This past weekend, the Jr. Stars faced stiff competition by facing off against the defending South Division Champions, the Texas Brahmas. A challenge Head Coach Tom Train was eager to take on with this young squad.
Friday night was the home opener for the Jr. Stars, and the excitement was massive. The game opened with a Brahmas goal by Jeremiah Snyder, but at the 19:53 mark of the first period, Ilnur Madiarov evened the score, and by the sound of the buzzer, it was a tied game. Only one goal was scored in the second period, and that was by Brahmas forward Matt Coe as that extended the lead by one with the Jr. Stars nipping at their heels. The third period is where the Brahmas flexed their muscles and pulled away with three goals scored in the front half of the period with two goals by Erik Vrkoc and one scored by Michael Imala. Mid-Cities added an Allen’s Construction Power Play Goal late by Michael Kennedy, but the Brahmas took the win 5-2.
With Saturday’s game postponed, it became a home and home series with the Jr. Stars traveling the 9 miles to the NYTEX Sports Centre for a Monday afternoon tilt. The game was a high-scoring affair, and it started early with the Brahmas scoring four goals before Mid-Cites forward Michael Kennedy stopped the bleeding. Easton Walters scored a little over a minute later to cut the deficit in half. However, Benjamin Mondou extended the lead 5-2 at the end of the first buzzer. 2 goals scored by the Brahmas in the second and third periods made the score 9-2 halfway through the third period. Mid-Cities defenseman Kyle Russell put the stars back on the board, and the game finished with a final score of 9 to 3.
With eight games played, the Jr. Stars are 2-6-0-0 and are currently sitting in the final playoff spot of the South Division with 4 points. It is a quick turnaround for Mid-Cities as the Austin Ice Bats come to town this weekend.
Puck drop for this Friday is at 7 p.m.