MAA News

Midget Minor AA: Alliance - 3, Bud Bakewell - 3 (OT): The Bulldogs played much better today, but they had to, as they were facing a team ranked #1 in one National Ranking, and very much one of the favorites coming into the USA Hockey National Championships in Richmond, Virginia. Alliance was out-shot by a 2 to 1 margin, but they made the most of their chances to gain an overtime tie and remain in contention to advance with a win on Friday.

The Bulldogs took their first lead of the tournament in the 1st period, on a power play goal 9 minutes in for a 1-0 lead. The Bruins would respond 4 minutes later to tie it up at 1-1, and would out-shoot the Dogs 11 to 7 in the initial frame. Bakewell would take their first lead at 2-1 just over 4 minutes into the 2nd period, only to have the Bulldogs bring it even again at 2-2 four minutes later. The Bruins would then re-take the lead again less than a minute later to take a 3-2 score to the room during the 2nd intermission.

The 3rd period looked like it might stay scoreless until with only 3:15 remaining in regulation, Alliance would get that important game tying goal with the man advantage on a nice slap shot from the top of the face-off circle. Both teams went looking for the big OT win, but would come up empty during the 10 minute extra period. The Bulldogs now stand at 0-1-1, but with a win tomorrow, could potentially still qualify for the Quarter-Finals. The play their final pool game against a good Brick Green team from New Jersey, who stand at 1-1 after a tough 4-1 loss to the Green Mountain Glades.

Wednesday, March 30, 2005 Update on National Championships...

Midget Minor AA: Alliance - 4, Las Vegas - 5: You have to bring your game and then some to the USA Hockey National Championships, but the Bulldogs left theirs on the tarmac at DFW Airport in Dallas as they just played poorly in their Game 1 loss to the Outlaws, Pacific District Champions. The first 30 seconds of the game were a bad sign of things to come, as a misplayed puck behind the Alliance net led to an empty net goal and a 1-0 lead for Las Vegas less than a minute into the game. Alliance would continue to fight back each time the Outlaws took the lead, but were never able to go ahead themselves.

The Bulldogs would trade goals with the boys from the desert in the 1st period, and added a short-handed goal late in the period to go to the room with the game tied at 2-2, and Alliance holding the shot edge at 9-8 for the first period. It should have been 2-0 Bulldogs, but they only count the ones that go in.

The 2nd period was controlled more by Vegas than Alliance, and both teams went to the penalty kill 3 times each, allowing no man advantage tallies. The Outlaws would get an even strength goal just over 5 minutes in, and that would be the only scoring of the period, which would end with the Outlaws leading 3-2.

The 3rd period was a duplicate of the 1st, only with the Bulldogs scoring early to tie it up at 3-3 less than a minute in. Las Vegas re-took the lead again with just under 6 minutes remaining, and then grabbed their only 2-goal lead of the day with a short-handed breakaway for a 5-3 lead with just under 2 minutes left to play. Alliance would get within one again at 5-4 on the power play just a few seconds later, but would not complete the comeback and fall to 0-1 for the tournament. They come back Thursday against the Bud Bakewell Bruins of western New York, who have been ranked #1 in the nation by one poll, and 4-1 winners of their Game 1 over a really good Green Mountain Glades team from Vermont (New England District).

Sunday, March 13, 2005 Update on District Championship Games...

Midget Minor AA Advances to Nationals with 3-2 Win over Phoenix!!!

U16: Final Score.....Midget Minor AA - 3, Phoenix Firebirds - 2: These Bulldogs were tired and worn out from their extended efforts in the double overtime win in the Semi-Finals last night, and it showed. They also played the first 10 minutes without one forward, then lost another one for the game early in the first, and had another one take a slash on his bare hand for a broken thumb. But what showed the most was that Champions fight through adversity and find a way to win and that's what these Bulldogs are - CHAMPIONS!

Alliance had wind at the beginning and took advantage by taking an early 1-0 lead just over 2 minutes into the 1st period. As the period continued on, Phoenix began to take control and eventually tied it up at 1-1 on a power play goal with only 1 second left on the man advantage and 5:03 left in the period. The Firebirds would come right back just over a minute later with another goal to take the lead at 2-1 with 3:54 left. After the initial push by Alliance for the first 2-3 minutes, Phoenix dominated the 1st period and out-shot the Bulldogs 19-7 during the frame.

The 2nd period would much kinder to the Bulldogs, as they caught their breath and played it fairly even. They would tie it back up at 2-2 at the 12:31 mark on a nice cycling play down low, followed by a quick pass and a one-timer. There would be no more scoring in the 2nd period and the shots would be even at 9 each.

As it has been all tournament, the close games between the good teams are determined in the final period, usually by a hustling play, and this game would be no different. As the Bulldogs went again to the penalty kill, the 2 forwards on the ice were fore-checking hard in the Phoenix defensive zone. One forward created a turnover by the Firebird power play breakout, and the other forward swooped in to collect the puck. While his partner was shooting the puck, the other Bulldog forward broke hard for the net to collect the rebound and banged in the eventual game-winner short-handed with 12:55 remaining in the game.

With a lot of time still left on the clock for the quick and skilled Firebirds, the Alliance defense and goaltending would have to step it up another notch. Mustering every bit of energy they had left, Alliance continued to make the plays necessary to hold Phoenix at bay. With 3:12 remaining, the Phoenix coach called a timeout, and this probably helped the Bulldogs as much as it did the Firebirds. As the game clock approached the 1:30 mark, the Phoenix goalie left the net for an additional attacker, and the much anticipated mad scramble at the end was on. Good positioning and patience allowed the Bulldogs to survive the initial few moments of pressure, and the they ran off the final seconds on the clock for the Championship victory.

The Bulldogs will now advance to represent the Rocky Mountain District at the USA Hockey National Championships in Richmond, Virginia March 30th-April 3rd. This will be the 2nd consecutive trip to Nationals for 8 current Bulldogs, as they earned Bronze Medals at the Tier II U14 National Championships last year.

Saturday, March 12, 2005 Update from Regionals...

Tier II Semi-Finals:

U16: Final in 2OT....Midget Minor AA - 2, Arapahoe Warriors - 1 (Semi-Finals): In the 3rd Alliance overtime game of the week, this one was for elimination and thinking about next year for the team pulling the puck out of their net, and boy did they play like it. Fortunately, the Alliance boys were the ones celebrating after this game that lasted close to 70 minutes, including almost 17 of those minutes being of the sudden-death double overtime variety. The game winner was typical of the way the game was played throughout - tough defense, going hard to the net, and paying the price for an opportunity to score.

After playing a scoreless 1st period in which the shots were even at 11 apiece, the Bulldogs struck paydirt first in the 2nd frame on a nice play from behind the net to a forward who wristed it in from 12 feet away for the 1-0 lead. The 2nd period ended 1-0 Alliance, with the Bulldogs holding a slight shot advantage for the game at 21-18. It appeared that lone goal would be the game winner, as the 3rd period went all the way until there was only just over 4 minutes remaining, when Arapahoe was the beneficiary of a penalty call and went on the power play. The Warriors capitalized and tied it up at 1-1 with just over 3 minutes remaining in regulation. Arapahoe out-shot the 'Dogs in the 3rd period 12 to 7.

After a trip to the room and a flood of the ice, the boys were at it again for 10 more minutes (or less). They decided nothing except they like playing hockey, so they repeated the intermission drill and tried it again for a 2nd overtime. Things change when you get tired, and the Bulldogs forced the Warriors into a penalty and went on a power play of their own with the game on the line. After gaining the offensive zone with just over 3 minutes remaining in the 2nd OT, the Bulldogs got a shot from the point towards the net. In workman-like fashion, there was one Alliance forward in the low slot on his knees (with assistance from a Warrior), and 2 more crashing to the net hard. After a blocked shot and a mad scramble, the puck came loose to the stick of a Bulldog who rammed it home past the downed Arapahoe goalie and the celebration began.

The Bulldogs will come back on Sunday morning against the winner of the Montana-Phoenix game for the right to represent the Rocky Mountain District at the USA Hockey National Championships in Richmond, Virginia March 30th-April 3rd.

Tier II Pool Games

U16: Final Score.....Midget Minor AA - 2, Arapahoe Warriors - 4: Turnovers and missed opportunities were the downfall of the Bulldogs in this final pool game to determine the #1 Seed going into the Semi-Finals. Early in the game with the score tied, Alliance had a major chance slip through their fingers when they went scoreless on a 5-minute power play due to a spearing major called on the Warriors.

After falling behind 4-1 at the end of the 2nd period, the Bulldogs got another goal late in the 3rd, but never had a chance to make a game of it until it was too late. Due to a very questionable interpretation of the tie-breaker rules, the Bulldogs will come right back to face the #1 Seed Arapahoe again as the #4 Seed in the Semi-Finals, even though they beat both other teams playing in the other Semi-Final.

Friday, March 11, 2005 Update from Regionals...

U16: Final Score....Midget Minor AA - 3, Billings Jr. Bulls - 2: For the second time during the tournament, the Bulldogs allowed the game to stay close while still controlling the game and outplaying the opponent. Out-shooting the Bulls 28 to 18 in the first 2 periods led to a 3-2 lead, with another apparent goal disallowed due to a crease violation. After a significant delay in the 3rd period due to an injured Billings player, the Bulldogs held on despite being on the penalty kill for the final 4 minutes, of which the last 20 seconds were 3 on 6 with an empty net.

Midget Minor AA: Alliance 5, Stars 0: The Bulldogs started a little slow, but got it going late in the 1st period and took it to the Stars from that point on for a win in the Championship Game of the Texoma Playoffs in Farmers Branch Sunday morning.

Taking a 1-0 lead into the 2nd period, the Bulldogs put the game away with 3 more goals in the 2nd frame, the back breaker being the shorthanded goal that gave them a 3-0 lead and took the wind out of the Stars' sails. More on this game to follow...

Midget Minor AA: Alliance 5, Houston Wild 3: The Bulldogs fell behind 2-0 after one period of play, but finally got on track to come back for 5 goals in the final 2 frames for the win in Game 2 of the Texoma Playoffs in Farmers Branch Saturday night. By virtue of their 2 and 0 record, and the same record for the Jr. Stars, they will play the Stars for the Championship Sunday morning at 10:30am. They were previously scheduled to face the Stars in Game 3 of the preliminary round early Sunday morning, but that game now has no meaning and has been canceled.

Midget Minor AA: Alliance 3, Ice Hawks 2: The Bulldogs found an opponent that came ready to play Saturday, and had to get the game winner with the scored tied at 2-2 in the 3rd period for a win in Game 1 of the Texoma Playoffs in Farmers Branch Saturday afternoon.

The Ice Hawks battled back from a 2-0 1st period deficit to tie the game with 2 goals of their own in the 2nd period, taking the Bulldogs into the 3rd period tied at 2-2. Alliance managed to regain the momentum in the 3rd frame, and found the net one more time to re-take the lead and hold on for the win.

Midget Minor AA - Storm AAA 1, Alliance 0: One inch (1"). That's the width of the shaft of a hockey stick, and it was the difference in the Championship Game of the Dallas Storm U16 AAA Tournament in Plano Monday morning.

A wrist shot from the point on a Dallas Storm power play in the 1st period was deflected by the shaft of a stick and into the Alliance net for a 1-0 lead that the Storm goalie made hold up for the rest of the game. Sixty-Two shots were directed at the 2 goalies in this contest, and all were denied except the one, as both teams had plenty of chances to score and were continually sent to the bench without satisfaction.

Alliance had at least 3 breakaway chances and the Storm had a couple of their own, only to see the puck sent harmlessly into the corner by a pad or a goalie stick. In a heated game between these 2 intense rivals, nothing was decided except that each team boasts good defense and quality net-minding.

Midget Minor AA - Alliance 5, Detroit 1: The Bulldogs played a tight game for more than 2 periods, but eventually broke it open with 4 goals in the 3rd period against the Detroit Trackers in the Semi-Finals of the Dallas Storm U16 AAA Tournament in Plano Sunday night. Alliance advances to the Championship Game on Monday morning against the Dallas Storm for a rematch of their game earlier on Sunday, which the Storm won 4-2.

The game was scoreless after one period of play, and only a Bulldogs shorthanded goal in the 2nd period kept it from being scoreless going into the 3rd. The game was 1-0 Alliance until just over 7 minutes into the final frame, when the Bulldogs extended their lead to 2-0 on a real nice 3 on 2 rush that resulted in a shot, rebound, and pass to the man who finished it off past a sprawling Tracker goalie. Before anyone could catch their breath, it was 3-0 just 14 seconds later on another nice play. Detroit tried to make a game of it with their own shorthanded goal with just over 4 minutes remaining to make it 3-1, but the 'Dogs responded just over a minute later to make it 4-1. Alliance would add an empty netter for the 5-1 final score.

Midget Minor AA - Storm 4, Alliance 2: The Bulldogs fell behind early and were constantly chasing from behind against the Hosts in Game 3 of the Dallas Storm U16 AAA Tournament in Plano Sunday morning. The Storm scored less than a minute into the game for a 1-0 lead, but the Bulldogs would tie it up late in the 1st period to make it 1-1 going into the second frame.

The Storm would again take the lead at 2-1 on a nice shot and rebound off the rush just over 4 minutes in. Once again, Alliance would tie it up on a breakaway goal at the 11:18 mark for the 2-2 score. The Storm power play worked well, and it was the deciding factor, as the game winner was tallied on the man advantage with just over a minute remaining in the 2nd period for the 3-2 lead. The 3rd period was played scoreless, until when with only 55 seconds remaining, the Storm got an empty net goal while shorthanded.

Midget Minor AA - Alliance 3, Detroit 0: The Bulldogs tried an unusual tact this game, coming out strong and taking an early lead for a change. Scoring 2 quick goals in the 1st period, it looked like it might be a big day for the Alliance scoring. But the Trackers tightened up the defense and got good goaltending the rest of the way and the Bulldogs would tally just one more in the 2nd period of this win in Game 2 of the Dallas Storm U16 AAA Tournament in Plano Saturday afternoon.

The Bulldogs would get some good goaltending of their own as well, as they collected their 17th shutout of the season and their 10th consecutive win. Alliance will now face their cross-town rivals Dallas Storm in the final preliminary game Sunday morning, followed by the Semi-Finals Sunday afternoon. The Championship Game of the tournament is Monday morning at 8:00am.

Midget Minor AA - Alliance 5, Atlanta 4: The Bulldogs took advantage of their power play opportunities and made the Atlanta Fire pay for their penalties by scoring 4 man advantage goals in Game 1 of the Dallas Storm U16 AAA Tournament in Plano Saturday morning. In a penalty filled contest played at an intense level, the Bulldogs got plenty of work on the power play, as they went on the advantage 12 times, and 3 of their goals were of the 5 on 3 variety. As if 15 penalties and losing your coach for Game 2 wasn't enough bad taste for the visitors from Georgia, the 3rd period was reduced to only 7 minutes of time due to a 90 minute curfew. The first 2 periods were real Midget AAA hockey lasting 17 minutes each.

The Fire came out playing at a level the Bulldogs aren't accustomed to, and jumped on Alliance for a quick 3-1 lead at the end of one period of play. They scored first on a screened shot from just off the left post that the goalie never saw for a 1-0 lead, but the Bulldogs answered on a nice 1 on 1 that eluded the Atlanta goalie to tie it at 1-1 just a couple of minutes later. The Fire then mixed in a power play goal when a pass through the crease deflected off a Bulldog skate into the net to re-take the lead at 2-1. Atlanta then converted a Bulldog turnover in their own end into a shorthanded goal for the 3-1 score at the end of one period.

The Fire looked to take total control of the game with a quick goal in the first minute of the 2nd period to extend the lead to 4-1, but that was when the parade to the sin bin began. Alliance then showed some skillful passing and shooting, converting on 4 consecutive power plays to take the lead at 5-4 late in the period. The Bulldogs then received a break when it was determined that the 3rd period would last only 7 minutes due to the curfew. Without enough time in the 3rd, there were only 2 shots apiece and no goals in the final frame. Alliance will return Saturday afternoon to face the Detroit Trackers, losers to the Dallas Storm in the other morning game by a score of 6-3.

Midget Minor AA - These Bulldogs won't have to go far to get some quality competition, as they will stay right here in Dallas for the Dallas Storm U16 AAA Tournament in Plano. Along with the Dallas Storm, they will face the Atlanta Fire, and the Detroit Trackers. Many of the Alliance boys faced some of these same Atlanta players as Bantams in the Quarter-Finals of the USA Hockey National Championships in 2004, a Bulldog 6-3 win.

Alliance Teams Win 3 State Championships!!! Bulldogs Successfully Defend U14, U16, and U18 Titles....

Midget Minor AA: Alliance 10, Ice Hawks 0: The Bulldogs came ready to play, scoring 5 goals in the 1st period, then doubled it up with 5 more in the 3rd to take home the State Championship in the U16 Tier II State Tournament in Farmers Branch Sunday afternoon. Alliance got goals from 7 different players, 3 power play goals, 1 shorthanded goal, and points from every player on the bench to make it a true team win. The Bulldogs swept through their 4 tournament wins with 30 goals scored and only 3 allowed, and will represent Texas at the Rocky Mountain District Championships in Chandler, Arizona (Phoenix) March 9th through 13th.

Midget Minor AA: Alliance 5, Stars 1: The Bulldogs took care of business Sunday morning against the Stars, and will play for the State Championship in the U16 Tier II State Tournament in Farmers Branch Sunday afternoon. Alliance will face the Ice Hawks, who won the goal differential tie-breaker between the Stars, Wild, and Hawks. The Bulldogs defeated the Hawks 6-2 on Saturday, but the Hawks have given the boys from Alliance plenty of trouble this season, having scored more goals against the Bulldogs than all other Texoma teams combined. The puck drops at 2:00 for the right to represent Texas at the Rocky Mountain District Championships.

Midget Minor AA: Alliance 6, Ice Hawks 2: The Bulldogs spotted the Hawks a 1-0 lead in the 1st period on a breakaway, but would recover to come back and control play the rest of the way to win Game 2 of the U16 Tier II State Tournament in Farmers Branch Saturday afternoon. After being outplayed the 1st period, the Bulldogs eventually stepped up the pace and wore down the shorthanded Hawks, playing with only 11 skaters. Alliance will now face the Jr. Stars on Sunday morning, and with a win or tie will advance to the Championship game. The Jr. Stars beat the Ice Hawks 4-1 earlier in the day, but dropped a close one in the night-cap to the Wild by a score of 5-3.

Midget Minor AA: Alliance 9, Wild 0: The Bulldogs scored early and often, taking a 5-0 lead after one period and coasted to another shutout win in Game 1 of the U16 Tier II State Tournament in Farmers Branch Saturday morning. They will come back for Game 2 this afternoon at 5:00 against the Ice Hawks, who lost to the Jr. Stars 4-1 earlier in the day.

Midget Minor AA: Alliance 10, DJHA 1: The Bulldogs scored early and often and cruised to this unusual Tuesday night Texoma affair at the StarCenter in Frisco. Alliance extended their league leading record to 12-1-0, and have a 5-point lead over 2nd Place Houston Wild with 3 games to go in the regular season for each team. Both teams will finish up this weekend with 3 games a piece in Austin, facing each other in their final game on Sunday morning. The Bulldogs also won their 30th game of the season (30-6-1 overall). They will hit the ice again after that for the State Tournament in Farmers Branch February 12-13.

The Bulldogs Midget Minor AA team had the unique opportunity to play a different type of opponent Wednesday night, as they faced a team from Russia in Valley Ranch, Team Belgorod. This is the same team that the Bantam AAA team defeated in the Championship of the Texas Star Classic last weekend.

It was not the sharpest performance by the Bulldogs, but they came out on top by a score of 7-6 in the exhibition. For more information about Belgorod, click HERE.

Midget Minor AA - Dallas Ice Jets AAA 4, Alliance 1: The Alliance Minor AA faced a AAA opponent for the second day in a row, and this time it did not turn out as good as the first. The pace of the play was once again high tempo, and this time Alliance's habit of starting slow was more than they could overcome against an aggressive and quick team at the Ice Training Center on Sunday.

The Jets came out flying and out-shooting the Bulldogs 14 to 5 in the 1st period, converting on a power play and once at even strength to take a 2-0 lead after one period of play. The 2nd period had a better outcome, with the Bulldogs keeping it even with each team getting a goal, and the Ice Jets getting theirs on the man advantage again. Alliance trailed 3-1 going into the final frame, and comeback on their mind.

In the 3rd period, the Bulldogs would get plenty of chances to get back into the game, as the Jets continually took trips to the penalty box. Alliance would outshoot the Jets in the 3rd period 12 to 7 as a result of extended power play time, but they could not get the first shot past the goalie, or gather in a rebound for a second chance. The Jets would add an empty netter with 28 seconds left for the 4-1 final score.

Midget Minor AA - Alliance 6, Dallas Storm AAA 3: The Alliance Minor AA started slow again as has been their habit recently, but recovered in time to score 4 unanswered goals in the 3^rd period of this highly competitive contest at the Ice Training Center in Richardson.

The Storm came out ready ready to play, and the Bulldogs did not appear to be ready. Alliance was scrambling the entire 1st period, and was lucky to only trail 1-0 at the end of the 1st, despite being outshot 13 to 5.

The 2nd period was when the game started to swing in Alliance's favor, as they started to step up the pace as well. Both Alliance goals in the period were really nicely converted 2 on 1 opportunities. The period would have ended with the score tied at 2-2, but an Alliance defenseman fell down at the blueline defending a 2 on 1, leaving the Bulldog goalie playing a 2 on 0 from the blue line in. Needless to say, the result was the 2nd period ending with the Storm leading 3-2, with the shots fairly even at 11 to 10 Alliance.

The 3rd period was completely dominated by the Bulldogs, as they scored 4 unanswered goals, including 2 on the man advantage. Alliance moved the puck pretty well, the defense played tighter, and the the Bulldogs won the shot battle of the 3rd period 10-2, with both Storm shots being from the perimeter. Final shot total was 26-25 Alliance.

Midget Minor AA - Alliance 8, Hitmen 0: It was the same song, 2nd verse for the Bulldogs this weekend, as they recorded their second straight 8-0 victory, and their 5th shutout in the last 7 games. They got their 8 goals on Saturday with 53 shots, but it didn't take that many today, as they used the pass more effectively.

Looking for, and then using their line mates, the Bulldogs had even better distribution of the wealth than they did last night. On Sunday, 7 different players had goals, and an even dozen tallied points (that's 12 for those of you in Loma Linda).

Alliance got 3 in the 1st on 13 shots, and then 4 more in the 2nd on 16 shots. Houston was held to no shots in the 1st period, but had several quality scoring chances among their 9 shots in the 2nd period, as the Bulldog defense broke down a few times. The Alliance goaltending was there to save the day, though, and the defense rebounded to hold the Hitmen to only 1 shot in the 3rd period for the shutout.

The Bulldogs raised their Texoma mark to 11-1-0 for the season and will be back in semi-action on Wednesday when they have a controlled scrimmage with the Bantam AAA team at Valley Ranch.

Midget Minor AA - Alliance 8, DJHA 0: The Bulldogs laid it on the Penguins in this Texoma game at Valley Ranch, racking up 44 shots and all 8 goals in just the first 2 periods, and then coasted to another league victory. The Bulldogs got their 12th shutout of the season and extended their lead at the top of the Midget Minor AA Division of the Texoma league with a 10-1-0 record.

Alliance spread the goal scoring among 6 different players, 11 different players had points, with 6 skaters having a multiple point game. Everyone on the roster was at least a +1 or better for the night, everyone on the roster had at least 1 shot on goal, and the Bulldogs finished the evening out-shooting the Penguins 53 to 8. It will be back to the ice on Sunday as the Bulldogs face the Houston Hitmen at 9:15am.

The Midget Minor AA boys have 2 league tilts this weekend as they face the DJHA Penguins on Saturday and the Houston Hitmen in Texoma action, with both games being played at Valley Ranch. The 'Dogs currently sit on top of the Midget Minor AA Division with a 9-1-0 record.

Midget Minor AA - Arapahoe 4, Alliance 0: The Bulldogs' undefeated streak into the finals ending rather sharply, as they were shut out by the Arapahoe Warriors in the Championship Game of the Arvada Holiday Invitational in Colorado on Thursday.

The Bulldogs were consistently beat to the puck by the Warriors, and had to withstand a 1st period assault by Arapahoe that left them behind 1-0 and out-shot 6 to 2 at the end of the first frame. Although the shots evened out in the 2nd period at 6 apiece, Arapahoe converted on their chances to basically seal the game with 3 goals, as Alliance came up empty handed for their efforts.

The Bulldogs did not quit after getting down 4-0 after 2 periods, and outshot the Warriors 7 to 3 in the 3rd, but it was not enough to crack the Arapahoe defense or goalie. Alliance went 4-1 during the tournament, outscoring the opposition 17-5, and recording 3 shutouts.

Alliance will return to action on Saturday January 8th, as they face the DJHA Penguins in a Texoma contest at Valley Ranch.

Midget Minor AA - Alliance 7, Foothills 1: The Bulldogs again followed their recent and very familiar pattern of starting slowly and accelerating as the game goes along, this time against the Foothills Flyers in the Semi-Finals of the Arvada Holiday Invitational in Colorado on Tuesday afternoon.

Alliance tallied only 1 goal in the 1st period, and it was on the man advantage, despite out-shooting the Flyers 12 to 3 in the opening frame. The scoring picked up considerably in the 2nd, as among the 3 goals the Bulldogs got, one was short-handed. Foothills got a powerplay goal of their own, the first goal scored against Alliance in their 4 games of the tournament. The shots were 23 to 8 at the end of 2 periods, with the score at 4-1 in favor of Alliance going into the final period of play.

The 3rd period would be totally controlled by the Bulldogs, as they would rack up 20 shots, 3 even strength goals, allow no shots by the Flyers, while playing with a running clock most of the period.

Alliance advances to the Championship on Thursday against a familiar foe, the Arapahoe Warriors. The Warriors are in 1st Place of the always tough Colorado Competitive Youth Hockey League with a 9-1 league mark. The Bulldogs and Warriors battled each other in a very tough outing during the Thanksgiving Tournament in California, with Alliance coming out on top during that one by a score of 4-2. The Warriors will be looking to return the favor with more on the line this time.

One of the Arapahoe players is former Dallas Jr. Star Jay Lewis, son of former Dallas Jr. Stars Coach Pat Lewis. Several current Alliance players played with Jay, and for Pat, on the Stars PeeWee A team during the 2000-2001 season. Among those on the MMinor AA team are Justin Cooley, Andrew Smith, and Jordan Hall.

Midget Minor AA - Alliance 2, Arvada 0: The Bulldogs extended their tournament shutout streak to 3 in a row by playing opportunistic hockey against host Arvada in the 3rd round of the Arvada Holiday Invitational in Colorado on Tuesday afternoon.

This game was different from the first 2 games in almost every aspect except the score. Alliance would be outshot this time by almost a 2 to 1 margin, 22-12. It didn't look good in the 1st period when the Bulldogs found themselves down 2 men on a 3 on 5 penalty kill, and still missing 2 of their defensemen due to injury. The Alliance penalty killers and goaltending would come through, though, and they would survive the period with the score tied at 0-0 while being out-shot 8 to 2.

The 2nd period would be the deciding frame, as the Bulldogs would hit pay dirt twice on only 6 shots. The period was played fairly evenly, with both teams getting 6 shots on goal. The 3rd period tilted again to the Arvada end of the ice, with Alliance allowing multiple odd-man rushes throughout the period. Bulldog back-checking efforts were rewarded, though, as few quality shots were allowed on those rushes, and Alliance got their 3rd shutout in a row, and 11th of the season in just 30 games.

Alliance will await the outcome of a late Tuesday game to find out their opponent for Wednesday, and barring a complete disaster, the Bulldogs should advance to the semi-finals.

Midget Minor AA - Alliance 4, Boulder 0: The Bulldogs started slow again, but continued their streak of finishing strong along with good team defense and goaltending to shut out the Bison in the 2nd round of the Arvada Holiday Invitational in Colorado on Tuesday.

Playing in the early game of the day, the Bulldogs would out-shoot the Bison 6 to 1 in the 1st period, but the game was still scoreless as the period ended. In the 2nd frame, Alliance would step up the shot ratio by a count of 9 to 1, but would only have a 1-0 lead going into the 3rd and final period. The Bulldogs would finally start getting results, as they tallied 3 goals in the final period on 10 shots.

The Bison finally started to crack the Alliance defense for a few more shots, but it would not be enough to avoid the 2nd straight shutout of the tournament by the Bulldog goaltenders. Final shots would be in the Bulldogs' favor 25-8, but it was overall a rather sloppy game by Alliance, with more turnovers than usual.

Midget Minor AA - Alliance 4, Denver 0: The Bulldogs avenged their only regulation loss in last month's Thanksgiving tournament in California by shutting out the Pioneers of the University of Denver in the 1st round of the Arvada Holiday Invitational in Colorado on Monday.

With the Bulldogs already playing without 2 defenseman and 1 forward due to injuries, they suffered another loss when a forward went down with a shoulder injury in the 2nd period. Despite the thin roster and some forwards having to play defense, the 'Dogs were up to the task, as they converted on 2 power play opportunities and pulled away in the 3rd period of this opening round game. Alliance took their 1-0 lead in the 1st period on a man advantage tally, and outshot the Pioneers 10-6 in the frame.

The 2nd period was more even, with the shots at 8-7 Denver, and the game carried into the 3rd with the score still at 1-0 Alliance. Remembering their 2-1 loss at the hands of the Pioneers in California despite out-shooting them 44-18, the Bulldogs would have nothing of an upset on this day. Riding the momentum of another power play goal, Alliance would add 2 more at even strength to ride to the 4-0 shutout victory.

Facing the same goalie that beat them earlier, the Bulldogs would pepper the Denver netminder with 11 more shots in the 3rd, while holding the Pioneers to only 3 on their own end. There were still a couple of anxious moments though, as the Alliance defense once again tested and trusted their goaltending to prevent the break-away goal twice during the contest.

The Bulldogs go at it early on Tuesday, as they face Boulder at 8:00 am, and then come back later in the afternoon for a game against the host Arvada at 5:00 pm. Denver, Boulder, and Arvada all compete in the tough AA Division of the Colorado Competitive Youth Hockey League.

Midget Minor AA - Alliance 7, Houston Wild 1: The Midget Minor AA played their first game after a Texoma loss, and the Houston Wild was the unfortunate victim. Alliance was 4 of 5 on the powerplay, and road those goals to a convincing 7-1 Texoma win at Valley Ranch.

The Bulldogs scored 2 power play goals in the 1st period, but the Wild did not learn their lesson, and continued to put themselves in shorthanded situations. Alliance converted with three more 5 on 4 goals in the 2nd period, added 2 even strength tallies, and the 2nd period ended with Alliance on top 7-1. The 3rd period was scoreless and uneventful with a running clock. The win gives the Bulldogs a league leading 9-1-0 record in Texoma, and an overall season mark of 22-4-1.

The Midget Minor AA will take a couple of weeks off from competition for Christmas, and resume action 2 days after Christmas in Arvada, Colorado for a tough Holiday Tournament.

Midget Minor AA - Alliance 2, Storm 2: The Midget Minor AA got their first taste of the Dallas Storm AAA in a tough back and forth 2-2 tie at Valley Ranch. The Bulldogs lit the lamp just over 2 minutes into the game and held a 1-0 lead after one period. In the 2nd period, a turnover by Alliance in the offensive end led to a Storm breakaway goal to knot the score at 1-1 at the halfway point of the period and the game.

Alliance would take the lead again less than 4 minutes later, as they converted on the power play, knocking in a rebound near the post just as the penalty expired. It remained 2-1 Bulldogs after 2 periods of play, with Alliance controlling play more so than the Storm, and they carried a 14-6 edge in shots into the 3rd period.

The Storm caught a break less than a minute into the 3rd, as a low hard shot from the point was re-directed by an Alliance defender just in front of the Bulldog netminder and into the net to tie the score at 2-2. The Storm seemed to pick up the pace after this, and the remaining 14 minutes were played very hard and evenly, with the shots in the last period being Alliance 9, Storm 8.

Shots for game ended Alliance 23, Storm 14, with the Bulldogs 1 of 4 on the man advantage, and the Storm getting only 2 chances on the powerplay. Alliance takes their first tie and a 21-3-1 record into tonight's Texoma game against the Stars at Farmer's Branch at 8:30 pm.

Midget Minor AA - Stars 2, Alliance 1: The Minor AA followed up their morning tilt with a Texoma contest against the Dallas Stars AA at Farmer's Branch in the evening. The Stars made the most of their few scoring chances and handed the Bulldogs a 2-1 loss, giving the Alliance their first league defeat of the season.

Alliance held the Stars off the shot chart in both the 1st and 3rd periods, but made up for it in the 2nd period by giving the Stars two 2 on 0 breakaways and two 1 on 0 breakaways. They converted on 2 of their chances and that would be all they would need to take the victory, even though they were outshot by the Bulldogs 23-13 for the game, with all 13 of their shots coming in the 2nd period.

The Midget Minor AA will finally get their chance at one of the local AAA teams, as they will go up against the Dallas Storm Minor AAA Saturday morning at Valley Ranch at 9:30 am. Their one common opponent has been the Alliance Minor AAA team, with the Storm losing 5-1 and the Alliance AA losing 5-0, one of only 3 losses for the Alliance AA this season.

This game will just be the start for the Minor AA, as they will face the Stars Select Saturday night in Farmer's Branch at 8:30 pm, and the Houston Wild Sunday at Valley Ranch at 7:30 am. The Minor AA Team brings a solid 21-3-0 record into the weekend after going 3-0-0 in Texoma play last weekend.

Texoma: The Midget Minor AA Team also played this weekend at Valley Ranch, extending their Texoma record to 8-0-0 with victories over the Dallas Stars, Ice Hawks, and Houston Wild.

Tournament: The Midget Minor AA advanced to the Semi-Finals of the One Hockey Challenge over the Thanksgiving Holiday in Simi Valley, California. The Bulldogs just missed advancing to the championship, as after a 2-2 draw during regulation and sudden-death overtime, the Phoenix Firebirds advanced as a result of a breakaway shootout contest.

Alliance made it to the Semis by way of an opening game 2-0 shutout victory over those same Phoenix Firebirds, a hard fought 4-2 win over the Arapahoe Warriors of Colorado, and a 6-0 shutout over the Tigers of Colorado Springs. The Dogs dropped a heartbreaker that turned out to not hurt them in the standings when they out-shot Denver University 44-18, but still lost 2-1.