Midget Minor AA

Wednesday, April 19, 2006 FINAL National Rankings Posted, 2 Alliance Teams in Nation's Top 20...

The FINAL National Rankings have been posted for the 2005-2006 Season, and two Alliance teams finished in the Top 20 of their respective age groups. The Bulldog Midget Minor Tier I AAA team ended up Ranked #10 Nationally, and the Alliance Bantam Tier I AAA team ended up with a National Ranking of 11th.

The Midget Minor Tier II AA and Midget Major Tier II AA teams just missed out on the Top 20, with the Minors ranked at #23, and the Majors ranked at #29. Congratulations to all the Bulldog Teams and Coaches for another outstanding season. For all the rankings, click HERE...

Sunday, March 26, 2006 Midget Minor AA Ends Season with a Win...

Alliance - 5, DJHA - 1: The Bulldogs knew coning into the game they had been eliminated from the playoffs, and it was their last game of the season, but the finished strong with a win over DJHA in Game 4 of the NTXHL Playoffs Sunday afternoon in Valley Ranch. Alliance finished the season with an impressive 38-14-1 record, was a finalist in 2 tournaments, and captured the NTXHL Regular Season Championship.

Sunday, February 26, 2006 Midget Minors Secure Regular Season NTXHL Championship!!!

Alliance - 9, Stars Select - 3: The Bulldogs broke a 3 game skid, and in the process captured their 2nd consecutive Midget Minor AA Regular Season League Championship with a win over the Stars at Valley Ranch Sunday morning. Alliance now heads into the playoffs with the #1 Seed with a 16-3-1 league mark, and an overall record of 35-13-1 for the season.

Stars - 6, Alliance - 1: The Stars took a 1-0 lead into the 2nd period, and extended it to 4-1 after 2 periods, and Alliance never recovered in the second game for each team in the Tier II U16 Division of the 2006 Texas State Championships on Saturday afternoon. After Alliance cut the lead to 3-1 on a power play with just 1:44 left in the 2nd, they were remained on the power play, threatening to make it a one-goal game. The Stars would have none of it, and got the goal back with a shorthanded breakaway tally to bring the margin back to three at 4-1 with 1:05 left in the second period. The Stars would add 2 more in the final frame to stay in contention for the final.

Alliance - 4, DJHA - 2: The DJHA Penguins kept responding, but came up short at the end, as Alliance held on late, adding an empty netter to ice the game in the Tier II U16 Division opener for both teams at the 2006 Texas State Championships being held at Polar Ice in the Grapevine Mills Mall. The Bulldogs took leads of 1-0 at the end of the 1st period and 2-1 at the end of the 2nd, only to have the Penguins come back and tie the score each time, the last time making it 2-2 on their first shot of the final frame.

Monday, January 16, 2006 Midget Minor AA Falls in Overtime of Vegas Championship Game…

Las Vegas - 4, Alliance – 3 (OT): Alliance got their chance and nearly pulled it off, but fell again to the Las Vegas Outlaws, this time in overtime of the Championship Game of the Las Vegas 2006 Tournament Monday afternoon in the desert of Nevada. The Bulldogs held a 3-2 lead late in the game, but the Outlaws scored on a controversial play, forcing a tie and the extra period of sudden death action. The Bulldogs come home with a 4-2-0 tournament record, and an impressive overall season mark of 28-5-0.

Alliance – 4, DJHA - 0: The Bulldogs shut out the DJHA Penguins in their final pool game, and are now set for the Championship Game of the Las Vegas 2006 Tournament scheduled for Monday afternoon against the Las Vegas Outlaws. Alliance controlled the game completely, out-shooting the Penguins by a 32 to 6 margin, and going 1 for 6 with the man advantage. It was the 4th straight win for the Bulldogs after their opening game loss to the Outlaws last Friday. They have a chance to make up for that game this afternoon, when the stakes will be considerably higher.

Sunday, January 15, 2006 Midget Minor AA Advances to Las Vegas Championship Game…

Alliance – 5, Crystal Lake - 1: The Bulldogs won their 3rd game in a row, and with the win over the Crystal Lake Leafs, earned a spot in the Championship Game of the Las Vegas 2006 Tournament scheduled for Monday afternoon. Alliance will first have to play the DJHA Penguins early Monday, before coming back later in the day for the chance to win it all, most probably against the only team to beat them this week, the host Las Vegas Outlaws.

Saturday, January 14, 2006 Midget Minor AA Beats Seattle for Win #2 in Las Vegas…

Alliance – 6, Seattle - 1: Alliance made it 2 in a row, as they defeated the Seattle Admirals in Game #3 of the Las Vegas 2006 Tournament Saturday evening. The Bulldogs now control their own destiny, and can earn a berth in the finals with a convincing win on Sunday morning against the Crystal Lake Leafs.

Alliance – 3, Calif. Wave - 0: Alliance jumped into the win column of the Las Vegas 2006 Tournament Saturday morning with a solid shutout victory over the California Wave in their second game of the tournament. The game was similar to the last time these 2 teams met, a 4-1 Bulldog win in the 34th Annual Mile High Thanksgiving Holiday Tournament in Littleton, Colorado.

Las Vegas - 7, Alliance – 5: Alliance lost their first game of the Las Vegas 2006 Tournament this evening against the host Las Vegas Outlaws in a high scoring contest. The speedy and physical Outlaws capitalized on their power play by going up 2-0 on their first two man advantage opportunities in the 1st period. Alliance scored to shorten the lead to 2-1 on an even strength goal at the 6:19 mark to finish the scoring in the 1st period.

Las Vegas took advantage of another Alliance penalty early in the second, and followed that with another even strength goal less than 20 seconds later to increase its lead to 4-1. Following a goalie change by Alliance, the Bulldogs seemed to have renewed energy and scored the next two goals on power plays to decrease the Outlaws lead to 4-3 with 2:15 left in the 2nd period. However, the Outlaws capitalized on an Alliance turnover and scored its 5th goal of the game with just 34 seconds left in the 2nd period to go up 5-3.

In the third period, Las Vegas got the next goal at 13:36 while at even strength, making the score 6-3 Outlaws. However, the Bulldogs did not rollover, and scored two even strength goals of its own at 10:04 and 9:33 of the period to shorten the Outlaws lead to 6-5. Despite a persistent comeback attempt by Alliance, the Outlaws scored another even strength goal to put the game away at 4:03 of the 3rd period, making the final score Outlaws 7, Alliance 5. Total shots on goal were 38-28 in favor of Alliance, and the Outlaws power play was successful 3 of 4 times, while Alliance scored on 2 of 7 man advantage opportunities.

Alliance – 6, DJHA - 1: Alliance started slow, taking a 1-0 lead from the first period into the 2nd frame, then added 3 more in the 2nd and cruised to the NTXHL victory over DJHA Saturday night in Valley Ranch. The win earned the Bulldogs a small amount of payback for being handed their only league loss in their last meeting with the Penguins early last month. The win raised the Alliance league mark to 13-1-0, and they remain firmly planted in 1st Place.

DJHA AA - 3, Alliance – 1: After barely escaping from their last league game with a 1-goal win, the Bulldogs lost their first NTXHL game of the season on Saturday night to the DJHA Penguins in Plano by a score of 3-1, the last goal being an empty netter. The loss puts a blemish on the Bulldogs’ league mark, which now stands at a still impressive 12-1-0, while their record for the season overall is at 22-3-0. The next game is Wednesday evening against the Ice Jets ‘90AAA, then no games until after Christmas.

Alliance – 5, Houston Wild - 4: In their 2nd NTXHL meeting of the season, the Bulldogs held on to defeat the Houston Wild by a score of 5-4 early Sunday morning at Valley Ranch. Alliance won the first meeting by a score of 3-1, and appeared to be headed to another solid win by racing out to a big lead, only to have the Wild mount a comeback. In a fast paced game that included excellent scoring opportunities by both teams, the first period ended locked at 1-1.

Alliance then built a 5-1 lead late in the second period, fueled by four unanswered goals including a second period hat trick by one of its players. However, the Wild scored its second goal with only 2 seconds left in the period to cut the Bulldog lead to 5-2 going into the final frame.

Early in the 3rd period, the speedy Wild continued to press and capitalized on a quick goal just 31 seconds into the period further reducing the Bulldog lead to 5-3. Alliance was penalized midway through the period, allowing the Wild another opportunity. The Wild scored a power play goal at 6:53 of the 3rd period, reducing the Alliance lead to one goal at 5-4. However, the Bulldogs regrouped, and kept the puck in the Wild zone for much of the remainder of the game to preserve the win.

Alliance outshot the Wild by a 33-22 margin in the game. Alliance went 0-3 on the power play while the Wild scored on 1 of 3 man-advantage opportunities. The Bulldogs remain undefeated in NTXHL play this season with a record of 12-0 and are 22-2 overall.

LA Jr. Kings - 5, Alliance – 3: The LA Jr Kings Midget Minor AA team won the 34th Annual Mile High Thanksgiving Holiday Tournament championship by stunning Alliance in the final in Littleton, Colorado on Sunday afternoon. The Bulldogs had come into the championship game having swept through pool play and the playoffs with a 6-0 record and out-scoring opponents by a 30 to 9 margin.

Despite being out-shot by the Bulldogs 40 to 17, the boys from the west coast took advantage of 33 minutes of Alliance penalties, scoring 2 power play goals and keeping the Bulldogs short-handed and in their own end for long stretches during the game. At one point in the 2^nd period, the Bulldogs were whistled for 7 penalties in a 10-minute span.

The championship loss put a bitter end on an otherwise very successful Thanksgiving trip, and the Bulldogs return home with a still impressive 21-2-0 season record. Next action will be a NTXHL match against the Houston Wild on Sunday December 4^th in Valley Ranch.

Alliance – 7, Littleton - 0: Alliance treated the Hosts very rudely Sunday morning, collecting their second straight dominating shutout win, and has advanced to the Championship of the 34th Annual Mile High Thanksgiving Holiday Tournament in Littleton, Colorado. The Bulldogs scored early in building a big lead, and shut down the Hawks that had played them to a 5-3 score in a preliminary round game. In the Final, Alliance will face the LA Jr. Kings, overtime winners over the Arapahoe Warriors in the other Semi-Final game.

Alliance – 6, Alaska - 0: Alliance finished their preliminary pool play undefeated with a strong shutout win over the Anchorage North Stars, and has advanced to the Semi-Finals of the 34th Annual Mile High Thanksgiving Holiday Tournament in Littleton, Colorado. The Bulldogs completely controlled the game from the start, building a big lead early and coasting to a #1 Seed heading into elimination play on Sunday morning against an opponent yet to be determined.

Alliance – 3, Arapahoe - 2: In another really close game against the Arapahoe Warriors, the Bulldogs came out on top in the 34th Annual Mile High Thanksgiving Holiday Tournament in Littleton, Colorado. Last time these two teams met was in the Semi-Finals of the 2005 Rocky Mountain District Championships, when Alliance came out on top as well in a thrilling 2-1 double overtime victory. Not as much was at stake this time, but the intensity was still there.

Alliance – 5, NCYH - 3: The Bulldogs found a team that gave them all they wanted, as the Grizzlies took Alliance deep into the 3rd period before finally falling in Game 3 of the 34th Annual Mile High Thanksgiving Holiday Tournament in Littleton, Colorado late Friday night. The game-winner came with only 8:40 remaining, and the outcome was not sealed until the Bulldogs put home an empty-netter with 43 seconds left.

Alliance – 5, Littleton - 3: The Bulldogs Midget Minor AA won it's second game of the day against the host team Littleton Hawks by a score of 5-3 in the 34th Annual Mile High Thanksgiving Holiday Tournament. Alliance opened the scoring at 11:46 of the 1st period on a power play goal. However, a persistent Littleton team answered with an even strength goal at 3:04 to tie the score and the period ended 1-1.

In the second period, the Bulldogs capitalized on its second straight man advantage situation with a power play goal at 13:21 to take a 2-1 lead. In what has become somewhat of a trademark of this team, the Dogs scored next on a breakaway shorthanded goal at 11:49 to take a 3-1 lead. It was the 3rd shorthanded goal of the day for the Bulldogs.

Late in the 2nd period, Alliance capitalized on it's third straight power play opportunity after some nice puck control and passing led to a goal on a wrist shot from the left slot that beat the goalie high stick-side. The second period ended with Alliance up by a score of 4-1, which included several tough saves by the Alliance net-minder on some good scoring opportunities by the opposition. The Littleton team showed a lot of persitence in the third period and scored the next goal on a power play at 6:02 to close the gap to 4-2. Not letting down, the Bulldogs answered with an even strength breakaway goal with 1:47 remaining to go up 5-2 to seemingly knot the game. Littleton, however, was not finished and scored another goal from in close with 40 seconds remaining after having pulled its net-minder. The game ended with Alliance on top by a score of 5-3.

Shots in the game were 35-34 in favor of Alliance. Both net-minders were called upon to make some difficult saves throughout the game. Littleton was 1 of 6 on its power play opportunities while the Bulldogs scored on all of its man advantage situations (3 of 3). The Bulldogs improved their record on the season to 17-1 with this win. In it's only game tomorrow (Friday) Alliance meets the Northern Colorado Youth Hockey Association (NCYH) Kodiacs from Fort Collins at 7:00pm.

Alliance – 4, Calif. Wave - 1: The Bulldogs Minor Midget AA team won it's first game of the longstanding 34th Annual Mile High Thanksgiving Holiday Tournament against The California Wave by a score of 4-1. Alliance started the game with a lot of intensity and kept pressure in the Wave zone for much of the first period but only outshot the Wave by 8 to 6. Alliance broke open the scoring with a breakaway shorthanded goal at 7:03 in the first and led by 1-0 after one period.

Alliance didn't wait long to increase it's lead by scoring an even strength goal just 26 seconds into the second period and increased it's lead to 3-0 with another breakaway shorthanded goal at 9:56 of the second. The second period ended with Alliance up by a score of 3-0.

The Wave finally got on the board at 5:41 of the third period on a power play goal, scoring on a shot rebound from in close. However, Alliance responded and put the game away with an even strength rebound tap-in goal at the 3:10 mark.

Alliance outshot the Wave by a 31-24 in the game. The Bulldogs were 0 for 2 on the power play, while the Wave capitalized on 1 of 5 power play opportunities. Alliance next faces the home team Littleton Hawks at 7:00pm this evening. Earlier today, Littleton tied the LA Jr Kings 3-3 in a hard hitting, fast paced game.

Alliance – 6, DMHA - 0: The Bulldogs continued their winning ways, notching their 10th straight win in dominating fashion over the DMHA Titans in NTXHL action Saturday afternoon at Addison Square Garden. The game was not as close as the score would indicate, with the Bulldogs outshooting the Titans by a 44 to 3 margin. The DMHA goalie kept it close early, as the 1st period was scoreless despite the Alliance attack. The Bulldogs would get all they would need in the 2nd period, scoring 3 times, and kept DMHA off the shot clock the final 2 frames. Alliance is now 11-0-0 in league play, and 15-1-0 overall for the season.

Alliance - 2, LS Wolves - 1: On Sunday afternoon, the Alliance Midget Minor AA’s visited the StarCenter in Grapevine Mills for the 3rd NTXHL tilt of the season against the LS Wolves. Unlike the first two games where Alliance dominated both on the ice and on the scoreboard, the Wolves were obviously charged up for this game. The 1st period was action packed with end to end play by both teams.

The Bulldogs, however, were able to generate most of the pressure in their offensive end and outshot the Wolves by a 14-2 margin. The Wolves goalie appeared to be seeing the puck well and made save after save, which helped to fire up his team. With only 18 seconds left in the period, the Wolves scored a even strength goal to take the lead 1-0.

Play in the second period was much the same as the first, with lots of intensity exhibited by both teams and an abundance of scoring opportunities by Alliance. At about midway in the 2nd period, the Bulldog’s persistence finally paid off when they solved the Wolves goalie with an even strength goal from in close on a nice feed from behind the net. The score remained knotted at 1-1 after two periods, with Alliance outshooting the Wolves 33-6.

The 3rd period remained extremely competitive as both teams maintained a high level of intensity throughout. Despite the strong efforts of the Wolves goalie, who continued to stop the Alliance shot barrage while giving up very few rebounds, Alliance finally got the next goal on a strong low shot from the high slot to go ahead 2-1 with 2:46 remaining in the game. The Bulldogs were able to hold on for the win by pinning the puck deep in the Wolves zone for the balance of the game.

For the game, Alliance was 0 for 5 on the power play while the Wolves were 0 for 3. Interestingly, Alliance players were penalized the fewest times of any game this season in one of the closest game outcomes. The story of the game for the Wolves was the strong play of its goalie, who held the Bulldogs to only two goals on 47 shots. The solid positional play of the Alliance defense successfully held the Wolves to only 8 shots on goal. The two teams are not scheduled to meet again in 2005.

Alliance - 6, Ice Jets '90 AAA - 4: The Alliance Midget Minor AA team won it's 1st meeting of the season against the Ice Jets '90 AAA in a NTXHL game at Valley Ranch on Saturday afternoon. The final score was 6-4 Alliance in a fast-paced game. Alliance broke into the scoring first with an even strength goal early in the first period. However, Jets returned the favor by scoring with 3:47 left in the 1st, and added another goal just 11 seconds later to take a 2-1 lead into the locker room.

Alliance regrouped from the Ice Jets scoring spurt, and began the 2nd period on a power play and used some very aggressive play in the Jets end of the ice to control the puck. This paid off with a power play goal less than one minute into the period to tie the game at 2-2. Alliance continued to apply pressure in the Jets zone, and scored again at the 11:06 mark to take its first lead of the game 3-2.

Both teams continued to skate very hard, with Alliance scoring next on a highlight reel shorthanded breakaway goal to put the Bulldogs up 4-2. The action filled period was not yet over, with the Ice Jets scoring one goal and Alliance two additional goals to increase its lead to 6-3. During the 2nd period, Alliance outshot the Ice Jets by 20-6.

Play remained even between the teams in the third period, with the Ice Jets scoring the only goal at 7:51 to decrease the Bulldog lead to 6-4. The Ice Jets pulled their goalie with less than two-minutes left in the game, however the Alliance goalie withstood the additional pressure to preserve the win. Alliance missed the net on four consecutive long attempts to score in the empty net.

For the game, Alliance went 2 of 4 on the power play while the Ice Jets scored in 1 of 3 attempts. Total shots on goal were 33-19 in favor of Alliance. The teams meet next on Wednesday November 16th at 9:15pm at Valley Ranch. The Bulldogs are undefeated in NTXHL thus far and improved its overall season record to 12-1.

Saturday, November 5, 2005 Midget Minor AA Shuts Out DJHA in NTXHL Action...

Alliance - 5, DJHA - 0: In a much anticipated NTXHL game Saturday at Valley Ranch, the Bulldogs and DJHA Penguins met for the first time this season. The game lived up to its billing, as both teams hit the ice with charged with enthusiasm. The tone of the day was established quickly with 13 of the game’s 43 total penalties called in the 1st period. Action throughout the spirited game was intense with both teams delivering maximum effort and plenty of hits.

Goalies for both teams were up to the task until Alliance finally broke into the scoring column with an even strength goal at 5:05 of the 1st period on some aggressive forechecking in the Penguins' zone. Less than four minutes later at 1:39 of the 1st, Alliance increased its lead on another even strength goal, again the result of strong play in the offensive zone. The first period ended with Alliance up 2-0 having out-shot the Penguins 17 to 5.

Alliance continued to maintain pressure on DJHA in the second period, and quickly established a comfortable lead with another even strength goal at 11:35. Despite having already been called for several more penalties than the Bulldogs, DJHA continued its aggressive style of play and was subsequently penalized for additional infractions. Alliance finally capitalized on this by scoring a power play goal at 6:22 of the 2nd period on a shot from the high slot that found its way into the net low on the goalie’s stick side. Scoring ended in the 2nd with Alliance up 4-0 while out-shooting DJHA 13-7 in the period.

The 3rd period was no less busy for the referee and linesmen than the first two periods, with a total 18 total penalties called in the period, nine for each team. Alliance put the icing on the cake by scoring an even strength goal, and the last one of the game at 15:24 of the 3rd. The balance of the game was a parade to the penalty box by both teams resulting in several more power play opportunities each. Despite being out-shot in the 3rd period 13-7, the stingy Alliance defense cinched its belt and the goalie connected on some nice saves to preserve the team shutout, its first of the season. The final score was 5-0, the 11th win of the season for Alliance.

For the game, Alliance was 1 for 11 on the power play while DJHA went 0 for 6. Total shots on goal were 37 for the Bulldogs and 25 for the Penguins. The Penguins were called for a total of 25 penalties compared to the Bulldog’s 13. Through the young season, the Bulldogs have scored an average of 5.3 goals per game while giving up only 1.3 goals per game while increasing its record to 11-1-0.

Alliance - 8, Stars - 1: Following their 1st penalty filled meeting of the season a few weeks ago, the Bulldogs and the Stars Select were fired up and ready to play in the final game of the NTXHL weekend in Sugarland. The Bulldogs wasted no time and opened the scoring with an excellent shot from the left point at 12:26 of the 1st period for a 1-0 lead. Both teams settled in while play went back and forth, including several scoring chances apiece. Alliance, however, capitalized on a power play by scoring with only 5 seconds remaining in the 1st to go up 2-0.

The Bulldogs continued to press and scored another even strength goal just over one minute into the 2nd period to make it 3-0. The Stars did not appear to let the 3-goal Bulldog lead back them down, and continued to play strong hockey. Finally, at 7:56 of the 2nd period, the Stars got on the board with a power play goal to make it a 3-1 game. Alliance continued to press hard and roll its lines effectively against the Stars, seeming to wear them down. The Bulldogs never looked back from this point in the game, scoring the next 5 goals to win the game 8-1, including four even strength and one power play goal.

On the day, Alliance went 2 for 7 on the power play while shutting down the Stars power play 6 of 7 times. Both teams had 22 shots on goal, a fairly low total considering the amount of Alliance scoring. Factors that contributed to the outcome of the game were consistency throughout the Alliance lineup, including goaltending, defense, and players taking well placed shots with strong follow up to the net. The Bulldogs are now 6-0-0 in league play, and 10-1-0 for the season, and will not see action until 2 weeks from now, when they will face DJHA in NTXHL action.

Alliance - 3, Houston Wild - 1: In a very fast paced, spirited NTXHL game late Saturday afternoon, the Bulldogs and the Houston Wild played nearly two periods of scoreless hockey in their first meeting of the season. Both teams played very physical from the start. The goalies for both teams were called upon early to make several difficult saves but were up to the task. The first two periods of the game were penalty filled, with both teams successfully killing several 1-man and 2-man advantage situations, including the Bulldogs successfully killing off the 1st four penalties of the game.

Finally, the Wild opened the scoring on an even strength goal with one second remaining in the 2nd period, when one of its unguarded attackers slipped behind the Bulldogs defense to give the Wild a 1-0 lead heading into the final frame. The Bulldogs continued to roll its lines effectively and persistence paid off at 8:08 of the 3rd period, when Alliance got the even strength game-tying goal at 1-1.

In what has become a somewhat frequent occurrence, Alliance got the go-ahead goal just over a minute later, as a result of some aggressive forechecking and teamwork while shorthanded to make it a 2-1 Bulldog lead. Both teams continued to play aggressive, physical hockey creating several more scoring chances each. However, Alliance put the game away for good with 3:29 remaining in the 3rd on an even strength goal from in-close for the final 3-1 margin.

On the day, Alliance was 0 for 8 on the power play while the Wild went 0 for 11. Alliance was given the opportunity to attempt a rare penalty shot at 4:37 of the third, when one of its players was pulled down from behind on a breakaway. However, the shot missed the net just over the crossbar. There were a total of 25 penalties in the game while shots on goal totaled 26 for each team.

Alliance - 6, DMHA - 2: The 1st NTXHL meeting of the season between the Bulldogs and DMHA began with a fast pace and included many shots, most by Alliance. However, the Titans goalie was up to the task, thwarting several excellent Bulldog scoring opportunities. The Titans responded to the efforts of its goalie by scoring a power play goal at 13:06 of the 1st period to go up 1-0.

Alliance maintained pressure in the Titans zone much of the period, and finally scored a power play goal at 2:30 of the 1st to even the game at 1-1. DMHA responded with the next goal at 10:10 of the 2nd period on another power play goal, making it 2-1 Titans. Not to be discouraged, the Bulldogs remained relentless in attacking the Titans in their zone, and peppering the Titans goal with shot after shot while shutting down the Titans defensively.

The Bulldogs scored an even strength goal at 9:09 of the 2nd to tie the game 2-2. Alliance scored next on a shorthanded breakaway at 5:42 of the 2nd making it 3-2 and never looked back, following up with 3 more goals in the 3rd period, including another shorty…the team’s 6th of the young season. Alliance out-shot the Titans by a whopping 65-11 while going 2 of 8 on the power play. Both Titan goals were scored while Alliance was penalized.

Friday, October 21, 2005 Midget Minor AA Ranked 9th in National Top 20...

The Alliance Midget Minor AA team has been recently ranked by the National Hockey Rankings web site at 9th in the nation. The only loss the Midget Minor AA team has suffered this season was at the hands of the #2 ranked Long Beach Ice Dogs. The Bantam AAA team is also ranked by the this web site at 13th, and the Midget Minor AAA is ranked by this site at 16th.

The 2005-2006 US U16 Midget AAA Hockey Rankings were released yesterday, and the Alliance Midget Minor AAA is ranked 11th in the nation in this ranking. They have a win over the #5 ranked New Jersey Devils, and four of their five losses have been to teams ranked in the top 10. Their shootout loss is counted as a tie in the rankings.

Alliance - 8, LS Wolves - 1: It was same song again, but second verse this time, as the Bulldogs duplicated their feat from a week ago in an almost identical win over the LS Wolves in a NTXHL contest Sunday afternoon in Valley Ranch. Once again, Alliance fell behind 1-0 before getting the scoring going, and went on to raise their league record to 3-0-0 and 7-1-0 for the season. More information on this game as it is received...

As a show of their appreciation for Coach David Fry, the Midget Minor AA players presented David and Tammy with a BBQ grille Wednesday night, as they prepare to get married. Is a cookout at Coach's house in the team's future??? See pictures HERE...

Alliance - 8, LS Wolves - 1: The Bulldogs fell behind early, recovered quickly for a commanding 5-1 lead after the first period, and cruised to the victory over the LS Wolves in this NTXHL contest late Wednesday night in Valley Ranch. After failing to convert on their first power play opportunity of the night a few minutes earlier, Lone Star connected at even strength when a loose puck was retrieved in front of the Bulldog net by a Wolve all alone for a 1-0 lead at 10:34 of the 1st period. It would be their last score of the evening, as the Bulldogs came to life quickly thereafter.

Alliance would tie it up a 1-1 at the 7:54 mark of the 1st on a pass up ice and a nice wrist shot from low in the right face-off circle. Following a power play chance on which they failed to convert, the Bulldogs got another opportunity on the man advantage at 5:27. Alliance made the Wolves pay this time, as a hard pass from the right wing boards along the goal line found a Bulldog at the far post for a one-timer and a 2-1 lead at 5:18. Less than a minute later, the Bulldogs would strike again, this time on a give and go rebound that was banged in for a 3-1 score at 4:28 remaining. The Bulldogs would add 2 more tallies before the high paced period would end, again each less than a minute apart for a 5-1 margin after just one period of action.

The pace of play in 2nd period dropped dramatically, as Alliance spent the first third of the frame killing a 5 minute major penalty. Lone Star would also get 3 more man advantage chances in the period, keeping the Bulldog penalty killers busy, but they were effective, as the Wolves could not convert. Alliance increased the lead with their second power play goal of the game, when with just 1 second left on the power play clock, a rebound off a shot from the point would be banged in by a Bulldog for the 6-1 score at 4:10 remaining in the period.

As the 3rd period began, it very quickly became a parade to the penalty box, as frustration levels rose. There were a total of nine power play chances (LS - 5, Alliance - 4), a lot of 4 on 4 play, and each team killed off at least one 5 on 3 situation. The Bulldogs got the only goals of the 3rd period, one on a nice low shot from the point that deflected off a skate in front at 6:30 to make it 7-1, and then another power play goal with only 2:03 left for the final 8-1 score.

Hopefully tempers will cool, as the next NTXHL action the Bulldogs have will be on Sunday October 2nd against these same LS Wolves, this time in their home rink at Polar Ice Grapevine Mills. Alliance is now 6-1-0 on the season, and 2-0-0 in NTXHL play thus far.

Long Beach - 3, Alliance - 1: Facing the best team by far they have seen early in the season, the Bulldogs came up short against the Long Beach Ice Dogs and suffered their first loss of the tournament and of the season at the Desert Youth MROC Festival in Phoenix Sunday morning. The first period appeared to be headed to a scoreless end when the Ice Dogs lit the lamp with just 19 ticks left in the period to take a 1-0 lead.

The 2nd period looked like the first, with the score staying 1-0 Long Beach until with only 1:54 remaining, the Ice Dogs capitalized on a Bulldog penalty and scored a power play goal to increase their margin and take a 2-0 lead into the final frame. The Bulldogs were having a rough go with the small but quick and fast Ice Dogs, as they moved the puck well and kept the Alliance defenders on their toes. The Bulldogs were adamant to make a game of it though, and made it a one-goal game with an even strength goal at the 11 minute mark to make it 2-1 long Beach.

Long Beach didn't waste any time waiting for Alliance to gain any momentum, and regained the 2-goal margin less than a minute later when they scored to make it 3-1 with 10:10 remaining in the 3rd period. The rest of the period and game was battled tough, with neither team able to beat the goalie. For the first time in the young season, Alliance was out-shot, as the Ice Dogs tallied 33 shots on net to the Bulldogs' 23. Alliance was 0 for 2 on the power play, while Long Beach converted on 1 of 4 chances.

The Bulldogs return home with a 5-1-0 record for the year and have little time to rest, as they play their 2nd NTXHL contest this next Wednesday in Valley Ranch against the LS Wolves.

Alliance - 3, Coyotes - 2: In a close game that featured 75 shots between the two teams, the Bulldogs had to overcome 2 Phoenix Coyote power play goals and come from behind late in the 3rd period to win their 4th game in 4 tries at the Desert Youth MROC Festival in Phoenix Saturday evening. Alliance opened the scoring, hitting pay dirt on an even strength goal with 5:51 remaining in the 1st period, and took a 1-0 lead into the 2nd frame.

The 2nd period was again very close, with the Coyotes tying it up at 1-1 with a power play goal. It was the only scoring of the second period, and both teams went into the final period looking to get the tie-breaker and the win. Phoenix would get what they wanted first, as they connected on the man advantage again, taking their first lead at 2-1 with 12:25 left to play. It would be more than 9 minutes before the Bulldogs would respond.

With just over 3 minutes remaining in the game, Alliance would put enormous pressure on the Phoenix defense and goaltending, and it finally paid off when the Bulldogs would tie it up at 2-2 on another even strength tally. With the momentum from the goal, the Bulldogs continued with the pressure, and just 54 seconds later they would get a shot from the high slot through traffic in front that found its way past the screened goalie for the game winner with just 2:12 remaining. Alliance would withstand the final push from the Coyotes and escape with a fortunate 3-2 victory.

The Bulldogs once again won the shot battle quite decisively at 53 to 22, but would be 0 for 6 on the power play while Phoenix converted twice on their 4 chances. Alliance returns for their final game of the weekend on Sunday, as they will face the Long Beach Ice Dogs. The Ice Dogs come into the game with a 3-1 mark on the weekend, while the Bulldogs will be attempting to return home with a 5-0 showing for the trip.

Alliance - 4, Firebirds - 1: In a penalty-filled game that was mostly controlled by Alliance, the outcome wasn't determined until late, but the Bulldogs eventually prevailed over the Phoenix Firebirds in Game 3 of the Desert Youth MROC Festival in Phoenix Saturday morning. The Bulldogs came out strong and took a 2-0 lead after one period of play, on the strength of 2 special team goals - one on the power play, and another shorthanded tally.

In this re-match of last year's Regional Championship Game, the Firebirds fought back in the 2nd period, scoring an even strength goal to bring the lead down to one at 2-1 Alliance after 2 periods of play. Early in the 3rd frame, the Bulldogs took advantage of a 5 on 3 power play opportunity to score their 2nd man advantage goal of the day to extend the lead to 2 again at 3-1.

The rest of the final period would be played tight until Phoenix pulled their goalie and went with an empty net with 1:30 remaining. The Bulldogs would end the game with another short-handed goal into an empty net for the 4-1 final score. Both teams had plenty of opportunities on special teams, as the Bulldog power play went 2 for 12, and the Firebirds came up empty on their 10 chances with the man advantage. Alliance once again got 2 more shorthanded goals, and dominated the shot totals at 48 to 13. The Bulldogs follow-up with the Phoenix Coyotes later on this afternoon.

Alliance - 6, Polar Bears - 2: Starting their second game less than 2 hours after their first one ended, and with a 2-hour flight before that, Alliance had a prime opportunity for a big let-down, facing the Phoenix Polar Bears in Game 2 of the Desert Youth MROC Festival in Phoenix late Friday afternoon. But these Bulldogs would have nothing of it, and pulled away from the Polar Bears in the 3rd period for their 2nd win of the day to earn a well deserved rest until Saturday.

As opposed to Game 1 where they started slowly, Alliance jumped out early, taking a 2-0 lead in the 1st period on two even strength goals. Just when it looked like it might be an easy game, the Polar Bears reminded the Bulldogs they were also there to play as well, and Phoenix rebounded with 2 even strength tallies of their own to make it 2-2 after 2 periods of play.

The Bulldogs appeared to catch their breath, and took off again in the 3rd period, re-taking the lead again at 4-2 early in the final frame. If the Polar Bears had any thoughts of another 2-goal comeback, they were dashed by another Bulldog goal, this one of the shorthanded variety with 6:07 remaining that made the comeback improbable. Alliance added another tally with just 1:27 remaining for the 6-2 final score.

In a game with less penalties than usual, the Bulldogs were 0 for 2 on the power play, but they did have another short-hander for the 3rd straight game, giving them 4 shorties in 3 games thus far this season. The Polar Bears were 0 for 5, and the Bulldogs won a high quantity shot battle at 46-36.

Alliance - 5, San Jose - 1: With their Thursday night flight from Dallas being cancelled, Alliance had to fly to Phoenix early Friday morning while staring at 2 games on the same day. The Bulldogs showed no ill affects, though, as they beat the San Jose Sharks in Game 1 of the Desert Youth MROC Festival in Phoenix Friday afternoon.

As might be expected, the Bulldogs started slow, but still out-shot the Sharks 10-9 in the 1st period, and took a 1-0 lead on a short-handed goal, their 3rd in their first 2 games. The 2nd period was when it really heated up for Alliance, as they took control, attacking the San Jose net with an aggressive fore-check and out-shooting the Sharks this time by a count of 11 to 4 in the frame, with most of those in the point blank range. The press by the Bulldogs resulted in an even strength goal and a power play goal for a 3-0 lead after 2 periods of play.

The Sharks would ruin any thoughts of a Bulldog shutout by scoring first in 3rd to make it briefly 3-1, but Alliance would respond with 2 more goals, including another man advantage tally to make the final score 5-1. Alliance won the shot battle 26 to 17, and was 2 for 8 on the power play, while San Jose was 0 for 6. Due to their travel issues, the Bulldogs have little time to recover, as they hit the ice again at 5:00pm MST to face the Phoenix Polar Bears.

The Bulldogs will hit the ice this morning for their first game in the Desert Youth MROC Festival in Phoenix against the San Jose Sharks. The Bulldogs and Sharks have been battling each other for the last 3 years, with the Sharks beating Alliance 6-4 in the Semi-Finals of the 2004 USA Hockey National Championships in Burlington, Vermont. Some of these Bulldogs played in that game and will be looking to return the favor. Later in the tournament, Alliance will also face another common foe in the Phoenix Coyotes, who the Bulldogs beat in the Semi-Finals of the 2004 RMD Championships in a dramatic come-from-behind win in the final minute. Schedule and Scores for the tournament can be found HERE...

Saturday, September 10, 2005 Bulldogs Win Impressively in 1st Game...

Alliance - 7, Stars - 1: The Bulldogs faced a tough opponent in their first NTXHL and regular season game, and it was penalties and special teams all day, as they faced off against the Stars Select Saturday in Valley Ranch. The Bulldogs would ride the strength of 2 short-handed goals, add 2 power play goals, and plenty of contact and intense action to skate away with a win in their first game of the season.

The Stars went on the power play first, but would hand the Bulldogs plenty of opportunity minutes later by taking a 5 minute major in addition to a 2 minute minor for an Alliance 5 on 3 man advantage for 2 minutes, followed by a 5 on 4 for three more minutes. The Stars penalty killers would step up big time, and keep the Bulldogs off the board. After finally getting back to even strength, the Stars went on the power play themselves, but that would prove to be a negative on this afternoon. With just less than 2 minutes remaining in the 1st period, an Alliance penalty killer would take the puck from his own end, beat the defenseman, and roof the puck over the goalie's blocker for a shorthanded goal and 1-0 Bulldog lead at 1:54.

The Bulldogs would then take another penalty, giving the Stars a 5 on 3 of their own, and they would quickly take advantage, tying the score at 1-1 on a power play goal with 1:05 remaining. Still with the 5 on 4 remaining, the Stars would be beat again short-handed, when Alliance would re-take the lead at 2-1 only 39 seconds later with just :26 left in the 1st. Alliance out-shot the Stars 9 to 3 in the first frame.

Early in the 2nd, Alliance would come to the net hard and in numbers, and after hitting the post at 11:52, would finally find the net again for a 3-1 lead at 11:45 on a nice wrist shot that found its way through traffic in front of the Stars net. The 2nd period would then retreat into a penalty fest, with a parade to the penalty box for the Stars, as the Bulldogs would get 4 more man advantage chances, including two in a Stars double minor with only 6 seconds left in the period. The Bulldogs would use this opportunity to put the game away.

Starting the final period with 4 minutes of power play time, the Bulldogs struck quickly, making it 4-1 on a nice shot from the point along the ice that was deflected in front and through the 5-hole for power play goal #1 of the day for Alliance. Less than a minute later, the Bulldogs would strike special teams pay-dirt again, as they made it 5-1 with power play goal #2 at 12:48 on the second half of the Stars double minor. The Bulldogs would add another tally at the 6:41 mark to make it 6-1, and then make the final 7-1 with only 2.8 seconds left on another nice shot from the point that was deflected, creating a rebound that was put in by the traffic in front of the Stars goal.

The Bulldogs won the shot battle on the day 33-17, going 2 for 9 on the man advantage to go along with the 2 short-handers. After a couple of practices, the Bulldogs will hit the road for their first tournament, as they travel to Phoenix next weekend for the Desert Youth MROC Festival.

Thursday, September 8, 2005 Bulldogs See First Action this Weekend...

The Bulldogs will also be facing a tough opponent in their first NTXHL and regular season game, as they face off against the Stars Select Saturday at 1:30pm in Valley Ranch. The Stars reached the finals in last week's Texas Shootout Tournament, and handed the Bulldogs their only league loss last season. Should be some intense action between these two long-time rivals.

Monday, August 8, 2005

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