Blaine, MN — The Lone Star Brahmas opened the North American Hockey League season at the NAHL Showcase at the Super Rink with three wins, to bring a 3-1 record back home to Texas, ahead of Saturday’s home opener against the Oklahoma Warriors.
The home opener for the Brahmas is Saturday, Sept. 24 at 7:30 p.m. and will feature an intermission performance by 2022 U.S. Olympian and National Champion Figure Skater Mariah Bell. Tickets can be purchased online or by calling the Box Office at 817-520-3301.
SHOWCASE SCORES
Lone Star Brahmas 5, Bismarck Bobcats 3
Lone Star Brahmas 3, St. Cloud Norsemen 2 (SO)
Lone Star Brahmas 0, Janesville Jets 2
Lone Star Brahmas 5, Kenai River Brown Bears 3
GAME 1
The Brahmas opened the season with a 5-3 win over the Bismarck Bobcats, scoring five goals, four different ways en route to victory. Lone Star went down 1-0 and battled on the penalty kill through four consecutive penalties before the fifth one landed the Bobcats a power play goal. The Brahmas broke free on a 2-on-0, as newcomer and forward Ryan Comishock fed the puck up ice to returner Mason Mara who scored to tie the game with a shorthanded goal. The Bobcats grabbed the lead right back 2-1 on the same penalty kill and ended the first in front.
It was all Brahmas in the second, with returning defenseman Collin Kleiser notching his first NAHL goal on the power play. With less than two second on the clock in the second, new forward Dhillon Wilde picked up his first NAHL goal unassisted to put Lone Star ahead 3-2 to end the period.
In the third, Bismarck battled back to tie it 3-3. Halfway through the frame, Charlie Masek hopped off the bench and into the play, skating up ice on the break and roofing a shot past the Bobcats netminder to put the Brahmas ahead for good. Matt MacDonald added an empty-net goal to put the win on ice. William Gramme made 22 saves to earn his first NAHL win.
SCORING SUMMARY | LONE STAR 5, BISMARCK 3
1st
5:09 BIS Evan Hunter (1) ASST: None
16:56 LOS Mason Mara (1) ASST: Ryan Comishock (1) (SH)
18:24 BIS Landon Flemming (1) ASST: Calvin Hanson (1), Nico Chmelevski (1) (PP)
2nd
15:34 LOS Collin Kleiser (1) ASST: None (PP)
19:58 LOS Dhillon Wilde (1) ASST: None
3rd
1:18 BIS Evan Hunter (2) ASST: Calvin Hanson (2), Nico Chmelevski (2)
11:54 LOS Charlie Masek (1) ASST: None
19:59 LOS Matthew Macdonald (1) ASST: Mason Mara (1) (EN)
GAME 2
The second game of the NAHL Showcase pitted the Brahmas against the defending Central Division champions, the St. Cloud Norsemen. Dhillon Wilde picked up his second goal of the week to open the scoring for Lone Star in the first period. Bobby Barrasso tallied his first NAHL goal in the second. Barrasso and Wilde assisted on each others goals, as did Mason Mara. St. Cloud rallied to score twice in the third period and force overtime, where no one broke through. The Norsemen had a huge chance in front with just ten second left in overtime but William Gramme came up big to close the door.
In the shootout, Matt MacDonald scored in the shootout and Gramme made all three stops to secure the 3-2 win, and made 29 saves in the contest.
SCORING SUMMARY | LONE STAR 3, ST. CLOUD 2 (SO)
1st
7:29 LOS Dhillon Wilde (2) ASST: Bobby Barrasso (1), Mason Mara (2)
2nd
18:46 LOS Bobby Barrasso (1) ASST: Dhillon Wilde (1), Mason Mara (3)
3rd
6:14 STN Kade Peterson (1) ASST: Broten Sabo (1), Nik Hong (1)
15:14 STN Ryan Cutler (1) ASST: Nik Hong (2), Kade Peterson (2)
SO
Matthew Macdonald (2)
GAME 3
After finishing with the Central, the Brahmas faced two Midwest division opponents to close the Showcase, beginning with the Janesville Jets on Friday. After two scoreless, shutout periods of hockey, the Jets broke through in the third with a goal by Conner Brown. Janesville added an empty net goal with 1:35 to play to cap the scoring 2-0. The Jets held the Brahmas to 19 shots on goal.
SCORING SUMMARY | LONE STAR 0, JANESVILLE 2
1st
No Scoring
2nd
No Scoring
3rd
6:29 JNE Conner Brown (1) ASST: Matthew Hale (1), Alex Thundercloud (1)
18:25 JNE Noah Gibbs (1) ASST: Conner Brown (1), Will Troutwine (2) (EN)
GAME 4
The Lone Star Brahmas bounced back to close out the Showcase with a 5-3 win over the Kenai River Brown Bears. After a scoreless first period, the offense heated up in the second. Kenai River struck first on a goal by Ryan Finch early in the period. Dhillon Wilde scored for the third time in four games to knot things up 1-1. Matt MacDonald tucked home a goal off a Brown Bears turnover at the net to put the Brahmas ahead 2-1. Kenai River responded with a goal before the Brahmas punched right back with another Mason Mara tally to make it 3-2 Lone Star at the end of two.
In the third, newcomer Jakub Teply scored his first NAHL goal to push the Lone Star lead to two. Kenai River got that goal back less than three minutes later. But Teply would take advantage of a late misplay by Kenai River, scoring his second NAHL goal on a Brown Bears “own goal” to give the Brahmas the 5-3 victory.
SCORING SUMMARY | LONE STAR 5, KENAI RIVER 3
1st
No Scoring
2nd
2:19 KNR Ryan Finch (3) ASST: Jack Anderson (2), Garret Drotts (1) (PP)
7:55 LOS Dhillon Wilde (3) ASST: None
13:27 LOS Matthew Macdonald (2) ASST: None
15:12 KNR Hayden Walters (4) ASST: Ryan Finch (1), Luke Hause (1)
16:15 LOS Mason Mara (2) ASST: None
3rd
2:18 LOS Jakub Teply (1) ASST: Liam Chapman (1)
5:04 KNR Garret Drotts (2) ASST: Ryan Finch (2), Mason Wharton (5)
18:36 LOS Jakub Teply (2) ASST: None
Don’t miss the Brahmas in the team’s home opener on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 7:30 p.m. at the NYTEX Sports Centre in North Richland Hills. Tickets are selling fast! Get yours at lonestarbrahmas.com/tickets