Lone Star Brahmas Swept By Corpus Christi Icerays

Photo Courtesy of David Dudich: Todd Koritzinsky had the Brahmas lone goal on the night as they were swept by Corpus Christi.

The Lone Star Brahmas were looking for a recipe for getting back into the win column against the Corpus Christi Icerays on Saturday night. Lone Star came out playing a physical game early only to give the Icerays multiple first period power play opportunities. Corpus Christi cashed in on the second opportunity. Maurin Bouvet carried the puck out from behind the Lone Star cage using Matt Lison and Brad LeLievre who were locked up off the near post as a screen to put the puck past TJ Black short side. Time of the goal was 9:15.

At 18:34, Jan Hudecek was hit with a checking from behind double minor and Kyle Froese retaliated taking Hudecek to the ice. Froese then jumped on Hudecek and started throwing rights. As all the players came together, Jesse Shelton grabbed Alex Dagnal and threw him to the ice. Dagnal bounced back up only to be grabbed once again by Shelton. That is when Dagnal started chucking rights landing three square on the button. Shelton went down on his knees and Dagnal landed several rabbit punches before being jumped on by Lucas Bennett.

Once everything was said and done, Hudecek got the checking from behind double minor and a game ejection, Dagnal was hit with the fighting major and an aggressor game misconduct and Lison picked up a roughing minor. On the Icerays side Froese had the fighting major while Bennett and Nick Felan received roughing minors.

Early in the second, Bouvet controlled a loose puck in the far circle and carried it to the center point and fed it across to Jake Durflinger at the near point. Durflinger sent it right back to Bouvet for a one timer through traffic for a two goal lead at 1:52.

The Brahmas finally got on the board when Conner Encisco made a big hit at the far point dislodging Froese from the puck and sent it across the ice to Todd Koritzinsky and went with Koritzinsky on a two on one. Koritzinsky fired a wrister over the left shoulder of Forbes Ploszaj. Time of the goal was 9:01 with Kellen Wasell getting the secondary assist.

Grant Hutton gave the Icerays a two goal lead in the third with a blast from the blueline. The goal came on the power play at the 7:44 mark from Martin Hojbjerg.

Donovan Gardiner and Lucas McDiarmid dropped the gloves off a draw. Gardiner landed a right, but McDiarmid came back with a big right on Gardiner’s chin sending him to the ice.

Shots on goal were 28 – 19 in favor of Corpus Christi. The Icerays scored the only power play goal on the night going 2 – 6 while the Brahmas once again put up an 0 – 8. Lone Star has reached a new level of futility going scoreless on their last 41 power plays. The time has come to make some systematic changes away from the dump and chase. All too often it is dump and chase the puck to the other end behind the Brahmas net. That or they need to convince the referees to allow them to decline the penalty and stay 5 on 5.

Box Score

Elsewhere around the NAHL South

Amarillo rebounded to garner a split with Rio Grande by a score of 4 – 2. Roman Ammirato had 2G – 1A on the night to support a 24 save performance by Paul Berrafato in net for the win.

Odessa used third period goals from Connor Thie and Jake Kruetzer to come back from down a goal to take the final game of the three game set in Topeka 3 – 2. Eric Hancock was tremendous in net for the Jackalopes turning aside 39 of 41 shots faced.

Wichita Falls was playing their final game in Alaska and lost 3 – 1 to the Icedogs. The Wildcats were down by three before Ben Kucera got them on the board midway through the third. Kevin Aldridge faced only 14 shots on goal in registering the win.

Current NAHL South standings