NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, TX — It’s a step in the right direction. That’s what the Brahmas have to be thinking after this past weekend, in which they finally strung together two wins for a resounding sweep over the Odessa Jackalopes. It was an encouraging development for Lone Star, who up to this point in the season hadn’t won back-to-back games.
It’s early to say with certainty that this is the beginning of a turnaround after a subpar start to the season, but it’s a good sign.
The recent roster overhaul — eight new faces in the lineup in the last four games — likely had a little to do with it, and the fact that the Jackalopes rarely seem to match up well against Wildfong-coached teams certainly helped. The important thing, though, is that the Brahmas played two good games this weekend and showed that they can win in different ways, to boot.
Friday’s game yielded a 4-1 result and featured a Brahmas comeback with four goals in the third period, while Saturday’s game was a classic case of “get the lead, keep the lead” and ended with a final score of 3-1.
On Friday, after yielding a power play goal against in the second period, the Brahmas didn’t waste any time in the final frame to get on the board with a power play goal courtesy of Kyle Hallbauer.
They were relentless for the rest of the third after getting that equalizer, benefiting from plenty of power play time and outshooting Odessa 19-3 during the period.
Justin Addamo’s goal (assisted by newcomers Ryan Orgel and Connor Pooley) gave the Brahmas the lead, and Lone Star did a terrific job of remaining on the attack.
What was even more encouraging was the power play successfully converting two more times before the game was over. The Brahmas power play has been lethargic through the first part of the season, and going 3-for-7 on Friday was welcome.
Saturday’s game was an entirely different affair. The Brahmas scored late in the first period thanks to Blake Ripley neatly finishing off a Julian Biondo pass after 2-on-1 rush. Justin Addamo picked up two goals of his own in the second period, and the Brahmas didn’t relinquish their lead.
Goaltender Mitchell Gibson played both games and was, as always, steady and dependable in net, allowing just one goal in each game this weekend.
The Brahmas are picking up steam heading into their highly-anticipated home opener this weekend, and might be getting another boost from injured players returning to the lineup.
Opening night is gearing up to be a special one, so make sure you don’t miss out! Join us at NYTEX Sports Centre on Friday and make sure you’re in your seats early for all pre-game festivities! If you don’t have your tickets yet, visit our website or call (817) 336-4423.
In addition, please join us for our annual Meet the Team event on Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM in the NYTEX Sports Centre lobby!
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