Brahmas Steamroll Warriors With 7-1 Road Win

The Brahmas traveled to Wichita Falls Saturday for the back half of a home and home. Lone Star dropped a 4-1 decision to the Warriors Friday in a contest that saw a lot of physicality. In the third period a melee broke out that resulted in 150 penalty minutes being handed out.

It was obvious from the drop of the puck that there would be a bit of carry over from the night before as scuffles flared up after nearly every whistle in the opening frame. Lone Star controlled play for the first half of the period but a holding minor on Jack Collins gave the Warriors an opportunity to move play to the Brahmas’ end of the ice. Graham Burke was tested on the power play making several huge saves to keep the game scoreless.

Late in the period an undisciplined play by Nick Lanigan behind Burke’s cage throwing a punch to draw a roughing minor giving the Brahmas a late opportunity. It took the Brahmas only 38 seconds to cash in with the man advantage. On the play Joey Baez held the puck in at the near point then moved it to Mitchell Digby at the blueline. Digby slid across to the top of the right wing circle and blasted one through traffic over the glove hand of Ryan Ullan to take a one goal lead into the intermission.

A strong forecheck by Logan Tobias freed the puck from Jack Blanchett behind the Warriors net. Tobias circled and fired a wraparound off of Ulan. Blake Benson was fishing for the rebound just off the near post to push it across the line at 2:38. The goal was Benson’s second in as many nights. Cole Bielke who had put the puck deep in the zone picked up the secondary assist on the play. Collins would push the lead to three at 7:04. Collins set things up burying Vincent Corcoran in the far corner to knock the puck loose. It bounced around to Bielke at the near halfwall. Collins followed the puck dropping anchor in front to tip Bielke’s wrister past Ullan. It went to 4-0 when Digby circled the puck up the far wall dropping it for Andrew DeCarlo. The league’s leading scorer skated it to the faceoff dot the sent a pass through the paint to Nicholas Niemo on the backdoor for a onetimer into the twine at 9:27.

With Wichita Falls already going down a man with Hunter Jones being escorted to the box for a roughing minor, Bielke with a veteran move slowly skated to Aidan Torres and Torres dropped him with a big crosscheck right in front of the referee. Bielke bounced back up to his skates and headed to the bench putting the Brahmas on a full two minute five on three power play. Despite a couple of good opportunities for Lone Star the Warriors killed off the power play.

Wichita Falls had a golden opportunity nearing the mid-point of the third on a defensive zone turnover by Lone Star. William Lawson-Body had the puck on his blade just outside the paint for a turnaround shot from point blank range. Burke dove across and made a huge glove save to keep the Warriors off the board.

Burke would lose his shutout bid with 4:27 to go in the contest. Jones sent the puck to Adisen Bruek at the top of the rightwing circle. Burke got most of the shot but it trickled through and against the far post for Alex Walker to swoop in from the offside to tap it across the line.

Once they were on the board the Warriors gambled pulling Ullan for the extra attacker. Off a defensive zone faceoff Baez picked up the loose puck and sent it the length of the ice into the open net. Time of the goal was 16:44. The Brahmas were not done. With Ullan back in net and Lone Star back on the power play the puck made it through for Ullan to make a save. Collins kept the rebound alive for Dylan Smith to grab, spin and fire into the net far side with two minutes to play. Off the ensuing draw the Brahmas worked it deep then moved it back up top. Alex Murray fired one from the near point that went off a body in front but David Andreychuck was there to wing it past Ullan stick side.

Wichita Falls held a 36-30 shots on goal advantage but the Brahmas won the special teams battle going 2-6 on the power play while holding the Warriors scoreless on six opportunities.

Boxscore

Elsewhere Around the NAHL South

New Mexico at Amarillo

After a scoreless first Nick Martino and Jere Vaisanen with a pair of goals staked the Bulls to a 3-0 lead in the second. New Mexico got one back in the third but could get no closer. Cal Sandquist stopped 28 for the win.

Shreveport at Odessa

Odessa opened a two goal lead at the 2:31 mark of the first, but just 13 seconds later Connor Gatto cut the lead in half. In the second Dawson Sciarrino and Matt Weber scored after Odessa had gone back up two to even it up. Logan Gotinski had the only tally of the third for the 4-3 win. Cullen DeYoung was in net for the win making 19 saves.

Current NAHL South Standings

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