The Ol' Girl Heads To Rapid City, Roster Changes, Allen Loaded With AHL Experience, Playoff Update

- The Allen Americans are headed down the highway on "Big Red" or "The Ol' Girl" depending on your favorite name for the bus. Many fans saw the inside of the bus for the first time at the pregame party outside the AEC on Saturday and had comments such as "I have no idea how the tall guys fit in there" and "it was a humbling experience, I have even more respect for the players on this team and the coaches." The bus tour was very popular and the team will try and do that again in case you missed it and would like to take the tour. The Americans will arrive in Rapid City early this afternoon and will skate before they settle in at the hotel. With such a big roster and limited room on the bus along with Rylan Schwartz meeting the team in Rapid City coach Martinson could not take everyone on the trip. Kyle Follmer and Garrett Clarke are not on the trip. Have had a few questions about the status of Chad Costello and he is fine and will play on Thursday in Rapid City.

-  Talk about last minute heroics, both ECHL games last night were decided on last minute goals. South Carolina did what they have done so many times this season scoring a late game winning goal with just 24 seconds remaining in the game. The Stingrays beat Florida 3-2 to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the series. South Carolina has a chance to end the series tonight at home and be the first team to advance to the conference finals. The attendance last night at the North Charleston Coliseum was a paltry 1835. South Carolina has averaged just 2202 fans for the five playoff games they have played thus far. Has to be disappointing for the most exciting team in the ECHL over the last three months.

- The Toledo Walleye were 27 seconds from taking a 3-0 lead in their series with Fort Wayne last night but could not hold on as the Komets scored to send the game to overtime. Fort Wayne finished the comeback with a goal by Mike Emback at the 6:09 mark of overtime to win the game 3-2. Toledo now leads 2-1 with game four of this 2-2-1-1-1 series scheduled for Fort Wayne Thursday night.

- The Brampton Beast announced on Monday they have hired Toronto native and former Kalamazoo assistant coach Colin Chaulk as their new head coach. Chaulk has won five championships in various leagues as a player. He was a long time player for the Fort Wayne Komets and won the Central Hockey League Presidents' Cup in 2011-2012 playing for the Komets.

- It was an exciting time around this time the last two years in Allen so thought it might be enjoyable to repost the 2013 Allen Americans Playoff Intro Video. It is always fun looking at these videos from the past.

DID YOU KNOW: Of the twenty Allen Americans players on the trip to Rapid City fifteen of them have played in the Americans Hockey League (AHL) and have a combined total of over 700 AHL games.