, got through the Bulldogs defense and scored shorthanded to increase the lead to 4-1 and totally take the wind out of the Bulldogs attempted comeback. The Flames got two goals in the last 33 seconds to make the final 6-1.

Bantam AA – 4, Novi Ice Cats – 2: In a game that the Bulldogs had to win to advance to the semi-finals of the Chicago Cup Fall Classic, the Bulldogs kept their fans on edge until the last three minutes of their game against the Novi Ice Cats. After a scoreless first period, Novi scored first with 3:36 remaining in the 2nd period to go up 1-0. The Bulldogs would tie the score at 1-1 with :46 remaining in the second. Novi would take a 2-1 lead with 8:12 remaining in the game, but that was when the Dogs came alive.

With 2:59 remaining, the Dogs tied it up 2-2, and came back 30 seconds later to take the lead 3-2. Alliance then scored once again 34 seconds after that to seal the victory and advance to the semi-finals on Sunday against the Farmington Hills Flames.

Bantam AA – 1, Omaha – 4: In their second game at the Chicago Cup Fall Classic, the Bulldogs spent most of the game killing penalties and it showed on the scoreboard, as they fell to the Omaha Gladiators. Omaha scored first on a short handed goal for a 1-0 lead with 7:40 remaining in the first period. The Bulldogs countered with their own shorthanded goal to end the first period tied at 1-1.

Omaha would get two power play goals in the 2nd to go up 3-1. The Dogs continued to kill penalties for most of the 3rd period and the Gladiators would get an empty net goal in the last minute for the final of 4-1.

The Bantam AA joined 3 other Alliance teams in the National Top 20 by being ranked #19 by the National Hockey Rankings web site. The Bulldogs are currently playing at the Chicago Cup Fall Classic, where good games against tough competition could help them move up. The Madison Stars they tied 2-2 last night are ranked 14th in the same poll. For the Top 20 Ranked teams in each division, click HERE...

Bantam AA - 2, Madison Stars - 2: Coming into the tournament expecting AA competition, the Bulldogs were surprised to find themselves facing a AAA team in the Madison Stars. Alliance fought hard, though, and got the game tying goal in the 3rd period to earn a tie in Game 1 of the Chicago Cup Fall Classic Friday night. After falling behind the Stars 1-0 at the 6:38 mark of the 1st period, the Bulldogs tied it up with a goal of their own just over 3 minutes later to make it 1-1 with 3:15 left in the opening frame.

The Stars didn't like being behind, and wasted no time re-taking the lead, as they struck paydirt again only 7 seconds later for a 2-1 lead with 3:04 remaining in the 1st period, and that is how the period would end. The second period was the opposite of the first, as the game fell into a defensive struggle, with both teams getting good goaltending and the period was scoreless.

Heading into the 3rd period trailing 2-1, the Bulldogs began to turn up the heat, and were eventually rewarded for their efforts as they tied it up at 2-2 with a goal at 7:43 remaining. The rest of the game was tight, with neither team able to find the back of the net for a victory. The Bulldogs come back for two more games on Saturday, first against the Omaha Gladiators, followed with the Novi Ice Cats later in the day.

Bantam AA - 11, Ice Jets 91/92 - 1: After their previous 2 straight decisive victories over their Friday night opponent, the Bulldogs could have been ready for a let-down. These Bulldogs, however, set the tone of this game early, as they scored 4 goals in the first 8 minutes and cruised to a 11-1 NTXHL win over the Ice Jets '91/92 AA in a rare Friday night game at Valley Ranch. This was the Bulldogs 4th win in a row, raises their NTXHL league mark to 4-3-0, makes their season record 7-5-0, and gives them momentum heading into next weekend's Chicago Cup Fall Classic.

Wednesday, October 12, 2005 Bulldogs Take Defensive Battle to Even NTXHL Mark...

Alliance - 2, Stars Selects - 1: After a scoreless 1st period in a tough NTXHL defensive battle in Valley Ranch, the Bulldogs scored first against the Stars Major AA with a goal at 7:20 of the 2nd period to take a 1-0 lead. However, the Stars would tie it up at 1-1 with a goal of their own at 4:35 remaining in the 2nd frame.

Both teams battled the tie into the 3rd period, until the Bulldogs were able to find the back of the net with only 3:47 remaining in the game. Alliance then had to kill two penalties in the last 3 minutes to post their third win in a row, evening their NTXHL mark to 3-3-0. Another week night game is ahead, as the Bulldogs play the Ice Jets '91/92 AA team on Friday night at Valley Ranch.

(Note: This game was later recorded as a 1-0 forfeit loss, due to a scoresheet error in the previous game on 10-1-05)

Alliance Bantam AA - 4, Texas Aces AA - 1: The Bantam AA team came to the rink today to play "Bulldog" hockey as they controlled the tempo of this NTXHL game from the very beginning, and beat the previously unbeaten Texas Aces in Valley Ranch. The Dogs scored in the last minute of the first period and then built the lead to 3-0 midway through the second.

The Aces were able to tally a power play goal in the last minute of the second to close the lead to 3-1, but the Dogs would continue to control the game and added a late third period goal to win going away 4-1. The Dogs will play two week-night games this week as they host the Stars Major AA on Wednesday night and then play the Ice Jets '91/92 AA on Friday night.

Alliance - 7, Ice Jets '91/92 AA - 0: The Bulldogs scored just 33 seconds into the game for an early 1-0 lead, and then methodically added to their lead all the way for the shut out of the Ice Jets '91/92 AA in a NTXHL contest Saturday at Valley Ranch. Alliance would add 2 more in the initial frame for a 3-0 margin after one period, and then get 2 goals in each of the final 2 periods of play to record their first league win of the season. Alliance will take the momentum into their next game against the Texas Aces next Saturday, also at Valley Ranch.

Lone Star Wolves - 6, Alliance Bantam AA - 2: The Bulldogs hit the ice with a lot of energy for their NTXHL contest against the LS Wolves at Valley Ranch on Sunday morning, as they out-shot the Wolves 12-5 in the 1st period. Alliance was not able to take advantage of the energy, though, and found themselves down 1-0 after the first period of play.

The Dogs kept battling, and were able to tie the game at 1-1 with an even strength breakaway goal with 6:30 remaining in the 2nd period. However, the Wolves would score three times in the last 3 minutes of the 2nd period to take a 4-1 lead going into the 3rd. The Dogs scored in the 3rd to get the score to 5-2, but the Wolves scored again for the final of 6-2.

Next action for the Bulldogs will be in another NTXHL contest next Saturday, October 1st against the Ice Jets 91/92 AA in Valley Ranch.

Saturday, September 24, 2005 Bantam AA Drops 2nd Straight 1-Goal Game...

DJHA '92 AAA - 5, Alliance Bantam AA - 4: In their second NTXHL game of the season, the Bantam AA team lost another close one, this time to the DJHA '92 AAA Penguins. The Bulldogs held the lead twice in this game at 2-1 and 3-2, but with 6:36 remaining in the game and the scored tied 4-4, the Bulldogs had a turnover in their defensive zone that led to DJHA's game winning goal. The Bulldogs need to regroup quickly as they are back on the ice on Sunday morning against the LS Wolves.

Sunday, September 18, 2005 Bantam AA Falls in Final Seconds of NTXHL Opener...

Ice Jets '92 AAA - 4, Alliance Bantam AA - 3: In the Bantam AA's first NTXHL game, the Bulldogs lost a heartbreaker to the Ice Jets '92 AAA, as the Jets scored the game winner with only :11 seconds left on the game clock. This game was reminiscent of the last time these two teams met, in which the Jets prevailed 5-4 in a shootout during the Labor Day Texas Shootout Tournament.

The Ice Jets controlled the puck in their zone for most of the first period, yet the Bulldogs goalie was up to the task, stopping all 12 Ice Jet shots he faced and the 1st period ended scoreless at 0-0. The Bulldogs would get on the scoreboard first with a Power Play goal at the 8:30 mark of the second period to go up 1-0. That goal gave the Dogs energy, as they capitalized on their opportunities, and scored another goal at 6:42, and again at 4:22 in the second to go up 3-0 on just six shots.

The two teams battled back and forth until the Ice Jets got a Power Play goal with 9:16 remaining in the game to cut the Bulldogs lead to 3-1. As was the case with the Dogs first goal, the Ice Jets also were energized with their first goal and scored again with 6:13 left in the game, and followed that goal with another 26 seconds later to tie the game at 3-3 with 5:47 remaining.

The Bulldogs had two power play opportunities in the last 5 minutes of the game, but couldn't find the back of the net, and lost when the Ice Jets scored the game winner with only 11 seconds remaining in the game.

The Bulldogs will have to rebound from this tough loss, as they have 2 more NTXHL games next weekend, first facing the tough DJHA '92 AAA on Saturday, and then following up against the LS Wolves on Sunday. Alliance will go into next weekend with their season record evened up at 3-3-0.

Thursday, September 15, 2005 Alliance says Good-Bye to the Turgeons...

The Alliance family, Squirt AA, and Bantam AA teams are losing a couple of good players, a coach, and family today, as Dominic Turgeon, Elizabeth Turgeon, and their family are heading off to Denver, where Pierre will be playing for the Colorado Avalanche this season. We have certainly enjoyed having Elizabeth and Dominic in our program, as well as having Pierre behind the bench. The Alliance organization wishes the Turgeon family the best of luck in Denver, and hope to see you at Thanksgiving in Littleton for the Mile High Invitational.

The Bantam AA team takes on the DJHA '92 AAA in Valley Ranch at 6:15pm in an exhibition contest. The Bulldogs are coming off 3 straight wins in the Texas Shootout Tournament, and have a 3-2 record thus far in the young season.

Alliance - 7, Ice Jets '91/92 AA - 0: The Bulldogs started slow, but scored 4 goals in the 2nd period and cruised the rest of the way to shut out the Ice Jets '91/92 AA in a Consolation Game of the Texas Shootout Tournament in Plano Monday afternoon. Big factors in the second period were the 5:00 major and 4:00 double minor penalties the Ice Jets received, and as a result, the Bulldogs scored 2 power play goals to increase their lead to 3-0 just under 3 minutes into the frame.

Alliance used the momentum to add 2 more even strength goals in the same period, and tallied a total of 26 shots in the 2nd period alone. The Bulldogs would head into the 3rd period with a 5-0 lead, and would add 2 more, one on another man advantage, for the 7-0 final score. Alliance out-shot the Ice Jets 47-6 for the game and raised their early season record to 3-2 with their 3rd consecutive victory.

Alliance - 2, Texas Aces AA - 0: The Bulldogs rode the back of their goalie and made a 2nd period short-handed goal standup for a shutout win over the Texas Aces AA in the Texas Shootout Tournament in Plano Sunday evening. It was a very tightly checked and defensive game, with neither team getting many quality scoring chances until late in the final period.

The first period was scoreless and fairly close in shots as both teams played well, and each failing to convert on a power play opportunity. The play opened up a little bit in the 2nd frame, as each team got 7 shots on goal during the 2nd period. The Aces came close to scoring when a shot attempt from the blue-line hit the cross-bar during a 5 on 3 chance early in the period. On that same power play, Alliance would steal the puck, and after a nice move around an Aces defenseman, a Bulldog would get the first goal and eventual game-winner on a nice backhander to the 5-hole for a short-handed goal and a 1-0 lead with 9:35 left. The score would remain 1-0 Alliance through the end of 2 periods of play.

The 3rd period would once again eclipse the previous period in scoring chances, with both teams now opening it up offensively. The Aces had 2 early man advantage opportunities, one of them another of the 5 on 3 variety, but the Bulldog penalty killers and goaltending would be up to the task. Alliance would also get 2 power play chances in the period, but would also come up empty handed as well. The final score would be officially 2-0 when the Bulldogs would get an empty-net goal with less than 1 second on the game clock.

Alliance would win the shot battle in the 3rd period 10-6, and for the game at 20-17. The Bulldogs come back for their Consolation Game on Monday afternoon at 2:45 in Plano.

Alliance - 6, DJHA '91 - 3: The Bulldogs rebounded from their heart-breaking loss in the morning to come back and beat DJHA '91 AA Saturday afternoon in the Texas Shootout Tournament in Plano. It was a penalty-filled game with four of the 9 goals coming on the man advantage, and the game started fast, with seven of the goals coming in the 1st period.

Both teams converted on the power play during the initial frame, with Alliance getting the first power play goal to make it 2-2, and then DJHA returning the favor minutes later to make it 3-3. Each team would hold the lead two times in the first frame, with the Bulldogs getting the last say in the final seconds, taking the lead for good at 4-3 with only 32 seconds remaining in the period.

The teams appeared to relax a little and take a breath in the 2nd period, as they held each other off the board for a scoreless frame, and the Bulldogs would take their 4-3 lead into the final period. Once again, the penalties would make the difference, as Alliance put the the game away with two more man advantage tallies in the 3rd period to make the final score 6-3 Bulldogs.

Alliance now comes back Sunday evening to face the Texas Aces AA in their final pool play contest.

Ice Jets AAA - 5, Alliance - 4 (SO): The Bulldogs gave the Ice Jets '92 AAA all they wanted, holding 1-goal leads three times before the Jets would tie it late in the 3rd to force a shootout Saturday morning in the Texas Shootout Tournament in Plano. The Ice Jets would take the game by winning the shootout 2-1 through four skaters on each team.

Alliance fell behind 1-0 just over a minute into the game on the first of 3 Ice Jet power play goals. The 'Dogs would battle back to tie it at 1-1 with 6:30 left on the strength of a nice shorthanded goal on a 3 on 1. Alliance would take their first lead a minute and a half later on a shot from the point that created a rebound and shot over the downed goalie for a 2-1 Bulldog lead at the end of the 1st period.

The 2nd period belonged to the Ice Jets, as they out-shot the Bulldogs 10-3 in the frame, but could only convert once at 10:25 on a rush up ice after an Alliance scramble in front of the Jet goalie. The 2nd period ended up tied at 2-2, with the Jets now out-shooting the Bulldogs 19-9 through 2 periods.

Alliance would take their second lead just 1:14 into the 3rd period when the puck was sent from behind the net into the low slot for a goal to make it 3-2 Bulldogs at 13:46. The Ice Jets would respond with their 2nd power play goal of the day to make 3-3 at 10:31 when a Jet forward made a nice move from the half-boards into the low face-off circle for a goal. Alliance did not like their lead disappearing, so the Bulldogs took their 3rd lead less than a minute later on a 2 on 1 shot to the 5-hole for a 4-3 lead at 9:48 remaining.

It was looking good for the Bulldogs for the next 6 minutes, but the Jets went back on the power play again with just 3:11 remaining in regulation, and they once again got the man advantage goal to make it 4-4 at 3:02 left. Both teams battled tough the last few minutes, with each having chances to win, but the goalies came up big to send it into the shootout. The Jets out-shot the Bulldogs 31-17, but Alliance made the most of their shots getting 4 goals, and the Ice Jets capitalized on the power play, scoring 3 man-advantage tallies. The Bulldogs will have to recover quickly from the emotional game, as they face DJHA '91 AA later Saturday.

Stars - 4, Alliance - 2: The Bulldogs' power play was their demise in the 2005-2006 Season Opener, falling to the Stars Major AA Friday night in the Texas Shootout Tournament in Plano. Alliance had two man advantage opportunities in the 3rd period, but not only could not convert, but allowed the Stars to tally two shorthanded goals to make the difference in the game.

Falling behind 2-0 after the first period, the Bulldogs brought it to within one at 2-1 after 2 periods of play. Just over 4 minutes into the 3rd period, the Stars extended their lead to 3-1 on their first of the two shorthanded goals, on a breakaway. Alliance came back just under 4 minutes later with an even strength goal to make it 3-2, and appeared poised to make it interesting when they went on the man advantage again with just 3:00 remaining in the game. Once again, the Stars were able to slip a penalty killer past the Bulldogs for their second shorty to seal the game at 4-2.

The Bulldogs will return to action Saturday with two more games, first against the Ice Jets '92 AAA, following up with DJHA '91 AA later in the day. To see the schedule and results for all Alliance teams, click here...

The 2005-2006 Season gets officially underway this weekend for 4 Alliance teams. The Alliance Squirt A, PeeWee AA1, and Bantam AA teams will be playing in the Texas Shootout Tournament in Dallas.

To see the schedule and results for Alliance teams, click here...

There is a Team Meeting for parents and players on Saturday, August 13th at 5:30pm at VR. Please try to have at least one parent at the meeting.

Also, the "Season Kick-Off" Team Party will be on August 21st. Practice ends at 10:15am that Sunday and we will all journey to the McDavid's home immediately following practice for swimming and lunch. Details will be discussed at the meeting Saturday

Monday, August 8, 2005

An exhibition game against DJHA '92 (Silverman) has been scheduled for Sunday, August 28th at 5:30pm at the Ice Training Center (ITC) in Richardson.

Rosters and Schedules have been posted for all teams, please click on the team link along the side of the web site for the team you want to see. Player profile pictures and additional information is in the process of being collected, and the pages will be updated as this information is received. If you see a need for a correction or have additional information (and you probably will), please notify your team manager.