The Lone Star Brahmas entered the game against the Coulee Region Chill setting on a 1 – 1 – 0 record early in the NAHL season. Coulee Region on the other hand came in with a 2 – 0 – 0 record having outscored their opponents 11 – 5 in the process.
Coulee Region jumped out on top at 8:53 of the first when Isaac Theisen picked up the puck in the neutral zone, split the defense and went in on TJ Black with Hayden Hanson draped on his back. Theisen drove the net and just managed to tuck it inside the right post. Blake Kelley was credited with the assist on the play. The Chill built on their lead when a scramble in front led to Eddie Matsushima putting it five hole for the two goal lead. Garrett Riebling and Vince Marinaro got the assists on the goal that came at 15:55. The goal chased Black from net with Jake Kupsky coming in to replace him. The Brahmas held on with no further damage to go into the first intermission down two.
Lone Star came out of the dressing room with a new purpose. At 6:25, Eric Carrerasand Liam Stirtzinger played catch along the end boards before Stirtzinger found Cody Wickline alone on the backdoor for a shot top shelf. The goal added some jump to their step and they followed quickly with a second goal less than a minute later. Caleb Thompson jarred the puck loose in the neutral zone and Roman Uchyn picked it up at the blueline and went streaking in on the Chill netminder. Uchyn lifted a shot overAdam Carlson’s right shoulder to knot the score at two. Coulee Region made an attempt to snatch away momentum as they drove the puck into the Brahmas’ end. With just under eight minutes to go, Kupsky made a big pad save to keep things even. The Brahmas however, were not done and Carreras gave them the lead on a shot from the doorstep. As Carerras set up out front, Wickline took a pass from Thompson and put it on Carerras’ tape from behind the goal line. The power play goal came at 13:25.
