AMARILLO, TX – The Brahmas took care of business in the third period of Sunday night’s game, beating the Bulls 3-2 and completing the three-game series sweep.
In the first period, Carson Kelley and the Brahmas nearly scored an early tally, but the referees waved it off as the net was off its post. But Kelley made sure that was not his only scoring chance of the period. With three minutes to play in the first and on the power play, Jack Zielinski set up John Zimmerman on the left side. Zimmerman fired a shot towards net that Kelley directed home at the near post. Lone Star took the 1-0 lead into the intermission break.
Just past the opening minute of the second, Hayden Broomhead tied the game at one after finding the loose puck in the crease. For the second straight night, the Brahmas and Bulls were square heading into the final period of regulation.
Hunter Stanley stole the show in the final 20 minutes, scoring the go-ahead and game-winning goal. Less than two minutes into the final frame, Simon Loof took a one-time shot from the point that ricocheted off a defender’s knee and went right to Stanley’s tape. With Amarillo’s netminder Nikita Babintsev out of position, Stanley pushed the puck in the back of the net to retake the lead.
Moments later, Brendan Walkom aroused the crowd with a filthy goal from a nearly impossible angle at the far side boards. Walkom roofed a wrister over the glove hand of Alec Calvaruso and tickled the twine to tie the game at two.
But the Brahmas had one more in them. Working behind the goal on the forecheck , Kelley won the battle and sent a pass to the blue line while sliding on his stomach. Blake Evennou rifled a hard shot on net that Stanley tipped in while screening Babintsev. The 3-2 lead was good enough for the Brahmas to complete the sweep at the Civic Center.
Alec Calvaruso improves to 4-0-0 on the year as he stopped 20 of 22 shots in the game three victory.
The Brahmas went a perfect 4-0-0 on the season in Amarillo. The Battle of the Cattle series will continue at NYTEX in March. Lone Star is set to face-off against the Topeka RoadRunners at home on October 21 and 22.