Brahmas ready to renew Red River rivalries this weekend

December 26, 2002 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Fort Worth Brahmas News Release


Three of Four: The Brahmas had a successful weekend to close out the pre-Christmas portion of their schedule. Ft. Worth went to Wichita on Friday, Dec. 20 and edged the Thunder 5-4 in overtime. On Saturday, Dec. 21 the Brahmas pushed the Indianapolis Ice to overtime before losing 4-3. Taking three out of a possible four points in the two game set will hopefully give the Brahmas a little momentum as they head into their three games in three nights set this weekend.

"Naturally, we would have preferred to win both games," said rookie forward Justin Williams, "but picking up points is the biggest thing. We need to turn things around in a hurry, and I definitely think we made a little progress against Wichita and Indy.

Trading for Three: The biggest news for the Brahmas last week was the trade the team completed on Saturday, Dec. 21, that sent defenseman Mike Tilson to the Corpus Christi Rayz in exchange for three players—centers Rob Giffin and Lloyd Marks, and defenseman Matt Munro. All three of the Brahmas new faces traveled to Ft. Worth on Saturday afternoon and made their Brahmas debut in the team's 4-3 overtime loss against the Indianapolis Ice. Marks made the most of his first game in a Ft. Worth sweater, assisting in Jason Reesor's power play goal.

Brahmas head coach Todd Lalonde is hopeful that the three newcomers can give his team a much needed spark.

"All three of those guys—Giffin, Marks, and Munro—are talented players that should be able to come in and contribute for us. Giffin and Marks should give us some offense, and Munro will be a steady blueliner. It was a hard decision to trade Mike Tilson, but I definitely feel that we received sufficient value for him," said Lalonde.

Woollard Warming Up: Left wing Chad Woollard continued his strong play this past weekend against both Wichita and Indianapolis. Woollard was a one man wrecking crew against the Thunder, assisting on three goals in regulation and then picking up the game-winning goal in overtime. Against the Ice, Woollard scored a second period power play goal and fired a team high six shots on goal. With the offensive outburst, Woollard upped his team leading goal total to 14. His seven power play goals also lead the Brahmas.

Welcome to the Win Column: Jason Fricker, the Brahmas back up goaltender, picked up his first win in a Ft. Worth uniform in the Brahmas 5-4 OT victory over the Wichita Thunder. Fricker, a second year pro from Mt. Royal University, stopped 32 of the 36 shots that he faced to win for the first time in five starts since coming to Ft. Worth in a late October trade from the Oklahoma City Blazers. Hopefully, Fricker can keep us his strong play, as he is likely to start at least one of the Brahmas three upcoming games.

Davis Delivers: Steady second year defenseman Adam Davis had one of his best games of the season last Friday in Wichita. Davis was on the ice for four of the Brahmas five goals scored against the Thunder and he finished tied with winger Chad Woollard at a game high +4. He also fired three shots on goal in the game.

Teddy Bear Toss was Terrific: The Brahmas held their first ever "Teddy Bear Toss" in conjunction with their game last Saturday night against Indy. The fans that brought stuffed animals and teddy bears to the game threw them onto the ice after forward Jason Reesor scored the first Brahmas goal of the game in the first period. Approximately 250 sfuffed animals were collected and they were distributed by Brahmas players on Christmas day at Cook's Childrens Hospital.

Injury report: Ft. Worth continues to battle the injury bug that has haunted them all season long. Defenseman Mike McKinnon has missed Ft. Worth's last three games with a concussion. Forward Sean Hughes has not played in three of the Brahmas last four games with a concussion. Winger Chad Michalchuk was placed on season ending IR this past Saturday as he continues to suffer from the effects of a head injury he suffered on November 19th at Odessa.

Previous results:

Friday, 12/20 at Wichita; 5-4 OTW

Saturday, 12/21 vs. Indianapolis; 3-4 OTL

Brahmas standouts:

Chad Woollard: The rangy winger picked up two more goals and three assists last weekend to raise his season point total to 23. He leads the Brahmas in goals (14), power play goals (7), and shots on goal (88). He is tied for second on the team in game winning goals (2) and second on the roster in penalty minutes with 127.

Joe Van Volsen: The veteran center broke a four game pointless streak in a big way this past Friday night in the Brahmas 5-4 overtime win against the Wichita Thunder. Van Volsen scored two goals in the second period and assisted on a Sean Hughes lamp lighter. The Oshawa, Ontario native then picked up another assist on Saturday night versus Indy to raise his team leading point total to 27 (7G/20A)

Jason Reesor: The defensive minded forward pulled double duty for the Brahmas last weekend. In addition to assisting on a goal against Wichita and scoring a goal against Indy, Reesor moved back to the blueline and played defense to help out the injury depleted Brahmas roster. Reesor played at an even rating in the two games and could possible see more action on defense.

Craig Foddrill: The former Texas Tornado standout continued to make a positive impact on the Brahmas roster. Foddrill scored a goal against Wichita and assisted on a goal against Indy to push his point total to 8 on the year. The Ypsilanti, Michigan native has 5 goals and 3 assists in the ten games that he has played with Ft. Worth since being signed to a contract on Friday, Nov. 22.

Know thy competition:

The Brahmas will renew their version of the Red River Rivalry this weekend as they will take on two of their foes from the north, the Tulsa Oilers and the Oklahoma City Blazers.

On Friday, December 27th, the Tulsa Oilers will make their first trip of the season to Ft. Worth. The Oilers have defeated the Brahmas three times this year in Tulsa en route to their CHL best 21-6-2 record and a Northwest Division lead. Forwards Todd Marcellus and Jamie Steer have paced the Tulsa offense. Marcellus leads the Oilers and is second in the CHL with 42 points (19G/23A). Steer is not far behind his linemate with 35 points to his credit (15G/20A). The duo has provided enough offense to support the outstanding play of goaltender Rod Branch, who leads the CHL in wins (19) and saves (743). The Oilers began their holiday week in Oklahoma City on Christmas Day, dropping a 3-2 overtime decision to Blazers. They will play in Ft. Worth on Friday before a home and home weekend series with Memphis on Saturday and Sunday.

The Oklahoma City Blazers will be the Brahmas opponent both Saturday and Sunday night. On Saturday, December 28th, the Brahmas will make their third trip of the season to the Ford Center in Oklahoma City. On Sunday, December 29th, the Blazers will travel south to Cowtown for the first time this season. After a slow start this season, the Blazers have hit their stride in recent weeks. They have won four out of their last six games and are starting to make up ground on Tulsa in the Northwest Division race. The ageless Joe Burton is having another impressive season, leading the Blazers in both goals (22) and points (39). Veteran d-man Hardy Sauter leads the entire CHL in assists with 32. Goaltender Boyd Ballard has won 11 of his 18 starts this season and has an impressive 2.66 GAA and a .910 save percentage. The Blazers edged Tulsa 3-2 in overtime on Christmas Day and they will host Amarillo on Friday night before turning their attention to the Brahmas.



Central Hockey League Stories from December 26, 2002


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central