Friday night was an opportunity for the Lone Star Brahmas to get back to their winning way as they welcomed the Rio Grande Killer Bees into the NYTEX Sports Centre. Lone Star controlled the game from the opening faceoff, but had to come from behind to get the win.
The Brahmas first goal came four on four when Sebastian Vidmar chased down a puck in the corner currled behind the net alt the way out to the blueline where he left it forAnton Santesson. Santesson pumped it on goal and it went off the Bee on Nick Schmit’s chest, but Oskar Andren was there to put the rebound over the left pad at 7:44. With 6:53 to go a scrum broke out in front of TJ Black’s crease and Bud Madejdecided to drop the mitts with Connor Wood resulting in a spirited bout. Wood threw a glancing right to get things started which Madej answered with a big over hand right. The two then exchanged a few jabs before Wood landed a couple of rights on Madej’s helmet. Madej threw another right the lost his balance and went to the ice before snapping Wood’s head back with a big upper cut. Wood padded his league leading penalty minutes picking up 27 in the altercation.
The Killer Bees pulled even with 10:32 to go in the second when the puck got to pin balling around in front of Black. Guy Roby got it to go with assists to Parker Wood andAnthony Croston. With 19 seconds to go on a five minute power play Rio Grande took the lead on a shot from the point by Dean Balsamo through heavy traffic that was redirected in front by Evan Bell. The secondary assist went to Stathis Soumelidis.
Lone Star tied it up at the 7:49 mark of the third when Nick Ford sent the puck to Sean Giles at the near point and he slid it across to Madej for a bomb from the blueline that Schmit had no chance on. The assist gave Madej the Gordie Howe hat trick for the evening. Vidmar gave the Brahmas the lead with a power play goal at 12:21 afterLudvig Larsson dug it out of a crowd and gave it to Madej low on the far side. Madej fed it across the crease to Vidmar on the back door. Vidmar delayed getting the Bees’ netminder to drop then roofed it. Quinn Carroll sealed the deal on an empty netter from the far halfwall with just 17.6 seconds left after Liam Stirtzinger and Andren jarred it loose from a crowd at the far point.
Lone Star out shot Rio Grande 37 – 17 on the night. They were 1 – 8 on the power play while the Killer Bees 1 – 6. Black picked up his seventh win in his last eight starts.
