Lone Star Brahmas – Corpus Christi Icerays Preview
By Kirk Estes
The Lone Star Brahmas will be on the Texas Gulf Coast this weekend for a two game set against the Corpus Christi Icerays. With one third of the season behind them, the Brahmas have had more ups and downs than a Six Flags roller coaster on their way to a 6 – 14 – 1 record. Following a three point weekend to open the season the Brahmas went on a seven game losing streak. There have been some bright spots of late as they have garnered four of their six wins in the last nine games. That said there have also been some major setbacks during the same stretch.
You have to look no further than the last six games against three of the top four teams in the NAHL South to get a feel for Lone Star’s recent Jekyll and Hyde play. The Brahmas hung tough with the defending National Champion Amarillo Bulls before dropping a 4 -2 decision. The next night the Bulls got the shutout in a 7 – 0 laugher. The following weekend the Brahmas met Wichita Falls in a home and home series, they lost game one 9 – 1 only to turn around and play lights out in a 2 – 1 win at home. Last weekend it was Topeka in town for two games. The Road Runners jumped on the Brahmas for a 5 – 2 win on Friday night and then on Saturday the Brahmas played perhaps their best game of the season to date to take a 2 – 1 shootout win.
Against Topeka in game one, the Brahmas were twice able to come from behind to pull even with the Road Runners. The first time on a second period goal by Matt Lison from Michael Crowley and Johan Steen and then early in the third with a Cole Rose tally with assists to Anthony Mousseau and Alex Dagnal. Topeka followed the Rose goal with three unanswered goals for the 5 – 2 win.
In game two, Lison once again got the Brahmas going with an unassisted goal in the second. Topeka tied it early in the third ultimately sending the game to a shootout. In the shootout Lone Star got a goal from veteran Defenseman Alexey Solovyev with a nasty stick handling display in the second round to pull even. Gordie Helmuth provided the game winner in the sixth round to give the Brahmas the 2 – 1 win.
Corpus Christi has had their own struggles and are on a current seven game losing streak. This last weekend they went into Odessa and lost 3 – 2 Friday in a shootout followed up by a 2 – 1 loss on Saturday.
The Brahmas have a chance to move out of last in the NAHL South with a road sweep of the Icerays and some help from Topeka against Odessa. However, recent roster moves on the back end will leave the Brahmas with major question marks entering this weekend. How they deal with those moves will determine their standing following Saturday night.
| Last 5 Games | W | L | OTL | Pts |
| Brahmas | 2 |
3
0
4
Icerays
0
3
2
2
Special Teams
The Brahmas power play has been abysmal this season and are riding an 0 – 31 streak dating back to October 26th. So far on the season the Lone Star road power play is setting at 19th in the league. They have converted just 3 of 33 opportunities for 9.1%. They will be up against an Icerays home penalty kill that has been less than stellar. Corpus Christi has been shorthanded 51 times allowing 9 goals or 82.4%.
Unfortunately, the Brahmas road penalty kill has fared even worse than the power play. They are currently last in the league at just 67.4% allowing 15 goals on 46 times shorthanded. They will have their work cut out for them if they expect to come out of Corpus Christi with points this weekend. The Icerays are sporting the league’s number two home power play at 24.5% with 12 goals on 49 opportunities.
Goaltending Comparison Last 5 Games
GP |
W
L
OTL
SO
GA
GAA
SV
SV%
Brahmas
5
2
3
0
0
23
4.60
145
.863
Icerays
5
0
3
2
0
18
3.60
142
.888
Who is Hot (Last 5 Games)
| Brahmas | G |
A
Pts
Matt Lison
3
0
3
1
1
2
Michael Crowley
0
2
0
Cole Rose
1
0
1
1
0
1
IceraysG
A
Pts
2
1
3
1
2
3
1
2
3
1
2
3
0
3
3
The Brahmas will have an ever raucous crowd to deal with at the American Bank Center. The Icerays currently lead the league in attendance averaging 2,953 in their 10 home games so far this season.
Defensemen Anthony Mousseau (3G – 9A) and Alexey Solovyev (2G – 8A) continue to lead Lone Star in scoring.
Lucas McDiarmid with 53 and Caleb O’Brein with 50 lead the Icerays in penalty minutes. Corpus Christi is the league leader in minor penalties.
Matt Lison has taken over as Captain of the Brahmas replacing AJ Duggan who has been sidelined since October 25th. Mousseau will join Donovan Gardiner as an Alternate Captain.
The Icerays have gone to overtime or a shootout six times this season and are winless in those six games. They are 0 – 2 in OT and 0 – 4 in Shootout. The Brahmas on the other hand are 1 – 1 in OT and 2 – 0 in Shootout.
During the weekly Brahma Talk Show on KATX radio, Head Coach Dan Wildfong discussed some of the offensive woes the team has been suffering though. “We don’t have the most skilled team right now,” said Wildfong. “We are a one and done, we gotta start being a second and third effort team to get other opportunities in the offensive zone.”
The Brahmas are averaging 2.14 goals per game and allowing 4.10 while the Icerays are scoring 2.21 per game and allowing 3.04.
Recent Roster Movement
The Brahmas starting goaltender Jacob Nehama has moved on to the Lincoln Stars of the USHL. In order to fill his spot on the roster the Brahmas have traded Forward Drew Gannon to the Philadelphia Little Flyers of the EHL for Gaolie TJ Black. Black is 5’ 8” – 165 pounds 1995 birth year and had a 4 – 3 – 0 record with Philadelphia with a 1.61GAA and a .938SV%. All four of Black’s victories came via a shutout.
There have also been rumors swirling that one of the Defensemen has left the Brahmas to play in Canada. If the rumors are true, the Brahmas will be down to six healthy Defensemen for the weekend series with Corpus Christi.