Bantam AA News 2003-2004

USA Hockey National Championship Bronze Medalist

 

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Season in Review

 

Bulldogs Win First Tournament of the Year, Take Tier I AAA Title in Buffalo

The Alliance Bantam AA Bulldogs got just 3 games under their belt before it was off to the northeast for the TGI Friday’s Labor Day Shootout in Buffalo, New York.  It would appear to be a challenge for the Bulldogs as they started the season in a Tier I AAA tournament.

The boys from Texas met the challenge and then some, by going undefeated (5-0-0) during the tournament and capturing the championship against Team Carolina 8-1 in the final.  The championship was highlighted by a spirited comeback in the semi-final against Montgomery.  Alliance overcame a 2-0 deficit by scoring 4 goals in the 3rd period to earn a spot in the final.  They had defeated Carolina in a tight game earlier in the week by a score of 3-2. 

Alliance Finds Going Tough at STHL Weekend in Houston

Coming off their win in Buffalo, the Bulldogs then headed to Houston to be the “Guest” team for a Southern Tier Hockey League weekend.  The competition was extremely tough, and they came home with a 1-1-2 record for the weekend.  It could have been worse, as goalie Brandon Bailey stopped all 24 shots he faced in a 0-0 tie with the Florida Jr. Panthers, a game which felt like a win after being outplayed the whole game. 

The Panthers would confirm their worth as competition, as later in the year, they would represent the Southeast District at the Tier I Nationals in Pittsburgh.  The Bulldogs also dropped their first game of the season to the Atlanta Fire, who they would see again at the National Championships in Vermont more than 6 months later.

For more information on the STHL, go to….  http://www.southerntierhockey.org/index.htm 

Bantams go 4-1 in Boston, Earn Spot in AAA Final 

Cramming a lot of hockey into the first six weeks of the season, it was off to the northeast again for the Columbus Day Classic in Boston.  The Bulldogs would regain the form they showed in Buffalo, by going undefeated into the AAA Final against the Seacoast Spartans from Dover, New Hampshire. 

On their way, they ran into an old buddy from Dallas in the semi-finals, as former Dallas Storm defenseman Teddy Ruth was now playing for the Ellenton Eels AAA in Florida.  The Alliance defense and goaltending would prove too much for Teddy and his team, as the Bulldogs shut out the Eels 2-0. 

In the final, the ‘Dogs would face the best team they had seen all year, as the Spartans boasted at least six players from their Tier I National Tournament PeeWee Team of 2003.  The lethal combination of skill, size, strength, and team play proved too much as the Bulldogs fell in the title game 5-2. 

For more results of this tournament, go to……..http://www.nes.com/Schedule.asp?E=218 

Alliance goes 6-1-1 in First Stretch of Texoma 

The Bulldogs returned home to begin league play in the Texoma Bantam AA Division.  During the month from October 19th to November 23rd, Alliance would battle all four other teams in their league – Dallas Jr. Stars, Oklahoma Sooners, DJHA Penguins, and the Houston Wild.  The Bulldogs would come out of this period of games in 1st place and would hold that spot for the remainder of the season. 

Mixed in-between the Texoma games was an exhibition against the Team Slovakia Bantam team, which was in the U.S. for a tournament.  The Alliance speed and size was too much for the boys from Europe, who had only one night of rest after a long trip over the Atlantic Ocean.  The Bulldogs dominated the game and won 7-2. 

The team came out of this portion of the season with an impressive 20-3-3 record for their efforts. 

Tough Thanksgiving in Colorado

After finding success in pretty much everything they attempted the first part of the season, the Bulldog fortunes would turn as they left Texas again, this time to Colorado for the 32nd Annual Mile High Thanksgiving Invitational in Littleton.

Facing some of the best Bantam teams in the western part of the country, the Alliance Bantams found they still have some work to do before scheduling themselves for the Nationals in April.   Their first game was a tight one with the always tough San Jose Jr. Sharks, and the ‘Dogs fell 2-1 in a game they had a hard time generating any offense.  They fell again in Game #2 to the host Littleton Hawks 6-2, a team made up with no less than 9 players from their PeeWee National Championship Team from the season before.

They would end the holiday weekend with only one win and four losses, but would get another chance to see Littleton and San Jose later in the year when the games would be considerably more meaningful.  

Alliance Barely Misses Silver Stick AA Semi-Finals in Denver 

It was just two weeks later the Bulldogs would be in Colorado again, this time in beautiful Westminster for the International Silver Stick Western Regional AA Championships.  The ‘Dogs would come out with a 2-1-1 record that would barely keep them from the playoff semi-finals.   

With 14 teams vying for the 4 spots available in the semi-finals, Alliance would lose out on a tiebreaker, by only fractions of a point.  They dropped their only game to the boys from Littleton again, this time 4-0.  They did figure out though, that the Hawks would probably be the team to beat from Colorado should Alliance make Regionals, as the Bulldogs defeated two other good Bantam AA teams from Colorado during the tournament. 

Bulldogs Capture Regular Season League Title 

The Bulldogs would take a little time off for the Christmas holidays, and then make the turn for home in the Texoma League.  They would play their final seven league games and win the Regular Season Title with an impressive 11-1-4 Texoma mark. 

It was now time for the longest stretch of the season without games, as the Bulldogs would spend the next two weeks preparing for the Tier II State Championships, and the beginning of a strong finish to a great season.  Alliance would enter the State Championships with an impressive overall record of 29-8-7. 

Alliance Wins Tier II Texas State Championship 

 

Coming into the State Championships, the Bulldogs were facing familiar opponents, as they had faced DJHA, Houston, and Dallas four times each during regular season league play.  Alliance Coach Miles Newsome made sure the ‘Dogs took nothing for granted in their preparation for the most important set of games thus far in the season. 

The Alliance boys regained the form they had showed earlier in the season, and dominated play the entire weekend, never giving any team a chance to believe they would win.  The Bulldogs won all four games to capture the State Championship, scoring 26 goals and allowing only 4 during the tournament.   

The boys had earned a spot in the Rocky Mountain District Championships in Boise, Idaho, but that was still a month away.  The Bulldogs were looking at another title they wanted, the Texoma Bantam AA Championship. 

Bantams Take Home the Texoma AA Banner 

The Alliance Bulldogs achieved another of their goals by winning the Texoma Bantam AA Championship at the Blazer Center in Oklahoma City.  They did it the way they wanted to, by beating their nemesis Oklahoma Sooners twice, including the final game by a score 4-2 to earn the title.  Another Championship banner brought home by the boys with the Bulldog on their chest.  

Bulldogs Stun Littleton for USA Hockey Regional Crown

The Bulldogs were now in un-charted territory, as no previous Alliance teams had advanced to the Rocky Mountain District Championships before.  That didn’t seem to bother the Bantam boys, though, as they came out of the chute with a come-from-behind victory over the tough Phoenix Jr. Coyotes 5-3.  Their Colorado nemesis (Littleton) would prove the 3rd time is not a always a charm, as they would beat the boys from Texas for the third time this season, although for those watching closely would note the Bulldogs were closing the gap between the teams quickly. 

Following a wild and late 3rd period come-back victory over Phoenix in the semi-finals, the Bulldogs would not only close the gap on the Hawks, they would open it up on the other side with an impressive 3-0 shutout win in the final over Littleton to earn their first ever trip to the USA Hockey National Championships.    (Read more here...)

Alliance Bulldogs Win Bronze Medal at USA Hockey National Championships

Once again, the Alliance Bantam Team would prove unfamiliar surroundings and good hockey clubs do not intimidate them, as they began play in the Tier II U14 USA Hockey National Championships in Burlington, Vermont. 

Buoyed by their first game overtime win against the team from Alaska, the Bulldogs would enjoy all the surroundings of the National Tournament, such as the Opening Ceremonies, Skills Competition, and USA Hockey Banquet.  They would go on to another thrilling come-from-behind overtime win against the host Vermont team, all while in front of a boisterous capacity hometown crowd screaming for their boys to hang on. 

The exciting preliminary game win would provide Alliance with the necessary points to earn a spot in the Quarterfinals.  The Bulldogs would then avenge their first loss of the season way back in September, by defeating the Atlanta Fire 6-3.  It was once again time to meet another familiar foe, as the Bulldogs were now to face off against the San Jose Jr. Sharks in the Semifinals. 

A valiant effort by the boys from Texas was not enough, as their attempted comeback fell short, ending their season with a 6-4 loss to the Sharks.  It was an awesome showing at the end of an unforgettable season for the Bulldogs, as they collected their 3rd Place National Championship Bronze Medal at center ice.  Their final record was an impressive 43-11-8, becoming only the second team in Alliance history to win 40 games.     (Read more here...)