Tornado Weekly: Playoff Series Shifts to Frisco this Weekend
April 6, 2011 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Texas Tornado News Release
Tornado host Game 3 on Friday in Frisco
The South Division Semi-Final series between the Texas Tornado and the Amarillo Bulls continues on Friday, April 8th with Game 3 of the South Division Semi-Finals at Dr Pepper Arena in Frisco at 7:30pm. The Tornado, who trail 2-0 in the best of five series, must win on Friday to extend the series. Game 4 if necessary would be played at the Dr Pepper Arena in Frisco on Saturday, April 9th at 7:30pm. Tickets for the home games in Frisco can be purchased online at www.tornadohockey.com or by calling 972-335-9800. The Amarillo Bulls took advantage of home ice and pushed the Texas Tornado to the brink of elimination with a sweep of Games 1 and 2 in Amarillo on Thursday and Friday this past week. All Tornado playoff games can be seen at www.fasthockey.com or heard online at www.tornadohockey.com.
South Division Semi-Finals Schedule (Amarillo leads series, 2-0)
Game #1: Texas Tornado 5 @ Amarillo Bulls 7
Game #2: Texas Tornado 3 @ Amarillo Bulls 5
Game #3: Friday, April 8th, Amarillo @ Texas, 7:30pm
Game #4: Saturday, April 9th, Amarillo @ Texas, 7:30pm*
Game #5: Monday, April 11th, Texas @ Amarillo, 7:00pm*
*if necessary
Robertson Cup Playoff Ticket information
Texas Tornado ticket packages and single game tickets for the 2011 Robertson Cup playoffs are now on sale. Playoff ticket packages are good for four home playoff games and packages are $32 for End Zone seats and $60 for Premium level seats. Single-game tickets for Games 3 & 4 are also on sale. To order, call the Tornado office at 972-335-9800.
Tornado alum Stephane DaCosta makes NHL debut
Stephane Da Costa, who played in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) with the Texas Tornado during the 2006-07 season, made his NHL debut with the Ottawa Senators in their 4-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night. After his junior career, Da Costa, a 21-year-old from Paris, played two seasons at Merrimack College, where he was named to the All-Hockey East Second Team this year. The Senators signed the free agent forward to a two-year entry-level contract earlier this week. In 50 games with the Tornado, Da Costa totaled 23 goals for 40 points.
Win a trip to Vegas by purchasing 2011-12 Season Tickets
The Texas Tornado have announced that season tickets for the 2011-12 season are now on sale. Fans who renew or purchase their season seats prior to May 1st will be entered for a chance to win a trip to Las Vegas. Season ticket packages start as low as $80 and can be purchased today by stopping by or calling the Tornado office at 972-335-9800.
Texas Tornado 16U team finishes as National Finalist
Dressed in black suits and freshly shaven mohawks, the Texas Tornado 16U team narrowly missed out on the USA Hockey National Championship this past Sunday, as they fell to Summit Plastics from Michigan by a score of 2-1 in the National Championship game in the Tier II 16 under boys division. The tournament capped a remarkable run for the Tornado 16U team, which is also proud member of the North American Prospects Hockey League.
IKE and Tornado will be at Egg-stravaganza
The Texas Tornado will be at the Frisco Egg-stravaganza this Saturday, April 9th at Pizza Hut Parkin Frisco from 1-4pm. Stop by for the chance to win great prizes. Tornado mascot Ike will be there too!
Tornado announce 2011 tryout camps
The Texas Tornado have announced the dates and locations for their 2011 tryout camps for the 2011-12 season.
Camp #1: May 12-15, 2011. Dr Pepper StarCenter-McKinney, Texas. Camp #2: June 3-5, 2011 Burnsville Ice Center-Burnsville, Minnesota. Camp #3: June 9-12, 2011. Farmington Hills Ice Arena-Farmington Hills, Michigan. To register and for more information go to www.tornadohockey.com
THE WEEK THAT WAS ¬Â¦
Game 2: Texas Tornado 3 @ Amarillo Bulls 5
The Amarillo Bulls scored the final three goals of the game erasing a 3-2 Tornado lead in the 3rd period, on their way to a 5-3 win and a 2 to 0 lead in the best of five South Division Semi-Final series. The Tornado had leads of 1-0, 2-0 and 3-2 in the game, but could not hang on as the Bulls scored three 3rd period goals. The Tornado dominated play from the start of the game, which ultimately netted the game ¬â¢s first goal. Jimmy Murray, who was the Tornado hero from the night before, slid a pass to Ralfs Freibergs, which Freibergs fanned on in the front of the net. However, Freibergs had the presence of mind to slid a pass in front for Seth Johnson, who redirected a shot past Nikifor Szczerba for a 1-0 Tornado lead. Texas would make it 2-0, as again Freibergs would get the puck down low. Jackson Leef took over from there as he chipped the puck from the side of the net in front for Jack Prince, who put it past Szczerba for a 2-0 lead. However, as has been the case in this series, a Tornado mental lapse and turnover in their own end would lead to the first Amarillo goal. A failed clearance got the puck to John Rey at the point who sent a slapshot past a screened Jimmy Kruger to make the score 2-1. Amarillo would take advantage of the momentum just a minute and a half later as the Tornado again failed to clear the zone while killing a penalty and Brandon Lubin fired a wrist shot past Kruger ¬â¢s blocker glove to tie the game at 2-2. Amarillo outshot Texas 11-9 in the period. The Bulls continued the momentum in the 2nd period, but the Tornado were bailed out time and time again by Jimmy Kruger who put forth his best period so far of the 2011 Robertson Cup playoffs, stopping all 11 Bulls shots in the period. The Tornado only managed 6 shots in the period, but the best chances came off the stick of Jack Prince. The Tornado spent the majority of the period in the penalty box, but managed to kill off all them in the 2nd period as the Bulls outshot Texas 11-6. The Tornado had life early in the 3rd period thanks to a goal from David Rigatti, who connected on a nice give-and-go pass from JD Howard. However, that would be the only bright spot for the Tornado in the final period as Amarillo would get three consecutive goals from Zack Smooth, Matt Johnson and Brooks Behling within a five minute span to break the game open and give the Bulls the 2 to 0 lead in the series.
Game 1: Texas Tornado 5 @ Amarillo Bulls 7
Five unanswered goals by the Amarillo Bulls in the 2nd period and early in the 3rd period, was enough as a furious Tornado comeback late in the game fell just short in Game 1 of the South Division Semi-Finals, as the Bulls edged out to the Tornado 7-5 to take a 1-0 series lead. The Bulls came out in Game #1 firing, testing Tornado goaltender Jimmy Kruger from the start in front of the home crowd. Less than three minutes in, a Tornado turnover in their defensive zone led to a shot on goal by Dan Sherer which was denied by Kruger, but the rebound bounced to the stick of Zack Smoot, who shelved a shot over Kruger for the early 1-0 Amarillo lead. The Tornado would respond four minutes later as Nate Sliwinski rushed the puck up the right hand wing and found a streaking Tyler Rostenkowski, who wristed a shot past Bulls goalie Nikifor Szczerba to tie the game at 1-1. Jack Prince picked up the second assist. The Tornado would get more scoring from their defensemen later in the period as a face-off win by David Rigatti won the puck to Seth Johnson who got it to the point for Walker Hyland, who ¬â¢s shot made its way through traffic, off of Szczerba and into the back of the net for a 2-1 Tornado lead. The Tornado outshot the Bulls 14-9 in the 1st period. The 2nd period was one of horrors for the Tornado, as they were outplayed by the Bulls. The momentum shifted when the Tornado failed to convert on a 5 on 3 power play, failing to show any urgency to increase their one-goal lead, and it would cost them dearly. Sean Keane made it 2-2, as the Tornado would again turn the puck over in their own zone, and Keane took advantage streaking down the right side and sizzling a shot over Kruger ¬â¢s glove hand. The Tornado power play again let the team down as an errant pass to the point sent Matt Johnson on a shorthanded breakaway and he beat an outstretched Kruger to give Amarillo the lead back at 3-2. The Tornado then found themselves in the box, and Amarillo ¬â¢s power play wasting no time in showing Texas how to score on the power play as Matt Johnson again scored on a centering pass from Dan Sherer. The bleeding continued late in the period for the Tornado as TJ Sarcona beat the Tornado defense out of the corner and sent a backhand shot past Kruger for a 5-2 lead after two periods. The Bulls outscored Texas in the period 4-0 and outshot the Tornado 16-13 in the period. Amarillo wasted no time increasing the lead to 6-2 as Sean Keane followed up a breakaway chance by Michael Erickson, with the original save coming from Kruger. The Tornado showed some spark in the second half of the 3rd period as Jimmy Murray took it upon himself to try and get the Tornado back in the game and if anything, send a message for Game #2. Murray scored from the top of the face-off circle on the power play past a screened Szczerba to make it 6-3. Murray then made it 6-4 as he circled from behind the net and backhanded a shot to the shortside of Szczerba and gave the Tornado some more life. Things looked even better for Texas as Marc Biggs scored on a pass from Tyler Rostenkowski to make just 6-5 with less than two minutes remaining in the game. With Kruger pulled for the extra-attacker in the final seconds, the Tornado had several chances to tie the game, particularly from Jack Prince in front, but Szczerba was saved his best saves for last as the Bulls ended any thought of a comeback with an empty net goal with just a second remaining to make the final 7-5 and give then Bulls a 1 to 0 lead in the best of 5 series.
North American Hockey League Stories from April 6, 2011
- Tornado Weekly: Playoff Series Shifts to Frisco this Weekend - Texas Tornado
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