FORT WORTH, Texas – The Texas Brahmas ended up being the sleeping giant of the CHL posting 14-15-1 through the early portion of January until team the roster was rattled with personnel changes that brought in goaltender Brett Jaeger. The changes proved worthy as Texas posted 26-7-1 for the remainder of the regular season thus steamrolling into the post-season with impressive play from Jaeger and fellow goalie David Cacciola. Why they should succeed:
Although the impressive Texas run came to an end with a defeat at the hands of the Colorado Eagles in Game Seven of the Northern Conference Finals, the Brahmas left the ice with heads held high and will be looking to repeat their first year success they experienced in the Northeast Division.
The Brahmas will enter their second season under the Texas Brahmas banner but this time, Texas will be part of the Southeast Division, joining the Larado Bucks, Corpus Christy Ice Rays and the Rio Grande Killer Bees. The move has the Brahmas as the only team to change divisions in the league, replacing the Austin Ice Bats.
There are several key components in place for Texas to repeat mainly with the inking of Jaeger and Cacciola in net. Add to the defensive mix Justin Kinnunen, who was the only player to represent Texas in the CHL All Star Game, Craig Minard who was pivotal in the Brahmas penalty kill unit and Kevin McLeod who had a solid rookie season posting 12-22-34 in 60 games played, Mike Vellinga and Chris Mann.
The five defensemen listed on the team’s website are all returning players from last year’s roster. The on-ice chemistry of the defensive unit is already in place. Any additions will should fit in with no problem.
Last, head coach Dan Wildfong earned his stripes as a rookie coach and will enter his second season with confidence gained from the Brahmas success in 2007/2008. High expectations are in place for Wildfong to continue his success.
Reasons they could Fail:
The main thorn in the side of Texas will be their division rivals, the Laredo Bucks coached by Terry Rutkowski. The Bucks have six post season appearances including two CHL President’s Cup Championships, one CHL Governor’s Cup Regular Season Championships, four straight Southern Conference Championships and five straight Southeast Division Championships, all under the guidance of Rutkowski.
Bragging rights for the conference title will come down to the Bucks and Brahmas. But Texas will have their work cut out for them. Expect physical contests when the two teams face off seven times this season with four of the contest scheduled in Laredo. The first of the seven meetings is slated for December 6 at the NYTex Sports Centre, the Brahmas home ice.
Rookie Watch:
No rookies are showing at press time on the roster listed at the Brahmas team website.
How will they Do:
In addition to the what the Brahmas face trying to unseat the Bucks, travel presents another issue. The other three division rivals are all located with serious travel time south with two teams, Laredo and the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees located on the Texas/Mexico border. The Corpus Christi Ice Rays are located on the coast where a seven hour road trek is the norm.
Predicted Order of Finish:
Laredo Bucks, Texas Brahmas, Corpus Christi Ice Rays, Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees.
(See sister article on the offense by Robert Keith)
Contact the author at: Brian.mclean@prohockeynews.com
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