Brahmas Hang Tough But Fall To Bulls 3 – 1

The Lone Star Brahmas have struggled with late period goals against all season and tonight’s game against the Amarillo Bulls was no exception.

With 4:46 left in the first, Brady Ferguson picked up a loose puck off a defensive zone draw and headed toward the other end. He avoided Liam Stirtzinger at the blueline, went by Ben Owen just outside the crease and flipped it past Jett Salinas.

Lone Star was able to pull even at 11:18 in the second following a shot from the near point by Anthony Mousseau. Paul Berrafato knocked the shot down, but it bounced around in the crease. Hunter Stanley stuck his nose in and used his big body to move Brett Szajner off the puck and slid it behind Berrafato for his first NAHL goal. Kellen Wassel picked up the secondary assist. Earlier this week Stanley was on the Player Spotlight segment of the Coach’s Corner Show with Cliff Foster. Stanley told Foster that he felt he was getting close to finding the back of the net.

Once again the Brahmas would see the lamp behind Salinas glowing red late in the period. With 2:43 to go, a shot off a shin pad high in the zone sent Mike Davis and Roman Ammirato off to the races on a 2 on 1 rush. Davis skated it deep and slid it across to Ammirato streaking down the left wing and he found space stick side against Salinas.

The Brahmas played well in the third and had some good scoring opportunities that came up just short. Head Coach Dan Wildfong pulled Salinas with 1:39 to go in regulation and an upcoming offensive zone faceoff. The Brahmas controlled the faceoff, but a cross ice pass went off an Amarillo stick and deep into the Brahmas defensive zone. Lone Star controlled it once again, but as they headed up ice Alexey Solovyev lost an edge and went down turning it over just inside the blue line. The puck bounced around in the zone until Joe Grabowski gathered it in along the half wall and fed it to Ferguson who found Davis in front of the empty net.

Shots on Goal were 24 – 18 in favor of Amarillo despite the Bulls out shooting the Brahmas 12 – 4 in the first period. The Brahmas were 0 – 2 on the power play and the penalty kill kept the leagues number one Amarillo power play scoreless on 3 opportunities.

Boxscore

Elsewhere Around the NAHL South

Odessa at Wichita Falls

The Jackalopes went into Wichita Falls and piled on nine goals against the Wildcats behind a hat trick from Chad Guderian. Alex Alger, Andrew McLean, Mathieu Briand and Lukas Laub all added a goal and an assist for Odessa. Eric Hancock made 32 saves in the 9 – 2 victory.

Topeka at Rio Grande

Topeka got a first period power play goal from Ryan Polin for the only scoring in the opening frame. Rio Grande score twice early in the second to take a short lived lead before Willie Brown pulled the Road Runners even. Cody Champagne scored Topeka’s second power play goal of the night at 1:27 of the third and the Road Runners held on the rest of the way for the 3 – 2 win. PJ Bridges picked up the victory with a 22 save performance in net.

Fairbanks at Corpus Christi

The Icerays raced out to a four goal lead on a pair of goals from Malo Ville and single tallies from Kyle Froese and Maurin Bouvet. Fairbanks tried to make a game of it in the third with two goals but it was too little too late as Corpus Christi held on for the win. Ben Myers earned the victory making 31 saves.

Current NAHL South Division Standing