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| Allen Has Been Great In Must Have Games This Year, Will The Streak Continue? - photo by ScenesByKimberly.com |
- Last night was a rare exception when the Allen goalies didn't find a way to keep us in the game when we got off to a slow start. If you only allow 15 shots on goal while getting 27 shots yourself that should be good enough to win the game. Unfortunately for the Americans those 15 shots resulted in 6 goals.
- Aaron Dell who has been rock solid all year allowed three goals on six shots and was pulled after just 12 minutes of the first period. Steve Silverthorn played the rest of the way and gave up three goals on nine shots.
- As bad as the start was the killer goal in my opinion was the one Missouri scored with four seconds remaining in the first period. Anthony Maiani had made the score 3-1 with 42 seconds left in the period and you sensed a momentum shift happening. The defense got caught too deep in our offensive zone and a two on one resulted in an easy goal for the Mavs Andrew Courtney who has been a one man wrecking crew the last two games scoring five goals. The first period ended with a Mavericks lead of 4-1.
- The rule of thumb is special teams play will decide the winner of a game. Not the case in this weird game as both Allen goals came on the power play as they went two for three. The penalty kill was flawless as Missouri was 0-4 with a man advantage.
- Chris Doyle needed help getting of the ice in the third period after taking what appeared to be a deliberate elbow from Colt King who received a game misconduct penalty. Doyle was wobbly as he left the ice. The way it looked we may not see Doyle in the line up tonight. Jim Wiley, CHL Director of Hockey Operations and the person responsible for all league discipline was at the game and I am sure he will review the incident.
- I can't remember the last time there were so many minuses on the +/- scoring chart. Allen was a collective -30 for the night with several players at -4 or worse.
- The fact that this series has gone to seven games is not a surprise as many people predicted it. What is a surprise is that four of the first six games have been won by the road team. The other surprise is the fact that two games were very close as they went to overtime but the other four games were lopsided wins (6-2, 8-4, 5-1 & 4-1).
- It may be grasping at straws but the Americans performed well all year when they were faced with important games and there isn't a more important game than a game seven in the playoffs. I predict they will come out flying tonight and bring home a victory.
- There are free tickets available for the game tonight to all military (both active duty and veterans) as well as those folks in public service such as law enforcement and firefighters. Help get the word out so we can have a big crowd to cheer on the guys. All you have to do is show ID at the box office for the free tickets. And as I understand it each person with their ID can get two tickets. Call 972-912-1000 if you have any questions.
- Former Rapid City Rush player and assistant coach, Mark Desantis, has been named head coach of the Brampton Beast. The article below (edited) was written by Thomas Pope of the Fayetteville Observer which you can find at fayobserver.com.
Fayetteville FireAntz lose head coach Mark DeSantis to hometown CHL franchise
A 180-degree turn by the Fayetteville FireAntz resulted in the first regular-season championship for the Southern Professional Hockey League team.
Success, though, has come at a price.
Coach Mark DeSantis, who guided the last-to-first transformation of the FireAntz in one season, is leaving to become the head coach of a Central Hockey League expansion team in his hometown of Brampton, Ontario.
"He did a great job this year winning the league title, which is probably harder to win" than the President's Cup playoffs, said Kevin MacNaught, the FireAntz's president and general manager. "I'm not saying it wouldn't have been nice to have won the Cup, but Mark came in and did what he was asked and more."
Under DeSantis, a 16-year minor-league defenseman with three years as an assistant at Rapid City, S.D., in the CHL, Fayetteville set franchise records for points earned (73) and wins in posting a 35-18-3 mark. Fayetteville beat Louisiana for the regular-season crown on a tiebreaker.
DeSantis was selected the SPHL Coach of the Year. DeSantis interviewed for the Brampton job more than a week ago, and he said he had received interest from teams in other cities and leagues as well.
"I had a good feeling after the interview in Brampton that I had a good shot at it," DeSantis said.
"I love Fayetteville, and I thank Kevin and (assistant GM) Dean (Russell) for the opportunity they gave me, and (league president) Jim Combs and the SPHL. But at the end of the day, to be able to play or coach in your hometown, it's a home run."
When asked why DeSantis was so successful in his first head coaching job, MacNaught said, "He's very driven, it's as simple as that. He wants to be a hockey coach."
In his native Brampton - a place he hasn't lived in 20 years - DeSantis will coach a Double-A team whose home ice will be the 5,000-seat Powerade Center. The Beast will be one of two expansion teams in the CHL next season, with an ownership group in St. Charles, Mo., also fielding a team. The league's other franchises are located in: Denver; Allen, Texas; Prescott Valley, Ariz.; Bloomington, Ill.; Independence, Mo.; Moline, Ill.; the Fort Worth of North Richland Hills, Texas; Tulsa, Okla.; and Wichita, Kan. The FireAntz's predecessor, the Fayetteville Force, played in the CHL for four seasons from 1997-2001.
"It just happens that it fell in place for Mark that it was his hometown," MacNaught said. "When you're hiring a coach, you wish for a guy that's good enough to win your league championship, but then other teams are going to look at him."
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