PeeWee AA1

Dallas Stars Selects - 6, Alliance - 1 To stay in game shape for the playoffs, the Bulldogs and Stars met in their second scrimmage Sunday morning, and it would be the Stars turn to skate away with a convincing win. Both teams played fairly evenly in the first, with the Stars eventually winning the period.

It started with a Bulldogs penalty just a few minutes into the first (12:21), in which the Stars wasted no time scoring on a power play goal 21 seconds later (12:00) to take a 1-0 lead. Later in the period, the Stars scored their second goal (3:50) to take a 2-0 lead. At the end of the period, the Bulldogs responded with a breakaway goal (1:03) in which a Bulldog deked the goalie, and went opposite side into the net to bring the score within one at 2-1. Shots were Bulldogs 7, Stars 8.

There was no scoring in the second frame, and each team received one penalty, which they both killed off. The Bulldogs dominated in shots with 9 to the Stars 3.

The Stars would get busy early in the third frame, and dominate, with a scoring spree of three goals within one and a half minutes to take a demanding 5-1 lead. The Stars didn’t stop attacking, and scored their final goal with 7:35 left to finish the score 6-1. Frustration spilled over, and the Bulldogs received three penalties during the remaining minutes of the game. Third period shots were Bulldogs 10 and Stars 17. Total shots were Bulldogs 26, Stars 28.

Alliance - 2, Texas Aces - 1: The Bulldogs faced the Aces in their second NTXHL meeting Saturday night at Stonebriar mall, and like their one goal game back in October, both teams played each other aggressively and close, with the Bulldogs again edging the Aces by a goal.

The first frame set the table for the game, with strong goaltending, aggressiveness, and offensive pressure. The Bulldogs edged the Aces in shots and opportunities, and the Aces edged the Dawgs in attacking. The Dawgs received two penalties to the Aces one, in which all were killed. Shots were Bulldogs 13, Aces 5.

The second frame saw more opportunities materialize, starting with an Aces penalty at 8:31 that put the Bulldogs on a power play, which they converted 11 seconds later into a goal for a 1-0 lead at 8:20. The goal came from a Bulldog skating high across the Aces zone, and quickly pulling back and launching a bullet of a wrist shot from the top left face off circle that went through traffic and into the top left corner of the net.

Less than three minutes later, the Bulldogs scored again (5:42), on an important goal that pin-balled its way into the net, starting from a close-in wrist shot that hit the post, bounced out, hit the back of the goalies skate, and then bounced into the net for a 2-0 lead. The Aces rallied, and with less than a minute left in the frame (40 seconds), scored to bring the margin to within one at 2-1. Matching penalties were handed out after the period ended, to be served at the beginning of the third. Shots in the second were Bulldogs 12, Aces 7.

The third frame played similar to the first, with no scoring by either team. The Bulldogs left the door open however, receiving three penalties in the period (14:33, 11:11 and 2:16). But thanks to strong goaltending and penalty killing, the Aces would not convert. Late in the game, the Aces made one last attempt to score, pulling their goalie for the extra attacker, and brought a series of pressure and shots, but the Dawgs would dig in and protect their one goal lead to the end. Shots in the third frame were Bulldogs 7 and Aces 10. Total shots were Bulldogs 32, Aces 22.

The Bulldogs finish the NTXHL regular season in 3rd place with a 12-5-3 league mark, and look to start the playoffs Saturday March 18.

Alliance -6, Dallas Stars Selects -2: Bulldogs jumped up early on the Stars Select, and kept them at bay in a scrimmage Tuesday night at Farmers Branch, earning a win and some satisfaction, given their last meeting in the State playoffs. The Bulldogs wasted no time in scoring on the first and second shifts, to set a strong tone for the game. The first goal came at 14:25 from a nice pass in front, to a Bulldog that quickly backhanded the puck high into the net to make it 1-0.

The second Bulldog goal would come at 13:31 on a nice low back hander that beat the goalie for a 2-0 score. The Stars received two penalties at 5:43 and 4:12, giving the Bulldogs a 5-on-3 power play, in which they scored their third goal (3:46) from a nice pass from behind the net to a Bulldog positioned at the corner of the Stars net, who put it in for an easy goal and a 3-0 lead. With 2:24 left in the period, the Bulldogs would again strike on a power play goal, from a Bulldog rushing in and taking a hard low wrist shot to make it 4-0. With 30 seconds left, the Stars found the back of the net to close the period 4-1. Shots were Bulldogs 9, Stars 8.

The Stars continued their momentum at the beginning of the second frame, by striking at 14:47 to bring the score within two at 4-2. The rest of the period had no other goals, and saw four Alliance penalties and two Stars penalties, which all were killed. Shots in the second were Bulldogs 10, Stars 9.

The Bulldogs would build on their lead in the third, with two more goals. The first at 12:31 on a two-on-one rush, where the center made a nice pass over to a Bulldog rushing in on the net who shot and scored to make it 5-2. The next goal was a shorthanded goal (5:46), that started with a pass out to the point, shot taken and a Bulldog was there to shoot in the rebound at the corner of the net to finish the scoring 6-2. Shots in the third frame were Bulldogs 5 and Stars 8. Total shots were Bulldogs 24, Stars 25.

The Bulldogs next and last NTXHL game is against the Texas Aces, Saturday February 25 at the Frisco mall.

Tuesday, February 14, 2006 Alliance Celebrate Valentine's Day with Win...

Alliance - 7, DJHA '94 AA - 3: In their second league meeting, Bulldogs beat the DJHA '94 AA Penguins Tuesday night in Frisco to help secure the third place position in the NTXHL standings. The Penguins took the Bulldogs by surprise at the opening face off, by winning it and then skating through the Bulldog line and scoring in 11 seconds flat to take an immediate 1-0 lead. That apparently was all the wake-up call the Bulldogs needed, as they would rally after receiving a penalty (11:42), and score 22 seconds later on a shorthanded goal, starting with a Bulldog skating in on the right side, and back-handing the puck along the ice towards the Penguins goalie, who was not anticipating the low shot, and in it went to tie the game 1-1.

Towards the end of the period, the Bulldogs scored (4:46) to take a 2-1 lead on some hard work in the corner, and a heads-up pass over to a Bulldog skating in at the hash marks, who shot and scored on a nice wrist shot that went top right. The Bulldogs continued their heavy pressure, and finished the period scoring two more goals. The first came with 37 seconds left, as a Bulldog skated the puck across the Blue line, deked out a DJHA skater, and then skated in and then deked the goalie to score and make it 3-1. With 24 seconds left, the Bulldogs won the face off, skated in, shot and scored on a lose puck in front of the DJHA goalie to finish the period 4-1. Shots in the first were, Bulldogs 15, DJHA 2.

The Bulldogs let down in the second, having breakdowns that allowed the Penguins to win the frame in spite of being out shot two-to-one. The Penguins first goal came at 13:49, when they skated through the Bulldog line and went top shelf to make the score 4-2. The Bulldogs would get the only penalty in the period (9:36), which they easily killed. DJHA finished the period strong with another goal (4:03) that went through the five hole to bring the score within one goal, 4-3. Shots in the second were Bulldogs 14, Penguins 6.

The Bulldogs rebounded in the third to dominate in pressure and shots. The Dawgs received a penalty early in the period (13:07), which they killed off, and in the last half of the game, the Bulldogs would open up their lead with a goal at 6:22 on a strong wrist shot to make it 5-3, and then added another goal just under two minutes left on a low shot (along the ice) right in front of the net to make it 6-3. The Penguins received a penalty at 1:05, in which the Bulldogs capitalized on their power play with a goal (40 seconds left) to finish the scoring 7-3. Shots in the third were Bulldogs 16, Penguins 6. Total shots were Bulldogs 45, Penguins 14.

Sunday, February 5, 2006 Unbelievable Game, Scenerio: All 4 Teams Tied After Pool Play...

Alliance - 2, Hitmen - 2: The Bulldogs came within 2 tenths of a second (:00.2) of winning Game 3 and advancing to the Final of the Tier II U12 Texas State Championships Sunday morning at Polar Ice in Grapevine. But the Houston Hitmen somehow scored in the literally the last second to earn a tie, and with the Ice Jets and Stars also playing to a 2-2 tie on the other rink, the State Championships were thrown into unknown territory as all 4 teams still remained tied at the end of pool play.

The Bulldogs knew their foes from the Big H would be a battle, and two goals late in the first, plus “top shelf” goaltending through out the game were huge in making that happen. The Bulldogs start was a bit rough, with an early penalty (12:13) and a lot of turnovers, but the Dawgs would fight through it and as the period progressed, would find their stride. The Hitmen got a penalty at 4:55 and the Bulldogs turned around and received the next two at 4:32 and 4:01. All penalties were killed and at 1:03, the Bulldogs made a strong rush on the Hitmen, took a low shot along the ice (just out from the hash marks) that skimmed its way into the right side of the net to take a 1-0 lead.

Shortly after, the Hitmen received a penalty (45.6 seconds left) and gave the Bulldogs a power play opportunity in which they took full advantage, and scored with .06 seconds left, on a lose puck in front of the net that found a bulldog to slap it in for a two goal lead. First period shots were Bulldogs 9, Hitmen 11.

Play in the second saw the Hitmen edging out the Bulldogs with one goal, and a lot of time/pressure in the Bulldog zone. The Hitmen would capitalize on a Bulldog penalty (6:29) and score a power play goal (4:55) with a play that started when a Hitman picked up a lose puck behind the Bulldog net and skated in front and shot for their first goal to make it a 2-1 game. A minute later, the Hitmen would receive a penalty (3:55) in which they killed off. Score after two was 2-1 Alliance, and shots were Bulldogs 4, Hitmen 10.

The Battle would continue in the third, with both teams staying out of the box and trying to create opportunities. The Hitmen would continue to keep their edge in shots and pressure, but steady Bulldog goaltending kept them out of the net as the period wound down. It was crunch time, and with well under a minute to play and seconds ticking down fast, the Hitmen pulled their goalie for the extra attacker. The Bulldogs defended well, but with 7.5 seconds left, the Bulldogs were called on a questionable icing call and play was brought back to their zone for a face off.

The Bulldogs won the face off, pulling it to the boards where another Bulldog tried icing it, but a Hitmen (defensemen) kept it in, passed it deep to a Hitmen open in the corner, who then skated in, shot and scored on the short side as the period ended. Officials met with the scorekeeper on the controversial timing of the goal, and afterwards, ruled it a goal and a tie game. Third period shots were Bulldogs 6 and Hitmen 15. Total game shots were Bulldogs 19 and Hitmen 36.

After following the tie-breaking procedures and still coming up empty, a call to the USA Hockey headquarters in Colorado resulted in a round-robin shootout to determine the finalists. In not the best way, but apparently the only way, the shoot-out that ensued determined that the Houston Hitmen will play the Ice Jets '93 AA in the Championship Game to decide the Texas representative to the Tier II U12 Rocky Mountain District Championships in Denver March 9-12.

The results of the round robin tie-breaker (between all four teams) ended with the following scores based on 5 shooters (each team) and 15 shots total (each team). Houston Hitmen 7 goals, ’93 Ice Jets 6 goals, Bulldogs 5 goals, Dallas Stars Selects 4 goals.

Saturday, February 4, 2006 Tier II U12 State Tournament - Alliance Drops Game 2 in Final 2 Minutes...

Stars - 1, Alliance - 0: The goalies put on a show for the crowd Saturday afternoon at Polar Ice, in a game with more than 70 shots on goal, but the Stars finally slipped one in with just under 2 minutes remaining to win Game 2 of the Tier II U12 Texas State Championships in Grapevine.

Both teams battled head-on in the first, with the Bulldogs having the edge in hustle and opportunities to score, with 15 shots to the Stars 8. No goals were scored and the Bulldogs would receive the first early penalty (12:55) and the Stars a late one (1:21 left).

The Bulldogs would continue to out play the Stars in the second, but at 10:18 penalties started for both teams. The Bulldogs received the first, and shortly after the Stars turned around and got the next (9:27). Play was 4-on 4 until 8:18, the Dawgs penalty expired and they went on a short power play that lasted all of 11 seconds, when they received the next penalty at 8:07. The Bulldogs looked to kill this penalty off, but found themselves deeper in the hole when they received a two and a ten-minute penalty (7:01).

The Bulldog penalty kill went into full mode and did a fantastic job killing the overlapping penalties. Thirty seconds after the kill, the Bulldogs were back in the box again (4:29) and at 2:55, it was the Stars turn to go to the box. Despite all the Bulldog penalties, they still managed to have great chances to score (including several breakaways), and out-shot the Stars two-to-one with 21 shots to the Stars 9. Score after two was still 0-0.

Just like the Bulldogs morning game, the third frame would be a nail-biter, and it again lived up to that. The Bulldogs continued to bring the kitchen sink with many great opportunities to score (again several breakaways), but would be denied again and again. The Dawgs did a great job staying out of the box, and had one power play opportunity late in the game on a Stars penalty (5:14), but could not convert. The tension was again high late in the game, and the Bulldogs certainly continued to play hard.

But at 1:55, the Stars shot the puck (along the ice) across the goal, hitting the far post and banking it in for the 1-0 lead and eventual winning goal. The Bulldogs would take a time out at 1:07, pull their goalie for the extra attacker, and see if luck would prevail. It would not, and the Stars would thank their lucky stars (on a great Goaltender) for the fortunate one goal win. Big kudos also go out to the great Bulldog goaltending that kept the team in contention with his outstanding play. Shots in the third frame were Bulldogs 14 and Stars 6. The Bulldogs out-shot the Stars (two-to-one in the game) with 50 and the Stars 23. The Bulldogs next state tournament game is against the Houston Hitmen, Sunday February 5 at Polar Ice.

Alliance - 3, Ice Jets '93 AA - 2: The Bulldogs picked a good time to get their first win over the Ice Jets '93 AA, as they upset the Jets in Game 1 of the Tier II U12 Texas State Championships Saturday morning at Polar Ice in Grapevine. The Bulldogs started the game strong, and surprised the Ice Jets by loading up on goals early in the first, and continually skating/attacking through out the game. Thanks to “Stand On Your Head” goaltending and hard work from all skaters, the Dawgs were able to see their lead through to a WIN.

Scoring started on the second shift of the game, with a strong Bulldog fore-check that redirected the puck behind the Ice Jet net for a Bulldog player to pick it up, make a well placed pass through traffic to the open slot, where a Bulldog player was there to put the biscuit in the basket from a nice wrist shot for a Bulldog lead 1-0. On the next shift, the Bulldogs kept the momentum going, by scoring on another excellent pass from a Bulldog player (back corner of net) right across in front of the goal to a Bulldog at the back door, who shot it in for a 2-0 lead.

The Bulldogs would get a penalty at 11:45 that they killed, and shortly after found the back of the net for the third time (9:05) from a Bulldog shot that deflected off an Ice Jet skate to take a 3-0 lead. The Ice Jets changed their goalie and later in the game, the Ice Jets would be the next to get a penalty (6:35), and the Bulldogs would follow just over a minute and a half later with their own penalty (5:02). This turned costly, as when the Ice Jet penalty expired, they went on the power play and scored (3:36) to make it a 3-1 game. The Ice Jets dialed up the pressure the remainder of the first with an array of shots, that would be met with one great save after another. Shots in the first were Bulldogs 8 and Ice Jets 15.

The second frame saw both teams battling back and forth, with excellent opportunities to score. The Ice Jets would have the early momentum and shots, but the Bulldogs would play strong the second half of the frame with their own flurry of shots. Only one penalty, and that was late in the frame (1:18) against the Ice Jets for cross checking from behind. No scoring occurred, and after two it was still Bulldogs 3 and Ice Jets 1. The Bulldogs would be the ones to lead in shots this frame, with 16 to the Ice Jets 9.

You knew the third frame would be a nail biter, and it certainly lived up to that. The top of the period had the Ice Jets killing of the remaining 45 seconds of their penalty, and then shortly after that, both teams received penalties (14:15). Ice Jets got the first call and then a Bulldog penalty after the whistle. Play would remain 5-on-5, and then at 11:23 the Ice Jets would get another penalty and in turn the Bulldogs would follow suit again with their own, turning away their second power play opportunity in the period.

Both were killed off, and as the period wound down, play was “intense”, and at 4:54 the Ice Jets scored on a hard wrist shot to climb within one goal at 3-2. The remaining minutes couldn’t tick off fast enough, watching the Bulldogs do a great job of fighting off the Ice Jets attack to finish with a win. Shots in the third frame were Bulldogs 11 and the Ice Jets 13. Total shots for the game were Bulldogs 35 and Ice Jets 37.

The Bulldogs next state tournament game is against the Dallas Stars Selects later in the day (Saturday), February 4 at Polar Ice.

Wednesday, February 1, 2006 Bulldogs Fall Short Late to Ice Jets ‘93...

Ice Jets’93 - 4, Alliance - 2: “Should-of”, “Could-of”, but “Would not”. The Bulldogs played the ice Jets close (Wednesday night) right up to the final minutes, doing a lot of things well, but strong Ice Jet goaltending kept them at bay and eventually the Bulldogs would self-destruct late, allowing three Ice Jet goals in just over four minutes of play.

The Ice Jets looked flat in the first and the Bulldogs looked strong, working hard, plugging up the neutral zone and keeping play in the Ice Jet zone the majority of the period. Alliance got the first penalty at 10:42 and the Ice Jets turned around and received the next two penalties (within 6 seconds of each other). This gave the Bulldogs a 5-on-3 power play for roughly 1:15. Unfortunately, the Dawgs would do everything but convert, and you just felt that opportunity might come back to haunt them. At 3:50 left, the Ice Jets got another penalty and the Bulldogs again went on the power play, applying great pressure to score, but would not convert. Shots in the first were Bulldogs, 7 and Ice Jets 2.

The Ice Jets would quickly start the second with a penalty (11:45) and give the Bulldogs another power play opportunity, which was shortened with their own penalty 30 seconds later (11:15). Now with a 4-on-4, a Bulldog player would break into the Ice Jet zone, take a shot on net (around the hash marks), pick up his own rebound and shoot/score (10:55) to make it a 1-0 lead. The Ice Jets would answer back with a fluke goal just over two minutes later (8:47), on a wrist shot from the point that was tipped up into the air, where the Bulldog goalie was unable to handle the deflected puck and would bounce in for a score.

At 6:44, matching penalties were handed out, and at 6:22 the Bulldogs would get another penalty to kill off, and did so successfully. Ice Jets would finish the period by getting a penalty at 1:42, and again the Bulldogs would pile on the offensive pressure in hopes of scoring a power play goal, but again would be denied. At the end of two the score was tied 1-1, with the Bulldogs dominating in shots 16, to the Ice Jets 9.

The Bulldogs started the third a bit flat and would get in the hole early with two penalties at 10:23 & 9:43. The Ice Jets were now on a 5-on-3 power play in which they didn’t convert, thanks to excellent penalty killing and goaltending. As the period wound down, the action was intensifying and at 5:54, the Ice Jets would score and take the lead on a very controversial goal (where’s instant reply when you need it). The goal took the wind out of the Bulldogs, and you could see the wheels start to fall off for them. The Bulldogs got a costly penalty (3:28) and the Ice Jets would score (2:23) on a power play goal that went top shelf from a strong back hander to make it 3-1.

The Ice Jets looked to build their lead and again scored (fourth goal) less than a minute later (1:36). The Bulldogs regrouped finally and made a late rally, scoring their second goal (1:03 left) on a hard wrist shot that found “nothing but net”. The Ice Jets would go to the box one last time, so the Bulldogs pulled their goalie with 45 seconds left, and would end the final minute in a flurry of solid shots that would not go in. Shots in the third frame were Bulldogs 9 and the Ice Jets 9. Total shots for the game were Bulldogs 32 and Ice Jets 20.

The Bulldogs start play in the State Championship Tournament February 4-5 at Polar Ice.

Saturday, January 28, 2006 Bulldogs sweep two games against the Wolves this past week.

Alliance - 4, Lone Star Wolves - 0: Just 4 days after playing the LS Wolves in a close state qualifying game that the Bulldogs won, they faced them again in a NTXHL game Saturday afternoon at Polar Ice. The Bulldogs came to play and showed great hustle and controlled play that resulted in dominating time of possession in the Wolves zone.

The Dawgs started the game with a lot of aggressiveness, getting great chances to score through out the first frame. They did eventually score first (5:43), from a slap shot out by center point that went top shelf. The Bulldogs continued their offensive pressure and finished the frame strong by scoring their second goal with 58 seconds left from a pass that started from behind the Wolves net, out to his center and a nice wrist shot into the net to take a 2-0 lead. Only penalties in the period were matching ones with 46 seconds left. Bulldogs out shot the Wolves 15 to 6.

The Bulldogs continued to control the game in the second, and put the Wolves in their pocket by dominating play and allowing the Wolves only 2 shots. The Bulldogs and Wolves received penalties at 12:37 in which a 5:00 penalty was awarded to the Wolves, giving the Bulldogs an eventual 5-on-4 for 3 minutes. Despite intense power play pressure, the Dawgs could not convert because of excellent Wolves goaltending. Already weathering strong offensive pressure by the Bulldogs, the Wolves would get another penalty at 5:03 in which the Dawgs capitalized on their power play opportunity and netted their third goal (3:10) from a great wrist shot from the point that found the inside corner of the net for a 3-0 lead. Bulldogs dominated in shots with 18 to the Wolves 2.

The third frame would be more of the same, plus more penalties. The Wolves would start it off with the first penalty at 14:42 and the Bulldogs would follow with one at the 13:00 mark. Wolves would get the next three penalties and at 7:19, the Bulldogs would score their fourth and final goal (power play), on a slap shot from the point, which was beautifully tipped down in front and redirected in for the score. The period would finish with matching penalties at 5:33 and two more Bulldog penalties at 3:43 and 53 seconds left. Kudos to strong goaltending by the Wolves, as the Bulldogs continued to dominate in shots with 15, to the Wolves 5. Total shots for the game were Bulldogs 48 and Wolves 13.

The Bulldogs next game is against the Ice Jets ’93, on Wednesday February 1 at Valley Ranch.

Wednesday, January 25, 2006 Bulldogs Score Early and Fend Off Ice Jets Late...

Alliance - 7, Ice Jets ’94 AAA - 5: You had better not arrived late to this game, as the Bulldogs started the game on fire and took the Ice Jets '94 AAA by surprise in this NTXHL contest at Valley Ranch Wednesday night. Early scoring by the Bulldogs was the difference maker against an aggressive come from behind attack by the Ice Jets.

First period scoring started with three even strength goals (on four shots) in the first 3 minutes of play. The first goal came on the second shift of the game (13:22), when a Bulldog skated in on the left side, passed across to his center in the slot, who then scored to give Alliance a 1-0 lead. Just under a minute later, the Bulldogs scored again (12:16) on a similar play that started from a strong rush, a pass across to the slot where again a Bulldog would be there to send it home for a 2-0 lead.

At 11:22, the Bulldogs scored their third goal in four shots to take a 3-0 lead. The Bulldog scoring would slow, as they would get the next two penalties (11:22 & 10:08). Just as the second Bulldog penalty was over and the Bulldog was skating to the bench, the Ice Jets would score their first goal from a strong offensive rush to make it 3-1. It would be the Ice Jets turn to get the next two penalties (one a 4:00), in which the Bulldogs would capitalize on their power play by scoring (1:46) off a nice rebound that slid in front of a partially open net to then be picked up and backhanded in for a score of 4-1. Shots in the third were Bulldogs 12 and Ice Jets 10.

Alliance would build on their already big lead in the second frame, with a goal at the top of the period (12:46) to make it 5-1. Alliance again would get back-to-back penalties and face a long 5-on-3, in which they did a great job defending. Alliance would answer one more time this period, and score on a slap shot from the left face off circle that would go over the goalies shoulder top shelf, to make it 6-1. The Bulldogs started letting up, and at 4:05 and the Ice Jets would take advantage and score on a breakaway goal that was the result of a defensive breakdown, making the score 6-2. Both teams would visit the box before the period would end and both teams did a good job of killing their respective penalties. Shots in the second were Bulldogs 7 and the Ice Jets 10.

Not sure what was said on the Ice Jet bench between periods, but they came out and never gave up, and ultimately owned the third. They wasted no time and scored at 13:27 to make it a 6-3 game. Their efforts would slow when they would receive penalties at 11:16 and 6:46, and were successful killing both off, and then it would be the Bulldogs turn to go to the box. The whole time, the Ice Jets were rushing and dominating in shots, until they would score two more times (2:17 & 1:03) to bring the score within one goal at 6-5.

The Ice Jets would pull their goalie and bring the extra attacker in hopes to tie the game, but a Bulldog player picked up the puck and took a very wide-angle shot that would score and seal the deal 7-5. Shots in the third frame were Bulldogs 7 and the Ice Jets 14. Total shots for the game were Bulldogs 26 and Ice Jets 34.

The Bulldogs next game will be against the LS Wolves Saturday January 28 at Polar Ice.

Alliance -3, Lone Star Wolves 1: The Bulldogs and LS Wolves battled fiercely Tuesday (at Polar Ice) for the right to play in the State playoffs and the Dawgs won out, scoring two goals in the third to finish strong. Both teams played toe-to-toe in the first frame with a lot of hustle and hitting. There was no scoring in the first and only one penalty (Wolves). Shots were Bulldogs 9 and Wolves 7.

Both teams would start the second frame early with matching penalties, and at 13:06 the Bulldogs would get another penalty (13:06), which turned costly quickly, as the Wolves scored (12:42) on a power play goal to take the lead 1-0. At 4:55, the Wolves had two players go to the box, in which they were able to kill the 5-on-3 attack. Minutes later, the Bulldogs would score (2:05) on an even strength goal to tie the game 1-1. Before the second finished, the Wolves would get another penalty that would carry over to the beginning of the third. Shots in the second were Bulldogs 12 and the Wolves 8.

Scoring early (third frame) in this closely played game would be key to getting the edge, and that’s just what the Bulldogs did (13:48) shortly after the Wolves penalty (from the second) was served. Penalties would continue and at 9:54, the Bulldogs would score again on a power play goal to take a 3-1 lead. Alliance kept the door open for the Wolves, getting three more penalties (two in the last minutes of the game), but would again kill them all off and keep the Wolves scoreless in the third. Shots in the third frame were Bulldogs 11 and Wolves 16. Total shots for the game were Bulldogs 32 and Wolves 31.

Alliance - 4, Ice Hawks - 0: Bulldogs take advantage of their low shots on goal by making them count, as they beat the Dallas Ice Hawks in their second NTXHL meeting Saturday morning at Valley Ranch. Strong effort and excellent goaltending also contributed to the winning combination.

Play in the first was as much about being on the ice as it was in the box, as both teams were either on the power play or killing penalties the entire first period. The difference was that Alliance did an excellent job killing off penalties (especially the 5-on-3’s), and the Hawks didn’t capitalize on all their power play opportunities and shots on net. The Bulldogs did however capitalize on one of their power plays, by scoring first (5:21) from a Bulldog rushing in on the right side and taking a wide angled shot that was difficult for the goalie to handle, and would bounce off him and into the net. The period would end with a one-goal lead from 3 Bulldog shots on net to the Hawks 6.

The second frame would start with two Bulldogs players serving the remainder of their time in the box (along with one Ice Hawk), facing a 4-on-3 in which they would kill off. Minutes later, the Bulldogs would be back in the box (11:26 and 11:12) facing another 5-on-3 and again the Bulldogs were able to kill off the penalties. Both teams would continue to challenge each other and at 4:35, the Bulldogs scored an even strength goal from a nice pass (deep on the left side) over to a teammate high in the slot, who made a nice shot for a goal and a 2-0 lead. Just a couple minutes later the Bulldogs would score again (1:12) on a shot from the point that the goalie would bobble, come down and in a skirmish, a Bulldog player would send the loose puck in for a 3-0 lead. Shots in the second were Bulldogs 6 and the Ice Hawks 3.

The Ice Hawks started out strong in the third frame, with a great fore check and controlled play. This was never so apparent than between the 6:00 and 8:00 minute mark, when the Ice Hawks pressed, keeping control in the Bulldog zone and making it very difficult for the Dawgs to get the puck out. The Bulldogs would quickly regroup and with 2:12 remaining, the Bulldogs added their own offensive pressure and scored on a play that started on a great pass that went through the neutral zone to a teammate up ice who skated in, shot, then picked up his own rebound and poked it in for the fourth and final goal of the game. Shots in the third were Bulldogs 3 and Ice Hawks 6. Total shots for the game were Bulldogs 12 and Ice Hawks 15.

The Bulldogs next game will be against the Lone Star Wolves Tuesday January 24 at Polar Ice.

Houston Hitmen - 2, Alliance - 1: In a consolation game of the Texas Star Winter Classic tournament in Euless Monday, the Bulldogs played toe-to-toe with the Houston Hitmen for two strong periods, but the Hitmen would take the third, scoring two goals to clinch the win. Play in the first period was very even, with both teams matching effort and skill. There was no scoring, even though the Bulldogs had the edge on opportunities by out-shooting the Hitmen 8 to 3.

The second frame would play closely also, and at 4:20 the Bulldogs would score first on a nice play that started from behind the net, when a Bulldog player got to the puck first, passed to his teammate positioned in front of the net, who then made a nice shot to find the back of the net and take a 1-0 lead. Second period shots were closer, with the Bulldogs at 8 and the Hitmen 6.

The Hitmen came out and took the third frame with their strong effort and pressure. Both teams were aggressive in their chances, but the Hitmen dominated in shots and eventually scored (6:45) on a strong backhand shot that would tie the game at 1-1. Less than a minute later, the Hitmen would score (5:51) the game winning goal. The Hitmen dominated in third period shots, with 12 to the Bulldogs 4. Total shots for the game were Bulldogs 20 and Hitmen 21.

Colorado Springs Tigers -11, Alliance -1: The Bulldogs clearly did not come to play in Game 3 of the Texas Star Winter Classic tournament in Plano Sunday afternoon, as the Colorado Springs Tigers dominated all aspects of the game, scoring 10 goals after the first two frames. The Tigers scoring would slow in the third, as the Bulldogs did a better job of keeping the Tigers out of their net, only allowing one goal in the final minutes of the game. The Bulldogs will play in a consolation game Monday in Euless against the Houston Hitmen.

Florida Sharpshooters - 4, Alliance - 3: The Bulldogs came looking for their second win of the Texas Star Winter Classic tournament against the Florida Sharpshooters Sunday morning at Farmers Branch, and despite numerous penalties, they were leading the hunt with just under ten minutes left in the third. But good teams are disciplined and that’s the lesson the Bulldogs need to learn, as they can’t give other teams a 5-on-3 power play the last five and a half minutes of a game.

The biggest Bulldog highlight in the first was their three incredible penalty kills, in which they only allowed one shot by Florida. The other highlight was their even strength goal (3:32) (slap shot from the point) to take a 1-0 lead. Florida would receive one penalty and no goals. Shots after one were Bulldogs 8 and Florida 1.

Second period highlights had Florida stepping their game up and scoring (9:41) shortly after another Alliance penalty was served to tie the game 1-1. The Bulldogs would answer back with a goal (7:11) to take the lead again 2-1. At 3:33, Florida would bring on a strong rush that would break through the Bulldogs and go top shelf to tie the score 2-2. Minutes later, the Bulldogs would get another penalty (1:46), and again killed it off. Second period shots were Bulldogs 4 and Florida 6.

The Bulldogs highlight in the third was the goal they scored (9:59) off a low shot from the point (may have been tipped) to take the lead 3-2. Despite some tough calls late in the third, the Bulldogs would receive two penalties (5:30) and face a Florida 5-on-3 power play. This was all Florida needed, and they punched through a goal at 5:08 to tie the game back up at 3-3. Lack of discipline continued for the Bulldogs, and with 2:36 left, the Bulldogs got another set of penalties handed to them, and continued to face a Florida 5-on-3. Florida clearly saw blood, and scored the game-winning power play goal with 1:55 left. Shots in the third were Bulldogs 7 and Florida 11. Total shots for the game were Bulldogs 19 and Florida 18.

Alliance - 5, DJHA ’94 - 3: The Bulldogs started the Texas Star Winter Classic tournament with an important win over the DJHA '94 AA Penguins Saturday afternoon in Euless. Both teams played toe-to-toe until the final minutes of the game, when fortune (and a mishandled puck by DJHA) would shine down on the Bulldogs and they would net the game-winning goal with 1:22 left.

Both teams played evenly in the first frame, despite DJHA’s two power play opportunities. The Dawgs did a great job killing off their two penalties (11:24 & 7:53), and especially the later penalty in which they only allowed one shot by DJHA. Minutes later, the Bulldogs scored first (4:37) on a nice two-on-one attack that started with the center skating the puck into the zone, drawing the one defensemen in, then passing over to the wing who skated in and went top right for the goal and a 1-0 lead. Later (last minute of the period), the Penguins put the full court press on and kept the puck in the zone to eventually score (on persistence), with 8.5 seconds left to tie the game at 1-1. First period shots were Bulldogs 7 and DJHA 5.

DJHA came out in the second with zip and momentum, and would score again (11:20) off a rebound to take the lead 2-1. The Dawgs showed their bite, and responded with a goal of their own 16 seconds later (11:04) to tie the game 2-2. The Penguins answer back also, when they scored at 8:14, from a backhand shot to take the lead again (3-2). Once again the Bulldogs showed their grit, and answered back when they needed to, for their third goal at 6:37 from a nice pass out (from the goal line) to a Bulldog who was armed and ready with his sniper shot to tie the game 3-3. The Bulldogs would later get a penalty at 3:31 left which they killed off. Shots in the second were Bulldogs 5 and DJHA 6.

The third period had both teams playing closely, looking for any opportunities to break something open. The first opportunity came when the Bulldogs got a penalty at 9:37 into the period giving the Penguins a power play. The Bulldogs were successful in killing the penalty off and keeping the score tied. The period wound down to the final minutes of the game when the Bulldogs again would get another penalty (3:18) to give DJHA another power play. The Bulldogs stepped up their penalty kill, and right at the end of it, got a lucky break and scored (1:22) from a mishandled puck by the DJHA goaltender that unexpectedly went into his own goal for 4-3 Alliance lead. What a game breaker.

The Penguins rallied after, pulling their goalie with 45 seconds left to have six attackers, but thanks to strong goaltending at the end (and the entire game), the Bulldogs did a good job defending. In one of their efforts to clear the puck out of the zone against the attacking Penguins, they lifted the puck up high, banking it off the glass to a Bulldog player who skated through the middle, shot and scored with 24 seconds left to give the Bulldogs their insurance goal they needed to finish with a win. Shots in the third were Bulldogs 12 and DJHA 8. Total shots for the game were Bulldogs 24 and DJHA 19

Alliance – 4, Tulsa - 4: Alliance came out firing, and took advantage of their energy to take an early 2-0 lead in the first period. They were not able to maintain the same level of play throughout, however, and the Tulsa Flames battled back to earn a tie in this NTXHL contest Saturday morning in Valley Ranch.

If there were a game that would prove that a goalie’s best friend is the goal posts, this would be the game. Tulsa’s goalie would certainly have to agree as the Bulldogs hit the posts 4 times and the crossbar once in what would be a back and forth game.

The Bulldogs had the pedal to the medal the first ten minutes of the game with strong offensive pressure and hard work. The result of their strong play was two similar type goals created from passes behind the net to Bulldog players posted low on the corners. The first goal was at 10:35 left in the 1st period and the second was at 7:02 left to take a 2-0 lead. Bulldog play was encouraging to see but was short lived, as they would start letting off the gas and the Flames started taking control the last four minutes or so of the period. Non the less, the Bulldogs would end the first frame with a 2-0 lead and dominate in shots with 12 to the Flames 6, which most came late in the period.

Just as the Bulldogs controlled most of the first frame, the Flames would do the same in the second with their continued momentum that resulted in an early goal (12:35) on a nice wrist shot to make it 2-1. The Flames were rallying big at this point, and just under two minutes later the Flames would score (10:47) to tie the game 2-2. Just over a minute later the Bulldogs received a penalty (9:39) and were close to killing it off before the Flames would score on a power play goal at 7:41 to take the lead 3-2.

Tulsa would find the sin bin (5:53) in which the Bulldogs quickly took advantage of their power play and scored (5:43) on a slap shot from the point to tie the game 3-3. Penalties would continue, with matching team penalties at 3:12 and then the Bulldogs would get another penalty at 2:20 in which they killed off. With 1.5 seconds left in the period, the Flames would again go to the box and look to start the third frame down a man. Score after two was 3-3 and the Flames out shot the Bulldogs 10 to 6.

The third period would play much closer between the two teams, with each scoring a goal a piece. The Bulldogs started the period on a power play but could not convert, but shortly after would score (12:18) on another nice slap shot from the point to take the lead 4-3. Tulsa would later answer back at 6:33 to tie the game 4-4. The Bulldogs finished the last few minutes of the period strong with nice opportunities that either hit the post or crossbar. Only penalties in the period were team matching ones at 2:24. Shots in the third were Bulldogs 9 and Flames 10. Total shots for the game were Bulldogs 27 and Flames 26.

Alliance - 6, DJHA ’94 - 1: The Bulldogs dominate DJHA '94 AA in their first NTXHL meeting of the year, in which the Bulldogs displayed strong play by all lines. The game seemed to be a mirror image of the game the Bulldogs played just 3 1/2 days earlier, but this time they came out on top in Valley Ranch on Wednesday night.

Shortly into the first frame, DJHA received a penalty in which the Bulldogs capitalized on a power play goal (11:02) that started from an extra effort pass to a Bulldog skating low into the slot, who then took a shot that went through the five hole and into the net for the 1-0 lead. At 6:38, the Bulldogs scored again from heavy pressure in front of the net, with a Bulldog there to send the rebound home to take a 2-0 lead.

DJHA quickly answered back (6:07), by scoring through the five hole to make it 2-1. The Bulldogs would score one more time in the period (3:55) to take a 3-1 lead heading into the 2nd period. The period wouldn’t end though, without back-to-back penalties on the Bulldogs, giving DJHA a 5-on-3 power play. Fortunately, the Bulldogs were able to kill the penalties off. First period shots were Bulldogs 14 and DJHA 4.

The Bulldogs continued to dominate the second frame, and scored at 10:35 on a walk-in goal that went top shelf to make it 4-1. At 5:17, the Bulldogs scored again off a beautiful forward pass up the center of the ice to a Bulldog that skated in on a breakaway and put the biscuit top shelf for a 5-1 margin. Just under two minutes later, the Bulldogs would score again (3:46) from a shot that was like a pinball, the shot deflected off the goalie, then the post and then in to make it 6-1. Shots in the second were Bulldogs 12 and DJHA 3.

The third period would play much closer between the two teams, and there was no scoring. Shots in the third were Bulldogs 7 and DJHA 5. Total shots for the game were Bulldogs 33 and DJHA 12.

The Bulldogs next game will be after the Holidays when they play the Tulsa Flames Saturday January 7th at Valley Ranch.

Alliance 2, Houston Hitmen 7: The Houston Hitmen came to avenge their loss against the Bulldogs (from October) and they did so with a vengeance. They were clearly on their game and knocked the Dawgs off theirs with a convincing NTXHL win Sunday morning at Valley Ranch.

Both teams were playing toe-to-toe the first few minutes of the game until the Bulldogs received a hooking penalty at 9:02. The Hitmen capitalized on their power play by scoring at 7:41 to take the lead 1-0. This clearly gave the Hitmen the momentum and just over two minutes later they would score again (5:28) on a backhander to take a 2-0 lead. Alliance got on the board, scoring at 3:44 on a strong rush that started from a great pass from the right side to a Bulldog crashing the net on the left side, which he then quickly beat the goalie on a nice wrist shot to make it a 2-1 game. The period ended with the Hitmen dominating in shots 14, to the Bulldogs’ 6.

The Hitmen would dominate the second frame in pressure, shots and goals. Shortly after the period began, Alliance received a penalty at 11:55 in which the Hitmen would take all of 23 seconds on their power play to score and build their lead to 3-1. The Bulldogs showed they have bite, and responded back with a nice wrist shot that found the back of the net (10:51) to close it within one at 3-2. That would be it for the Bulldogs, as the Hitmen owned the rest of the period, netting three more goals (6:22, 3:55 and 2:54) to end the period with a 6-2 lead. The Hitmen again dominated in shots with 10 to the Bulldogs’ 4.

The third period would play a little closer, but still the Hitmen would score one more goal at 6:39 to finish the game 7-2. Shots in the third were Hitmen 7, Bulldogs 8. Total shots for the game were the Hitmen 31 and Bulldogs 18.

The Bulldogs next game will be a make up game against DJHA '94 AA on Wednesday December 14 at Valley Ranch.

Alliance 3, Dallas Stars Selects 3: Always physical, these two teams just don’t like each other much, and in their second NTXHL meeting, the Bulldogs went toe-to-toe with the Dallas Stars Select in a game that saw a lot of hitting and penalties on both teams.

The teams played even in the first, having 9 shots, 3 penalties, and 1 goal each. The Dawgs came out hungry and aggressive, and got on the scoreboard first with an even strength goal at 10:56 from a nice wrist shot for a 1-0 lead. The Bulldogs then ran into trouble as they got three consecutive penalties (within a minute forty four), which put them on a short leash and an extreme disadvantage with a Stars 5-on-3 power play. The Bulldogs were successful killing one penalty, but the Stars pressure was too much and they scored off a rebound (5:48) to tie the game 1-1. With 16 seconds left, the Stars got a penalty to give the Bulldogs a power play opportunity going into the second frame. After one it was 1-1.

The second frame was all about power plays and penalties. The Bulldogs started on a power play, and then shortly after, the Stars got another penalty (13:59) to give the Bulldogs a short 5-on-3, and then a 5-on-4 power play, but could Alliance not convert. Penalties would continue the rest of the period for each team, until with 36.8 seconds left, the Bulldogs took advantage of a 5-on-3 power play and scored off a low slap shot from the point that was beautifully deflected into the net to take the lead 2-1. The Stars dominated second period shots with 12 to the Bulldogs 6.

Despite having to kill off a short 40-second power play at the beginning of the third period, the Stars dominated the first early minutes of the period, adding pressure and strong rushes that resulted in two walk-in goals (13:32 and 11:26) to take the lead 3-2. The Dawgs regrouped quickly, and at 9:57 scored to tie the game on a nice wrist shot that found the back of the net. Both teams would find the penalty box one more time, in which each killed their penalties nicely. Final score would stay tied, and third period shots were Bulldogs 6 and Jr. Stars 7. Total game shots were Bulldogs 21 and Stars 28.

The Bulldogs next game will be against the Houston Hitmen on Sunday December 11 at Valley Ranch.

Alliance – 4, Littleton PWAA2 - 2: The Bulldogs got an outstanding performance from their goaltender and upset the Host Littleton Hawks PWAA2 team this morning at the 34th Annual Mile High Thanksgiving Holiday Tournament in Littleton, Colorado. Although being out-shot 38 to 15 in the game, the Bulldogs were able to make the most of their opportunities while their net-minder continued to hold the Hawks at bay on the defensive end.

Alliance opened the scoring, taking a 1-0 lead at the 11:26 mark of the first period, and held that lead through the end of one period of play. After Littleton tied it up at 1-1 in the 2nd period, the Bulldogs re-took the lead late in the 2nd frame on a short-handed tally with just 1:10 remaining in the period, giving them the momentum back and a 2-1 lead headed into the 3rd and final period of play.

Littleton would not go easy, and the Hawks tied it up again at 2-2 at 6:38 of the 3rd. It would stay tied until only 2:20 remained in the game, when Alliance would get the eventual game winner for a 3-2 lead. The Bulldogs would add an insurance goal 11 seconds later, right off the ensuing face-off, and then hold on for a really nice 4-2 win.

The Dogs will have their hands full again later today, when they face the Littleton Hawks PWAA1 team in their 3rd Pool Game.

SJ Jr. Sharks '93 AAA - 5, Alliance – 4; SJ Jr. Sharks '94 AA - 5, Alliance - 3: The PeeWee AA1 dropped both games today at the 34th Annual Mile High Thanksgiving Holiday Tournament to teams from the San Jose Jr. Sharks organization. Although out-shooting their opponent in each game, the Bulldogs were not able to hold off the Shark attacks. Alliance will attempt to come back to the win column on Friday, with 2 games against the host Littleton Hawks PeeWee teams.

Alliance - 7, Lone Star Wolves - 2: No one fed these two teams lunch before Sunday's NTXHL game at Polar Ice in Grapevine (noon), as both teams came out with a lot of bite. The Dawgs came out hungry, adding a ton of pressure and shots, and the LS Wolves just came out hitting. The game played out like that sport where there are rounds, and a bell signifying that each team is to take a break and come out hard again.

DING! Round one highlights had the Bulldogs striking first, with an even strength goal at 12:46 from a nice rush that sent a wrist shot going top shelf for an early 1-0 lead. The Wolves shortly answered back at 11:56, with an even strength goal to tie it up at 1-1. The rest of the frame would see both teams serving penalties, starting with the Wolves, adding the first two (11:36 & 10:28). The Bulldogs power play was certainly in high gear (5-on-3), but credit goes to the Wolves goalie for stopping a lot of shots. The power play ended with the first Wolves penalty running out and the Bulldogs getting their own penalty at 9:35.

All penalties were killed off when the Wolves again dug themselves a hole, getting two penalties (5:55 & 3:36) that gave the Bulldogs two power play opportunities. The Wolves killed the first penalty off but didn't on the second, as the Bulldogs power play prevailed from strong fore-checking in the Wolves zone, in which the puck was stolen from a Wolves player, passed over to an open man skating in who scored (2:17) on a pretty wrist shot to make it 2-1. At 1:21 left in the period, the Bulldogs would see the box one last time. The Bulldogs dominated in shots with 19 to the Wolves 3.

DING! Round two started, but this time there would be no penalties awarded to either team this period. Both teams settled down and worked on finding an edge and at 7:21, the Wolves answered next on a walk in goal to tie the game again at 2-2. Just over two minutes later, the Bulldogs scored next (5:13) from some hard work behind the net that allowed a heads up pass in front, where the puck would be sent home to take the lead 3-2. Just over a minute later (4:07) the Bulldogs would answer again in similar fashion, with more hard work along the boards to allow a pass in front and then find the back of the net to make the score 4-2. Second period shots were, Bulldogs 10 and Flames 6.

DING! Round 3 and this time the gloves came off between both teams and it wasn't pretty. Alliance would see the box quickly and often (14:30 & 13:78), giving the Wolves a strong 5-on-3 power play. The Bulldogs did a great job killing off the penalties, but would again be sent to the box at 12:37. A Wolves time out was taken (10:49) and shortly after, the Bulldogs would score on an even strength goal at 10:19 from a nice back-hand shot to take a 5-2 lead.

At the center ice face off, a Bulldog would be sent to the box again, this time for charging (10:17) and give the Wolves another power play. At 9:30, matching penalties were given to both teams keeping it still a 5-on-3 Wolves advantage. At 9:03 the Bulldogs continued to collect penalties by getting their 8th penalty of the game, giving the Wolves another short 5-on-3 power play. The Dawgs did another great job killing off the penalties and just after it expired, a Bulldog player hopped over the bench, skated to mid ice to catch a pass and take it down for a breakaway goal (5:52) to make it 6-2.

With 3:50 left, the Bulldogs brought on another hard rush and scored from a slick back hander to make it 7-2. Frustration hit it's ugliest at 1:59, when a squirmish broke out and ejections were made on two Wolves players and one Bulldog player. Still 5-on-5, the Bulldogs were now filled with more moxie, and would be sent to the box two more times (1:45 & 51 seconds) to kill off a 5-on-3 power play attack for the rest of the game. Third period shots were Bulldogs 7 and Wolves 7. The Bulldogs dominated overall shots in the game with 36 to the Wolves 16.

The Bulldogs next action will be against the DJHA '94 AA in a NTXHL contest on Tuesday November 15th in Frisco.

Alliance 3, Tulsa Flames 3: The Bulldogs out shot the Tulsa Flames by a wide margin in this game, but penalties continued to plague the Bulldogs this weekend, and given how many they got against the Tulsa Flames Saturday night, they were lucky to walk away with a tie. Both teams played evenly most of the first period, and in short spurts the Bulldogs did a great job of controlling the puck in the Flames zone and having nice opportunities to score. Both teams got one penalty each, and both did a nice job killing them off. After one period, the game remained scoreless and shots were Bulldogs 8, Flames 5.

The second period started the revolving penalty box door, as the Bulldogs saw it first (11:33), in which the Flames capitalized on a power play goal (10:52) to take the lead 1-0. Twelve seconds after the goal, the Bulldogs were back in the box killing off another penalty. At 9:06 Tulsa joined in and got a penalty, and at 7:42, both teams received matching penalties to keep it 5-on-5. At 5:19 the Bulldogs were back in the box with their 5th penalty of the game to give the advantage to the Flames, but, the Bulldogs did a nice job killing of this latest penalty.

With 2:14 left, the Flames were awarded a penalty shot, as their player was pulled down from behind after skating around the defense on a breakaway. The Flames capitalized on the penalty shot by scoring to make it 2-0. Not to be deterred, the Bulldogs continued to attack and with 9.8 seconds left, the Bulldogs netted their first goal to make it 2-1 after 2 periods of play. Shots in the second were Bulldogs 9 and Flames 5.

The Bulldogs had the momentum going into the third, but that was shortened as they received another penalty at 12:19. This time the Flames would join them, getting the next two penalties at 10:44 and 9:40. This gave the Bulldogs the window they needed to get back in the game, and they did so by scoring on a power play goal at 7:47 on a nice back hander to tie the game 2-2.

The Bulldogs smelled the net and 34 seconds later (7:13), the Bulldogs scored again on a nice walk in goal to take the lead 3-2. Both teams again received matching penalties at 5:45 to keep it 5-on-5. At 4:17 left, Tulsa climbed back into the game and scored to tie the game on a nice backhand shot that would slide right into the goal making it 3-3. At 2:30 left, the Flames received another penalty to give the edge to the Bulldogs to score, but they could not. Third period shots were Bulldogs 15 to the Flames 5. The Bulldogs dominated overall shots in the game with 32 to the Flames 15.

Dallas Ice Hawks 3, Alliance 2: In their first meeting in NTXHL play, the Bulldogs faced a determined Dallas Ice Hawks team Saturday morning at Valley Ranch and despite a late third period rally, the Ice Hawks edged the Bulldogs with their hard work and goaltending. Both teams played toe-to-toe with each other through out the period, having opportunities to score, but no team would answer.

The Ice Hawks received a penalty at 9:32 to give the power play advantage to the Bulldogs, but they did not score. The Bulldogs got a penalty at 4:25 left, which they killed nicely. Right as the period ended, the Bulldogs received a careless penalty for a late hit (after the buzzer sounded), and looked to start the second period shorthanded. Shots after one were Bulldogs 9, Ice Hawks 9.

The Bulldogs started the second in the hole and at 12:12, the Ice Hawks took advantage of their power play and scored to take the lead 1-0. At this point in the game, the Ice Hawks had more jump in their game. With 7:20 left, the Bulldogs took a bad penalty to put the Ice Hawks on the power play again. The Bulldogs did a nice job killing the penalty, but seven seconds later the Ice Hawks scored (5:13) on a nice wrist shot from the hash marks that would find the right side of the net. The period ended with the Ice Hawks 2, Bulldogs 0. Shots in the second were Bulldogs 10 and Ice Hawks 11.

The third period would be more of the same from the Bulldogs, and they saw the penalty box two more times (12:03 and 6:59 left) in which they killed both penalties nicely. Late in the game, the Ice Hawks got the insurance goal they wanted by scoring with 1:41 left to make it 3-0. Right after that, the Bulldogs decided to put together a very late game rally, and scored with 1:23 left on a nice pass from the corner that was shot, and the rebound came out to then be hit in for a goal to make it 3-1.

With 48 seconds left, the Bulldogs rallied again, and netted their second goal of the game (off a rebound) to make the score 3-2. With very little time left, the Bulldogs pulled their goalie and added the extra attacker to try and tie the game. Unfortunately that didn't happen, and the Ice Hawks edged the Bulldogs 3-2. Third period shots were Bulldogs 12 and Ice Hawks 8, and total game shots were Bulldogs 32 and Ice Hawks 27.

The Bulldogs will look to improve their record with their second game of the day against the Tulsa Flames at Valley Ranch.

Saturday, October 29, 2005 3 Game Winning Streak by PeeWee AA1 Halted...

Dallas Jr. Stars 6, Alliance 4: In their first meeting in NTXHL action, the Bulldogs drop one to the Stars Select Saturday afternoon at Valley Ranch. What was thought to be an evenly matched game turned out to be more one sided by the Junior Stars, as they out worked the Bulldogs to earn the win.

The first period was the most evident, as the Jr. Stars took control early with their hustle and hitting, and scored two in the first frame to take a 2-0 lead. Their first goal went in at 10:34, and the second was at 1:42 to end the period with a two-goal advantage. Shots were the only thing even this period, with the Bulldogs 8 and the Junior Stars 8.

Between periods, the Bulldogs regrouped and were challenged to shake off the rust and start playing like they can. An opportunity quickly opened at the beginning of the second period, as the Jr. Stars received a penalty (14:31) and the Bulldogs went on the power play. The Bulldogs were applying great pressure, and had several nice opportunities to score, but the power play would be short lived as the Bulldogs received their own penalty at 13:46 for hooking. The penalty would be killed off, and it would be the Jr. Stars turn to get the next penalty (11:23 left) to give the Bulldogs their second power play opportunity. This time, they would take full advantage of it and score (9:35) from a low shot that was tipped, went off the post and came out in front of the goal where a Bulldog player was there to send it home and make the score 1-2.

The Bulldogs kept the momentum going on the next shift, and 14 seconds later scored their second goal (9:21) to make it 2-2. Now tied, the game was up for grabs, and at 8:55 left the Jr. Stars quickly answered back to reclaim their lead and make it 3-2. The battling continued, and next it would be the Bulldogs who would answer back and score their third goal (5:02) on a beautiful 3-stick pass that started from the corner, then passed to a player behind the net, and then another quick pass to an open Bulldog in front of the net who shot and scored to tie the game 3-3.

The Bulldogs now had the momentum, but it would be cut short at 4:07 left on a double penalty (4:00 minutes). The Jr. Stars answered quickly and scored on a power play goal with 3:45 left to take the lead 4-3. The goal negated the first two-minute Bulldog penalty, and the team would now face killing the second two-minute penalty, which they did to end the period. After two frames, the Jr. Stars led 4-3. Second period shots were Bulldogs 8 and Jr. Stars 12.

The third period started similar to the second, with the Jr. Stars getting a penalty early (14:02) to give the Bulldogs a power play opportunity, but Alliance could not convert. At 8:03 left, the Bulldogs would receive a penalty in which the Jr. Stars would capitalize on and score their second power play goal (7:01) of the game to make it 5-3. The Bulldogs kept fighting back, and at 3:04 saw new life when the Bulldogs netted a beautiful breakaway goal (from a nice deke) to again bring the score within one (4-5). As the period and game was winding down, a Bulldog time out was taken at (1:02) in which the Bulldogs pulled their goalie when play started, only to be scored upon 11 seconds later on an empty net goal to seal the game at 6-4. Third period shots were Bulldogs 7 and Jr. Stars 10. Total game shots were Bulldogs 23 and Jr. Stars 30.

The Bulldogs will look to improve their record next weekend (Nov. 5 & 6) when they face off against the Dallas Ice Hawks, Tulsa Flames,and the LS Wolves in a NTXHL weekend in Dallas.

Saturday, October 22, 2005 Another Nail Biting Win for the PeeWee AA1...

Alliance - 4, Texas Aces - 3: Last time the Bulldogs faced the Texas Aces, it was a late 3rd period rally by the Aces that was stymied by the Bulldogs, and it was same song second verse in their NTXHL game Saturday at Valley Ranch. With Alliance holding what appeared to be a safe 4-2 lead with less than a minute remaining, the Aces pulled their goalie and scored with the extra attacker with only 31 seconds remaining to make it 4-3. Needless to say, the final half minute was a nail biting time for everyone, but the Bulldogs held on to run their league mark to 4-1 on the season.

The Bulldogs jumped out to a quick first period goal when the Aces defense got caught to far up ice and allowed a Bulldog breakaway that resulted in a goal at 12:27. The shot was perfectly placed to find the back of the net and take a 1-0 lead. Both teams played evenly the remainder of the period, including penalties. The first would be on Alliance at 9:55, in which the Bulldogs did a great job killing off the penalty. The Aces would get the next penalty at the end of the first (41.8 seconds), and that would carry over to the second period. The period would end with no other scoring to remain 1-0. Shots after one were Bulldogs 8 and Aces 6.

The Bulldogs started the second period on a power play and at 12:34, the Aces would pick up a careless cross checking penalty (4:00 minutes) and were now looking at a 3-on-5 for a short time. The Bulldogs were controlling the puck very well in the Aces zone, and getting some nice opportunities to score until the Bulldogs fell victim of careless play also, and received a penalty (12:09) to wipe away their big advantage. Shortly after it was 4-on-4, both teams did a nice job killing off their respective penalties, and later in the period the Bulldogs would bring on a hard rush that resulted in their second even strength goal (6:21) off a rebound to make it 2-0.

The Aces were getting frustrated, and received two more penalties at 5:39 and 4:58, giving the Bulldogs another 5-on-3 power play opportunity. The Aces rallied, played tough and killed their first penalty nicely, and while working diligently to kill their second penalty, the Aces took advantage of a Bulldog defensive breakdown and skated the puck down and scored on a short handed breakaway goal (3:04) to make it 2-1. The Aces found new life, and bit the Bulldogs in the behind again by scoring 19 seconds later to tie the game 2-2. At 1:18, the Bulldogs got sloppy and would pick up another penalty, and finish the period killing it off and starting the third that way. Even though the Bulldogs doubled the Aces in shots with 10 (Aces 5), the second frame would end in a 2-2 tie.

The Bulldogs started the third killing of their penalty in which they were successful doing, and just a few minutes later (9:59), the Bulldogs would find the back of the net from a beautifully tipped shot to make it 3-2. Just over a minute later, the Aces would get a penalty in which the Bulldogs would score on a power play goal (7:42) that would slide through the five hole to make it 4-2. The remainder of the period would get sloppy with penalties starting to add up for both teams. The Aces would get the next penalty at 5:35 and a minute later the Bulldogs would get one at 4:34 to make it 4-on-4. At 4:03 the Aces would add another penalty on make it a 3-on-4 situation.

By 2:05 left in the game, all penalties were successfully killed and the game was back to even strength. This wouldn’t last long, though, as the Bulldogs again received a penalty with 1:38 left to open the window for the Aces to score. A time-out was taken and once play started back, the Aces had pulled their goalie, and now had 6 attackers on the power play. After heavy offensive pressure by the Aces, they scored with 31 seconds left to make it a 4-3 game. The Bulldogs dug in those last 31 seconds, and defended their lead to finish the period and the game with a win. Third period shots for the Bulldogs were 12 and Aces 9, with total shots on goal for the game at Bulldogs 30 and Aces 20.

The Bulldogs next game will be against the Dallas Junior Stars Selects on Saturday October 29 at Valley Ranch.

Saturday, October 15, 2005 PeeWee AA1 Holds off Late Flurry by Hitmen...

Alliance - 4, Houston Hitmen- 3: The Bulldogs looked poised to take home a convincing win, but the Houston Hitmen made them play the whole game with a late scramble in their NTXHL game Saturday night at Valley Ranch. After building a 4-1 lead heading into the final minutes, the Bulldogs had to withstand a Hitmen attack that netted 2 late goals to give the Bulldogs a real scare, both with an empty Houston net on the other end.

The first period of play was about as even as you could get in goals, penalties and shots. At 9:18 the Hitmen scored first in the game and not to be outdone, the Bulldogs answered back 15 seconds later with a nice wrister in front of the net to tie the game. The Hitmen would next get a penalty (2:29) to give the Bulldogs a power play opportunity, but it was shortened with their own late period penalty (55.5 seconds). The period would end with no other scoring to stay 1-1. Shots were low after one, with the Bulldogs 6 and Hitmen 5.

Play in the second period would continue to stay very close with both teams having great opportunities to take the lead. The Hitmen received one penalty in the period (7:08), in which the Bulldogs were denied a power play goal. The Bulldogs would receive the next penalty (4:12) in which they did a nice job killing. Just before the period would end, the Bulldogs received their third penalty (23.7) in which they would look to continue to kill going into the third. Second period shots increased, but still stayed close with Bulldogs 10 and Hitmen 8, and the score was still 1-1 after 2 periods of play.

The first few minutes of the third looked to be just as close as the first two frames, until the Bulldogs found their groove during the 9:00 minute mark, when they would strike quickly with goals at 9:54 and 9:23 to take a 3-1 lead. The Bulldogs third goal was a result of a scramble for the puck in front of the Hitmen net. The Bulldogs would continue their tenacious play and would score again by splitting the D on a hard rush that would result in a goal (2:53) to take a 4-1 lead. What was thought (at the time) to be a nice insurance goal would be much more than that by the end of the game.

With nothing to lose, the Hitmen pulled their goalie around the 2:00 minute mark to add an extra attacker and try and climb back into the game. The strategy worked, as the remainder of the period would see the Bulldogs on the defensive, and at 1:08 the Hitmen took advantage of a Bulldog defensive breakdown and went in and scored to make it 4-2. With momentum on their side, the Hitmen continued to attack (with the extra man), and would find the back of the net again (27 seconds left) to pull within one. The last 27 seconds of the game were a real nail biter and thanks to continued great goaltending, the Bulldogs would hold off the Hitmen and win the game 4-3. Third period shots for the Bulldogs were 8 and Hitmen 15. Total shots on goal were Bulldogs 24 and Hitmen 28.

The Bulldogs next game will be a NTXHL contest against the Texas Aces on Saturday October 22 at Valley Ranch.

Arapahoe - 3, Alliance AA1 - 1: The Bulldogs faced another good team, and although the competition was much more even, the result was the same, as they fall to the Arapahoe Warriors in Game 2 of the Canyon State Tournament hosted by the VOSHA Mustangs in Phoenix Saturday night. After falling behind 1-0 after the first period, Alliance tied it up at 1-1 at 10:00 of the 2nd to give the Warriors something to think about.

Arapahoe didn't have to think long, as the re-took the lead less than 2 minutes later when a really nice hard slap shot found its way into the back of the Bulldog net for a 2-1 Warrior lead at 8:08 remaining in the 2nd period. Going into the final period of play, it was still a one-shot game, but with Arapahoe starting to take control, they added an insurance tally at the 9:27 mark to make it 3-1 Warriors, and that would be the way it would end.

The shots were almost even for the game, as was the play in the first 2 periods, with the shots in the 1st period at 7 each, and the 2nd period at 11 to 9 in favor of Arapahoe. The 3rd period was only 9 to 8 Arapahoe, even as they took control of the play. The Bulldogs come back very early Sunday morning to face the VOSHA Mustangs, who lost to the Anaheim Jr. Ducks by a score of 4-0 earlier in the day.

Anaheim Jr. Ducks - 10, Alliance AA1 - 0: The Alliance Peewee AA1 team faced one of the top teams from the west coast, and combined with too many penalties, it was ugly as they were blown out by the Anaheim Jr. Ducks in Game 1 of a Canyon State Tournament hosted by the VOSHA Mustangs in Phoenix Saturday morning.

The Ducks came out flying with their speed and quickly pulled out to a 5-0 lead at the end of the 1st period. Anaheim continued the pace in the 2nd frame, adding four more tallies to carry a 9-0 margin into the final period. The Bulldogs were not able to get many quality scoring chances, and the Ducks added one final goal in the 3rd for the final 10-0 score. Alliance will hopefully find the competition a little more palatable in Game 2, when they face the Arapahoe Warriors of Colorado later Saturday evening.

Alliance AA1 - 7, Alliance AA2 - 0: It was clear from before the game started that Alliance would win this one, but which Bulldog team would get the win was to be determined on the ice. The PeeWee AA1 team took this one to raise their NTXHL record to 2-1-0 on the season.

The first period of play started out with a lot of energy and determination by both teams, but an early penalty on the Bulldogs AA2 team allowed a quick power play goal (10:22) for the AA1 team to take an early 1-0 lead. The play by both teams would stay close through out the period, despite two penalties on the AA1 team (3:35) to give the AA2 team an opportunity to tie the game with a 5-on-3 power play chance. That advantage would lessen, as the AA2 team then received a penalty 17 seconds later to make it a 5-on-4 power play. The AA1 team did a nice job killing off their penalties, and the period would end with the AA1 team keeping their 1-0 lead. Shots after one were AA1 team 11, AA2 team 4.

The second period opened up for the AA1 team, as they dominated play and netted four more goals. The first going in at 10:01 from a pass to the high-slot and then a wrist shot in for a goal to make it 2-0. The next goal was a power play goal (7:46) that came out of a crowd of jerseys in front of the net to beat the goalie to make it 3-0. The next two goals of the period were scored within 8 seconds of each other. The first going in at 6:18 from a shot which looked to go off the goalie or a player in front. The next goal followed on a strong rush from the face off, to make it 5-0. Second period shots were AA1 team 12, AA2 team 3.

The third period saw each team visiting the sin bin once, and the AA1 team scoring two more goals in the game to finish 7-0. Kudos to the AA2 team for staying tenacious throughout the game, having several nice opportunities to score but were just denied. Third period shots for AA1 team were 6, and AA2 team 5. Total shots on goal were AA1 team 29, AA2 team 12.

The Bulldogs AA1 team travels to the VOSHA Mustangs (Phoenix) Canyon State Tournament on October 8th and 9th.

Alliance - 6, Ice Jets ‘94 AAA - 1: Thanks to strong team effort and “top shelf” goaltending, the Bulldogs sent the Ice Jets '94 AAA flying in their second NTXHL game Wednesday night at Valley Ranch. The Bulldogs knew that this would be a fast paced game and were determined to get a jump-start by scoring first on a short pass in front of the crease and a wrist shot into the right side of the net for a 1-0 Alliance lead at 13:16 of the first period.

Both teams fought hard through out the remainder of the period, with each having big opportunities to score. At 3:46, Alliance received the first penalty of the game, and it looked like the Jets would have a chance to tie the game up, but they could not convert, given the strong Bulldog penalty kill. The period ended with no other scoring, with the Bulldogs still leading 1-0, and the shots at Alliance 9, Ice Jets 7.

The game opened up in the second period, as the Bulldogs dominated play, but not before an early period goal at 13:07 by the Ice Jets to tie the game up at 1-1. Not allowing the Ice Jets to build any momentum from their goal, the Bulldogs brought the pressure, and answered 30 seconds later by scoring on a break away wrist shot that made it 2-1 Alliance. Just over two minutes later, Alliance received a penalty at 10:35 to give the Ice Jets a another power play opportunity to tie the game up. The Bulldogs defended beautifully and took advantage of an Ice Jets defensive breakdown to score a “shorty” (short-handed goal) at 9:35 to extend the lead to 3-1.

Later in the 2nd period the Bulldogs continued their offensive pressure, and increased their lead by riffling off two back-to-back goals within 9 seconds of each other at 5:52 & 5:43 to make it 5-1. The Ice Jets would later receive a penalty at 3:57, which they killed it off nicely. Shots on goal in the second were Alliance 15, Ice Jets 11.

The Bulldogs strong play from the second carried into the third period and at 13:52, the Bulldogs received a penalty and put the Ice Jets on the power play in which they were not able to score. At 8:16, Alliance would score their last goal on a strong rush and finish by going top shelf to make the final score 6-1. The period ended with another Alliance penalty (1:18), which they were able to defend. Third period shots were Alliance 10 and Ice Jets 6. Total game shots on goal were Alliance 34, Ice Jets 24.

The Bulldogs next NTXHL game is Saturday October 1 against the Alliance PeeWee AA2 team, at Valley Ranch.

The first period was all Ice Jets, as they took control early by scoring first at 12:20, from a rebound in front of the Bulldog net. Just over two minutes later, the Ice Jets continued pressure and scored their second goal at 10:15 to make it 2-0. The Bulldogs were battling most of the first until 1:47, when they surprised the Ice Jets with excellent offensive pressure that ended with a wrap around goal to make it 2-1. The Ice Jets quickly answered back though by scoring twice with less than a minute to play in the first. The first going in with 41 seconds left from a pass in front of the net, and the next with 3 seconds left off a rebound. Shots on goal were Ice Jets 14 and Alliance 4 with the score 4-1 Jets after one.

Between periods, the Bulldogs regrouped and came out determined to make a game of it. From the beginning of the second period, the Bulldogs raised their game, and at 12:34 carried the puck out from behind the net and walked in and scored making it 4-2. Keeping the pressure on and momentum up, the Bulldogs again scored at 11:05 off the Bulldog player’s own rebound. It was now a one-goal game with the Jets still leading at 4-3.

At 9:09, the Ice Jets took the first penalty of the game and gave the Bulldogs a power play, in which they added heavy pressure in the Ice Jet zone for almost a minute 30 of the penalty, but were not able to score. At 5:56, the Ice Jets scored and increased their lead to 5-3 on a close in slap shot. At 3:23 the Bulldogs found themselves on another power play opportunity, but could not convert. At 1:49 the Bulldogs received a penalty for too many men on a bad change, which they were able to kill off. The second period came to an end with 8 shots on goal for the Bulldogs and 4 for the Ice Jets. Score after two was Ice Jets 5, Alliance 3.

The Bulldogs strong play from the second carried into the third period as they scored first at 12:27 from a wicked wrist shot (just inside the blue line) that found nothing but net to bring it back to within one at 5-4. Shortly thereafter, penalties would start hurting the Bulldogs offensive chances. At 11:45 Alliance would get a penalty and then the Ice Jets turned around and got one of their own at 10:05. Shortly after the Bulldogs would kill off their penalty, they got another penalty at 9:30. Needless to say, there was a lot of 4-on-4 play.

Penalties were killed by both teams, and play resumed with strong offensive pressure by both teams, and at 5:07 the Ice Jets scored to make it a two goal lead again at 6-4. Late in the period, the Bulldogs received two back-to-back penalties (1:54 & 1:17) to put them behind even more, and with 37 seconds left, the Ice Jets would score their final goal on a power play to make the final 7-4. Third period shots were Ice Jets 10, Alliance 6 and total game shots were Ice Jets 28 to Alliance 18.

The Bulldogs next NTXHL game is Wednesday September 21 against the Ice Jets '94 AAA, at Valley Ranch.

Ice Jets ’93 AA – 1, Alliance - 0: Expectations were high as to how these two teams would compete against each other and just as expected, each team went toe-to-toe in a high tempo game Monday afternoon at Farmers Branch. The game was as close as the score indicated, with the Ice Jets '93 AA edging the Bulldogs by one for the right to advance to the finals of the Texas Shootout Tournament in Farmers Branch.

Just over halfway through the first period the game remained scoreless and penalty free, but at 5:39 the Ice Jets scored on a shot along the ice that went under the Bulldog goalie to find the net for a 1-0 lead that they would make stand up. Just over a minute later, the Ice Jets received a penalty and gave the Bulldogs a power play opportunity in which they could not convert. At the end of one, the Ice Jets had 6 shots on goal to Alliance’s 3.

The Bulldogs played some of their strongest hockey in the second and although they only recorded 4 shots, they were quality ones, as several could have easily gone in. One of those shots was an inch away from tying the game, as a Bulldog shot hit the goal post along the ice and bounced back out. Just before the ten-minute mark, the Bulldogs kept heavy offensive pressure and control in the Ice Jets zone, and almost scored again. Shortly after, the Ice jets would receive their second penalty of the game (9:26) to again give the Bulldogs a power play, but again the Bulldogs were not able to score. Shots on goal continued to favor the Ice Jets with 13 to Alliances 7.

The fast paced tempo continued into the third with opportunities by both teams. The Ice Jets continued their strong team play and the Bulldogs started pressing to make something happen. Late in the period, the Bulldogs received a penalty at 3:54, which took away any offensive attack and gave the Ice Jets a power play opportunity. The Bulldogs did a great job of battling against the heavy pressure from the Ice Jets power play. After serving the penalty, the Bulldogs had just under two minutes to rally and tie the game, but were not able to do so. Bulldog goaltending was excellent, as the Ice Jets out shot the Bulldogs in the third by 8 to total 26 for the game, to 12 for the Bulldogs.

Alliance goes 2-2 in tournament, and it was a nice job by the Bulldogs on their first weekend of hockey this season.

Sunday, September 4, 2005

Bulldogs Get 2nd Win...

Alliance - 6, Lone Star Wolves Major - 2: The Bulldogs rebounded from their heart-breaking loss in the morning to come back and beat the LS Wolves Major Sunday evening in the Texas Shootout Tournament at Farmers Branch.

The Wolves first shift surprised the Bulldogs by taking the opening face off down and scoring 13 seconds into the game for a 1-0 early lead. The Wolves wrist shot tipped off the Bulldogs goalie glove and into the net. Not to be rattled, the Bulldogs kept to their game plan knowing hard work and determination would pay off, and at 6:05 the Bulldogs found the back of the net to tie the game at 1-1 on an even strength goal. With continued pressure, the Bulldogs again scored a minute fifteen later (4:50) on a nice wrist shot from the defense taking the puck in and going top shelf to take their first lead 2-1. The Bulldogs hit a speed bump shortly after getting a two (and a ten) minute penalty.

The Bulldogs did a nice job killing the two minute penalty and once back to even strength, scored at 1:41 on a pass from the corner to the front of the net, which was slapped in to take a 3-1 lead. Shortly after, the Bulldogs received another penalty (1:13) in which the Wolves converted on a power play goal with 49 seconds left to bring the score within one at 3-2. The period ended with the Bulldogs out shooting the Wolves, 10 to 6.

Alliance controlled the 2nd period only allowing the Wolves 4 shots. The Bulldogs increased their lead to 4-2 at 10:01 on another nice wrister from top of the slot. With continued offensive pressure, the Bulldogs would soon score again at 7:08 to make it 5-2, on a shot that tipped off the goalie's glove and went in. The Wolves received a penalty at 6:34 in which they were able to hold of an intense Bulldog power play and come out on the other side unscathed. At 3:10, it would be the Bulldogs turn to receive a penalty, in which they were also successful killing. During the Bulldog penalty, the Wolves were awarded a penalty shot, as one of the Bulldog players touched/covered up the puck with their hands in the goal crease. The penalty shot was certainly high drama, with the crescendo being the “stuff” by the Bulldog goaltender. Shots at the end of two were Alliance 25, Wolves 10.

The third period started out strong for the Bulldogs as they quickly scored their sixth and final goal of the game at 11:50 to make the final 6-2. The remainder of the period settled into place for both teams, with no penalties and matching shots on net. F inal shots for the game were Alliance 34, Wolves 19.

Alliance will face off against the Ice Jets '93 AA, 12:30 Monday at Farmers Branch in their final pool play contest.

'Dogs Drop One in the Last Seconds...

DJHA '93 - 4, Alliance - 3: The Bulldogs looked to build off their win Saturday night with a Sunday morning charge against the Penguins, only to be edged out in the remaining seconds of the game in this Texas Shootout Tournament contest in Farmers Branch. The first four minutes of the game were probably the Bulldogs best at applying constant pressure in the Penguin zone, but they could not convert. Much of the first period was a lot of back and forth by both teams and at 3:36, Alliance would capitalize on a Penguin defensive breakdown and score on a walk in goal to make it 1-0. At the end of one period, shots were fairly low for both teams as Alliance had 5, DJHA 4.

Early in the second period the Bulldogs would find themselves in penalty trouble as they received two penalties at 11:32 & 10:47. This gave the Penguins a 5-on-3 power play opportunity and like the night before, great Bulldog penalty killing and goaltending prevailed and both penalties were killed. At 7:39, both teams would get matching penalties to keep it 5-on-5 and at 3:06 left, Alliance would again find the net scoring their second even strength goal of the game to make it 2-0. The Penguins looked to answer back and did so at 1:45 left to make it 2-1 Bulldogs. Shots at the end of two were Alliance 13, DJHA 9.

The early part of the third period looked to be opportunistic for the Bulldogs, as they scored their third even strength goal at 9:36 to take a two-goal lead at 3-1. Less than a minute later, Alliance again fell into penalty trouble and were back on their heels. The Bulldogs looked to kill this penalty off also, but just seconds after the penalty was up, the Penguins had been applying heavy offensive pressure and converted at 6:45, slapping the puck from the air, into the net off a rebound. Score now was Bulldogs 3, DJHA 2.

The goal gave the Penguins a huge lift and they continued to add offensive pressure until they scored again at 2:39 to tie the game 3-3. The Penguins clearly wanted to win the game and played like it, as they surprised the Bulldogs with a game-winning goal off a rebound with 10.9 seconds left in the game. The Penguins scored three of their four goals in the final period and clearly out played the Bulldogs. Final shots were Alliance 22, DJHA 23.

Good things can be learned from this disappointing loss, and that opportunity comes around quickly as the Bulldogs play the LS Wolves Major in their second game Sunday at 7:15pm Farmers Branch.

Saturday, September 3, 2005 Bulldogs Win Season Opener...

Alliance - 3, Texas Aces-Green - 2: Saturday afternoon at the OK-Coral (aka: Valley Ranch) turned into a real shootout between the Bulldogs and the Aces-Green in which the Bulldogs won in a real thriller.

There was no lack of excitement or effort in this high flying game as the Bulldogs came out itching to score first and did so with an even strength goal at 11:30 into the game to take a 1-0 lead. Both teams came out with a lot of jump in their step and challenged each other back and forth. With just over 8 minutes left in the first period the penalty box would start to get busy by both teams the rest of the period. The first penalty was on the Bulldogs in which they did a nice job of killing. Then it would be the Aces turn to the box by getting the next two penalties (at 6:29 and 6:07) which gave the Bulldogs a brief 5 on 3 opportunity before they turned around and received the next two penalties (at 5:32 & 4:57). This created a 3-on-3 scenario for a short time until the Aces penalties ended and they had the power play advantage in which they scored at 3:23 left in the first period to tie the game 1-1. The Bulldogs would see one more power play opportunity late in the period, when the Aces received a penalty with 39 seconds left. At the end of one, it was 1-1.

The Bulldogs started the second period continuing their power play opportunity (from the first period) but were not able to capitalize. It would then be the Bulldogs turn to find the box as they received the next two penalties (7:51 & 7:12). This gave the Aces a huge 5-on-3 power play opportunity and thanks to great penalty killing and goaltending, the Bulldogs were able to weather the Aces fire and kill both penalties. The period remained scoreless despite pucks hitting posts, several breakaways and power play opportunities.

The third period looked to be a thriller with the game still tied 1-1, both teams brought the kitchen sink and with heavy pressure from the Bulldogs they netted their second even strength goal at 10:13 to take the lead at 2-1. Not to be out done, the Aces applied their own pressure and rallied back scoring almost two minutes later at 8:16 left to tie it back up at 2-2. The Aces opened the door for the Bulldogs when they received a penalty at 7:36 left, but the Bulldogs were unable to capitalize. At 5:02 left, it would be the Bulldogs turn to keep the door open for the Aces as they received a penalty. The Bulldogs did another great job on their penalty kill and came out unscathed. As the period came closer to an end, both teams received penalties (2:06) keeping play at 5-on-5. The showdown stayed intense right until the end and with 1:31 left, the Bulldogs scored to take the lead one more time at 3-2. Not in the Bulldogs game plan, but certainly keeping the game interesting was one last Bulldog penalty at 1:03 left in the game. Fortunately the Dawgs were able hold off the Aces attack and win the game 3-2.

Despite penalties, strong team play and top shelf goaltending was the crescendo to the Bulldogs first team win. To see the schedule and results for Alliance teams, click here...

Wednesday, August 31, 2005 Season Starts this Weekend...

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...

Monday, August 8, 2005

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.