The Lone Star Brahmas opened their inaugural season against the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees with a mid September matchup. The weekend series saw each team come out with three points and a 1 – 0 – 1 record as both games went to overtime. The Brahmas took game one 4 – 3 and were eight seconds from taking game two as well. Rio Grande scored with the extra attacker just before time expired and then wrapped it up with an overtime game winner at 3:59 for the 2 – 1 win.
Since that time Rio Grande has put together a 4 – 3 – 3 record good for 11 points and fourth place in the NAHL South Division. The Brahmas on the other hand have struggled since the opening series and are currently 2 – 7 – 1 and setting in sixth place in the division with five points. However, digging deeper into the numbers reveals that the Brahmas have played much stiffer competition early in the season. The winning percentage of the teams Lone Star has faced since the opening weekend is .662% compared to a .532% of the Killer Bees’ opponents.
Lone Star is coming off a weekend split against the Roadrunners at Langdon arena in Topeka. Topeka won game one on Friday night by a score of 4 – 2. The Brahmas came back with a 5 – 3 victory on Saturday for their first win since opening night. Rookie forward Ryan Watson pitched in with a natural hat trick in the game two victory.
Rio Grande made the trip to Odessa last weekend sweeping the Jackalopes in the process. The Killer Bees scored with less than three minutes to go on Friday for a 3 – 2 win and then won 5 – 2 on Saturday.
| Last 5 Games | W | L | OTL | Pts |
| Brahmas | 1 |
4
0
2
Killer Bees
3
2
0
6
Special Teams
Both teams have struggled on the power play this season. However, the Brahmas’ power play did show some life against Topeka going 2 – 4 on the weekend. The Brahmas are currently ranked 18th in the league converting on four of 35 opportunities for 11.4%. The Killer Bees on the other hand are dead last on the power play at just 7.9% scoring three times on 38 opportunities.
The Brahmas penalty kill had played fairly well until they ran into the Corpus Christi Icerays two weeks ago. The Icerays scored seven powerplay goals against the Brahmas in their two games. Against Topeka the penalty kill was back to form holding the Roadrunners to a single goal on nine power play opportunities. For the season Lone Star is rank 21st in the league at 78.2% having allowed 12 goals on 55 times short handed. Rio Grande is currently setting in ninth place in the league. They have allowed five goals on 41 penalty kills for 87.8%. .
Goaltending Comparison Last 5 Games
GP |
W
L
OTL
SO
GA
GAA
SV
SV%
Brahmas
5
1
4
0
0
25
5.00
164
.868
Killer Bees
5
3
2
0
0
11
2.20
104
.904
Who is Hot (Last 5 Games)
| Brahmas | G |
A
Pts
2
3
5
0
5
5
3
1
4
3
0
3
Two Tied
1
2
3
Killer BeesG
A
Pts
3
2
5
3
1
4
2
2
4
1
2
3
1
2
3
Inside the Game
Brahmas Captain AJ Duggan will be the only player on the ice this weekend that is among league leaders in scoring. Duggan is tied for eleventh with 5G – 5A.
Ben Greiner leads the Killer Bees and the league in shots on goal with 52 in 10 games played. .
Anthony Mousseau is tied for tenth in the league and fifth among Defensemen with 7 Assists.
Rio Grande goal tender Olli Kalkaja is eleventh in the league with a 2.04GAA and third in the league with 191 saves.
The Brahmas have dropped to second in the league in penalty minutes with 269 in while Rio Grande is ninth with 199 minutes.
Lone Star is 0 – 4 – 1 in games where they score first. Rio Grande is 2 – 1 – 1 when scoring first.
Lone Star has a -196 shots on goal differential while the Killer Bees are a +74.
Both teams have scored 23 goals in ten games this season.
Roster Movement Since Last Meeting
Both teams have made several roster moves since their opening weekend set. The Brahmas have added two players not on the roster during the first meeting in Forwards Todd Koritzinsky and Michael Crowley. Koritzinsky has chipped in 1G – 3A and Crowley has 0G – 2A since joining the team. Gone from the Brahmas are Forwards Jordan Deckard, Cam Brown, Connor Millard, Leo Lumm and Brandon Anderson.
Rio Grande has deleted Forwards Dak Dice, Ian Ecklund and Chad Cesarz in addition to Defensemen Nick Picinic and Perry Holcombe.