Brahmas Squander 4 Goal Lead – Win In OT

The Lone Star Brahmas came out flying early on Friday night and only a few unfortunate bounces kept them from building a 3 – 0 first period lead. They controlled play through the first 10 plus minutes, but could not maintain the pressure and allowed momentum to swing back to Topeka resulting in a 5 – 1 loss in game one of the NAHLSouth Division Finals. They would have to come out with the same intensity and maintain it for a full 60 minutes in front of TJ Black getting his first start of the post season.

The Brahmas got the bounce early that they did not get last night. Lone Star sent the puck deep behind the Topeka cage, when the Roadrunners’ defense tried to move the puck out front it went off ofMatej Tomek right to Cody Wickline and he ripped it into the twine at 5:37 of the first. With 9:06 to go in the period, Sean Giles poked the puck off Jasen Fernsler’sstick in the Brahmas’ defensive zone andLiam Stirtzinger bumped it back to Giles then headed up ice for the return pass. Stirtzinger played it through the legs ofRyan O’Connor recollected the puck and spun a backhander on net from the far faceoff dot past Tomek.

Early in the second Caleb Thompson, playing with an edge since having his two front teeth chipped with an uncalled high stick, cancelled out O’Connor with a huge check at the far point setting the tone for the middle frame. A hustle play from Pat Egan andChad Guderian set Roman Uchyn up just off the far post for a blast off of Tomek’s chest. Uchyn grabbed his own rebound and took it behind the net looking to make a centering pass. However, Tomek left his post and Uchyn wrapped it around the near post into the open net. The goal at 9:21 gave the Brahmas a three goal lead. Just 41 seconds later, Thompson grabbed a loose puck at the far halfwall and fluttered one on goal that was redirected by Wickline. The goal chased Tomek from net, replaced byDrew Vogler. With 8:11 left, JB Baker drove AJ Vanderbeck headfirst into the boards. Baker got the gate for the dangerous hit which left Vanderbeck prone on the ice for over two minutes.