Mudbugs Fan Blog

Series 1, Game 2: Bugs 3, Brahmas 4

2008-03-31T23:35:00.002-04:00

Boys are in a deep hole now and need a lot of effort to get out of it. I'm proud of the way they fought back in the third, but it just wasn't enough. Kudos to them for hanging tough with just four d-men playing. Hope the rest they get before Friday is what they need and not too much.

Series One, Game One: Bugs 1, Brahmas 3

2008-03-30T21:59:00.003-04:00

Not the effort we fans expected from the Mudbugs, certainly. I made a list of things in the car as I listened to Travis's post game show --in my opinion ( not that it counts for anything)--that I saw problems with:

1. Ye olde "Keep your sticks on the ice" mantra. Miscues and bungled passes were more prevalent than the water puddles outside the CTC.

2. Out of sync set-ups. Someone was either too far ahead of a pass in front of the net or too far behind and a Brahma snagged the puck. That shouldn't be happening, should it?

3. No one in front of the net for passes from behind/beside the net. I don't understand the "hang back close to the blue line" deal that occurred tonight.

4. Way too many turnovers, at least a dozen alone by one Mudbug. No excuses for this stat.

5. ZERO for 5 on the PP, two of those being 5-on-3. HELP!

There were some bright spots, Jason Campbell's play being at the top of the list. Hopefully he will inspire the rest of the team.

Cruickshank called a pretty even game, but I have to take exception to the no-call high stick that had Karlis Zirnis bleeding profusely and spitting out teeth. How is that not called?

In the first period, it was a pretty evenly played game until Scott Sheppard scored...and where was he? Right in front of the net. Then, with goal number 2 by the Brahmas, they went into heavy d-mode. Most of their shots came on powerplays after that. The Bugs never really challenged Cacciola. Things continued not to go well until Tyrel Lucas's goal in the third. Then the team seemed to wake up. The funky, trickle-in 3rd goal by the Brahmas was , well, funky and certainly annoying.

Thank goodness we go back at it tomorrow night. Hopefully they've gotten rid of all the bad bounces, passes, etc. I--and the rest of the fans--expect much better because we have seen what this team can do.

Round 1, Game One: Bugs vs. Brahmas

2008-03-30T06:12:00.002-04:00

Looking back to opening night of this Mudbugs season and the ensuing craziness of the Bugs/Brahmas series-renewed rivalry, Hollywood couldn't have written a better script. What a mini-series this would make. Where's MapleLeaf TV when you need it?

I missed a few Bugs/Brahmas tilts this year, but I saw enough of the games to know this series is going to be extremely entertaining. I'm not even going to try make any predictions, never was too good at those anyway (a dead person would do better than me at the boats or the track. Now, my grandma, she was something else. Somehow that gene missed me.)

All I know is, I'm up on a Sunday at 5 a.m., the anticipation making for a bit of sleeplessness. (Plus I have to get back into the groove of getting up earlier and going back to school tomorrow.)My hockey friends and I have discussed that a rather large bottle of Tums may be a needed accessory for this series, as we know how past contests between these two teams have played out.

But the Bugs have three lines that will score, a wily veteran whom we all know as Soupy, a smothering defensive corps that was ranked #1 in the regular season, and two tremendous All-star goaltenders, all being coached by two outstanding guys, which, when all is said and done, is the definition of excellence and success for this season.

Mudbugs fans are poised and ready to do their part in this series, signs, horns, clappers, chants. We've had enough time off, dagnabit! It's time for playoff hockey, Mudbugs hockey. Bring on the Brahmas, the Mudbug Nation is ready.

Let the Playoffs begin

2008-03-24T21:50:00.002-04:00

Hmm, it's been about six weeks since I last blogged....my apologies. Life and work has been a bear lately. So it has been for the Mudbugs for several games lately as well. Despite some injuries to several key players, the team ended the regular season on a winning note: Governor's Cup champs and home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs. Scott Muscutt was honored by his peers with the CHL Coach of the Year award, and John Decaro was awarded membership in the All-CHL team and his second consecutive Goaltender of the Year nod. Both of these guys have publicly acknowledged the entire team's efforts as the reason the awards were given to each of them.

The playoff roster is set, and the team will be, according to coach, practicing at an elevated, more intense level. The first-round game 1 will be either this Friday or Sunday, depending upon the elimination round playing out between the Brahmas and the Riverkings. After seeing the Bugs decimate the Brahmas 7-1 this past Friday and beating the Rage 2-1 on Saturday, my friends and I discussed that if the team can click on all cylinders like it did in those two games, there's no stopping this team.

So, many thanks and congratulations to the team for a wonderful, fun, regular season, and it's crunch time. For a team that's re-written the CHL record books this season, adding a couple more would be the best yet.

The hockey gods have a sense of humor....

2008-02-06T16:44:00.000-05:00

...but today Mudbugs fans do not find them too funny.

With the sweep of the three-game series in Wichita, including the 8th shutout (3rd in a row) for John Decaro and the record setting 11th for the team, the view from the top was looking mighty nice. The team has a league-leading 68 points, the top two goalies, the top defensive unit, three dangerous scoring lines,so the drive down the CHL highway was gliding along nicely….until…..BAM! someone attacked the Mudbugs' Hemi-driven machine with a ball-peen hammer. Yes, the AHL Quad City Mallards decided to pull off a theft of epic proportions and call up defenseman Dale Lupul for potentially the rest of the season. This is where a fan's inital reaction is “AHHHHHHHHH!” or a combination of several words not printable in a family publication. And there’s possibly more bad news on the horizon. Roy Lang reports that ANOTHER d-man could be on his way up the ladder later on this season. Things that make you say “YIKES!” or “*%$#!”

Already a d-man short last night (Matt York sat out), the Bugs struggled a bit to pull off the win against the Thunder. Whether it was due to the flu, the familiarity of the “easy” opponents, the knowledge that the team would be playing short-handed for a while, or a combination of the above, the Bugs were back to some old bad habits last night: poor passing, sluggish skating, bad positioning, missing d-men in front of the goal. You know, the things that gave me (and other fans) a great deal of pain back at the beginning of the season, the "you don't want to go down that road" song and dance. And Coach was not a happy man after the game. I think he had “Herbies” on the brain (but he didn’t actually go through with them), and we haven’t heard about those since November when life was pretty dismal in the CTC “Swamp”. But a game like last night's might be a good thing overall. It'll get the boys focused on areas which need improvement.

Yes, the hockey gods decided it’s time for another unexpected twist in a roller-coaster season, this time flipping us all upside-down for an eyes-squeezed-shut, stomachs-in-our-throats turn, making us wonder/worry what’s around the next curve. But, we’ve got great leadership on this team, and losing and excuses are not options for Scott Muscutt and his boys. Knowing that they understand this makes this fan rest a bit easier. And the rest of the ride certainly won't be boring.

No Mid-season slump for this team

2008-01-30T17:14:00.000-05:00

I apologize for the lack of recent posts. In my susperstitiousness, I held off in posting about the long road trip because I was afraid that I would somehow jinx the team and anger the hockey gods. Plus, plain old life got in the way and I have just been very busy. But these recent two weeks of Mudbugs hockey have opened many eyes, local and league-wide. We've got one heck of a talented hockey team in Bossier-Shreveport!

Bugs/Youngstown series

The three games in three days in Youngstown two weeks ago were quite exciting, with our Mudbugs taking 5 of 6 possible points. The team had three strong games and acquitted themselves when they came back in the third period of the third game to force overtime and the dreaded (at least to my mother and my friend J) shootout.

Bugs/Riverkings' kiddie game

This game occured two days after the OT loss in Youngstown...beginning at 10:30 in the morning, in front of a gazillion (well,it sounded like that many) screaming, thunder-sticking, gyrating kids. Bring on the extra-strength Excedrin. I only got to listen to Justin's broadcast of the last period, but the Mudbugs put on quite a show, with Ken Carroll getting another shut out. Kids, that's how a great hockey team gets it done.

Bugs/Blazers game

Another road game. The boys were home for a day and a half, I think before having to leave again for OKC. If my memory serves me correctly, that was the day it snowed here in NW Louisiana and there was some iffy weather in OKC as well. No worries about the Bugs, though. They continued on their roll, John Decaro getting the second consecutive shutout of the week. The Black Pearl rolled back into town the next morning for the big rematch with the nefarious Laredo Bucks. And boy, were the fans ready for this one.

January 26, 2008
Mudbugs 2 Bucks 1

After the craziness in the LEC back on January 12, Mudbugs fans were eager to voice their displeasure for the southeastern conference's powerhouse Laredo. (Of course, there is that little thing called Game 7 from 2004 that sticks in every Mudbugs' fans' craw.) This game had a definite playoff feel to it from the drop of the puck. the game was much tighter than the one two weeks previous; but we got to see some great hockey that night, the Mudbugs putting the hurt on the faltering Bucks once again, and Coach Roskowski holding his head in his hands. And the electricity stayed on for the whole time. Imagine that.

January 27, 2008
Mudbugs 2 Killer Bees 0

10 shutouts so far this season. John DeCaro and Ken Carroll taking up what seems like permanent space on the CHL Player of the Week/Month wall. Three lines racking up points like a video game genius. A +227 on the plus/minus ratings. A miserly 73 goals allowed to opponents (every other team is 100 or over in this category). A defensive system that has shut down all the league's top teams save one (Rocky Mountain will visit in March). A truly awesome yet "Cheesey" Rock Band video. A coach who, during his post-game shows, looks like a cross between the ever-smiling Cheshire cat and a tap-dancing Savion Glover. A team that has become so "scary-good" that they're scaring me a little, wondering what unbelievable efforts are next?

If you're not a regular visitor to the CenturyTel, you are really missing something special. In looking back to the 2003-04 season, this team's current stats are mind-boggling compared with the last four seasons' Mudbug teams. Roy Lang has done a great job in putting all that in the paper; these kinds of players coming together for this kind of season is a rarity. So I'm telling you, if you want to see a great team having a great time, come out to the CenturyTel Center SOON. The next home game is Tuesday, Feb. 5th against a currently revamped Wichita Thunder team. This team certainly deserves all the love the community can give it. They could be our very own Miracle on Ice.

January 12, 2008 Mudbugs 6 Bucks 2

2008-01-13T19:10:00.000-05:00

If you’d told me that the Mudbugs would score 3 goals in the first nine minutes of last night’s game, I’d have laughed you off your seat. These two teams have an angry history with each other. The Bucks are a tough, talented team...who apparently didn’t show up last night. Coach Ruskowski probably had a hard time deciding whether or not to knock some heads of his players or knock his own head against the dressing room wall during the first intermission last night.

All I know is that when the score was 4-1, with half the game left to play, I got VERY worried about what sort of physical hijinks the Bucks would stoop to. I knew better to think they’d play cleanly. When you’re getting run all over your home ice, embarrassed by an “inferior” team in front of your fans, I guess you get angry. I've seen the Bucks do exactly that in past contests with the Mudbugs. And James Hiebert and Andrew Penner decided to go head hunting--literally.

Hiebert has long been a thorn in the Mudbugs’ side. He’s a tough, fiesty, hot-headed, all around pain-in-the- neck forward who has loads of scoring talent. Give him some Prozac and he might actually be a player I could admire. But he’d rather misbehave and cost his team points. I can’t type what I really think of him, it’s a family paper. He thoroughly embarrassed himself, his coach, and his team last night.

Andrew Penner should be suspended for numerous games, if not indefinitely. As I listened to Bugs’ broadcaster Travis Huntington angrily describe Penner’s blatant cross-check from behind to Matt York’s head and then continue to pound him in the head while York was on the ice, I became livid. Penner had been skating all over the ice, trying to provoke trouble, and the Bugs just kept skating away. I have a difficult time believing that the actions of Hiebert and Penner were sanctioned by their coach. York has paid an awful price for playing decent hockey. Too many players across the league have been hurt with head injuries. If the CHL doesn’t see fit to send a message that this sort of behavior is not going to be tolerated, I’m afraid something truly awful will happen to someone this season. Who cares if it’s minor league hockey that’s “entertainment”? These young men deserve to be protected from idiotic behavior.

In last night’s game, the weirdness was there in capital letters. I’ve been to the LEC three times and in each game something bizarre happened. It wasn’t just Game 7 of the 2003-04 Championship, the other two games had some craziness attached. When the power went out at the LEC last night during the second period, the radio broadcast was dropped, the NiftyTv feed went dark, and the Internet pointstreak.com connection went kaput. I thought here we go, someone's pulled the plug because they're getting their butts handed to them. For about 15 minutes we fans were scrambling for news. Just as the radio broadcast returned, the score went up 5-1 and the goon squad emerged.

Our Bugs held tough--not without plenty of bumps and bruises, though. Six different Mudbugs scored goals, a testament to the depth of this team. Congrats to the boys for hanging in there and sticking up for each other. Special congrats go out to Jason Basile for his first goal of the game and of the season. Basile quietly does an amazing job game in and game out, it’s nice to see him lead the team to this victory. Super congrats to the team for its new franchise record of 13 consecutive wins. These boys have just really come together and are playing lights out hockey.

The next few games on the schedule are going to be challenging. 7 games in 14 days. Games against key divisional opponents. Games of possibly a very physical nature. Three back-to-back in Youngstown, a day game with a gazillion screaming kids in Southaven, and a trek out to OKC before the Bugs return home on the 26th to face guess who? The Laredo Bucks. We’ve reached the part of the season that scared me when I saw it on the schedule back in August. It’s gonna be a tough two weeks for this team, but they’ve been in tough spots already this season. They’ll be just fine.

Just a note: The CHL All-Star Game is this week in Broomfield, Colorado. Best wishes to All-Stars Daniel Pegoraro and John Decaro. Enjoy yourselves and have fun, guys!

January 11, 2008 Mudbugs 5 Killer Bees 1

2008-01-13T19:08:00.000-05:00

Going into Friday night’s game, the ‘Bugs had a chance to tie the franchise’s longest winning streak at 12. They seemed to have no problem doing that against a floundering Rio Grande team. Kevin Cooper and Brett Smith had two goals each, with Joe Ori adding one of his own to the total. Ken Carroll had a relatively easy night, stopping 22 chances for his 10th straight win.

With the Brahmas' trade of Robin Big Snake to the Bees earlier this week, I was worried that Mr. Snake would try to pick up where he left off--wanting Chris Brassard as a “dance” partner. Thankfully, Big Snake was pretty much a non-factor in the game.

It was almost impossible for me to not look beyond this game to the one in Laredo on Saturday night. The Bucks are currently the cream of the crop in the CHL Southern Conference but have had little success against Northern Conference teams. Even with their league-lead in points, have the Bucks been regularly tested? Don’t think so, but the Mudbugs will certainly challenge them.

January 8, 2008 Mubugs 5 Steelhounds 2

2008-01-09T17:09:00.000-05:00

There was something special in the air at the CTC last night. Ever have one of those experiences that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up or that sends shivers up your spine? Well, it happened to me last night during the first period of the hockey game. When Mudbug #14 Chris Brassard scored the first goal of the game (assisted by #41 Brett Smith), Steelhound #14 Chris Richards had 14 seconds left in the sin bin. My friend B marveled over that unusual occurrence. I told her, "Just wait, it gets weirder!" I had gone to a local bookstore before the game to purchase a couple of things, and when the clerk rang up my bill, the total was....$14.14. When I told my friends that, we all pretty much freaked out at that point. Cue the Twilight Zone music, please. (I won't even go into almost getting beaned by a caroming puck...)

Whatever magic was floating around last night, the fact is that Chris Brassard had a 4 point effort and a whale of a game last night. He was in "the zone". And Ken Carroll seemed to have his magic mojo working in top form because he made a save that I swear he never touched. From our angle, we watched the puck zoom toward the net and suddenly, like it had hit an invisible force field, bounce back out. I sure would like to see a replay of that save. Cosmic forces or some unusual planetary alignment, coupled with grit and determination, buoyed the Mudbugs and sank the Steelhounds.

New Mudbug Mike Falk made his debut last night, and while it looked as if he was a bit tenative, he manufactured several very good, solid plays while on the ice with his new teammates. Welcome, Mike!

I'd figured last night's game would be a tough contest, a well-played hockey game that would be decided by one goal. One free 44 ounce (there are those 4's again) Sonic drink later (with sleep deprivation thrown in, thanks to the LSU win), I'm still a little bit fuzzy about last night's vodoo or whatever it was. Maybe it was the fact that the video guys finally showed the whole Rock Band video. Who knows? I do know the Bugs looked really, really good last night. I'd forgotten how big Y'town's players are and was only reminded about that worrisome fact as I watched them in warm-ups. I think I mumbled, "Did these guys grow taller or is it just me?" Watching them come off the ice with red faces and mouths gasping for breath during shift changes made me remember that bigger is not always better. This Bugs team is winning through talent, smarts, and hard work, not physically gooning it up. The Bugs are beating their opponents into submission through speed, skill, and teamwork, not elbows and cheap shots. Oh, they get physical when they must, but it's not their main objective.

It's only January, and Coach says there's much work to be done, but from what I've seen and what he's telling us, awesome, maybe even magical things are still to come for this team and its fans.

January 5 2008 Mudbugs 3 Riverkings 1

2008-01-06T19:46:00.000-05:00

14 home wins in a row, 10 consecutive wins in a row. Wowzers! And it gets better:
3 powerplay goals. Did I say powerplay goals? Mudbugs powerplay goals? Yep, three of them. Another almost shut out for the Bugs. Johnny D stood tall, until the third when there was a pile up in front of Decs and literally a dogpile on top of him, and the ‘Kings popped one in. Oh, well. We’ve gotten so used to the shut-outs we’re getting annoyed when another team scores just one goal, haha. (Other teams’ fans are now furious at me for reveling in that “problem”.)

Elias Godoy showed how much he missed the ice by scoring the game winner tonight. Glad to have you back in skates, Goody! We'll forgive you for telling Paul DePuydt where to go, etc.

The Riverkings Diving and Elbowing, er, hockey, team was in top form last night. With the exception of Dumont (my favorite Turtle to watch this season) and Woolard, these shellers looked mighty pooped. Steve Makway obviously didn’t make any New Year’s resolutions to behave himself, and Derek Landmesser should really look into selling real estate on the blue line since he lives there. I saw him actually skate and make an effort on ONE play in the third, otherwise, it’s like he’s out for a Sunday afternoon walk on the ice, just a-roamin’ around, earning his keep at his pace. Then when something goes wrong for his team, he yells at them in the team box. Just ask Stoddard.

And Coach McClelland, Section 119 LOVES you. You just can help but look up and wink at us, can you? Gotta love a coach who muggs with the opposing fans.

Big guy Neil Pouleson made his debut as a Mudbug, and Sheldon Wenzel has a headache to remember him by. Saw Pouleson last night after the game. No swollen knuckles, no gashes or bruises on the face, nothing. Wenzel, on the other hand, had the audacity to bleed on Neil’s new jersey. What a shame. I will refrain from commenting on the Lightbody/Makway scuffle as Makway deserves no more print from me. Quade, you're awesome.

It’s always great to get a win against the Riverkings, but Coach wasn’t too happy with the boys. They let the ‘Kings push them around the first period and didn’t really get into the game until the second, which they played really well. The third was almost a snoozer as they went into d-mode--3 measly SOG--(which I hate, but I understand)and tried to play keep-away with the Turtles. Coach knows that there is plenty of room for improvement, and down the road, things are going to get tougher (and ugly) if the team is happy with its current play.

Bugs are now without the services of Lupul, Zirnis, and d-man Derek Miller who was injured in Friday’s game against the Blazers in a suspicious, possible slew-footing incident. Derek went feet first into the corner boards and had to be helped off the ice. The injuries are coming too quickly and are worrying. It’s tough to play a defensive-type system when you’re short an important d-man. Matt York, however, had another stellar game, even better than his debut last game.

But there is good news: the Mudbugs are now in sole possession of first place in the NE division, thanks to an OT win by Tulsa over Youngstown. THANK YOU, Tulsa! Youngstown comes to the Swamp on Tuesday night, looking to take back that spot. Don’t think the Mudbugs are going to let it happen, though. Mr. Falk may be in a Bugs’ sweater come Tuesday night, and if he’s half as good as I’ve been told, the Bugs are only going to get better.

January 4, 2008 Mubugs 4 Blazers 1

2008-01-06T19:42:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year, everyone!

First game of the new year, and Superman does it again...almost. Some folks around me were so sure KC would get the shut-out, they uttered the dreaded word just before there was one minute left in the game. Several of us came unglued when seconds later the Blazers scored, and we could see the Bugs just kinda deflate. They really wanted to help Kenny to get another one.

The other KC on the team, Kevin Cooper put two goals past the big, bad Wolfe, as did Ortmeyer and Fairbarn. Who says d-men don’t score?

The Bugs looked a big slow in the feet during the first half of the game, and Coach was happy with the win, but not necessarily the effort. With this win the Bugs are still tied with Youngstown for first place in the division and the floundering Memphissippi Turtles come to town, having lost both of their road games this week. They’ll be snapping for a win.

New Bug Matt York proved himself by fitting right into the Mudbug system, and his coach was uncharacteristically excited with his effort in the post-game show. Musky “LOVES” this guy. The fans feel the same way. Welcome to the Swamp, Matt!

Special props and shout-outs to the Bugs front office for the “Start up the Bus” video. Very nice. And I can’t say enough about how much we all love the 99X/Bugs Rock Band video. The hockey helmet on Labatte, a shaded Pegs, and Ortmeyer’s hideous plaid pants/tuxedo t-shirt combo are hilarious. Of course, all the puck bunnies can’t get past a shirtless Joe Ori, I don’t think they could tell you who else is in the bit. We’ve been told the end of the video is the best, but the vid guys aren’t giving it enough time to run. C’mon, guys, give us the good stuff!

December 31, 2007 Mudbugs 2 Brahmas 1

2008-01-06T19:38:00.000-05:00

Since I missed the “goonfest” (a 6-1, up-yours-old-fashioned whoopin'by the Mudbugs) the previous game due to my attendance at the Stars/Blues game--which the Stars won in a shoot-out, I was clearly hoping for a cleanly played good game. I got my wish, but I was still disappointed in the on-ice antics of certain Brahma players, one in particular. I’ll forgo naming him (name rhymes with tanning.....). The first period was a well-played one, both teams testing each other.

Then things got a little scary for our boys. Lupul took a shot to the back of his head either from an elbow or a high stick behind their goal in the second period and had to be helped from the ice. It was a pretty scary hit, poor Loops was really out of it. The team seriously missed his blue line effort for the rest of the game.

No comment about ref Tudor Floru, other than to say he needs to learn there are numbers other than 8....

Brahmas came out pushing in the third, but the Bugs pushed right back. I had a close up view of Tyrel Lucas’s rocket of a game winner from the blue line. New Brahma goalie Jaeger just kinda sat there with a “Wha’ happened?” look on his face. It was awesome. With 90 seconds to go in the game, the crowd stood and cheered....and I sat chewing on my thumbnails, watching the clock. The action was at the far end of the ice and it was all I could do to watch the seconds tick by. The Bugs prevailed, but not without cost. Loops and Zirnis fell victim to injuries.

We had a nice crowd at NYTEX and we let our boys know we were there. The Brahma fans knew we were there too, as did the on-ice clean up crew. Not sure what they’re gonna do with all that fake poop, but Ernie, you’re da man. Congrats again to NYTEX for putting on a party for all fans after the game. The band was great, and the free party hats and horns were a nice surprise.

December 26, 2007 Mudbugs 3 Brahmas 0

2007-12-27T17:59:00.000-05:00

Two months ago, the home season began at the CTC against the newly formed Brahmas and the Texas team spoiled our opening. A week later Mudbugs fans descended upon North Richland Hills' NYTEX complex to watch again, as the Brahmas took the game (in overtime) from our struggling Bugs team.

Two months later, the Brahmas are the team struggling and the Mudbugs have won the last 11 home games in a row. The boys posted another nice win last night, another shut out at that. John Decaro had an easy night(his fifth shut out of the season--that's got to be some sort of record?) and the Bugs' defensive system shut down another team. Seven shutouts so far this season, and we're only twenty-six games in. Decs and KC are near the top of the rankings for league goalies. All three lines are producing goals. The defensive unit is stifling their opponents. Wowzers, what a great Christmas present for Bugs' fans, eh?

My parents were in attendance last night, and Brett Smith is my mom's favorite player to watch (although she is partial to the Brahmas' David Cacciola, too, but that's another tale); and I knew that when he scored the first goal, she was a very happy fan.

I did think the Bugs didn't really wake up until about mid-way through the second period as far as playing "their game". The Brahmas clogged up a lot of open lanes and I thought the Bugs' passing and puck handling looked suspiciously weighed down with remnants of fruitcake and other Christmas sugar. But they woke up and took control of the game quite nicely and left the Brahmas shaking their heads and their head coach very frustrated.

Can't say enough about KC....no, not Ken Carroll (no offense, Kenny!), the other guy, Kevin Cooper. Two goals through Cacciola's five hole were results of Coop's continuous, feisty hard work on the ice. This guy never lets up and the more I watch him, the more he reminds me of a combination of former Mudbug players from the 03-04 season...which is a GREAT thing.

One down, two more to go with that Mudbugs West team this weekend. The next ten games for the Mudbugs include SEVEN against divisional rivals. January is setting up to be a very important month for the Bugs, and it's possible for this team--who started off so poorly and we never thought they'd catch up with a steamrolling Youngstown--to be tied for first place in the division as the 2008 begins. Who'd have thunk it two months ago? Not some Mudbugs' fans. But I believe we're all on the same page now, and we're more than ready to cheer on what this team can and will do. It's an exciting time to be a Mudbugs fan!

(A side note: I will be in Dallas on Saturday night attending a Stars game, thanks to my brother's Christmas gift, so I won't be blogging about Sat.'s game. Here's hoping Marty Turco doesn't decide to do his best impression of a slice of Swiss cheese!)

December 22, 2007 Mudbugs 4 Steelhounds2

2007-12-23T18:37:00.000-05:00

This game had me worried. The Hounds are a notoriously physical team, not afraid of the rough stuff, and they have the big players to do some damage. That and the fact the Mudbugs took them out to the woodshed and gave them a 7-2 whipping the last time the Hounds were at the CTC. AND then there was the fact the Hounds had lost the night before to an underachieving Tulsa Oilers team. I figured they were at the top of the "They're not happy" list as they rolled into the Swamp. And I was right.

The Mudbugs played a good first period of hockey, keeping up with the physical play of the Hounds and outpacing them nicely. Referee Mike McCreary had done a good job the night before in OKC, and he was letting the boys play...for a while.

After scoring 2 in the first period, the ugly play surfaced. Tyrel Lucas crawled into the team box after he was pushed from behind into the open door of the Bugs’ bench by Milan Mislonka . The ref’s eyes were on the puck in play up the ice and he missed what happened. Mislonka proceeded to be a butthead (can I write that?) for the rest of the night.

Ken Carroll was roughed up several times when the Hounds got close to the net. At one point I thought KC was gonna throw down with Eric Przepiorka; Kenny had had enough and he let Eric and the ref know it. Then Kevin Cooper got a cross-check to the face and left the ice for some stitches, bu in typical Mudbug fashion, he returned and scored the game winner in the third. At one point towards the end of the second period, my friend B and I were worried that that McCreary had lost control of the game and a line brawl was brewing. It didn’t come to that, but tempers were hot out on the ice last night.

The Bugs were given a large number of 5-on-3 power plays, only one of which they were able to convert to a goal. Troubling? Yep. It’s hard to score a goal when you spend half the PP cycling the puck, but Youngstown did a great job of keeping the Bugs to the outside of the “house”. Yes, it was frustrating to watch (and according to Coach, it was driving the boys themselves a little nutso), but it’s something that can be fixed.

The Texas Burgers come to town the next two games and these two games are huge in the standpoint of the division stakes. Former Mudbug Dan Wildfong gets to spend his birthday in the CTC on Saturday, Dec. 29th. I have a feeling he ain’t gonna like his present from his former team. Memphissippi and Youngstown meet up at the end of the week, so these four teams could be doing a lot of fast-shoe shuffling up and down the division's standings by years’ end. Who doesn't enjoy a little two-step now and then? The NE division, by far, has been the one to watch in the CHL this season.

To all the readers, I wish you a very blessed Christmas holiday. May you and yours celebrate merrily.

Don’t forget that the Bugs are in action again on Wednesday night in the Swamp. The Bugs will be ready with lumps of coal for their old teammates....fire up the grill and let’s have some holiday hamburgers!

December 21, 2007 Mudbugs 2 Blazers 0

2007-12-23T18:31:00.000-05:00

John Decaro gets his fourth shut out for the year, and the Mudbugs get their 6th shut out of the season. The third in the last eight games. If that isn’t a testament to a tough d-corps and defensive system, I don’t know what is. When the season began, Captain Chris Brassard was adamant that the d-corps would be the best in the league. At this point, I doubt anyone is ready to argue with him.

The Bugs played great hockey in OKC, and the Blazers had no answer for it. Karlis Zirnis potted the Bugs' first goal of the evening at the end of the first, and the Bugs held off the Blazers as we listening fans held out collective breaths for the next 39 minutes and 57 seconds of the game. Good thing we've got experience, haha. Daniel Pegoraro got an empty netter three seconds before the end of the game, a pretty nice way to say "Merry Christmas" to the Blazers. I hadn’t realized it was the Teddy Bear Toss night in OKC until the end of the game, as Travis described the plethora of bears being chunked onto the ice. The Bugs had spoiled the evening for teddy-tossing fans and come home with two big points. Tulsa had done us a huge favor in defeating the Steelhounds, and the Riverkings--quite shorthanded--beat the Brahmas. The Mudbugs are quickly moving up in the division as they rack up points. Yep, I love the month of December!

December 18, 2007 Mudbugs 3 Oilers 1

2007-12-23T18:24:00.000-05:00

In a word, this was an exhibition of sloppy hockey. Miscues on passes and set-ups, scrambling in the zone, average play at best. The first fifteen or so minutes were good, and then Tulsa started pushing and the Bugs just seemed to lose focus. At one point I thought someone had played with a time machine because the boys were eerily looking like they did about 6 weeks ago...not too good. I told my friend B that we'd fed the boys too well at the Booster Club Christmas party, since it looked like all that food had settled into their feet. UGH.

Elias Godoy, however, scored another amazing goal in the first, and Joe Ori made it 2-0 in the second. Tulsa would score in the second, making things anxious for us fans, but Brett Smith, with his second consecutive empty net goal, put a cap on the Oil leak and sent Tulsa home with a loss.

After the game, Coach called it an ugly win, and he was not happy with the way the team performed. He knew that some re-focusing had to be done, but he told us that the players were unhappy with themselves and their effort, so I felt like they’d get their acts together for the trip to Oklahoma City.

December 15, 2007 Mudbugs 5, Oilers 4 OT

2007-12-17T17:36:00.000-05:00

From what my friends tell me, this was one weird game. Once again, all I got was static on the radio (thanks, KEEL!), so I followed the game on pointstreak while I graded papers.

The Bugs started out shaky, down 2-1 at the end of the first, but Coach must have given them a good motivation speech as they scored three in a row (2 goals were PP goals--yippee!)in the second. But the Oilers weren't ready to quit on that snowy Saturday night, and scored two more to tie the game. The third period involved no scoring, so the game went to OT. Ryan Fairbarn didn't want to spend all night in Tulsa, so he scored the game winner just 56 seconds into OT and the Bugs get a 4-point weekend, tying them up with the Brahmas with 27 points.

I understand from friends that a Bugs' goal was waved off by Paul Depuydt, despite the fact that the puck sat a good four inches over the goal line, the goal light went on, and the Bugs began to celebrate. Not sure who Paul sees for his eye exams or who scored his referee test, but get this guy some specs and a CHL rule book.

The Oilers come to the Swamp Tuesday night, looking for a little revenge. Tulsa enforcer Curtis Voth may want to watch his manners; we don't take too kindly to impolite behavior at the CTC....

December 14, 2007 Mudbugs 3 Eagles 0

2007-12-17T17:31:00.000-05:00

Games against the Eagles have always been great contests, so I expected nothing but the same. Never did the thought of a Mudbugs shut out occur to me or my friends. At the end of the first, the Bugs had 19 shots on goal and had zipped all over the ice with great speed. I told my friend B that I was worried that there would be nothing left in the tank for the rest of the game. KC and the d-unit kept them out of trouble at the end of the first, killing of a crucial 5 on 3 penalty, and, I think, squishing the momentum for the Eagles.

75 seconds into the second period, Justin Aikens got a feed from Elias Godoy, shot it from the right side of the net, sending the puck into the crossbar. It popped right down behind Eagles’ goalie Keserich, and the teddy bears went a-flyin. It was fun watching the players avoid being hit with the bears, and a few plastic mudbugs did make it to the ice. Finally, the bears were toted off—in a shopping cart, no less—and the game moved on. At the end of the second, the Bugs had 30 SOG to the Eagles 24, and the Eagles were looking pretty worn out. Greg Pankewicz was none to happy with his teammates and fussed at them during one of the official time-outs, much to our delight, haha.

The third period began with the game still at 1-0, not a reassuring thing against the scoring machine Eagles. But, the Mudbugs did a tremendous job of shortening up the space of ice (thanks, Coach, for that explanation) and taking away any sort of set up for Colorado. I totally missed Elias Godoy’s wonder of a goal at the beginning of the third as I was working the booster club table, but my friends tell me that it was awesome. The next 16 minutes of the game were a bit stressful as we watched the Eagles’ frustration mount. I kept expecting some sort of goon exhibition to be forthcoming, but I think the Mudbugs had worn out the Eagles so much, that all they were looking for was the bench and an oxygen tank. After Brett Smith’s empty-netter at 19:35, Eagles’ captain Greg Pankewicz wouldn’t even face his bench, and when the buzzer sounded, he was their first player off the ice. So much for teamwork. Colorado is not the dominant force it has been. Ryan Tobler is out on IR and big guy Chris Hartsburg has retired. The absence of both players and Coach Chris Stewart was painfully obvious.

Mega-congrats to Ken Carroll for his shutout, making him the CHL/WPHL Superman of shutouts. KC worked hard on Friday night, and his teammates worked even harded to help him out. The Mudbugs continue to improve, and the lines are doing some amazing things. Things are looking really good for this team.

Apologies

2007-12-17T17:28:00.000-05:00

I apologize for the lack of posts concerning the Mudbugs' trip to Colorado. I went to North Richland Hills to watch the Brahmas take on Laredo and Amarillo two weekends ago, and was out of pocket in keeping up with the Bugs' games. From what I was told, the Bugs played two good games, and should have won both, just as people predicted the Bucks would take one from the Brahmas and the Brahmas would beat the Apes. Oh, well, I never was one for predictions anyway.

December 4, 2007 Mudbugs 5, Blazers 2

2007-12-05T20:00:00.000-05:00

The Bugs decided to gift their fans with another Sonic Route 44 Cherry Limeade drink with its 5 goal-performance last night. OKC's big Wolfe in goal--he's 6'5"--hollered "UNCLE", I think, after goal number 5. My friends and I were a little worried when we saw how big this guy was (his waist was as high as the top of the goal net), but he moved about as quickly as a defensive tackle trying to make a touchdown run: not very well. Good news for our speedy Mudbugs.

The Bugs had 9 players who earned points last night, and Ken Carroll had a great night in goal, stopping 38 of 40 shots. The lines are really starting to click as the players are getting comfortable with their line counterparts. By the third period, the Blazers were pretty much toast. They were huffing and puffing, looking for the oxygen tank as they came off the ice. Our guys looked quite cool and collected.

The Blazers did have a few good moments. OKC's second goal should make someone's highlight reel; that spinorama move by Dallas Flaman sure was a jaw-dropper. They were given a crucial 5 on 3 powerplay at the beginning of the third and tried their darndest to score, but Superman kept his composure and the Bugs defense was tremendous once again.

Special Kudos to Kevin Labatte for standing up to Graham Dearle, one of the top pugilists in the league. Kevin has taken on two of these guys recently and made both of them bleed. Not bad for a rookie.

The unnecessary silliness by Chris Barth and whomever sticked Jake Ortmeyer in the neck near the end of the game prompted an ominous promise from Coach: be very ready for the next Bugs/Blazers match up, which is December 21st in OKC.

The Bugs hopped onto the Black Pearl at midnight for their trek to Colorado to face the much-improved Rage and the struggling Eagles. The Rage will be without goalie Terry Dunbar and Justin Schmit, due to lengthy suspensions from their actions in last weekend's game against New Mexico. The Eagles are once again dealing with injuries to some of their premier players, playing short-handed quite a bit. I don't want to look the gift-hockey gods in the mouth, but....nope, I won't say it. If the Bugs play these next two games the Mudbug way, then they should come home with four more important points. Don't forget to listen to the games via the radio broadcast this weekend; these should be two really exciting contests. (and Pegs, please wear your mouthguard this time!)

December 1, 2007 Mudbugs 3 Oilers 0

2007-12-02T15:31:00.000-05:00

Ryan Fairbarn decided, “Hey, this scoring thing is fun!” and garned two more goals in an early Saturday afternoon game against the Oilers in Tulsa. Karlis Zirnis showed how much he likes to share and sent a winning pass to Chris Brassard who was able to score his 500th professional career point. Ginormous congrats, Captain Brass!

After the game on Friday night, some of us were worried that the boys didn’t have any goals left and that the short turn-around time between games would adversely affect their efforts. SILLY US! They had the game solidly in hand the whole sixty minutes.

The team now boasts 9 wins and 1 OT loss in the last 10 games. Even I did a double take when I checked that stat. WOW! That’s impressive. That’s AWESOME! That’s Mudbugs hockey. (Insert big smile here.) That stat ought to make fans around the CHL to take notice and should put the other CHL teams on guard. Yep, it’s December and it’s time for the annual rev-up-the-Hemi engine that fuels the Mudbugs team. As Coach Muscutt mentioned, there’s still work for this team to do to improve. And the Oklahoma City Blazers are next up for the Bugs' fine-tuning this coming Tuesday night. Wonder if they’ll wear their disco gold sweaters? Hey, Jason, can you play some cheesey 70’s disco music if they do? If they wear those awful stripes, how about some "Folsom Prison Blues"?

(An aside, my deepest sympathy goes out to my buddy Roy Lang. Your Turtles really stunk it up this weekend.)

Edit to add: I am a total moron. I can't believe that I typed in the wrong score and that I didn't mention the fact that Decs got another shut out, his third so far this season. Shame on me. And the Riverkings still stunk it up this weekend, Roy.

November 30, 2007 Mudbugs 7 'Hounds 2

2007-12-02T15:26:00.000-05:00

Yes, that score is correct. What a difference twenty-four hours can make. The Mudbugs re-signed Kevin Labatte and the team on the ice was like nothing we’d seen so far this season. The Steelhounds are a big, physical team that had an unprecedented road win streak of 12-1-1 before the Mudbugs visited them in Ohio last weekend. The Bugs took 3 of 4 points from the Dawgs at home, and I’m sure that they were ready to get back to winning. Top scorer Peter Pohl had returned to the team, which made me gnash my teeth a bit, but Andy Franck was called up to the AHL earlier this week, so I felt like this game would be more of a test for the ‘Hounds.

Just a note for Steelhound Milan Mislonka: Don't wear yourself out in pregame chirping to your opponent. It obviously didn't work.

And the scoring begins...We’d all just sat down after cheering Elias Godoy’s (who garnered a 3-point night) goal to tie the game at 1-1, when-whammo-six seconds later we were on our feet again as Justin Aikens struck at the ‘Hounds ‘tender Brad Roberts. At the end of the second, the score was 3-2 Mudbugs, and I silently prayed against a dreaded third period meltdown. Little did I know who was going to do the melting.

At the beginning of the third, I watched as Ty Lucas was just off to the right of the net. I yelled, “Move up, Ty, move up! Right there!” And as I called it, Joe Ori passed the puck, and Lucas potted goal number 4. I felt better but we were still waiting for the Steelhounds to start pushing. When Kevin Cooper scored goal number 5, you could almost feel the visible sigh of relief released from Bugs fans. Goals number 6 and 7 were the whipped cream and cherry on top of a dominating, offensive onslaught. I hope somebody bought Brad Roberts some aloe to put on his neck burns.

Congrats to Ryan Fairbarn and Karlis Zirnis for getting their first goals of the season. (The monkeys made a b-line for the Hounds bench as they lost last night to the Brahmas in a similar fashion.) I didn’t get to see Fairbarn’s face after he scored, but Zirnis’s expression was one of such relief, his whole body just sagged with it. So much for the invisible men.

Kevin Kaminski and his team had to be wondering if Andy Franck,was really the glue that had been holding his big team together. The much bigger, more physical Steelhounds couldn’t keep up with the speed and cycling and shooting styles of the Mudbugs. And the Mudbug Nation shouted for joy.

November 29, 2007 Mudbugs 2 Thunder 1

2007-12-02T15:24:00.000-05:00

I was worried the team would play to the level of the poor-performing Thunder. I guess it’s difficult to get motivated to play against a team that’s doing so badly at this point in the season, and I’m sure the next game against Y’town was certainly at the back of the Bugs’ minds. Despite a good performance by Thunder goalie Sebastien Laplante, the Bugs prevailed with an ok effort. But that same effort was certainly not going to work against the Steelhounds, many of whom sat---along with their Coach Kevin Kaminski--in section 120 watching the game.

The best things about this game, besides the win and the two points, were getting a first look at new Mudbug Kevin Cooper (whose play reminded several of us of a certain former Mudbug named Dan...), who zipped all over the ice, and watching Thunder player Kris Wiebe participate in the KISS cam, haha.

November 24, 2007 Mudbugs 4 Steelhounds 2

2007-11-25T17:08:00.000-05:00

Amazing what can happen in two and a half minutes in a hockey game. If you’d gone to get some popcorn at the Chevrolet Center, you might have missed the quick scoring rally by the Mudbugs in the second.

Thanks to some loopy broadcasting problems, radio listeners missed the beginning of the first period. Seems like I tuned in just in time to hear Joel Irving (not this guy again) score a shortie as the period ended. So, I had to tough it out during the intermission, but Travis Huntington recapped his pregame program, which was cool.

In the second period new Mudbug Kevin Cooper decided to make his mark and Jason Campbell was more than happy to help him out. About ninety seconds later, Tyrel Lucas, with help from Elias Godoy and Joe Ori, smoked one past Franck. ANOTHER ninety seconds later Chris Brassard decided Franck was begging for the puck again and obliged him with the winning shot.

The Bugs held on to their 3-1 lead for most of the rest of the game, but the Steelhounds made things interesting with a PP goal in the third. With John Decaro getting peppered with the puck, I was once again chewing on a pencil. About a minute after that, Brett Smith said, “Nope, we’re going home with three points,” stole the puck, zipped into the ‘Hounds’ zone and sent one over Franck’s glove side to take care of the night. (Yep, there's that killer instinct. See, it can work!)

I do have to wonder, however, if the Y’town scorekeepers weren’t a bit stingy with the Bugs’ SOG numbers: 22 on Friday, 19 last night. Seems a little low to me. Were they sitting in the far corner with Travis?

The team has to be happy with the results of the trip. Only one other team had beaten the league-leading Steelhounds in regulation before last night (Mississippi--yea, Roy, your team). Each of the other two games the Mudbugs have played against the Steelhounds have been close, well-played games. The ‘Hounds return to the CTC this coming Friday, a day after the Mudbugs face the seemingly hapless Wichita Thunder. The Bugs have a great chance to move up in the standings this weekend, but it's a tough three games in three nights. But these next possible six points could be huge for the Mudbugs.

November 23, 2007 Mudbugs 3 Steelhounds 4 OT

2007-11-25T17:05:00.000-05:00

This was an exciting game to listen to, I can’t imagine what it was like to watch. Even thought the Mudbugs lost in OT, they still earned an important point.

I thought this game was similar to the one that was played in the CTC back on October 30. It seemed fast and physical, and it sounded like the Mudbugs had good control of the game. When the Steelhounds tied it up in the third, though, I just couldn’t listen to the radio broadcast anymore, so I ~gasp~turned it off. Yes, call me chicken. I’d listened (and seen) too many of these types of games go to the other team in recent weeks. I just didn’t feel up to being tortured by another close loss.

Great play by ‘Hounds’ goalie Andy Franck---I could hear Elias Godoy’s angry mumbling all the way back home---and a stellar night from Joel Irving countered scoring efforts from Bug players Jake Ortmeyer, Dale Lupul, and Brett Smith.

In Coach Muscutt’s interview before the last night's game, he said it was quite an exciting game to watch, and he said, at times, he was caught up in being a spectator who was enjoying the skills of both teams. He said he thought the Bugs played very well, so I’ll take him for his word. But it was still tough to stomach another loss, especially that way. Wonder if they read my memo? On to night two in Youngstown....

Novembre 20, 2007 Mudbugs 2, IceRayz 1

2007-11-21T20:06:00.000-05:00

First period: Eh, not too much to be happy about, I guess they’re just warming up. Second period: Yes! There’s a Mudbugs team out on the ice! Third period: HUH???

My comment at the end of the game as Toby and Willie were seranading the fans: Is it weird, that even though we won, I'm still ticked?

Corpus Christi has talent on their team, but, like the Mudbugs lately, just haven’t been able to convert a game into a win. Most impressive IceRay: Watters. Biggest disappointment: Blaznek. Biggest Thief in the building: IceRayz goalie Tapp, who committed a felony in robbing Daniel Pegoraro of his penalty shot. Our jaws were still open 5 minutes later.

The Bugs hit the road in the Black Pearl last night on their way to take on the Steelhounds this weekend. Some advice (take it or leave it) from l'il ole me....

Memo from a fan: Words and phrases to meditate on as you travel to Youngstown:

1. Proactive (the opposite of reactive): Don’t wait for the puck to come to you (or for the other guy to get it first). Give it to the opposing goalie, as many times as possible.

2. Finish your checks: Put a body on a guy, PLEASE! After a while they will get tired of being smashed. Right?

3. Tenacity: see also “Smith, Brett”. Work those corners like a, er, ahhh, um... a snake oil salesman who's down to his last nickel. Yea, that's it, a snake oil salesman...

4. Killer instinct: No more Mr. Nice Guy. No more 1 goal wins. Stab ‘em in the heart, then rip it out. (Graphic, yes. Necessary, of course.)

5. Consistency: Do what the Coach tells you to do! ON EVERY SHIFT! He's been there, done that, has a t-shirt, and championship rings to show for it.

6. Garbage goal: The ugly goals still count, guys, we don’t care how they go in. (Neither does Ian Croft, apparently. Just ask Ryan Held of Mississippi.)

7. Sticks on the ice: Allows you to intercept passes, which in turn can become scoring opportunities. I can't tell you how many times I yell this at games (part one).

8. Man in front of the net: gets chances at a rebounding puck (see next entry) or a sneaky, Karlis Zirnis-between-the-legs, no-look pass. I can’t tell you how many times I yell this at games (part two).

9. Rebounding puck: When a goalie gives you a second chance. These are good, go get these.

10. Confidence: Three T’s and a C: Teamwork, Trust, Tenacity, Control.

As my friend V likes to yell, “C’mon Bugs, YOU CAN DOOOO IT!”

November 17, 2007 Mudbugs 2 Riverkings 4

2007-11-21T20:02:00.000-05:00

This game was a lot closer in play than the score indicates. The Bugs played well for most of the game. However, it was another game that the Bugs couldn’t find a way to finish and win. Another totally frustrating outcome for fans. After watching the second half on NiftyTV, I wasn't in too nifty of a mood. I was a touch angry after this loss and not really eager to blog.

The scrum at the end of the game will only sit and fester in the minds of everyone for six weeks, when the Riverkings come back to the Swamp for the next rematch. Kozak and Makway, we’ll show you lots of appreciation when you return. Hopefully Ian Croft will be calling a game elsewhere.

What transpires for the Mudbugs between now and then is what will decide the season for the team. I checked the stats for the Bugs at this point last season, and the team is just about in the same place. At least they’ve been consistent in this category.

November 13, 2007 Mudbugs 3 Riverkings 0

2007-11-14T17:54:00.000-05:00

I’m sort of glad I missed the first period of the hockey game (I had to attend a school function) because, while I was listening to the radio broadcast of the end of the first period while driving to the CTC, I was not a happy camper. It sounded as if somebody had put a revolving door on the sin bin, and our guys were real keen to set up house in there.

By the time I made it to the CTC, the first break was almost over, so I was a little worried about how the Bugs would respond in the second. The shot clock was not encouraging (our 9 to the Riverkings 14), but there have been enough scoreless first periods of play followed by break outs in scoring in recent games that I wasn’t too worried. As I sat down, I told my friends, “Ok, I’m here now, they can start scoring!” Seven minutes into the second period, on a PK, Brett Smith shoved home a rebound, and the plastic bugs went flying. Props to the linesman who “assisted” getting the puck to Zirnis, who, in turn, put it on Centomo's pads for the rebound. My friends fussed at me, “Where were you during the first period???”

About four minutes later, Daniel Pegoraro (one of the two famous—or infamous—PegorOri brothers) decided Centomo needed another reminder that Pegs has his number and backhanded the puck into the net. More plastic Mudbugs to remind the Riverkings where they were.

Elias Godoy—who Coach Muscutt says has such great natural skills---decided to add to the fun about four minutes later and popped the puck in on a deflection from Justin Aikens. Those little red crawfish were starting to get on the Riverkings’ nerves. At game's end, 8 Mudbugs had a point, and each line had scored a goal. Not too shabby.

The third period was, according to Muscutt, “the best-played period of hockey that I’ve seen from a Mudbug team in eight years.” When I heard Coach say this in his post-game comments, I was sort of startled, but after hearing his explanation about the way the defense controlled the ice, I have to admit it was a bit mind-boggling. If the boys are beginning to play this well NOW, what are they going to be like in January? In March? Then I laughed at myself. I’m not the one who should be worried, it’s the OTHER teams that should be concerned.

The Mudbugs go back to Southaven on Saturday night to face the Riverkings again. I will say that I will be rooting for the Turtles to upend Youngstown on Friday night. Yes, for about three hours I will be a Memphissippi fan.

On a more serious note, I will say that, despite the ribbing I’ve given him here on the blog, Larry Sterling is a very good goalie. I hope that when the dust settles on his suspension, he finds a good team to play for, that he settles down and lets his skills do the talking, and that he continues his winning ways.

Ok, enough seriousness....on to Southaven and another serving of Turtle Soup!

Saturday, November 10, 2007 Mudbugs 3 IceBats 0

2007-11-11T15:10:00.000-05:00

6,035 got to see 60 solid minutes of Mudbugs hockey last night as the team honored our military by wearing special jerseys. (The sweaters were quite sharp. Check out www.shreveporttimes.com for game photos). It was the most complete, the most energetic, the most fun effort we’ve seen from the team so far. Congrats to Ken Carroll for his 22nd shut-out win, tying the CHL record. The Bugs’ defense did a stellar job of keeping the IceBats flustered and floundering, allowing a paltry 14 SOG, while the Mudbugs peppered goalie (and Minnesota Wild prospect) Miroslav Kopriva with 43 SOG. (Boy, do I like that number!)

Jumpin’ Joe Ori scored two goals in the game, with Justin Aiken adding the third for good measure. All the lines were working great together, and I think we saw an inkling of the good things to come. There were, though, at least four scoring opportunities that were sent high over the net (think field goals, haha), and if the boys could just get those down pat, it’s going to be tough for opposing teams to stop the offense. But that comes with practice and instinct, and I have no worries that will come to fruition.

Tyrel Lucas sat as a precaution and Darryl Lloyd sat out the first game of his two-gamer. Former Texas Brahma---and little brother to Ryan---Tristan Fairbarn donned a Mudbug sweater and played quite well for having joined the team earlier in the day. I admit it was confusing at first to see two Fairbarns out on the ice at the same time, haha.

Special props to Brett Smith, who worked his tail off last night. His efforts on the PK in digging out the puck from the corners, pestering the mess out of the IceBats who had the puck, and just his overall ability to be everywhere while working his shift deserve an extra mention.

Adding to the fun, Matthew Broderick was in the Swamp to drop the ceremonial puck and film his latest movie Wonderful World. He sat in section 109 for most of the 1st period and some of the second, and had a ball doing the “Goalie, Sieve” chant with the rest of the fans. Maybe he’ll come back on his own on Tuesday night.

The Riverkings are back in town on Tuesday night, and I think the revitalized Mudbugs will give them quite a battle. Bring on the Turtles, the Bugs are ready!

Thursday, November 8, 2007 Mubugs 1 Oilers 0

2007-11-11T15:07:00.000-05:00

As boring as this game seemed to be, it was still a pretty good one. (I would have been in trouble if it had been more exciting; my brain was multi-tasking about 8 different school-related things that night.) Things started clicking for the team early, and the Bugs got the jump on the shot clock. But, there was another solid goalie in front of the opposition’s crease: former Mudbug goalie and UHL Komet standout Kevin St. Pierre. It must have been very weird for St. Pierre to be on the “wrong” side of the ice at the CTC. He played a great game, saving some unbelievable shots.

Jeff Christian, the scoring wiz in Y’town last year, is having a dismal season so far. And I guess he decided to take out his frustration on Ty Lucas by shoving him headfirst (with no call from ref Ian Croft) into the boards during the first. Ty skated to the bench on his own but then went to the dressing room, was put on a stretcher, and taken to the hospital. Coach told us at the post game show that Lucas “could have a broken neck”, but by the time Muscutt got back down the the dressing room, Ty was back with good news: no severe injuries.

Darryl Lloyd collided with an Oiler player while both were skating for the puck and referee Ian Croft cited Lloyd five minutes for kneeing. The CHL has since suspended him for 2 games. So we will be without number 27’s efforts until next Saturday. Unfortunate, yes, because Lloyd brings quite a bit on tenacity and hard work to the ice.

Joe Ori finally ended the double-goose egg on the score board in the third period, catching a between-the-legs, no-look pass from Karlis Zirnis. From my vantage point, I couldn’t see the pass, but a friend who did said it was unreal. The Mudbugs worked hard to keep the Oilers from scoring, and John Decaro got his shut out as Willie Nelson and Toby Keith’s voices were a overdue, very welcome sound at the end of this one.

November 3, 2007 Mudbugs 3 Riverkings 1

2007-11-04T14:07:00.000-05:00

This weekend part deux....

Desperate times call for desperate measures, so I went to Mass at St. Jude’s (he’s the patron saint of desperate times) Saturday afternoon and lit a candle. (Is it sacriligious to cross your fingers while praying???) Later on I tuned in KEEL for the game after having dinner with my folks, but as I got further away from the city, the station went to static that seemed overlayed with mariachi music. Great. Wasn’t any clearer at home, and I didn’t feel like driving around for three hours in hopes of a good signal. The Internet feed wouldn’t to work for me as well, and NiftyTV refuses to acknowlege a MacIntosh computer, so I was, well, you know. Thank goodness for pointstreak.com

Saturday night’s first and most of second period seemed almost a carbon copy of Friday night. Bugs dominated the first period with shots, the ‘Kings the second. But lo and behold, Justin Aiken scored his first goal as a Bug, and things were looking up....until they faced another dreaded 5-on-3 for the ‘Kings in the third. Could someone please tell Tudor Floru he doesn’t have to blow his whistle every other minute to make sure it’s still working????

But Daniel Pegoraro must have said, “That’s it, I’ve had it!" He stole the puck from a Riverking and proceeded to “deke S-bass out of his jock” (Thanks, Donnie!) and score a shortie on Centomo. Linemate Joe Ori would seal the deal with an empty-netter and the Bugs come home with their first win of the season.

Now, I’m not saying that lighting that candle had anything to do with the boys bringing home a huge 2 points. But if need be, I’ll be lighting enough candles to illuminate the CTC if necessary. Congrats, guys! Let’s do it again on Thursday when the Tulsa Oilers limp into town.

November 2, 2007 Mudbugs 0 Riverkings 3

2007-11-04T14:06:00.000-05:00

“Does anyone else feel like we’re being Punk’d?” asked my friend B as we morosely watched a dismal third period at the CTC on Friday night. We all had to laugh at her observation, but yes, it was as if the Pod people had come and taken over the Mudbugs.
Amongst the things I heard said on Friday night, the “it may be time to get out the paper bags if this keeps up” was the one most disheartening, especially since I thought that Memphis wasn’t even trying to win the game and they won anyway.

It’s obvious Larry Sterling---Mudbugs fans’ favorite whipping boy---enjoyed his shut-out, and thankfully, we got no “quality shots” quote from said goaltender. Despite the ample SOG for the Mudbugs, many of them were soft and delivered right to him. When it rains it pours, right? Surely it couldn't get any worse.....

October 30, 2007 Mudbugs 4, Steelhounds 5

2007-10-31T20:47:00.000-05:00

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

2007-10-29T16:00:00.000-05:00

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

2007-10-27T16:37:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-21T14:32:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-19T16:57:00.000-04:00

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…….

A new season is upon us

2007-09-23T16:54:00.000-04:00

Ah, we’re finally on the eve of the official beginning of the autumnal season. Corn stalks, fat pumpkins, blazing leaves, harvest moons, and for a choice group of us, HOCKEY.

I was a bit worried that my blog credentials had gone the way of Britney Spears’s career since I hadn’t posted since May. But, voila, I’m still in the mix of things.
I’ve held off writing anything as I wanted to wait until there were several great things to comment on about the Mudbugs. (Plus, since I’m an English teacher, I’ve been up to my elbows in an amount of paperwork that would make a Federal tax auditor proud.)

Steve Cherwonak came on board this summer as the new GM for the Mudbugs. Yes, that guy. The guy who was the recipient of tons of complaining emails from fans all over the CHL. The guy who probably cringed every time he saw the word “Mudbugs” in an email subject header. But he’s also one of the guys who helped start off the Mudbugs organization way back in 1997. So it’s like a family reunion of sorts. And after meeting Steve in person (I confess, I sent him one email, that’s all), he’s as gregarious and eager about Mudbugs hockey as any Bugs fan I’ve ever met. He’s also pretty good at putting together furniture, or so I’ve been told. He told us he can’t wait to be a fan again and cheer for his team.

Travis Huntington comes on board as our new Media Relations/Radio Broadcaster. Travis also worked in “enemy territory” last year as a color man for the Colorado Eagles. (Boy, do I have some questions for Travis…..) Justin Scholtes told me that Travis is bright and enthusiastic and is thrilled to be here. And knowing Sholtsey like I do, we’ve got another great broadcaster who’ll bring listening Bugs’ fans to the brink of heart failure once again this season.

As of today, we’ve got eleven (yes, you read that right) players who’ve officially signed to be Mudbugs. Chris Brassard was named team captain this past Thursday evening at the Mudbug Nation's Town Hall meeting, along with Quade Lightbody and Jason Basile being named as alternate captains. These three players epitomize the Mudbugs Hardest Working Team moniker. Smitty and Lupul both returning is awesome (and I know some puck bunnies who were sent to heaven with those announcements, hee), along with DeCaro, Ori, Lightbody, and Zirnis. Tyrel Lucas comes back after spending time as one of our amateur players during the playoffs. If this kid’s shot is as great as it was last spring, we’re in for a real treat. Jake Ortmeyer looks to be a huge (literally and figuratively) addition to the team as does Darryl Lloyd, who was one dangerous Laredo players two seasons ago…which means he’ll be an awesome Mudbug!

Some folks complain about the lack of announcements concerning signed players during the off-season, but I understand Coach’s reasons. He’s always put together a stellar team, and I expect this season to be no different. Can the Bugs do it without Wildfong? That remains to be seen. But our favorite pest is putting together a pretty feisty team of his own out West and the I-20 rivalry will certainly be at the forefront of a lot of fans’ minds. I love Dan, and I wish Forbes and him much success, but I do prefer my North Richland Hills’ Burgers to be well done.

Minor league, major drama

2007-05-21T22:08:00.002-04:00

I wasn't going to post an entry until the CHL President's Cup Finals were over and the match-up for the Stanley Cup Finals was set. (I'm hoping for an Anaheim/Ottawa match-up, but those octopi-loving Redwings may pull it out. If Anaheim wins their series, I'm a Ducks fan. If the Redwings win, I'm a Senators fan.)

But the events of the last few days in Mudbugs' land have launched a whole new set of thoughts.

Today Mudbugs' captain Dan Wildfong was named as the new coach of the recently returned Brahmas. The Brahmas will now play in North Richland Hills, Texas, just north of Fort Worth. Fonger will take Mudbugs' veteran Forbes MacPherson with him as "Forbie" becomes the Brahmas' assistant coach. Just thinking about the hockey statistics of either one of these formidable players is enough to give one pause. The stats of the two of them together should be enough to make the rest of the CHL anticipate a revitalized, rejuvinated Brahmas team. Add top-notch goalie (and former Mudbug) David Cacciola--who single-handedly resurrected the New Mexico Scorpions this past season--into the mix, and you've got the makings of a very dangerous opponent. And I, for one, am totally excited about the prospects for the return of the I-20 rivalry.

I can't begin to say enough about what Dan did for hockey or for his involvement in our community. Everyone who has even remotely followed the Mudbugs knows his name and reputation (on and off the ice). I'm very sad to see him leave; his absence will be nearly impossible to fill. I'm happy for him, though, as he certainly deserves the chance to prove himself as a coach. After all, he was voted--by his peers, mind you--the CHL's Best Leader the last two seasons. Forbes MacPherson was a quieter (but no less influential) role model, one whom the younger players called "Uncle Forbie". So many of the rookie players I spoke to over the last four years told me that they learned so much from him. And David Cacciola is a promising young goalie in the vein of Ken Carroll. Brahmas fans have got to like how their new team looks so far.

So, to Dan and Forbes, thank you so much for all that you gave to us. You are irreplaceable. Good luck and blessings as you start a new chapter in your lives. And it's going to be lots of fun to see how the off-season plays out and even more fun going to the Bugs/Brahmas games come October.

Fan Appreciation Night, 4/28/07

2007-04-29T15:53:00.000-04:00

John Madden didn't let us down. He said last night that he wouldn't take his money and run, but that he still does not see eye to eye with the CHL front office on several things. (For those people who think this was all smoke and mirrors and a need for attention, you're 100% wrong. Madden was dead serious about selling. He said he wouldn't turn his back on the fans, that's why he's staying.) The collectively held breaths of all who were at the CTC last night erupted into cheers and a standing ovation for the man in the black hat. Mr. Madden, you ARE Mudbugs hockey. Thank you for staying. That being said, I doubt there will be any group singing of "Kumbaya" at the league meetings in June. And I'm pretty sure there are other teams who are just as unhappy with how this season's officiating went as well.

It was a sad sight to see the arena floor wet with water, the ice having been melted and drained, the industrial fans working on drying the concrete surface. Then there was the jumbotron, which had been planned to be used to show interviews with the players who had already left, pulled up to the ceiling because it had gone kaput at the af2 Battlewings game on Friday night. (Now, maybe the CTC will finally buy a new one.) When it rains, it pours, eh? But it was a wonderful sight to see that great big crowd of people in the stands one more time, cheering on our Mudbugs.

Coach Muscutt gave a tug-at-your-heart talk about the perserverance and spirit of this season's team. He shouldered the blame for having the guys work hard for the Governors Cup and not resting them for the playoffs. He's trying get as many of these players as possible back for next season, and I have a feeling that Mudbugs fans will be very happy with the team that takes to the ice in October. So for now, we live on memories and watch the four teams battle for two spots to earn one silver cup. May the best playoff team win. Plus we've still got NHL hockey going on. And if folks think plastic mudbugs thrown on the ice is odd, then I don't know what they'd say about the real octopus/squid being thrown and then slung around in Detroit. The PETA folks must have conniptions when that happens.

First signing for 2007-08 season

2007-04-26T17:09:00.000-04:00

Coach Muscutt didn't waste any time in re-signing the '06-07 CHL Goaltender of the Year. The Mudbugs announced that John Decaro was signed yesterday. After all the drama (see, I told you it was a soap opera for men) that's put a sour note on the ending of the Bugs' season, this news was more than a breath of fresh air. I felt as if gale force winds blew my bad mood away.

Watching Decs develop his skills this past season was great. Getting to know him was even better. John is a fierce competitor on and off the ice (avoid playing poker with him). But he's also a gentle soul. Mention his baby daughter and he turns into a big pile of mush. I had great fun kidding him about supplying him with newspapers and other reading materials. And JD, you gotta get rid of those blue shoes, haha.

Newspapers and a new plunger will be ready and waiting for you in October, John. The Mudbug nation is very happy you'll be back in the black and teal.

Series Two, Game 5: 4/22/07: Bugs 2, Riverkings 3 (OT)

2007-04-23T16:45:00.000-04:00

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." I don't think Charles Dickens would mind me using his words.

Last night's game was a summary of this season's ups and downs. There was great hockey out there on the ice, but there were also miscues and room to grow. Congratulations to Kevin McClelland and his team. They're going to give the winner of the Colorado/Oklahoma City battle a fine series of hockey.

I'd like to say a hearty and heartfelt "thank you" to all the Mudbugs players, Coach Muscutt, Coach Buchanan, George Bullock, Jr., and Billy Welker. Considering how the season began, for me, this was the best year I've experienced as a fan. Watching these boys grow together on and off the ice was truly a joy. You're the best, guys. To those who will move on, best of luck and blessings to you. To those who will return, October can't get here soon enough for me and I'll welcome you and the newbies back with open arms.

I'd also like to thank the Bugs' owners John Madden and Rob Walker, the front office, the on-and-off ice employees, the volunteers, and especially the Mudbugs Boilers Booster Club for once again putting on a wonderful season of hockey. NOBODY in this league does it better. A special note of thanks to Scholtzy for putting up with me.

I also owe thanks (and a water-filled trash can or two) to Roy Lang and the folks at The Shreveport Times for setting up the blog for me to "play". It's been a real treat for me, and I hope they let me continue to post here during the Bugs' off-season. There's always something going on in Mudbugs' hockey, whether or not there's ice on the CenturyTel Center's floor.

To those of you who have told me that you have enjoyed the blog, I am truly humbled and honored. When I agreed to do so, I thought I'd officially gone crazy. But it has been so much fun and I've gotten to know many more Mudbugs' fans through this forum. In the end, it's all about the love of the game and our players, no matter the outcome. To quote Mr. Dickens again, "There is a wisdom of the head, and a wisdom of the heart." And for the Mudbugs nation, the two are eternally entwined.

Series Two, Game 4: 4/21/07: Bugs 3, Riverkings 4

2007-04-22T00:52:00.000-04:00

And we didn't even get kissed.

Bouncing around Beale Street

2007-04-21T11:46:00.000-04:00

We had an Elvis sighting last night: on Beale Street, of course. He beckoned us to join him as he swiveled in his sparkly blue jumpsuit on the stage of Cafe 152. We waved, felt special for all of 15 seconds, and moved on. Yesterday was a day of fun and relaxation.

We were able to watch the team practice yesterday morning, which was quite interesting. I learned several things, but since all that is top-secret, I'll just say it looked really good. I will say that Chris Brassard was happier than a kid with a gigantic ice cream cone. He even played "goalie" for a few shots and tormented one of the amateurs--who gave just as good back, getting lots of chuckles from all of us.

We traveled to Mud Island for the afternoon, taking in the museum that details the history of the Mississippi River. It was quite good, plus we got a close up look at the beautiful riverboat that tours up and down the river. We have decided the next time we come up, we will be doing that.

Then we headed to Beale Street. We wandered up and down the crowded sidewalks, listening to great music drifting from the various restaurants and bars. There are some interesting shops along both sides of the streets, and of course, we had to check them out carefully. We decided to eat dinner at The Superior Restaurant on a recommendation from Fonger. His buddy Johnny used to own Flannagan's in Shreveport and now owns and operates this place. The food was fabulous, ribs falling off the bone and coated in a magnificent sauce. The staff was first-rate, and we were treated to a tour of their VIP room which contains tons of memorabilia from Hume High School from which Elvis Presley graduated. One of the class photos was of his senior class, and he looked quite spiffy. Afterwards there was more wandering and visiting, and several of us left the Memphisites with some fun memories, that's for sure.

Beale Street was offically "Mudbug-ized" yesterday afternoon and into the late evening. We brought a touch of Louisiana to downtown, and everyone had a ball.

Series Two, Game Three: 4/19/07: Bugs 5, Riverkings 2

2007-04-20T10:14:00.000-04:00

I saw a very welcome sight in the second period of last night's game. A barrel full of monkeys scampered off the backs of the Mudbugs and ran for the exit doors. What a relief.

Even at the end of the first period, the Bugs down 2-1, there was a different feel to the effort the team was putting together on the ice. Their patience (and ours) paid off in the second with three goals on seven shots. When the Bugs went ahead 3-2, there was a palpable change in the atmosphere at the DCC. Mudbugs'-style hockey was back, and the fans who'd made the six hour trip were very happy--and we let everyone in the arena know it.

Ryan Campbell getting the elbowing major and game misconduct was poetic justice as I watched him harrass, curse, and push around the Abbott brothers as they came off the ice after pre-game warm-ups. And Sheldon Wenzel, I hope you worry and lose sleep these next two days. There's a word for players like you: marked. (Well, there are other words, but I can't put them here.)

Hard work in the corners, good passing, and great defense won this game for the Bugs. Good defense creates good scoring opportunities. Congratulations to the team for their TEAM effort. I think those monkeys have gone back to the zoo for good.

Walkin' in Memphis, er, Southaven

2007-04-19T17:51:00.000-04:00

We've safely arrived in Southaven, driving I-20 to Jackson and up 1-55. Haven't been that way before, it was a lovely drive with minimal traffic.

We're here through Sunday morning, so check back tomorrow for a report about tonight's game. Saw some of the players, very focused and determined, before they boarded the bus this afternoon.

Make sure to listen to the game's broadcast tonight, either on 710 KEEL AM or 1130 KWKH AM. Justin and Roy will once again be entertaining, I'm sure. Now, I've got to go find a maid and get her to short-sheet Lang's bed....

Series Two, Game Two: 4/15/07: Bugs 1, Riverkings 4

2007-04-15T22:01:00.000-04:00

Same song, second verse. A whole lot more confounding and a little bit worse.

To me, the tone to this game was set at the first puck drop. Memphis player Sheldon Wenzel and Bugs player Konrad Brand were jawing and tangling sticks before the puck drop. Wenzel looked to his coach to see if he could “go”, McClelland shook his head “No”, the puck was dropped, Brand trips Wenzel, and seven seconds in the Bugs are on a penalty kill.

From there, we watched Memphis once again stymie the Bugs on scoring opportunities and capitalize on uncharacteristic defensive mistakes. The Bugs played a little better in this game, but not by much. Jason Williamson scored on a deflection sent to the net by Jason Basile. Shots on goal improved. Scoring chances were there, but the team routinely known for its tough, hard-to-crack defense is suddenly nowhere to be found. Instead it’s the Riverkings, using a two-one-two defense, who are standing tough in their zone. They are forcing the Mudbugs to play "their" game, and it's working very well. The Riverkings have something to prove, being the “mulligan” team who lost and still are playing. And in this weekend’s games, they showed they were the better team.

Back to square one again, from the coaches on down. Adjustments need to be made, and complacency needs to be a four-letter word for this Mudbug team. They were awarded the CHL’s “Hardest Working Team” award once again this season by their peers. We fans haven’t seen much of that team since the playoffs began. Not sure why or where they've gone, but they’ve got four days to find them before the puck drops again in Memphis. Time to pick yourselves up by your bootstraps, guys, and get back into the series.

Series Two, Game One: 4/13/07: Bugs 3, Riverkings 4

2007-04-14T20:57:00.000-04:00

Little did I realize that when Series Two, Game One was "start over from the beginning", the Mudbugs would take that literally. Complacency strikes again. Like I tell my students, I don't mark up their papers with red ink because I'm having fun, it's because I want them to see their mistakes, understand what they did wrong, and then make sure they don't make them again. If I'd had a red pen last night, it'd have run dry about 30 minutes into the game. Not a good thing.

In the first period, the Bugs got on the scoreboard early, thanks to Forbes MacPherson feeding the puck to Dan Wildfong for a crash-the-net shorthanded goal. After that, neither team seemed to want to step up. They both looked like they were sizing each other up in a game of pick-up hockey. I said to my friend "B", "Is this a playoff game? Because there's not much intensity out there." She agreed.

Going into the second period tied up at one, I had some doubts...which were fulfilled. The Bugs' offense stayed in the dressing room,and the Bugs' defense wasn't even in the building. It was embarrassing. Memphis's third goal by Derek Landmesser looked like he was demonstrating a lesson in camp: everyone on the ice just stood there and watched him have enough time and space for a Mack truck to drive between him and the goal. Again, a big red X for that one. At the end of the second, the score was an embarrassing 4-1 in favor of the Riverkings. The Bugs had been schooled.

I missed the start of the third period as I was working the booster club table, but I was able to see the replay of Karlis Zirnis's score. Zirny had a good night, but it wasn't enough. The team woke up; unfortunately, it wasn't soon enough. Twenty-five minutes of Mudbugs hockey does not a win make. Memphis did a good job keeping the forwards on the boards all night and they couldn't get anything going up the middle. Different problems for the Bugs, but the same results. Memphis goalie Kevin Schieve wasn't really tested. All in all, a really frustrating night of watching for the Mudbugs' fans.

Tomorrow is another day, with no mistakes in it. Let's hope the lessons presented last night sink in, and our Bugs come out and realize they need to play sixty minutes of playoff hockey. Don't make me get out my red pens, guys.

Series One, Game Six: 4/10/07; Bugs 4, Thunder 1

2007-04-11T16:13:00.001-04:00

There's no place like home.

And it's the place where the Mudbugs thrive. A raucous, excited crowd of fans welcomed our Bugs back to the Swamp at the CTC last night for Game 6. I had a great feeling about how the boys would play, but even I was surprised by how well the game went. The Mudbugs made the Thunder look like the Lollipop Guild: short, stumpy, and quite out of tune.

Coach Muscutt's decision to begin the game with his veteran forward line was a huge statement. He was expecting big things of these three, and faster that you can say " Auntie Em, Uncle Henry, it's a twister!", from the first drop of the puck, the force to be reckoned with came from the Mudbugs. Forbes MacPherson's goal five minutes into the first period got the party started, and it never seemed to quit. Dan Wildfong and Chris Brassard had their best games of this series. With each ensuing goal, we got louder and happier. The look on Jeremy Downs' face when he scored with a boomer of a slapshot was worth its weight in gold. And Cam Abbott was his old scoring self again, netting two goals.

The Thunder seemed to shrink to a low whisper, but they did find some gumption in the third with Kris Wiebe's top-shelf goal. Overall, however, the Wichita team (and game plan) that had given the Bugs fits finally disappeared, just like the Wicked Witch did when doused with that bucket of water. Time and again, the Bugs were in the right place at the right time, doing the right things both offensively and defensively. When John Decaro stopped a zooming puck with his neck, we all held our breath. Thankfully, he shook it off, and the team kept the puck in the Wichita zone for quite a time, giving Decs a chance to regroup. The empty-netter by Abbott at the end of the third, thanks to a horribly misplayed puck by a Wichita player--put right front of the net like dessert on a platter-- was a great way to cap off this series.

I do want to congratulate the Thunder for effort that they put forth in this series and for giving our boys such a challenge. I feel that they did the Bugs a huge favor. Working hard for success makes it all the sweeter once it happens. And we all know who the hardest working team in the CHL is.

We saw dominant Mudbug hockey last night...finally. They had a few stumbles and rough spots(not to mention some anxious moments for the fans) this series, but the lessons learned were well worth it. Congrats, boys! The experience gained from this series will serve them well as they move into Series Two against our love-to-hate rivals, the Riverkings, which begins this Friday at the CTC. I'd say it's time for some Turtle soup this weekend, and the Mudbugs know how to do it up just right.

There's nothing like home-cookin'.

Series One, Game Five: 4/8/07: Bugs 3, Thunder 2 (2OT)

2007-04-09T17:23:00.000-04:00

Last night's game was one that I wish I'd been able to see in person because it sure was torturous to listen to on the radio. The "almost" goals from both teams and the excited play-by-play of Justin Scholtes and Roy Lang nearly did me in. When the game went into the first overtime intermission, I had to turn off the radio and do some housework, I was so wound up.

From the start, the Mudbugs were all over the Wichita zone and All-Star goaltender Sebastien Laplante. We had a chance to see this young man work his magic during this year's CHL All-Star Game when it was held at the CenturyTel Center this past January. He was as great last night as he was three months ago. Watching him last Thursday, I thought he looked a little shaky, but he only played some of the third period of that game and faced a measly seven shots, so that effort was not a good indicator of what kind of shape he was in since injuring his ankle back in February.

The Thunder scored first---again---and "Seabass" (as he is called in Wichita) didn't blink for the Bugs until, on a powerplay, Ryan Fairbarn slipped one past him to tie the score up 1-1 near the end of the first. Then the nailbiting began. Or, should I say, gum chewing. The only time I chew gum is at hockey games. And I think I went through at least five or six pieces last night listening to this game. I'm going to have to restock my supply for tomorrow night.

Ken Carroll has a tremendous game, despite letting that shot from Steve Dix trickle in late in the third period to tie the score 2-2. KC's hard work and "in the zone" play kept the Mudbugs in the game through the first overtime (by that time I was out of gum, working on a pencil, and pacing around my living room). When Roy Lang went through the list of Thunder players that KC had stuffed, I just shook my head in amazement. Second overtime almost killed me. Being a middle school teacher, my blood pressure is probably not as low as it should be, but it's a good thing there wasn't a blood pressure cuff anywhere near me last night. When Fairbarn smoked the winner past Laplante, I think I woke up my neighbors.

Congrats to the Bugs for a tremendous effort and win. The team played hard and scrappy last night, not letting the absence of Jason Basile get them down. They knew what they had to do, crashing the slot and putting shots on goal, and they came out winners. From the sounds of the broadcast, both teams played good hockey, with not too much nonsense on or off the ice. I expect tomorrow night's game to be just as intense and entertaining. I may have to buy extra gum.

Easter Blessings or Rotten Eggs?

2007-04-08T12:42:00.000-04:00

Happy Easter, everyone!

Tonight the Mudbugs face their biggest game this season without All-Star Jason Basile. Basile was suspended for one game for the hit during the second period of last Thursday’s game that he put on the Thunder’s Travis Clayton. Clayton left the ice wobbly, sat out a shift and came back to finish the second period, including quite happily engaging in a big roughhouse session in front of the penalty boxes. Not saying Basile’s hit was what caused Clayton to sit out the third period, but the CHL microscope forgot to focus on several Wichita Thunder activities that were also ignored by the referee. Call it both ways is all I’m asking. The Thunder organization needs to remember that when they point fingers at us for "bad behavior", there are three of their own digits pointing right back at them.

The Bugs have to understand that they control their own destiny: they seize control of the game early and often, they hold control over the score, they ensure the winning outcome. They’ve been put in situations like this before and done well. I believe that they will take care things quite nicely. We are all hoping that the Easter Bunny gives our boys the bounces and helps them puts the “eggs” in the net, and that they come home ready to finish this series on Tuesday night in the friendly confines of the Swamp. To all the fans who made the trip for tonight's game, do us all proud and make sure we can hear you as we listen to the radio broadcast.

Series One, Game Four: 4/6/07: Bugs 7, Thunder 5

2007-04-06T10:11:00.000-04:00

Last night's game started off rather badly. I just sat there when it was 2-0 in the first thinking, "Dang, I don't think I can sit through another stinker, but I have to because I didn't drive to the arena." Dan had a goal waved off within the first two minutes of the game because Kaval said he kicked it in, but someone closer than me said he just angled his skate. We had two waved off tonight. And one of theirs was a gimme by Kaval, the fourth one I think. A Thunder player hooked Johnny down before they popped it in--no call, which is what got JD the penalty, he was not very happy.

Second period lasted forever as things got quite chippy. At one point the entire Thunder line (except Horrell) was in the penalty box, along with four Bugs. They finally settled down and played some decent hockey until the end of the second.

Last four minutes of the game were nailbiters, as the Thunder capitalized on a couple of defensive slips, moved up close, 6-5 until we got that last one. Horrell lasted through 5 goals, Leplante came in and the guys scored on him pretty quick. He was unhappy about that. He's definitely not 100%, even one of the Thunder fans I talked to said so.

French and Muscutt exchanged words after the second. French was ticked because of Basile's supposed elbow that knocked Clayton to the ice, all groggy-like. However, Clayton played on the next shift, but not much of the third period. Then apparently after the game, French and the Wichita office staff came down to the Bugs' dressing room, going after Muscutt and and Bugs' personnel near the tunnel. Lumurno tossed his cigarette at Hank the busdriver(there goes my compliment from yesterday). Afterwards, Musky had a looooooong talk with Wayne Bonney, who was there, in the parking lot as we watched. Hank said Wichita is the only place he's ever seen a front office staff stand at an opposing teams exit/tunnel and harrass players. They did it Thursday night, as I alluded to in my previous entry.

Well, I'm much happier with the end result, but again, they let them catch-up too much, and that's gotta stop. Laplante is not yet 100%, and they finally solved Horrell by getting the two-three d-men who were always parked in front of him out of the way. Lots more physical play from the Bugs last night. I think the Bugs found that bucket of water I was asking after game one. Let's hope they keep dousing them on Sunday.

Series One, Game 3: 4/4/07 Bugs 1, Thunder 4

2007-04-05T14:18:00.000-04:00

We made the drive north to Wichita yesterday, arriving around 4:30. The drive was pleasant but long. It's rather chilly up here today, with an expectation of about an inch of snow later this afternoon. Not quite what the Easter Bunny expected, I'm sure. About thirty-five fans made the trip, including the Oris and Muscutts.

When we arrived at the Kansas Coliseum,several Thunder fans stopped and thanked us for coming, a difference from the past times I've come. Their crowd was not the size it's been in the past, but since it was a weekday game, I wasn't surprised. They didn't really get into cheering on their team until after we did our after-goal cheers. I guess we "inspired" them to do better than 35 people. We're sitting in the same perch as the previous years, next to the tunnel where the visiting team emerges and behind the net.

The first thirty-five minutes of last night's game was all Mudbugs. Good passes, fast skating, keeping the puck in their zone, 11 SOG in the first period. It looked pretty good. Wiebe's goal came off of a rebound, Jason Basile's tying goal had us pumped. Unfortunately, the Thunder got a deflection from dangerous Travis Clayton, who was parked in front of Ken Carroll, a few moments later and that seemed to take a lot out of our boys. Going into the third down by one goal didn't worry me too much, but when Wiebe scored on the breakaway early in the third, that was the difference in the game.

Wichita is still doing a great job of clogging up the lanes and keeping two players in front of goalie Horrell at all times when the Bugs are in their zone. Horrell made an awesome save on a shot from Chris Brassard that could have turned the momentum of the game.

I liked what I saw from the team the first half of the game. The second half, not so much, obviously. I'm still seeing the big difference between experienced players and rookies. Case in point: I watched the Thunder vet Joe Blaznek use his stick to easily lift a Bug rookie's stick off the ice and steal the puck, then zip into the Mudbugs zone for a scoring chance. That, my friends, is an example of a player who has seen many playoff games.

I do want to comment about something that disappointed me last night. Two of Wichita's front office personnel were standing in the tunnel area when one of our players came off the ice at the end of the game. They got mouthy with our player, laughing at him; and I found that to be very unprofessional. They weren't anyone I'd had contact with before. Joel Lumurno from the front office has been nothing but pleasant, and I found their behavior to be quite disappointing.

The Bugs had a long meeting after the game last night. They know they have to find a way to scramble the defensive tactics of the Thunder and get Horrell off of his game. It's doable. He's still making the same mistakes I saw the other night in The Swamp. This team has got to find those mistakes and make the most of them. I'm not real partial to mulligan stew....

Series One, Game Two: 3/31/07 Bugs 2, Thunder 1 (2 OT)

2007-04-01T15:38:00.000-04:00

Sometimes it's the quiet ones who surprise you the most. Jason Williamson is a rather quiet, pleasant young man, but when he does speak, he's a pretty confident guy. He does his job on the ice by flying under the proverbial radar. People maybe forget to watch him because he's not as flashy as some of the other players. Last night, the Bugs didn't need flashy. They just needed something basic. His goal in the second OT to give the Mudbugs their needed win won him more than 4600 new friends. And I'm not sure he realizes it. Seeing him after the game last night, he was just as humble and reserved as ever, but the tired smile he wore said it all. Thanks for being right where you needed to be, Jason.

The first few minutes of the game had us all worried again, but they seemed to rebound and remember their jobs. It was nice to see that they played most of the second and third periods in the Thunder zone. Holding Wichita to 3 SOG in the second was heartening. But watching Horrell stop, snatch, grab, deflect so many chances became unnerving. This kid has some weaknesses, and the Bugs need capitalize on them. At one point in the first we were yelling out one of these weaknesses (and no, I ain't naming it), and a Thunder player heard us and took care of the "problem".

Much better TEAM effort tonight. But we still saw missed opportunities in front of the net. Wichita's defense was still swarming the net like hornets, but not as much as Friday night. The Thunder got tired a lot faster than the Bugs last night, which is what the Bugs needed in OT.

By the time the second overtime period had begun, I was having flashbacks to three years ago: triple OT against Wichita, the jumbotron playing skits from Saturday Night Live, and Jim Sprott wearily pushing the puck past every player from one end of the ice to score at the other end. One example of how much players were leaving out there was, after his first shift in the second OT, Thunder captain Jason Duda basically crawled into his bench, hunched over, and I think, puked his guts up. His trainer was trying to rehydrate him with something from a Gatorade bottle. How these guys punish their bodies continues to amaze me.

John Decaro, what can I say. Once again, he kept his team in the game. We were worried the mohawk would be kinda like Samson cutting his hair. Nope, not a shaky play all night from this kid.

Well, it wasn't the bucket o' water that I wanted, but it was a win, an important win, a win that ties the series 1-1. More of the same hard work is going to produce more wins in Wichita this week. On to the Kansas Coliseum and the league's "most annoying fans." I believe they're going to be more annoyed than annoying by week's end. We've got lots of quiet surprises on this team who can and will score. And who doesn't love good surprises?

Series One, Game One: 3/30/07: Bugs 1, Thunder 5

2007-03-31T15:50:00.000-04:00

First off, let me send my deepest condolences to the family of Harold Woodruff. Whenever there was any kind of Mudbugs activity, Mr. Woodruff was there. He even came to the Hockey 101 for Women nights. His passing obviously will leave our Mudbugs with very heavy hearts. I hope his family will be comforted by the knowledge that he was truly loved and admired by many, many people.

I only had two worries about going into last night's game: an overall lack of playoff experience and overconfidence. I think I worried a little too loudly because somebody heard me: the Thunder.

There are so many young players on our Bugs' team who haven't been to "the dance" before, not really felt the difference in the pressure to perform well. And last night they got a Wicked Witch of a lesson from Wichita. The Thunder came to win; I'm not sure my Bugs even came to play. It was quite painful to look up at the scoreboard at the end of the first period and see 3-0 tally.

From missed passes to misread feeds to sloppy stickwork to poor defense to shaky goaltending, if it could go wrong, it did. Players losing their edges and sending themselves down to the ice basically summed up the night: Murphy's Law, laughing all night, seemed to have parked itself firmly on the home team. Not since late November, early December have we seen such an unconnected effort from this team.

The Thunder came out firing on all cylinders from the get-go, and the better team won. They used their powerplays wisely and made the Bugs pay early. Horrell is a HUGE find for Wichita. However, the way their defense played around their own net is to be commended as well. The Bugs were stifled from every angle and just couldn't solve the Thunder rookie. The Thunder were also tremendously physical in this game, whereas the Bugs were not. Coach French did a great job prepping his team for last night's game.

Disappointed in our Bugs' effort? Oh yea. Am I worried? No. Because I know what this Mudbug team can and will do. Do or do not, boys. There is no try. Time to throw a big bucket o' water on the Wicked Witch.

Governors' Cup Champs!

2007-03-26T16:34:00.000-04:00

I held off writing until the end of the regular season because I was afraid that voicing my giddiness over the possibilities for this team would irritate the hockey gods. Now that the regular season is over, all I can do is yell, "HOOOORAAAAY!""

It would take a big thesaurus to describe the emotions rolling around in the CTC last night. The first five and a half minutes of yesterday's game sum up how I feel about this team's achievments so far this season: euphoric, ecstatic, excited, energized, elated....I could exhaust all the great "e" words found in the thesaurus and then some. Literally two SECONDS before Chris Brassard scored goal number one, my friend "B" said, "Brass is due for a goal." Ask and you shall receive. Jason Basile's redirected rebound for goal number two came just as we were catching our breath from goal number one. After Joe Ori scored that third goal, I used my friend "L's" camera to capture a shot of the jumbotron's scoreboard. 3 shots, 3 goals in the first 5:07. Unreal.

I was worried the guys would come out a little tired after their sojourns to Tulsa and Memphis, especially since both of those games got pretty physical. (Steve Makway, you've been warned.) But, our Bugs finally figured out that when another team hands you a gift like the Governors' Cup, you say "Thank you" in spades. How can a Mudbugs fan not be excited about this team? I don't think these young men really understand how happy we are with and for them and the effort they have put out there on the ice game after game after game. Coach Muscutt said, "Well, we've done everything else we didn't think we could do, so why not add this onto the ball and keep it rolling."

Call this season's team the "little team that could". That steam engine has roared to life in the likes of 18 players who have literally left parts of themselves in arenas across the CHL. They've fought, toiled, sweated, bled, eaten, slept,laughed, cried, and mastered Mudbugs hockey. They've more than earned the chance to go after that coveted President's Cup. The rest of the league laughed at us at the beginning of the season, with our immigration problems keeping things iffy. Several opposing fans insultingly suggested that the immigration snafu would be our "excuse" for not doing well this season. Hmm. Look who came to us because of those problems: Zirnis, Ori, the Abbotts, Musselman. Yea, I'd say those guys were good pickups. This team is cranking, this team is churning, this team is rolling, this team is on a mission. And woe be to any opponent who stands in their way. Wichita Thunder, I hope you're ready. Friday night starts it all. It's a GREAT time to be a Mudbug fan. Thanks, boys! We're behind you all the way.

THANKS A LOT! (in several languages)

2007-03-21T16:29:00.000-04:00

Merci BeauCoup to Memphis for tanking to Tulsa 6-1 last night in Memphis (on the same day dear old Coach McClelland was chosen as CHL Coach of the Year. What a way for a team to show its gratitude...) Sterling and Schieve's performances last night have the 'Kings' fans very worried about the team's postseason chances. But congrats to them for making it TO the postseason. We've missed you guys.

Danke to Tulsa for channeling their anger into a can of you-know-what on Memphis last night. Bryan LaChappelle was on fire last night. Hope the Riverkings were paying attention: that was the performance of a team which WANTS to be in the playoffs.

CHEERS, Coach Muscutt and the entire Mudbugs team for the fantastic hard work you've done all season that took you from the bottom rung of the NE Division in early November to the NE Division Champions as of today. We love you guys, and we're proud to call ourselves your Fourth Liners, and we're all looking forward to supporting you FAR into the postseason.

Finally, Mahalo nui loa, Roy Lang, for your backwards way of motivating this Mudbugs team by picking Memphis in preseason to be the division champs (for the second year in a row, I might add). Enjoy that big helping of Turtle-stuffed crow. Let me know when you're ready for a pair of those teal-colored glasses....

Bugs/Oilers 3/19/07

2007-03-20T17:07:00.000-04:00

Where do I begin? Last night's game was probably the most, er, bizarre hockey game I've ever attended. For two periods it was a game. The third period was something else--something that would have been front and center at a P.T. Barnum production.

The only things missing from the third period were the Hanson Brothers cracking the lion tamer's whip because the third period sure turned into a circus on ice. And Paul Depuydt became the Ring Master. Not sure where he was coming from with many of the minor penalty calls he made in the third. If he'd been doing his job in the first and second periods, then the things that occurred in the third maybe wouldn't have happened. The ten minute penalties on Brassard and Dumba for "inciting" at the end of the first were too much, I thought, for face washing and a few jabs. I'd hate to have seen what he'd have done if a fight had occurred. (And I wish the officials would figure out the difference between tripping and diving and not call both.)

Ken Carroll gets an A+ plus extra credit for his effort in goal. 57 of 60 saves. Unreal. Bless him, being put in that horrendous 4-plus minute 5-on-3 situation in the third would be enough to make Patrick Roy a nervous wreck. Heck, it was a nightmare to watch. He and the Bugs did the best they could with a really bad situation. I didn't see Gustafson's hit on Dumba, but I did see Dumba laughing as his teammates took him off the ice.Whether that was because he was in his happy place or his teammates told him Gus got a gamer, who knows? Pegoraro's check on Newson looked like a good check; we've seen similar situations in the past that were given four minute minor penalties, not game misconducts.

Speaking of Newson, now I know how other fans feel about Fonger. Newson is an annoying shrimp of a guy who was flappin' his yap at anyone who'd give him the time (and all the more so when Dumba was flat out on the ice), including Coach Muscutt. I thought he should have been given a two minute minor at the end of the first period, but his actions and mouthing were ignored, much to the Swamp's disgust. I'm guessing his new boo-boo above his left eye ain't too perty.

Ruggerio was quiet this game, but he was still a sieve. After the fifth goal, he was pulled and sat in the box with his mouth closed. (Togiai must be giving out haircuts on the side, because Mr. Bill was sportin' a mini-mohawk similar to Togiai's.)

The Abbott brothers continue to play like they are possessed. Cam Abbott took a flying elbow to his nose from Nahriniak at the beginning of the third period. I don't care what Tulsa's coach says, this was an intent to injure. Watching Cam try to crawl off the ice as he was in tremendous pain is something I hope I never see again, from any hockey player. Then viewing George stuff Cam's nostrils (his nose must be broken) with cotton, seeing Cam go back out on the ice three minutes later and THEN watching him score a goal to complete a hat trick was almost insane. Is there no one who isn't in awe of this young man today?

Not to be outdone by his brother, Chris Abbott had a three point night, too, and scored the empty netter from the far blue line WHILE LAID OUT ON THE ICE ON HIS STOMACH. That play has gotta end up on youtube.com soon.

The Bugs' get a huge 2 points for their super team effort, Depudyt gets a couple of black eyes for his scene-chewing performance, and Tulsa gets zip for not much of any sort of attempt to play hockey. Still playing with a short bench (Lightbody dressed but only took a few shifts), going up 5-0 (before Depudyt decided Cam Abbott had had enough attention), the Bugs sent just another message to the league: You can beat us up, but you aren't going to win that way. We ain't going away easily.

To err is human...

2007-03-19T16:09:00.000-04:00

...to realize you did so 24 hours later stinks. Sorry about the error about the Bugs' total points in my last post. It's been corrected. My brain said 86, but my fingers typed 84. Blame it on sleep deprivation, thanks to a weekend of dogsitting a hyperactive miniature dachshund. I love the little stinker, but he's exhausting. I think I need a B12 shot.

Seems as if Memphis and Colorado heard my plea: they lost yesterday, thus setting up a very interesting scenario for this week. The 'Bugs trail Colorado by three points, Laredo by one point, and are ahead of Memphis by four points. The Mudbugs have games in hand over both Colorado and Laredo. Memphis has four games this week, ending their season against the Mudbugs on Sat. night in Memphis. Could be some major fireworks by the time Saturday and Sunday roll around.

But, back to tonight's game. Right now, it's the only one that counts. Like Coach Muscutt says, one game at a time. Wonder if the Oilers gave Ruggerio his distemper shot....

Bees, and Thunder, and Points! Oh My!

2007-03-18T16:21:00.000-04:00

Friday night's game against the Killer Bees had a weird feel to it, at least it did to me. At one point in the first period the SOG were 13-3 in favor of the Bees, and play seemed choppy and haphazard. At times I thought I was watching a ping-pong game, so much of it was played between the blue lines. Ken Carroll did a great job in goal, stopping 29 of 30 shots; and the Bugs all got on the same page in the second period, winning the game 3-1, nice, since the Bees had been a bit of a problem earlier in the season. The team had to make some adjustments mid-frame as vets Forbes MacPherson and Quade Lightbody sat out quite a bit of the game, but they handled it well.

Last night's victory in Wichita was very nice, considering the Thunder front office put on a big "welcoming" party for our Mudbugs, even with t-shirts commenting on everything from Coach's hair to George Bullock, Jr.'s and Billy Welker's famously friendly demeanor that overflows when in the confines of the Kansas Coliseum. 9000+ of the fans booing the home team at the end of the game (not to mention when Andrew Martin was yanked after Bugs' goal number 4) shows that the fans aren't the most annoying, the Thunder are! Since I know Andy, I feel a bit badly that his stellar performance in the first period went by the wayside with his sloppy play that led to Jason Williamson's goal. But, anytime the Bugs put it to the Thunder, it's all good. Everyone's pretty sure that next year's Thunder team will be much different. Maybe they ought to consult the Great and Powerful OZ when they start recruiting for next season....

Speaking of OZ, the Wizards of POZ, the Pegs/Ori/Zirnis line, were fantastic in this game. They've been grinding away these last few games, and I told my friends all three of these guys were way overdue for some goals. Happy to see that came true last night. Great to see Milan Vodrazka back on the ice as well. He's got the reach of a pterodactyl; a couple more games under his skates, and he'll be good to go. At this point, every player on this team is a scoring threat. Not many teams in the CHL have the scoring capacity that the Bugs have. Even playing so short-handed last night, the team came away with a strong, convincing effort. And the Mudbugs moved past the Bucks (who lost at home against the Riverkings) to 86 points, just 3 behind league leader Colorado.

This week marks the last of the regular season. WOW! It's just flown by. It seems like yesterday that we were all biting our lips as immigration problems were biting the team, and Sprotter and Dave Brown were hanging out with the Bugs and Kurt Russell in Austin. Four games this week, Tulsa twice, Memphis, and Youngstown. 8 big points that could be the difference in first and second place in the league. 8 points that could be the difference in playoff seeds. 8 points and the Mudbugs finish with a huge 94 points. Now if Colorado would just cooperate and lose a couple, we'd all be really happy in the Swamp.

Mudbugs/Bucks 3/13/07

2007-03-14T17:32:00.000-04:00

Something special happened last night in the CTC. And it had nothing to do with the final score (5-1 Mudbugs, which was special in itself). 4200+ witnessed a young team come into its own. 4200+ watched a magic show, the master magicians being the Mudbugs players on the ice.

The Bugs' dominating play featured sleight of hand, trickery, illusion, and surprise. Laredo's offense did the disappearing act as the Bucks (and Coach Ruskowski) were left speechless and totally confused. From the opening play, the Bugs used their youth and experience, speed and skill, and energy and drive to eviscerate the top team in the CHL's Southern Conference.

Every Bugs' player worked as a well-oiled machine to give us an almost perfect game. Abbott and Abbott, Inc., racked up four of the five goals., Eric Marvin may have nightmares about these two for quite a while, and backup goalie Reiter will well remember his first time in goal in the CTC...those pesky Abbotts! A rested Forbes McPherson showed off his vet skills as he easily scored the second goal of the game. The entire team became a defensive wall(aside from the offensive monster), time and again stymieing the Laredo offense. John Decaro has elevated his game to Ken Carroll proportions. (An aside: After robbing a Buck of a goal late in the game, Decs looked to be waving "bye" to that player and the rest of the Bucks' team. He was, in fact, asking George Bullock for another bottle of water. It was pretty funny to think he was bidding them adieu, though.)

Kyle "Rocky" Musselman deserves huge congrats for tangling with Kris Mallette (a noted league enforcer), not once, but twice. In the first bout, Kyle, while holding his own against a more experienced pugilist, went to the ice first and wobbled off into the dressing room after hitting his head on the ice (thanks to a late sucker punch by Mallette). The second bout late in the third period had Muscle-Man confronting Mallette, who seemed baffled that "the kid" wanted a rematch. Kyle,with a stubborn, determined, almost possessed look on his face, quickly redeemed himself as he gave Mallette a stellar pounding, and then grinned from ear to ear as he "pulled out his pistols and shot up" the Laredo bench on the way to the dressing room. And the fans shouted with joy as, in that instance, we watched this rookie literally grow up on the ice and become a true Mudbug to his very marrow. Those red-headed fellas are keepers!

This past November Mudbugs' fan Donnie Henry remarked about this team, "We have the tools to destroy." Last night his foresight came to full fruition. This team has something special going on...it's almost downright scary.

Jump and Grind

2007-03-11T20:25:00.000-04:00

Friday's game against the surging Youngstown Steelhounds had to be about shutting down 100 point scorers Jeff Christian and Chris Richards. It had to be about the Mudbugs matching the Hounds in physicality. It had to be about who had the jump in their step. And the Mudbugs were defintely up to task. At the beginning puck drop, I said out loud, "We've got to score early." Little did I know, the Abbott brothers heard me. Nineteen seconds into the game, they took care of business. Friday's game was all about jump, and the Mudbugs had it in spades.

Of course, all the fans held their collective breath as Cam Abbott took a puck to the jaw at pointblank range. It happened in front of where I sit. At first we thought he was hit by the Y'town player's stick, too. Cam's going to have a nice "zipper" to tell his grandkids all about. Gotta give the young man props for his tenacity and grit as he played last night, no signs of an injury plaguing his energetic effort.

Oklahoma City came to town last night, probably steamed that they weren't able to win in Memphis. (Yeah, Larry Sterling will do that to ya.) This game was definitely a grinder. My friend "B" said at the end of a scoreless first period, "I got a feelin' this is gonna be a one goal game." When the third period started, with the score still 0-0, and the Bugs nearing 40 SOG, we all said, 'It's gonna happen, soon; Connors is gonna blink." And sure enough, the Abbott brothers came to the rescue again, along with their Cornell buddy Jeremy Downs. (GO BIG RED! Sorry, Fonger.) A crazy situation allowed the Blazers to score close to the end of the third to tie it up. There was a mess o' players in front of Ken Carroll, and all I saw was a player on top of him and Cruikshank (not again!) allowing the goal. After an explanation from my friend "G" that a Bugs' D-man had pushed the OKC player onto KC, therefore the play was still alive, I understood the call. It still rankled, though, especially when Cruikshank seemed to prematurely call the play dead in front OKC's goal on the next play. Fonger must have decided he was ready to go home,because he took a beauty of a pass from Chris Brassard, and scored the game winner about 90 seconds into OT.

A four-point weekend gives the Bugs 80 points, just 3 behind league leaders Colorado and Laredo. The Bucks are in town on Tuesday night. This is one we've all been looking forward too. Coach Roscoe has made some adjustments to his team since their wayward losing streak early last month. The teams' series is tied 1-1. This game could have more implications than just two points. It's sure to be a good one. (I just found out that the goal light in Laredo needs a new bulb. Where's Rufus when you need him???)

The past few games have seen the Mudbugs return to their tight, defensive style of play. Coach has them all working together. The interchanging line combinations are showing the form of a well-oiled machine, a great thing to see. Come playoffs, this Mudbugs team is going to be very, very hard to beat.

Congrats and more congrats 3/8/07

2007-03-08T16:28:00.000-05:00

Gi-normous (as my students would say) congratulations go out to the Mudbugs for winning first place in three categories, second place in five categories, and third place in three categories of the CHL's Annual Best of the Best awards. Check out Roy Lang's story on today's Times' website for specifics. I'll blog more about this later on this weekend. (Psst, they should give out a Best CHL Media coverage award. We all know who'd win!)

Tomorrow the Mudbugs organization and The Times will release the Mudbugs Top Ten Anniversary Team, voted on by fans. Even though I've only followed the team since the '03-'04 season, I had some input from some friends who helped me out with my list.

Here are my selections, in no particular order:
1. Dale Henry
2. Kevin St. Pierre
3. Toby Burkitt
4. Tony Bergin
5. Jim Sprott
6. Trevor Buchanan
7. Dan Wildfong
8. Ken Carroll
9. Forbes MacPherson
10. Jason Campbell

Congrats to Ken Carroll and the Bugs for winning at Tulsa on Tuesday. I was unable to listen to the game as I was teaching class, so I followed it on pointstreak.com Several people who listened said that KC made some amazing saves and was definitely the difference in the game.

More congrats go out to former Mudbug goalie Andrew Martin, who is playing for Wichita. Stepping up since Sebastien LaPlante's ankle injury, Andy faced 51 Colorado shots, and stopped 49, plus three in the shoot-out round to lead the Thunder to a 3-2 win over the Eagles. The Thunder were only able to put a measly 22 shots on goal the whole game, yet three of their five players were able to put the biscuit past Paulo Coloiacovo in the shoot out. Andy's a great kid who spends his off-season teaching goalie lessons in Plano, TX, and working out with the Dallas Stars when the Stars need a goalie. He's had lots of fun stoning players like Mike Modano, Bill Guerin, and Brendon Morrow, as he told me once with a huge grin on his face.

Youngstown's in the CTC tomorrow night. It's a game that has huge playoff implications. The 'Dogs are just 5 points behind the Bugs in the NE. Overall, Colorado and Laredo are tied at 81 points, the Bugs have 76, and Memphis has 73. Following closely behind are Y'town, OKC (69) and Corpus Christi (69). There are plenty of games left in the season that the winner of the Governor's Cup could be decided the last weekend of March.

(Just a thought: Could someone step up and please build a permanent ice rink in the area? After ten years of ice hockey in our area, you'd think this would have already been done. It's a bit ridiculous for the Mudbugs to be without ice on a regular basis.)

Mudbugs/Oilers 3/3/07

2007-03-05T10:35:00.000-05:00

It’s the little things that often get one in trouble...and we often have to eat our words. And that never tastes too good, does it?

One step too slow, one too fast. Turned away from the puck, turned away from the goal.
Left side of the net when you’re needed on the right side and vice versa. Turnovers at the blue line. It was the little things that got the Bugs in trouble Saturday night. And Tulsa was more than happy to capitalize on a young team’s mistakes.

It’s to be expected of a team of youngsters, I guess. As a fan, it was no fun to sit there and watch them lose another close one, especially when you know what the team is capable of. Gotta work on not running out of gas after such a big win the night before. It’s what got us in trouble during the Finals last year. So they dust themselves off and go at it again tomorrow. Just wish we were three points ahead of Memphis instead of one.

Tomorrow morning’s game in Tulsa is a kids’ game. As much as I love hockey, being surrounded by 5,000+ continually screaming kids is not something I think I’d do…especially since I am on a campus of 900+ adolescents for seven hours a day, five days a week. I go to hockey for fun, not for a headache!

Mudbugs/Oilers 3/2/2007

2007-03-03T10:04:00.000-05:00

FedEx, UPS, Western Union, and the US Mail couldn't have done a better job of delivering a message.

Cam Abbott--hat trick, 5 points
Ryan Fairbarn--hat trick
Jeremy Downs--3 points
Konrad Brand--2 points; Mr. Togiai, you're no Mr. Brand
Dan Wilfong--a goal, gave Dulle a lesson or two
Chris Brassard--2 points; Ooooh Nooooo, who's your daddy, Mr. Bill?
Butch Kaebel--Rosco wants his towel and his schtick back
John Decaro--first pro shut out
6200+ ecstatic fans--Sonic, here we come!
Memphis--Could ya feel the breeze as the Bugs passed you?
Mudbugs---First place in the NE
Score--8-0; EIGHT to ZERO; Snowman-Goose Egg.

"Nuff said.

Them's Fightin' Woids

2007-03-01T08:46:00.000-05:00

Sports are to men is what daytime soap operas are to women. Kinda like Home Depot is a man’s Victoria’s Secret: all you do is gaze and wish. And if you’re a hockey player (and fan) whose team has suddenly generated a hot rivalry, you’re in heaven, all lathered up and ready to go.

Tuesday night’s Bugs/Oilers game in Tulsa has given us a new buzz. An all-out line brawl with both teams, goalies included, going at it at the 19:00 mark of the third period and the ensuing retorts from both head coaches has created a stir not seen in Mudbugland since the post playoff game fisticuffs between Coach Muscutt and Coach Laxdal in Wichita two seasons ago. The stuff of legends in minor league hockey.

Boys will be boys. And since I’m a girl, I don’t quite get it. It’s a man’s thing. I watched my two younger brothers get intensely pumped and ready for football and baseball games when they played for our high school. I watch my friend “K”--and lots of the men around me--at the CTC drive opposing players nuts with his heckling, and it makes me laugh. And it can be infectious. We all like to give certain players a good razz, if we know it’s going to make ‘em crazy. But for men, it’s serious. It’s the ole “my hockey stick is bigger than yours” (can I write that? ) competition. Who says men don’t hold grudges?

I have no idea what actually happened at the end of Tuesday night’s game. I got a bit upset with my Bugs--the number one penalty killing unit in the league seemingly not doing its job very well--and turned off my radio. And the hockey gods punished me. I missed the whole gong show. Had to read about it the next day. My mouth fell open. I reread the box score a couple of times trying to figure out who squared off with whom and wondered if I should sit outside the CTC on Friday night with a can for donations to help pay the inevitable fines.

Will Bill Ruggerio go ballistic like he did back on November 3rd? Or will he just squirt the Bugs from the bench with his water bottle? Will Justin Togiai spend most of the game looking over his shoulder, praying that big new X on his back is invisible? Will Captain Dan lead his boys into battle, winning on the scoreboard and on the ice? Will Butch Kaebel be force-fed his own words by Scott Muscutt’s game strategy? For these and other answers tune in and find out. Better yet, buy a ticket to the game. One thing’s for sure: the CTC will be rockin’ and rollin’ and overflowin’ with fans and testosterone on Friday. Just call it As the Hockey Puck Turns.

Sharp Dressed Man

2007-02-27T10:16:00.000-05:00

ZZ Top’s ode to snappy dressers surely applies to Tim Hill. But “Hiller” is more than just a great guy in a hip suit. He is one of those people who connect easily with others, always smiling, always on the verge of doing something a little crazy and fun. As a Mudbug player, though, he was pretty feisty out on the ice. According to a friend of mine who has been a fan since the ’98-99 season, Tim Hill was quite the tough guy. And looking at the photos in the Mudbugs Tenth Anniversary yearbook of Hiller squaring off with opponents, I can believe it.

I saw some of that feistiness last season when Tim subbed a couple of games when the team was short on players. Luckily, he’d kept playing through the local men’s league. In Fort Worth, we watched warm-ups and there was this Hill guy wearing number 17. I thought we’d added a new player. Silly me. It was fun watching him play his shifts and he did a great job. However, we were all a bit worried when he’d come off the ice looking as if he was in need of a few hits of oxygen. His playing at such short notice tells much about deeply he feels about the Mudbugs organization. So I’m sure he leaves with a very heavy heart.

And we’ll all be in the same boat with him. It won’t be the same at games without his image up on the jumbotron ,“Sharp Dressed Man” playing loudly over the p.a. system. It won’t be the same not seeing him strutting around the concourse of the CTC, dressed in his finest, smiling from ear to ear as he visits with everyone, a devilish twinkle in his eye. We’ll miss you, Hiller, and your unique style. Thank you for everything you've done for us, the fans. I wish you the very best and hope that you’ll still come by and visit. Good luck to you!

Jason Basile

2007-02-26T13:51:00.000-05:00

Initially I wasn't too thrilled to see that Coach Muscutt had decided to sit Jason Basile out on Saturday night. If he'd been on the ice he could have made a difference in Y'town's second goal. Plus he's done well in the past during shoot outs. But after reading Roy Lang's column this morning, I can see what Coach is trying to do. (And Roy, you are such a pot-stirrer with that headline!) It's a double-edged sword at this point. He's trying to do what he thinks is best for the team. Home ice advantage throughout the playoffs would be awesome. But, to me, it would be even better if the Mudbugs could hang on to Basile AND four vets next season. Why wouldn't you try to hang on to an All-Star defenseman instead of having to let him go to another CHL team? (Minard fans, I know how you feel.) I think this year's team will be ok down this last stretch of the regular season, but time will tell. And I hope that point the Bugs lost on Saturday doesn't come back to bite at the end of March. (Why do I get the feeling the game in Memphis on March 24 could be HUGE in deciding the division and the conference?????)

Bugs/Hounds 2/24

2007-02-25T09:39:00.000-05:00

Well, this game was a tight one. It really had a playoff atmosphere to it. And the 7500+ fans in the building just added to it.

Usually the Bugs/Hounds games are full of scoring. Not this one. Both teams were working hard all night. A couple of defensive slips gave the Hounds their two goals. I was glad to see that Chris Richards put away his elbows for this game. The last time Y'town was at the CTC he made free use of giving them a workout. Not that the game wasn't physical. Mark Johnson, who's at least three inches taller than Fonger, found out that you don't mess with Dan (or any of his teammates). Johnson must be nursing a bottle of Exedrin today.

Jeremy Downs deserves huge congratulations for his efforts last night, and not just for his two goals. He made a spectacular diving save after speeding back to a Hound, just in time to poke the puck off the guy's stick and sending both of them into John DeCaro...and the net. Too bad it doesn't count when guys go into the net. It was pretty funny to see all three of them piled up there. Thank goodness they all came up unhurt.

Both goalies did good jobs last night. DeCaro was solid and Brad Roberts was great in net for the Hounds. Our Bugs just couldn't seem to solve him. Every time our Bugs are involved in a shootout, I think back to the game in Laredo in Nov. of '04. Some of us went down for the "return" to the LEC after Game 7. The game went to a shoot out. Up to that point, the team had not done well in shoot outs, and we were very worried. Owner John Madden was sitting behind us and he said--with a smile on his face--, "We practiced for this yesterday." And sure enough, they won 3-2. Thank goodness there are no shootouts in the playoffs.

Hated to see last night's game go to the shootout, but I'm happy with the point. I just wish the Bugs could have taken the gift that Memphis tried to hand to them with their 6-1 loss to the Rage. (Yes, the Rage.) Colorado skated 11 skaters (due to an unusual number of injuries) and a goalie in Arizona, coming out with another loss, 4-3. Things are looking pretty wide open for the race for the Governor's Cup at this point with the Eagles at 74 points, the Bugs and Riverkings at 72, and the Laredo Bucks with 71. All have played the same number of games, so March is going to be fun!

It's on to Tulsa on Tuesday night. I know that Colorado, Memphis, and Laredo will have at least one eye on the boxscore. How great is it that the Bugs are in the position they are in at this point in time? They've scratched, clawed, and fought their way to the top of the division (and the league, if you look at the CHL's Coaches' Poll); that's Mudbugs hockey and that's why we, the fans, love 'em.

Mudbugs/Rocky Mountain Rage 2/23

2007-02-24T14:54:00.000-05:00

This game proved to be full of ups and downs for both teams. The Rage made their first visit to the CTC. I was impressed with the speed of some of their players, which, along with sloppy defensive play by the Bugs, got them on the scoreboard more than I had expected. Not sure why the Bugs came out sluggishly, but the team didn't seem too play cohesively the full 60 minutes. It was obvious Ken Carroll was working out the rustiness of not playing since early December, but, at times, it also looked like he had given it to some of his teammates . Seeing Kenny back between the pipes and Fonger score one while sliding on his backside were just a few of the positives of the Bugs' play last night.

The Rage put up a decent game, but the awful slash by Little on Brassard was very surprising. (Thankfully, Brassard didn't look to worse for wear when I saw him after the game.) Then the thuggish antics at the end when one of the Rage players tried to tackle Ken Carroll from behind was too much. Disappointing to see them turn to such tactics at that point. Maybe they learned this from playing the Eagles so much this year.

Youngstown's Hounds make the trip to the CTC, fresh off an OT win over Memphis (thank you Y'town!). This team is always feisty and physical (just ask the Abbott brothers), so it'll be a good one. Hopefully the Bugs came come away with a big win, and the Rage will give Memphis a loss. And if Rocky Mountain can do that, I just may send them a thank you basket of cookies!Until my next post, GEAUX MUDBUGS!

Okay, first post!

2007-02-24T13:16:00.000-05:00

After a somewhat shaky start (computers sometimes befuddle me), welcome to this blog! Roy Lang invited me to create a Mudbugs FanBlog for The Times. (And if this goes by the wayside, it's "all his fault"!) I guess he'd rather me address my thoughts about the Bugs through a blog than sending him email, haha. Seriously, I'd like to give kudos to Roy on what a great job he does covering the Bugs. He does an incredible job with his excellent coverage of the team (and no, he's not paying me to say that.)

I suppose I should give you a little background info on how I became a Mudbugs' fan. I'd been to a couple of games early on at the Hirsch and CenturyTel Center and found them lots of fun. But I didn't really get caught up in the game until the 2003-04 season. Early on I could see a special magic in that team, and I was so enthusiastic about them, I drove nine hours with several new and old hockey friends to Laredo for the President's Cup Finals. Needless to say, that was an unforgettable trip--for many reasons.

Since then, I've had the privilege to support Mudbugs hockey wholeheartedly. My friends and I really look forward to hockey games. I think it provides us with lots of stress relief: we laugh, we visit, we heckle, we yell. And I see the same in all the people who attend games. Hockey in Bossier-Shreveport for ten years is almost unthinkable. Yet, every year, the Mudbugs have put a winning, classy team together for us to enjoy. And this season has been no exception.

Another win by the Bugs last night against one of the new teams in the league, the Rocky Mountain Rage, puts the Bugs just 1 point behind division leader--and heated rival--Memphis Riverkings AND just three points behind the league-leading Colorado Eagles. With the end of the regular season quickly approaching, these last games are going to be crucial for all of the top teams, which are closely stacked in the standings' points.