Brahmas – Wichita Falls Wildcats Preview For Feb 4

The Lone Star Brahmas will make a short one game road trip to Wichita Falls on Wednesday to face the Wildcats in a contest with NAHL South Division playoff implications. With just 20 games left on the regular season schedule, the Brahmas set one point ahead of third place Wichita Falls and six points behind division leading Topeka with two games in hand over the Roadrunners. A road win on Kay Yeager Coliseum ice would provide the Brahmas with a bit of breathing room against the Wildcats and set them up for a run at Topeka. Each game takes on a bit more significance in Lone Star’s quest for the South Division Crown because they have only two head to head games left against Topeka.

The past weekend, Wichita Falls was in town for a pair of games at the NYTEX Sports Centre which left the two teams in the same positions that they came into the series. Lone Star stormed back from an early two goal deficit on Friday to win going away by a score of 6 – 3. On Saturday night they fell behind early again with the Wildcats scoring just 15 seconds into the contest before building a 4 – 0 lead going into the second intermission. Once again the Brahmas fought their way back, but came up just short losing 4 – 3.

Four previous meetings between the two teams have mirrored their overall performance in the standings with the Brahmas holding a one point advantage.

10/03/14 – Brahmas 2 at Wildcats 3 OT

10/04/14 – Brahmas 5 at Wildcats 1

01/30/15 – Wildcats 3 at Brahmas 6

01/31/15 – Wildcats 4 at Brahmas 3

Special Teams

Wichita Falls boasts the number one power play unit in the NAHL yet the Brahmas held them 0 – 4 over the weekend. Lone Star on the other hand had been struggling on the power play with just five goals on their last 40 opportunities entering the weekend where they went 3 – 4. As a result the Brahmas power play climbed two spots to 7th in the league overall at 21.8% and the penalty kill moved from 4th to 3rd at 87.6%. Wichita Falls’ power play still sets atop the rankings they saw their conversion percentage fall from 27.3% to 26.6%. The Wildcats’ penalty kill slid 1.5% to 78.8%.

On the road the Brahmas’ power play falls off a bit to 18.2% on 14 goals in 77 opportunities good for 10th in the league. They will be up against a Wildcats’ home penalty kill unit that has allowed 17 goals in 93 times shorthanded or 81.7% which ranks 15th.

Lone Star’s road penalty kill is ranked 6th in the league allowing only 11 goals on 74 kills or 85.1%. They will need to be on their game against a tough Wichita Falls home power play unit which is third in the league scoring 25 times in 95 opportunities or 26.3%

In their four head to head meetings, the Brahmas are 5 for 14 on the power play while holding Wichita Falls to 1 for 15.

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