October 30, 2007 Mudbugs 4, Steelhounds 5

Anyone else (besides me) hearing the song “I Got You Babe” (from the film Groundhog Day) in their head these days? How about Yogi Berra’s infamous “It’s like deja vu all over again” quote? (I'm going to forgo the obvious Halloween nightmare references.) Did someone ship the Chicago Cubs’ goat-curse south via FedEx? Is there wailing and gnashing of teeth in the Mudbug Nation? Well, for some people, the answer to that last question is yes. For me, it’s an emphatic no.

Yes, the Mudbugs always seem to begin the season slowly. Last year at this time, they were 1-2-2, wtih a whopping 4 points. Yes, those losses were mostly to teams outside of the NE division; whereas, this season’s heartbreakers have all been to NE division rivals. There is some concern in that stat. But, I’m still hanging with this team. I saw the spark, the energy, the talent, the teamwork from this latest group of Mudbugs last Saturday night in North Richland Hills.

Last night’s loss was more maddening--for me anyway-- than the one to the Brahmas simply because the team stopped playing smart hockey. Referee Ian Croft didn’t help either, but I don’t blame him for the loss. I didn’t see enough teamwork in the second half of the game by the Mudbugs. The amount of disconnect amongst the players seemed almost palpable. I think they wanted to win, but I don’t think they believed they could win. Big difference. And the wins won’t come until they believe in themselves and each other and trust that sixty minutes of Mudbugs hockey will get the job done.

Not to take anything away from Youngstown, Coach Kaminksi has assembled a dangerous team. They and the Laredo Bucks are now the only two teams left in the league which are undefeated. The ‘Hounds pushed and pressed when they had to last night, were better at getting a guy parked in front of the net for passes and rebounds, and they were rewarded for their hard work with a win. Some of their stickwork found its way to Mudbug bodies instead of to the puck, and that’s where Ian Croft gets an F from me. I’m sure the next time the Bugs and Hounds meet, Darryl Lloyd will remind the Dawgs of a certain spearing that went ignored.

So, it’s on to Friday’s game with the Riverkings making a return trip to the CTC. I wonder if Larry Sterling will continue his job as doorman. He pretty good at it....

October 27, 2007 Mudbugs 3, Brahmas 4 OT

The Mudbugs traveled to North Richland Hills to face the Brahmas at the new NYTEX Center. The facility is small, holding only about 2200, but the atmosphere is quite conducive to good ole hockey fun. Mudbugs fans-I’d estimate between 350-400- filled almost half the arena, and we were a loud and proud presence. Brahmas owner Frank Trazzera even ventured into “enemy territory” and graciously thanked us for coming. There were some obvious opening night glitches for the NYTEX and Brahmas folks, but hopefully those things can be fixed….especially the radio broadcasting situation. I read that Travis Huntington had to cover the game using his cell phone with a call in to the radio station. Go Travis!

Despite yet another loss, this game was the best played by the Mudbugs so far. They came out with a great deal of intensity in the first period, outworking the Brahmas from one end of the ice to the other. Both teams worked hard defensively, keeping the SOG low. Score at the end of the first was 1-0 Brahmas.

The Bugs erupted in the second period, scoring 3 goals on 15 shots. The passing was good, the boys stayed with the puck, and all the lines were clicking nicely. Second intermission found them up 3-2, with Daniel Pegoraro scoring a goal and an assist. The defense held the Brahmas to 8 SOG. Score at the end of the second was 3-2 Mudbugs. Special congrats go out to Tyrel Lucas who scored his first goal as a Mudbug. Darryl Lloyd gets kudos for goal number 3. Assists went to Pegs, Brassard, Ori, and Fairbarn (the good one, hee).

At the beginning of the third, I told my mom (who was making her first Mudbugs’ road trip with the rest of us fanatics) and my brother (who lives in FW and has been to previous Mudbugs/Brahmas games at the FW Convention Center) that I felt the Mudbugs had to score at least two more goals to win this game. It was just too close at that point. I thought the team could hold on to the lead, as the Brahmas looked like they were worn out as the third went on, but then Anders Strome came to the Burgers rescue and tied it up with less than five minutes to go. So to OT the teams went, with the Mudbugs on the PK. I figured Wile E. Wildfong would put his top line of Manning, Sheppard, and Strome out as the OT began, and sure enough, Shep finished the game just 58 seconds into OT.

It was a tough loss, but seeing the way the boys played showed me a lot about how this team is coming together. The Youngstown Steelhounds, on the road for the next 25 days for 14 games in and around Texas, come to The Swamp tomorrow night; and I’m sure Coach “Killer” Kaminski will have his 4-0 Dawgs ready for a heated contest. It’s almost a must-win scenario for the Mudbugs, and knocking off a division rival-- the current first-place team-- would be a sweet way to get the job done.

October 26, 2007 Mudbugs 1, Riverkings 2

Hmm, a redux of last Friday's game against Memphis. Not exactly what we thought we'd see.

Brett Smith gets an A+ for his short-handed goal near the end of the second period and for his effort on each shift. The offense gets an A for effort in the first period for their fifteen SOG, but the rest of the game....well, they don't really want me to go there. The defense I'm still conflicted about. They're just not pushing hard enough to protect the net or go after a loose puck. John DeCaro was very good in goal once again, but breakdowns by the D put him in some very vulnerable situations, such as the goal by Riverkings' player Makway. A Mudbug screened Makway's shot (instead moving in to Makway and going after the puck)and JD couldn't see what was coming.

The talent's there, the speed is there, the effort has been seen a bit, but the TEAM effort is in hiding. I'd say it's time to show it off and get our Bugs a big win tonight in Burgerland.

Opening Weekend: October 19-20, 2007

Friday: Mudbugs 1, Riverkings 2
Saturday: Mudbugs 4, Brahmas 5

Well, the Mudbugs’ opening weekend ends with a goose egg in points. Certainly not the way any of us wanted these first two games to go.

The team played a tight, defensive game on Friday night in Southaven, Mississippi, just coming up short with a 2-1 score in favor of the Riverkings. Playing with only four d-men certainly didn’t help, but, overall, I thought they did pretty good considering the circumstances. Elias Godoy got the best of Larry Sterling with a shot over his shoulder. Nice to see one of the new additions do well. And the one of the best parts of the game was hearing Travis Huntington announce All-Star Derek Landmesser missing not one but TWO empty net opportunities in the span of a minute or so. He may be good, but I think an eye test is in order for The Mess.

Last night, the upstart Brahmas came to town, winners of a tough 5-4 contest against the Austin IceBats. Emotions ran high and the tension meter could have blown off the CTC roof as the game began. 6200+ fans came to honor Dan Wildfong for his time as a Mudbug and then watch an exciting two periods of hockey. Yep, I said two periods because the third period was definitely not enjoyable from a Mudbugs fan’s perspective. Wildfong has made believers out of his team, and when they scored the go-ahead goal, their whole attitude shifted into overdrive.

Our Mudbugs did produce some excellent moments. Chris Brassard was on fire last night, scoring a hat trick by the second period, and sealing his right to the captaincy quite nicely. Darryl Lloyd had an excellent night, and Derek Miller and Jake Ortmeyer played very well, too. Unfortunately, 4 goals (one late in the third by Jumpin’ Joe Ori) wasn’t enough to win. The guys showed speed, grit, toughtness and talent, but they just couldn’t solve David Cacciola, which wasn’t too surprising. What was surprising was how the defense just seemed to fall apart halfway through the third period. Not sure what was going on, but I’m glad it’s not my problem to fix, and Coach Muscutt will see to that. Hope the guys are ready to work hard this week. We have to deal with these two teams again on Friday and Saturday. Let’s hope the Mudbugs can return the favors.

The Season Begins--10/19/2007

It’s finally here. A new season of Mudbugs hockey. A fresh season full of promise for the newly created Mudbug Nation. Head Coach Scott Muscutt and Assistant Coach Trevor Buchanan have assembled a team consisting of huge talent, literally and figuratively. New faces and familiar favorites fill a roster whose size and speed is quite impressive. Mudbugs’ fans have a team that’s very capable of making us all very, very happy come next spring.

Check any team’s roster today, and the CHL has become bigger, tougher, faster than it ever has before. That bodes well for hockey fans. But we’re still talking minor league hockey, so there are certainly possibilities of odd, unusual, and down-right controversial occurrences. And it would only be half as much fun if, at some point, some bit o’ craziness didn’t happen.

But, like any good coach's reminder, it’s all about one game at a time. The Mudbugs have traveled to Southaven, Mississippi, to face the Riverkings tonight, the same Riverkings who took full advantage of the league’s playoff mulligan last season and gave the Mudbugs an early exit from post-season play. Yep, there’s still a very sour taste in the Mudbug Nation’s mouths. So, to help begin to erase that memory, a convincing win at the DeSoto Civic Center tonight would certainly be a good start. I hear Turtle-flavored Mulligan stew tastes pretty good. And I’m sure Larry Sterling really missed us during the off-season…….