Thursday, March 31, 2005   Update on National Championships...

 

Midget Minor AAA: Alliance - 6, Rochester - 5 (OT):  In a battle of special teams, the Bulldogs came out ahead in this one, but had to go the extra time to get the OT win in Game 2 of the USA Hockey National Championships in Bensenville, Illinois.   After being victimized themselves by the power play twice in the 1st period, Alliance would come up with 4 of their own man advantage goals, including the game winner just over 3 minutes into sudden death.  

 

The game started crazy and stayed that way, with 5 goals being scored in the 1st period, 3 of them the power play variety.  The Americans had the edge on man advantage goals in the period, and as a result, carried a 3-2 lead into the first intermission.  The 2nd period was more of the same, this time with the Bulldogs getting 2 power play goals and tying the game up at 4-4 after 2 periods of play.

 

There were 8 more penalties in the 3rd period, but the goal scored by each team was of the unusual even strength type, and both goals were scored within 7 seconds of one another.  Neither team could pull away from the other, and it would take the additional time in the extra frame to determine a winner.  Following the order of the day, the Bulldogs would tally another power play goal to end it and raise their tournament mark to 1-1.  Alliance will face the New Jersey Devils, who lost a very close 3-2 game against the #1 Ranked Mid-Fairfield team earlier in the day.

 

 

 

Saturday, February 26, 2005

 

Midget Minor AAA -  Alliance 4, Pikes Peak Major AAA 3:  The Bulldogs faced their first U18AAA opponent of the season, as they went up against the Midget Major AAA Pikes Peak Miners late Saturday afternoon at the World Arena in Colorado Springs.   Alliance came out looking pretty good, as they took a 3-1 lead into the 3rd period and went on to hold the lead for a 4-3 win.  The Bulldogs will face the Colorado Thunderbirds Minor AAA again on Sunday morning at the Air Force Academy before heading home to Texas.

 

Midget Minor AAA -  Alliance 2, Colorado 1:  The Bulldogs went with a varied lineup in this one, as they will be facing the Thunderbirds again in 2 weeks at the Rocky Mountain District Championships in Colorado Springs March 9-13.  Alliance took a 1-0 lead, only to have Colorado tie it up at 1-1 later, and then the game stayed that way until late in the 3rd period.  With the game looking like it might end all tied up, the Bulldogs got the game winner with just over 3 minutes remaining and held on for the win.  They will face the Midget Major AAA Pikes Peak Miners late Saturday afternoon, before ending the weekend against these same Thunderbirds Sunday morning.

 

 

Thursday, February 24, 2005

 

Alliance Midget Minor AAA Wins Tier I U16AAA State Championship!!!

 

Midget Minor AAA -  Alliance 8, Dallas Storm 1:  Game 2 went about the same as Game 1, except the Bulldogs started the scoring a little earlier and captured the Texas Tier I U16AAA State Championship with a 2-game sweep of the Dallas Storm Midget Minor AAA in Valley Ranch Thursday afternoon.   Once again, the Bulldog power play was very successful, as a 3 for 9 night on the man advantage kept the Storm chasing continually in their own end. 

 

The Bulldogs scored on their first shot of the game, a change-up that caught the goalie moving the opposite way as the puck slid slowly past the goal line on a whiffed shot attempt for a 1-0 lead at 11:08 of the 1st period.   Approximately 4 minutes later, a loose puck was picked up by Alliance and shot through traffic in front of the Storm goal for a 2-0 lead that held to the end of the first period.

 

The 2nd period was when the outcome was confirmed, as Alliance got all 3 power play goals on 6 chances during the period, and outshot the Storm 15 to 1 during the frame.  The first goal came on a nice pass from the left wing half boards to a Bulldog in the low slot, who one-timed it through the 5-hole for a 3-0 lead at 10:47 and a Storm goalie change.  It wasn't the goalie taking the penalties, though, so the Storm continued to stay on the penalty kill throughout the period, caused by the Alliance quickness, speed, and puck movement.  For the 2nd time in the series, the Bulldogs scored back-to-back goals 5 on 3, then 5 on 4, making the lead 5-0 after 2 periods.

 

The Bulldogs extended the lead to 8-0 with 3 even strength goals in the 3rd period, and the Storm ruined the shutout on a goal with only 1:57 remaining.  The Bulldogs now advance to the Rocky Mountain District Championships in Colorado Springs March 9-13.

 

Wednesday, February 23, 2005

 

Midget Minor AAA -  Alliance 8, Dallas Storm 0:  The Bulldogs began their quest for the State Championship slowly, but eventually got up to speed in the 2nd and 3rd periods and cruised to a win in Game 1 of a Best of 3 series against the Dallas Storm Midget Minor AAA in Valley Ranch Wednesday night.  The Storm was playing without 5 of their regulars, but Alliance showed no mercy, as they scored almost every way you can and take a 1-0 lead in the series.

 

Both teams got power play chances in the 1st period, but neither could capitalize, as the goalies came out ready to play from the start.  The 1st period ended 0-0, but the Bulldogs still had 1:20 remaining on the man advantage to start the 2nd frame.  It didn't take long, as a hard wrist shot from just below the right face-off dot found its way past the Storm goalie and just inside the post on the short side for a power play goal and a 1-0 lead for the Bulldogs at 16:10.   Just over a minute later,  Alliance struck again, this time on the other side and down low, as a rebound found its way back to the stick it came from and was sent back to the net true for the 2-0 edge.

 

It would stay 2-0 for over 7 minutes, during which the Storm had 2 power play chances and could not convert.  The Bulldog lead was increased at the 7:03 mark when an Alliance forward sent a pass from the right corner to the stick of his cycling partner for a one-timer from the face-off dot to make it 3-0.  After the Storm went back on the power play again, the Bulldogs created a turnover in the Storm end and tallied a short-handed goal with just 2 seconds remaining on the Storm power play at 1:44 to make it 4-0 at the end of 2 periods of play.

 

Alliance would start the 3rd period on the man advantage again like the 2nd period, this time with a clean sheet of ice to work with.  The Storm penalty killers did the job this time, but would have to go back to work shortly thereafter, as they went 3 on 5 for 1:50 just a couple of minutes later.  Alliance would take advantage and seal the game with 2 more power play goals, one a 5 on 3, and then again on the ensuing 5 on 4 via a breakaway past the overworked Storm defensemen for a 6-0 lead at 13:07 remaining.

 

The teams would trade power plays twice more, with the Bulldogs getting another tally, making it 4 for 7 on the advantage, plus a shorty.  The Bulldog penalty killers were perfect on all 7 Storm power plays.  The scoring would end on a nice 2 on 1 converted by Alliance at 5:08 for the final 8-0 margin.    The teams will hit it again early Thursday, when they square off at 4:45 pm in Valley Ranch, this time with the Storm getting 4 of their players back and looking to extend the series to a Game 3.  The Bulldogs will be looking to sweep and earn that Regional berth in March.

 

Sunday, February 13, 2005

 

Midget Minor AAA:  Shattuck-St. Mary's 5, Alliance 2:    The Bulldogs discovered again that penalties will hurt you against top ranked competition, and dropped the final game of this 3-game set to Shattuck-St. Mary’s (SSM) in Faribault, Minnesota Sunday morning.   After battling on the penalty kill for most of the game, the Bulldogs could never mount much of a counter attack.  Alliance will return home with a respectable 1-1-1 record while in Faribault, fairing better than most other teams venturing into SSM territory.

 

Saturday, February 12, 2005

 

Midget Minor AAA:  Alliance 4, Shattuck-St. Mary's 3:    The Bulldogs played much better in the night-cap, and handed the 3^rd Ranked Shattuck-St. Mary’s (SSM) U16 Team only their 4th loss in 53 games thus far this season in Faribault, Minnesota late Saturday night.   The 2 teams fought to a 1-1 tie at the end of the 1st period, but the Bulldogs would go up by 2 at 3-1, and then again at 4-2.  SSM would then find themselves in an unfamiliar position of fighting back themselves, making it 4-3 in the 3rd period, and then finishing the game on the power play with an empty net in their own end.  Alliance would hold them off on the 2-man advantage for win.  The final game of the series will be early Sunday morning.

 

Midget Minor AAA:  Alliance 6, Shattuck-St. Mary's 6:    The Bulldogs spent too much time in the penalty box and fell behind 5-2, but would continue to battle back, eventually catching up to gain a tie against the 3^rd Ranked Shattuck-St. Mary’s (SSM) U16 Team in Faribault, Minnesota on Saturday afternoon.   Although out-shooting SSM by a 38-32 margin, the Bulldogs did not play their best and were fortunate to come away with a tie against such a strong competitor.  The 2 top 5 ranked teams will battle again later tonight in Game 2 of their 3-game series.

 

Friday, February 11, 2005

 

The Midget Minor AAA boys will face another tough test this weekend as they travel to Minnesota to face the 3^rd Ranked Shattuck-St. Mary’s (SSM) U16 Team.  This nationally-recognized boys' hockey team at SSM comes into the 2-game set with an impressive season record of 43-3-5.  For more information about SSM, you can download a copy of their 2004-2005 Season Program in Adobe Acrobat PDF format.

 

 

Sunday, January 30, 2005

 

  Alliance Midget Minor AAA - Dallas Cup 2005 Champions!!!

 

   Midget Minor U16 AAA Final: 

                                                1st   2nd   3rd    Total                 Shots - 1st   2nd    3rd    Total                

                     Alliance                  2      4      6        12                                13     19     11       43

                     Victory Honda         0      0      0         0                                 10      3       5        18

 

 

The Bulldogs came out flying and never stopped in this one, as the best game they played in the tournament came at the right time, and the boys from Victory Honda were the unfortunate victims.  Alliance went undefeated at 5-0, and captured their 4th Tournament Championship of the season to go along with 2 other runner-up finishes in seven total tournaments thus far.  The outcome should help them at least retain their current ranking of 5th in the nation among U16 Tier I AAA teams, extending their record to an impressive 34-6-3 for the season. 

 

 

The Bulldogs wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard, as they lit the lamp early at 14:28 when a pass from behind the net went into the crease and was deflected between the goalies pads for a 1-0 lead.  Honda got a golden opportunity to tie the score at 10:26 when Alliance was whistled for taking a man down on a breakaway, resulting in a penalty shot for Honda.  The ensuing deke and forehand was stoned by the Alliance netminder to regain the momentum for the Bulldogs. 

 

Alliance made it 2-0 at the 6:52 mark when a hard shot from just left of the Honda goalie eluded him and trickled just over the line for the score.  The shots were 13 to 10 in favor of Alliance, but Honda was still in the game at the end of one period of play.

 

The Bulldogs continued to press hard and hit the post on a 2 on 1 rush at 16:05 of the 2nd period, and then made it 3-0 at 13:30 when a Bulldog was left alone in the low slot.  You knew it wasn't Honda's day when an Alliance forward came into the offensive zone with the puck, fell down, got up, and still had time to make a move and get a shot off from the high slot for a 4-0 lead at 11:58 left in the 2nd frame.  What wind there was clearly left the Honda sails, and the goalie change made at this point was merely spitting into the wind.  The goalie being relieved was the lucky one.  The Bulldogs were not kind hosts to the newcomer, as they scored on him at 8:24 on a power play goal, and then again on a breakaway with 6:14 remaining in the period.  To make matters worse (if possible), Honda was whistled for a 5 minute spearing major with 1:25 left.

 

To begin the 3rd period, the apparent result had been clearly determined at this point, so both coaches agreed to wave off the zamboni to forego the flood and intermission.  A running clock would normally help hold the score down, but everything went right for Alliance and nothing for Honda.  The Bulldogs scored 3 goals in the first half of the final period to make it 9-0, and then added 3 more late for the final score of 12-0. 

 

Midget Minor AAA Semi-Finals:  Alliance 6, San Jose 3:    The Bulldogs started strong in this one, leading 1-0 after the 1st period, and 4-2 after the 2nd.   They then pulled away in the 3rd period with 2 goals after the Sharks pulled to within 1 at 4-3 just 22 seconds into the final frame, and earned a spot in the Championship game of the Dallas Cup 2005 at 2:00 in Farmers Branch.  They will face Victory Honda, the other Semi-Final winner over the Colorado Thunderbirds 4-0. 

 

 

The Bulldogs almost scored in the first 10 seconds as they got a breakaway right off the opening face-off, but the Shark goalie made the save.  Alliance went on the power play at 15:14 and looked good with excellent puck movement, but couldn't get it past the Shark netminder.  The Bulldogs would finally solve him at 11:52 for the 1-0 lead on a nice snap shot by the defenseman from just above the right face-off circle that went to the far high corner of the net after a feed from down low.  Alliance would control play for almost the entire period, except for a brief moment of scrambling in front of their own net with 2:10 remaining in the period.  The Bulldogs would take a 1-0 lead into the 2nd frame after out-shooting the Sharks 10 to 3 in the 1st.

 

 

The Sharks tied it up 1-1 at 12:20 of the 2nd period when a rebound off a shot from the point found its way onto the forehand of a San Jose player down low for their first goal of the morning.  An apparent Alliance goal for the lead was waved off under a minute later as a Bulldogs was ruled to be in the crease.  The 'ole 5 on 3 shorthanded situation reared its ugly head again for 'Dogs at 10:28 when a bench minor and some on-ice confusion put San Jose 2 men up for 2 minutes.  They made the Bulldogs pay, when with 51 seconds still remaining on the 2-man advantage, a nice wrist shot from inside the face-off circle found its way past everyone for a San Jose 2-1 lead at 9:20 left in the 2nd.

 

 

The Sharks then reciprocated by going down 2 men for 39 seconds just over a couple of minutes later.  Alliance did not score on the 5 on 3, but tied it up at 2-2 just as time expired on the 2nd penalty with 5:20 remaining in the period.  The momentum took effect when on the face-off after the goal, the Bulldog center took off on a breakaway for another goal just 7 seconds later to give Alliance the lead again at 5:13.  San Jose tried to break a man free behind the Alliance defense a few minutes later, but it back-fired as the Bulldog goalie came up, retrieved the puck, and made a nice breakout pass to neutral ice that was turned into a goal one pass later for the 4-2 margin with 2:38 left in the period.  Alliance took another penalty as time expired, so San Jose would start the 3rd period with a clean sheet of ice and a man advantage.  Shots were 13 to 6 in favor of the Bulldogs in the 2nd period, and both teams struck pay dirt once on the power play.

 

The Sharks would take advantage of the clean ice and trim the lead back to 1 at 4-3 on a power play goal only 22 seconds into the final frame.  The Bulldogs would have nothing of the notion that San Jose was back in the game however, as they responded 62 seconds later as a hard forecheck created a turnover in the Shark end that was converted on a shot and rebound goal to make it 5-3 Alliance at 15:36.  The teams then traded power play opportunities, with Alliance getting the final goal on the man advantage with on 2:17 remaining to make the final score 6-3.  Total shots for the game were 28 to 20 in favor of the Bulldogs, and both teams were 2 for 5 on the power play.

 

 

 

 

Saturday, January 29, 2005 - Dallas Cup

 

Midget Minor AAA:  Alliance 5, Colorado 2:    The Bulldogs faced their toughest challenge thus far in the Dallas Cup 2005 at Farmers Branch Saturday morning against the Thunderbirds.  But after a slow start and trailing 2-1 at the end of the 1st period, Alliance overtook the Thunderbirds with 4 unanswered goals the rest of the way and gained a spot in the Semi-Finals by way of an undefeated 3-0 record in the preliminary rounds. 

 

 

The Thunderbirds came out with a lot of spunk and were ready to show their previous 2 losses to the Bulldogs were not the way it would go today.  They took a penalty just seconds after the opening face-off, but killed that Alliance power play opportunity, and then took the early 1-0 lead at the 13:12 mark on a bang-bang play that featured a nice pass from behind the net to a player in the low slot for the re-direct.

 

It was fast paced action continuously throughout the 1st period, and Alliance finally responded for the tying goal with 4:20 remaining.  Two players moved up for the game from the Tier II team combined on a really nice give and go, as the second pass made for an easy lay-up to make the score 1-1. 

 

Colorado was again put on the man advantage shortly thereafter, and with only 1:24 remaining in the period, got their only power play goal when the Alliance defense got tied up behind the net and left a Thunderbird all alone in front.  Colorado took the 2-1 lead into the 2nd period, along with their 11-6 shot advantage during the opening frame.

 

The 2nd period would be all Alliance, as they started to take control of the play, drawing an interference penalty on the Thunderbirds just over 2 minutes into the period.  The Bulldogs would then tie the game again on their first power play goal, with good puck movement down low and behind the Colorado net, making it 2-2 at the 14:01 mark.  Alliance would then take the lead for the first time with the eventual game winner on a nice chip from neutral ice to just inside the Colorado zone for a short breakaway that was converted on the backhand for a 3-2 lead at 11:44 remaining in the 2nd period. 

 

The Bulldogs would get 2 more power play chances in the period, but did not tally, as they hit the post at the 8:58 mark.  Colorado could not convert on their only man advantage of the frame at 5:13.  Alliance dominated the 2nd period shot total at 11 to 2, and was 1 for 3 on the power play.

 

With a clean sheet of ice to start the 3rd period, Alliance continued where they left off in the previous period, and made it a 2-goal margin at 15:34 on a shot, deflection, and a rebound.  Just over 2 minutes later, the Bulldogs would convert on special teams again, this time crowding the net and knocking home a loose puck for the 5-2 lead at 12:02 remaining. 

 

The rest of the period would be scoreless, but none-the-less entertaining, as Colorado got 3 more power play opportunities down the stretch.  Plenty of intensity led to numerous visits to the sin bin, which did get a little crowded towards the end of the game.  Alliance ended up winning the shot battle at 29-20, and was 2 for 6 on the power play, while Colorado was 1 for 5.

 

Alliance advances to the Semi-Finals as the No. 1 Seed to face the San Jose Sharks, the No. 4 Seed, at 8:00am Sunday morning in Valley Ranch.  The winner of that game will face the winner of the Victory Honda - Colorado game for the Championship at 2:00pm in Farmers Branch.

 

 

Friday, January 28, 2005 - Dallas Cup

 

Midget Minor AAA:  Alliance 5, Phoenix 4:    The Bulldogs came out on top in this one, but it wasn’t pretty as they trailed 1-0 less than 2 minutes into the game, could not put the Firebirds away, and hung on despite allowing 2 late power play goals in their 2nd game of the day in the Dallas Cup 2005 in Valley Ranch.

 

Alliance looked like they might take the early lead on a breakaway, but it was rejected, and Phoenix turned it the other way for their own breakaway that was also rejected.  The Firebirds, however, turned the momentum from the play into a 1-0 lead at 15:15 as a forward came out of the corner uncontested for a tight shot that found its way into the net.  Phoenix threatened to increase the lead just over a minute later on a 2 on 1 chance, but could not convert.

 

Alliance tied it up on a 2 on 2 wrist shot from the top of the right face-off dot at 13:07, and then took their first lead less than a minute later on their first of 2 power play goals at 12:21.  It was  another nice shot, this time a slap shot from the point that found its way past everyone, including the Phoenix goalie.  The Firebirds had a chance to tie it up another minute later when they got past the Alliance defense, but the post was the goalies’ friend and rejected the shot at 11:25.

 

The Bulldogs then began their experiment with penalties, giving the Firebirds their first of several 5 on 3 power plays, first for 1:35, and then again 12 seconds later for another 2:38 down 2 men.  Alliance killed them all off, and then appeared to increase their lead at 2:04, but an apparent goal was waved off due to the net being dislodged, as happened numerous times on this afternoon.  The 1st period would end with Alliance leading 2-1, and Phoenix holding the edge on shots at 10-8.

 

The 2^nd period started with, surprise, another Phoenix 5 on 3 power play, this time for 2 minutes as 2 different Bulldogs took penalties on the same play.  The Firebirds would finally make the Bulldogs pay, as they got their first of 3 man advantage goals at 13:48 when a screen allowed a high shot to find its way into the far corner of the net to tie the score at 2-2.  The teams must have liked playing without all those players on the ice, as they traded power plays throughout the frame, with Alliance finally re-taking the lead at 9:28 on their second power play goal on a deflected shot from the point for the 3-2 score.  The Bulldogs managed to rack up 18 shots during the period to only six for the Firebirds, but couldn’t get more than that one goal.

 

The 3^rd period started with Phoenix on the power play (imagine that), but they nullified it themselves with their own infraction.  Alliance would get their first 2-goal lead at 12:16 with a nice backhand shot from down low near the goal line that beat the Phoenix goalie for a 4-2 advantage.  The Bulldogs looked like they might make it a yawner near the end by taking a 5-2 lead with 5:46 remaining, but little did they know at the time it would end up being the game winner. 

 

The near disaster started to unfold at the 3:34 mark when Phoenix went once again to the 5 on 3 setup for more than 2 minutes due to multiple Alliance penalties.  They converted at 2:13 on a deflected shot from the point to make it 5-3 Alliance, and still on the power play, they made it a one-shot game at 5-4 with 1:06 remaining on another shot from the point, this time a low one that weeded its way through traffic and into the Bulldog net.

 

Alliance would kill the final minute of play and take the ugly win for a 2-0 tournament mark going into their final preliminary game against Colorado, who defeated Phoenix 6-0 earlier in the day.  Alliance outshot the Firebirds 34 to 23, but the Phoenix power play efficiency was higher at 30% (3 for 10) to 25% (2 for 8) for Alliance.

 

 

Midget Minor AAA:  Alliance 7, Omaha 1:    The Bulldogs controlled this one from the start and cruised to the win in the 1^st Round in the U16 Division of the Dallas Cup 2005.  Out-shooting the Energy 16 to 2 in the 1^st period, Alliance scored their first goal at the 9:52 mark on a mini-breakaway that was nicely slid between the goalies’ pads for a 1-0 lead. 

 

The lead was extended to 2-0 late, as with only 1:52 remaining in the period, a loose rebound in the crease was slid home by the Bulldogs.  Scoring was just getting heated up as Alliance took their 2 goal lead into the 2^nd period.  Both teams were 0 for 1 on the man advantage during the first period.

 

The 2^nd period was when the game was decided on the scoreboard, as the Bulldogs scored just over a minute into the period when a rebound found itself next to the post where it was jammed between the goalies’ skate and the post for a 3-0 margin.  Following a couple of Alliance penalties, Omaha got a chance to reduce the lead with a 5 on 3 power play for over a minute at 13:13 left in the 2^nd. 

 

The Bulldogs survived the shorthanded situation and then converted on their own power play at 10:32, when a 3 on 1 was nicely converted with a shot and a rebound goal for a 4-0 lead.  Alliance would then put the game away with 3 more goals in the next 6 minutes, one on another power play on a shot from the point that was deflected in front.  Their 7^th goal was a 3 on 2 when a drop pass was shot hard from the high slot and the shooter collected his own rebound for the tally.  Shots were closer in the 2^nd period at 15 to 9 Alliance, but most Omaha shots were collected on the man advantage.

 

 

After a flood of the ice and a brief rest, the players hit the ice with the Bulldogs leading 7-0 to start the 3^rd period.  The Energy ruined the shutout bid early, as they got a nice shot through a screen in front of the Alliance goalie for their only goal at 15:22.  With a running clock due to the goal differential, the final period went quickly and uneventfully, with Omaha winning the shot battle 6 to 5.

 

Playing without 3 of their regulars and with 4 players from the Alliance U16 Tier II team, the Bulldogs still dominated the game and the shot totals at 36-17.  Alliance was 2 for 4 on the power play and Omaha was held scoreless in their 5 tries on the man advantage.

 

Monday, January 17, 2005

 

Midget Minor  AAA -  California Wave 5, Alliance 4:  The Bulldogs played another close one against the Wave again, this time in the Championship Game of the LA Jr. Kings Tournament, Monday afternoon in Los Angeles.  The result was the same, but the score was even tighter. 

 

Midget Minor  AAA -  Alliance 5, LA Jr. Kings 3:  The Bulldogs beat the host team for the 2nd time in 2 days, this time in the Semi-Finals, and advance to the Championship Game of the LA Jr. Kings Tournament, to be played at 2:00 pm PST on Monday in Los Angeles. 

 

Sunday, January 16, 2005

 

Midget Minor  AAA -  Alliance 7, Yorba Linda:  The Bulldogs would not take this one lightly, as seeding for the semi-finals was on the line.  They took care of business easily, and will advance to the Semi-Finals of the LA Jr. Kings Tournament as the No. 2 Seed on Monday morning.  They will face the Host LA Jr. Kings again for the right to face the winner of the California Wave-LA Hockey Club winner in the Championship game.

 

Midget Minor  AAA -  Alliance 6, LA Jr. Kings 3:  Playing without 2 of their forwards due to injury, the Bulldogs made due, and came away with a nice 6-3 win over the host team in the 3rd round of the LA Jr. Kings Tournament. 

 

The Bulldogs learned that one of their forwards would be out for quite a while with a broken collarbone, and another one out for at least the rest of this tournament with a concussion and bruised shoulder.   The other guys took up the slack and had to spend a lot of time on the penalty kill, as the Bulldogs continually took a rest in the sin bin.  They would fall behind early 1-0, but would recover to take a 3-1 lead into the 2nd frame and then cruise to the victory with 3 more along the way.

 

Saturday, January 15, 2005

 

Midget Minor  AAA -  Alliance 8, LA Hockey Club AAA 0:  Good news and bad news.  The good new is obvious, as the Bulldogs cruised to an impressive shutout win, but the victory came with a price.  Alliance lost 2 forwards to what appear to be fairly serious shoulder injuries, along with a possible concussion.  The game was secondary, as news on the condition of the hurt players will be anticipated with baited breath.  More information will be provided as it is received.

 

 

Friday, January 14, 2005

 

Midget Minor  AAA -  Calif. Wave AAA 7, Alliance 5:  Facing another Top 5 Nationally Ranked opponent is tough enough, but after a month layoff and a 3 hour flight, it was even more difficult.  The Bulldogs were up to the challenge, though, and gave the Wave everything they wanted, pushing them into the 3^rd period with the game tied before falling late.  

 

Alliance held the lead briefly at 2-1, but quickly fell behind and trailed 5-3 at the end of the 2nd period.  The Bulldogs would continue to battle, and scrambled back to tie the game at 5-5 in the 3rd period and make it a tight game.  The Wave skill and talent should not be tested on the man advantage though, and the Bulldogs found this out the hard way by allowing a powerplay goal for the eventual game winner.  The Wave would add a late goal to make the final 7-5, but it was a good game for the Bulldogs all things considered.

 

 

Thursday, January 6, 2005

 

In the latest news, our Bulldogs Midget Minor AAA team has risen up a notch in the most recent U16 Tier 1 Midget Hockey Computer Ratings, and is currently ranked 5th in the nation as a U16 Tier I AAA team. The team took the Christmas and New Year holidays off, and will return to action on the Martin Luther King Holiday Weekend when they travel to Los Angeles for the LA Jr. Kings Tournament.

 

Friday, December 10, 2004

 

PLAYER MOVEMENT:  Congratulations are in order for Midget Minor AAA forward Colin Haas ('89), as he has been promoted to the roster of the Dallas Stars Major Midget AAA team.  Colin will join his former teammate from the Minor AAA team, forward Matt Aponte ('88), who was promoted a few weeks ago.  This is a great accomplishment for both players, as the Dallas Stars are currently ranked 7th in the nation in one U18 Tier I AAA poll and 6th in another.

 

Saturday, December 4, 2004

 

Midget Minor AAA - Alliance 7, Ice Jets 1:  The Midget Minor AAA finally got their chance at the Ice Jets U16 AAA team this weekend at Valley Ranch.  The Ice Jets got on the board first, but that was the last they would see the back of the net.  The Bulldogs started slowly, but brought the intensity up and cruised to a convincing 7-1 win, running their record to 25-4-3.

Sunday, November 28, 2004

 

Tournament:  The Midget Minor AAA added another championship to their resume as they went 4-0-2 to win the Pittsburg U16 Tier I AAA Invitational over the Thanksgiving Holiday.  With victories over national recognized Tier I AAA programs such as the San Jose Sharks, Central Penn Panthers, Pittsburgh Hornets, and the St. Louis Jr. Blues, the Bulldogs ran their season record to 24-4-3. 

In addition to their Championships in the Little Caesars Motor City Cup  and King of the Rockies tournaments, the  Bulldogs are now ranked 6th in the nation in the U16 Tier I AAA Division.

In the latest news our Bulldogs Midget Minor AAA team out shot their cross town rivals, the Midget Minor AAA Dallas Storm, with a 5-1 win in a penalty filled game. This Alliance team is currently ranked 8th in the nation as a U16 Tier I AAA team..