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HHS Member,
The Willowbrook Wild played host to the Space City Space Invaders last Friday in a tight matchup. The Wild were defending their undefeated streak in Houston Hockey Series competition, while the Space Invaders were just trying to survive on a short roster. The outcome was a highly competitive and exciting game that came down to the last few minutes of play!
The Wild got off to an early start by putting four into the net in the first period. Pata, Sutton, Herrmann, and Edwards all found the net early in the game and it looked like Willowbrook was off to the races. Space City, however, had different plans and Ivan Srut saw to it that the Vader’s would get out of the period only two goals behind the Wild.
The Second period was all Willowbrook with Jim Brown and Barry Bergedick both scoring to vault the Wild into a 6-2 advantage. Space City had 3 or 4 opportunities to punch in a loose puck in the crease, but never found themselves in the right position.
The Third period saw a late and exciting comeback as John Connolly put in a late goal for the ‘Vaders. Then, Ivan Srut picked up a hat trick just seconds later. Suddenly the game was a 7-4 Wild advantage with the Space Invaders on the charge. Space City punched in one last goal at the end of regulation finding themselves with too little, too late. They definitely proved to themselves that they were capable of putting on an impressive show.
Defenseman Don Rhodes had this to say after the contest, “You could really notice our improvement tonight compared to the first games of the season. We actually started the season fairly strong and then seemed to fall off in the middle of the year. The good news is, if we can continue to play like we did tonight, we will have a legitimate shot at this thing (the championship) come playoff time.”
The Roughnecks take on the Wild this Friday at Toyota Center.
*NOVICE TOURNAMENT* The second annual Toyota Center Novice Round-Up takes place on Saturday, March 20th and Sunday March 21st at Toyota Center. There may be room for a few additional players on one or two of the teams. Your tournament package includes 3 guaranteed games, t-shirt, trophies (for winning team), plus 8 Center Ice Vouchers to use for yourself, or give to friends and family. The cost is $160 / player. If you would like to participate, please call Josh ASAP at 713-361-7937 because we may fill up before the end of the week.
Have a great week,
HHS Players,
Here is the schedule for the 2009-2010 HHS Playoffs. Andrew and I are getting the tickets ready to distribute and will hand them to you at your games in the next few weeks. If for any reason, you have to miss one of your upcoming games, please get with Andrew at afarlow@aeros.com so that he can make arrangements to mail your tickets for either April 2nd or April 6th.
Regarding the playoffs, don’t forget the basic things that have made this season a success. Play hard but play fair. DO NOT let your temper or physical play get in the way of a good time. We have had almost ZERO issues this season and we would all hate for any player to have to end the year on a sour note. That being said, good luck to all of our teams as we approach the playoffs!
April 2nd- Beaumont (Home) vs. Space City (Away) Played after 7:35pm Aeros vs. Chicago Wolves
April 6th- Willowbrook (Home) vs. Sugarland (Away). Played after 7:05pm Aeros vs. Rockford Ice Hogs
April 10th- Games played between 12:30pm and 4:30pm before 7:35pm Aeros vs. Texas Stars
1st Pre Game- Semifinal loser #1 vs. Semifinal loser #2
2nd Pre Game- Semifinal Winner #1 vs. Semifinal Winner #2 (Championship Game)
*2010-2011* All players can now begin to secure your spot for next season. Call Josh at 713-361-7937. Only current HHS players can place their deposit in the month of March. Beginning April 1st, we will open available roster spots to newcomers.
*Season Party* Saturday, March 27th at the Maple Leaf Pub in Midtown. Starts at 5:30.
GOOD LUCK!
HHS Member,
The Houston Hockey Series was in full swing last week including a double-header in which all 4 teams competed Saturday afternoon. The first matchup on Thursday evening saw the Space City Space Invaders taking on a short-handed Beaumont Roughneck team. Beaumont’s team captain, Ryan Jones, and a few of his gunners were in Buffalo, New York representing Houston in the Labatt’s Pond Hockey tournament! In the opening period, it looked like the ‘Vaders were going to cruise their way into a victory with an early goal from Defenseman Don Rhodes. The Roughnecks held strong, however, with excellent defensive play and a brick wall presence from net-minder, Chris O’Quinn. O’Quinn stopped 24 of 26 shots on the evening. Beaumont had some offensive help with Joe Gomberg scoring on two unassisted breakaways.
Saturday’s matchups saw the Willowbrook Wild trying to keep their win streak alive against the Roughnecks and the Space Invaders trying to rebound from Thursday’s loss against the Sugar Land Hitchhikers.
The ‘Vaders came out of the shoot scoring early and often. Ivan Srut, Tey Brady, and Claudia Brown all put the puck between the pipes in the first period. The Hitchhikers began to show signs of life in the second period with a goal from Dan Fuller. Sugar Land was also able to breathe a sigh of relief when “the most electrifying name in Sports Entertainment today” Ojinga “The Blade” Green scored his first goal of the HHS season. It was all Space City after that, however, as the Space Invaders toppled the Hitchhikers 6-2.
Coach Jeff Stone, who has been sidelined with injury since January, had this to say about the win. “We knew we could bounce back after Thursday’s loss to the Roughnecks. When we get a rhythm going, we can compete with any team in the league. The important thing for us is to continue our improvement as we approach the playoffs.”
Saturday also saw the Willowbrook Wild return to action against the Beaumont Roughnecks. The Wild were defending their undefeated streak against a Roughneck team that was fresh off a short-handed victory against Space City. The first period indicated a chance for the Roughnecks to be the first to topple the formidable Wild with an early goal from Joe Gomberg. Willowbrook answered before the first period buzzer with a solo shot from team captain, Dan Pata. The second period saw the Roughnecks falling victim to fatigue and the Wild capitalized tallying four unanswered goals. Jim Brown, Aldora Louw, and David Sutton all accounted for goals in the second period. Just as the fans had started to shuffle out of the building, Beaumont’s David Holmes found his inner Sydney Crosby and began working on his own “Miracle” in the 3rd period. Holmes scored a 3rd period Hat Trick to bring his team within one goal of tying the contest 4-5. The Wild answered late in the period, however, and used the Edwards / Sutton connection to put their team over the top and get one step closer to an undefeated season.
*RESERVE YOUR SPOT FOR NEXT SEASON*
Beginning today (technically, yesterday) ALL current HHS members can begin securing their roster spots for next season. All current players can place a $100 deposit to reserve their place for the 2010-2011 HHS season. This is exclusively available to current players from March 1 – March 31. Call Josh at 713-361-7937. Your entire deposit will go towards your fees for next season. This will also allow you to stretch out your payment plan an extra 3 months!!! Beginning April 1st, unclaimed roster spots will be made available to players on the Waiting List.
-If you have friends or teammates from other leagues who would like to join one of our expansion teams next season, let them know they can get on the waiting list and have an opportunity to reserve their spots on April 1st.
*AWARDS CEREMONY*
This had better be on everyone’s calendar! March 27th at the Maple Leaf Pub beginning at 5:30 pm. All players are invited. Get there early to make sure you get a seat. The Maple Leaf Pub has extended their happy hour pricing to all HHS players for that evening. We will also be airing the Aeros game in Peoria at 7:00 pm.
Have a great week and GO AEROS!
HHS Member,
The Houston Hockey Series was back in action at Toyota Center for the second game in 3 days after four weeks of inaction. The Willowbrook Wild continued their winning ways against the Sugar Land Hitchhikers in a 12 – 5 score-fest. The Wild came out of the shoot with sticks-a-blazing and notched 6 goals in the first period. Dave Herrmann and Michelle Pata both secured 2 goals between the pipes in the first period alone.
The second period saw an attempt by Sugar Land to cut into the lead with goals from Dan Fuller and Jireh Yue, but the defense of the Hitchhikers seemed to be a length behind and could not corral the Wild offense.
To Sugar Land’s credit, they were able to post 5 goals against the formidable Wild defense. It was “Ladies Night” at Toyota Center with Barbara Bartusiak and Kari Gibson each putting up a goal for Sugar Land. As well as Michelle Pata notching 3 goals for the Wild. Notable accomplishments for the Wild were a Hat-Trick for both Michelle Pata and Jesper Jensen.
The most electrifying athlete in sports entertainment today, Ojinga “The Blade” Green, had this to say after the game.
“We did a lot to beat ourselves in tonight’s game. We had trouble finding our rhythm on a night when the other team didn’t make any mistakes. You can’t have that happen and expect to beat a team like the Wild.”
Wednesday night was the last regular season meeting between the Wild and the Hitchhikers.
*NEWS*
It’s official. We will have an awards ceremony on Saturday, March 27th at the Maple Leaf Pub in Midtown at 5:30 pm. We encourage ALL Houston Hockey Series players to attend as we will be handing out individual and team awards for the regular season. This will be a fun night for all of us to get together at the same time and celebrate what has been a truly memorable season! We will also air the Aeros away game against Peoria at 7:00 pm after we hand out awards. The Maple Leaf Pub will be offering drink specials to ALL HHS Players during the evening.
$2.50 Bud Light and Miller Lite drafts
$3.00 Shiners
$3.00 Well Drinks
$3.00 House Wine
Don’t forget!!! Current HHS Members guarantee their roster spots beginning March 1st!!
-$100 deposit which goes to your fees for the 2010-2011 season!
Have a great week and GO AEROS!
HHS Member,
The Houston Hockey Series returned to Toyota Center last night after 3 solid weeks of inactivity. The Willowbrook Wild played their first HHS game in over 6 weeks having last seen action at Toyota Center on Wednesday, Dec. 16th! It was obvious from the start of the game that their extra Holiday practices had paid off (sources close to www.houstonhockeyinsider.com tell us that they bought ice on Christmas day). Needless to say, players from Space City and Willowbrook were more than ready to get back into the action at Toyota Center.
Willowbrook started the game off with a mid-period goal by team replacement Chris Kuny. Kuny is playing permanent substitute for Jody Wolosiak who has been placed on injury reserve for the remainder of the season. Mike Edwards chipped in the teams second goal at the end of the first period, giving the wild a 2 – 0 advantage going into the second period. It looked as if Space City as turning up the heat in the second period with an early goal by Forward, John Connolly. The Space Invaders kept the pressure on by keeping the puck on Willowbrook’s side of the ice and had 3 solid scoring opportunities, but couldn’t find the net. A major credit to Wild goaltender, Jon Acquafondata, who stopped 18 of 20 shots on goal during the game.
The Wild were able to capitalize in the middle of the second period with 3 consecutive goals by 3 different players. David Sutton, Dan Pata, and Dave Herrmann respectively, were able to give the Wild a comfortable lead. Space Invader’s Sharp Shooter, Darren Riggle, was able to find the net before the end of the second period making it a 5 – 2 game going into the 3rd.
It was all Willowbrook defense from that point forward. Posting a 3rd period shutout, the Wild were able to put two more between the pipes making the final score 7 – 2.
Space City Goaltender Mary Kidd said, “We were a little short-handed tonight and missed a few opportunities on offense. We also spent a lot of time in the penalty box. The good news is we are back at the end of the month and have a shot at redemption during the double-header on Feb. 27th.”
Team Captain / Coach, Jeff Stone, held a post game chalk-talk with his team following the loss. Something tells me they will be ready for the challenge…
Captains Meeting:
- The Captains met to discuss plans for next season last week. There were a lot of good ideas brought to the table to make sure we continue to improve everyone’s experience next season. We still have a lot to discuss before we finalize the framework for next year, but I can shed some light on a few topics so that we are all on the same page.
-The HHS will remain a Novice League. The Captains are working on ways to ensure good competition between each team next season and we will have more details on that as we get closer to the end of the year.
-Due to the amount of interest from players not currently in our league, it appears we will have to add teams to the roster next season. This is very exciting and can be directly attributed to our current players and how they represent the HHS to players in their other leagues! Our waiting list grows every day and will be first come / first served as far as roster availability.
-Beginning March 1st, current players will be able to place a $100 deposit for the coming season which will guarantee your roster spot for 2010 – 2011. The cost of HHS will not increase for our current players and all of your deposit will roll into your HHS fees next season. Beginning April 1st, we will open up our rosters to new players who will be able to place a deposit and get on a roster for 2010 – 2011. If you have not placed your deposit by April 1st, your roster spot will be made available to the public.
-Don’t forget about your other leagues. A requisite for playing in HHS is that you must participate in a local organization as well. Players who have not participated in a local league in the last year (August ‘09 – August ‘10) other than HHS will forfeit their roster spot to someone who has.
-Awards Banquet! We have not finalized a date yet, but we will be holding an awards banquet / end of season party in March. We are working on having this at the Maple Leaf Pub on either Saturday the 13th or Saturday the 27th. We will keep you posted once we finalize our plans.
One Last Thing: VERY IMPORTANT!!! The Aeros are having a full-team autograph session immediately following the game on Feb. 14th. ALL HHS Members are welcome to attend. It’s a great chance to get any of the promo items you’ve received this season signed by your favorite Aeros player. Please RSVP to afarlow@aeros.com and let him know if you would like to be placed on the list.
Sorry for the “long one!” See you on Wednesday!
HHS Members,
Friday night’s game against Space City and Sugar Land saw both teams improving their game and putting on a great show for the fans, friends, and family who stuck around. The game started with a great pass from Ivan Srut to marksman Robb Delprado of the Space Invaders. Sugar Land answered with a goal from speed-skater Sandro Hendry, tying the game at one goal a piece. Sugar Land took control in the second period with goals from Gabe Presas and Kari Gibson. At the end of the second period, it looked like Sugar Land had found the answer to their recent win drought.
The third period saw a lot of action between the pipes and Space City wasted no time in putting up a quick point tying the game at 3 goals a piece. That goal was Delprado’s 3rd, giving him a hat-trick on the evening. Sugar Land’s Dan Fuller was determined to keep his squad in the lead and found Invader goalie, Mary Kidd, off balance giving the Hitchhikers the lead once again.
The Invaders were able to tie it up with 6 minutes left in regulation on a solo shot from Don Rhodes. At that point, it looked like the Houston Hockey Series was going to see its first shoot-out of the season! The level of play really turned up in the last few minutes with both teams scratching to put in a goal before the buzzer.
Sugar Land’s fate was sealed, however, at the 11:42 mark with a goal by David Kaufman giving the Space Invaders the lead in the closing minutes of the game. Although this loss continued Sugar Land’s streak of losses, players from both teams agreed that it was one of the most exciting games of the season. It was a shame that someone had to lose that one…
www.houstonhockeyinsider.com/hhs is back to full strength! Allow me to introduce the Aeros new Hockey Program Assistant and League Administrator, Andrew Farlow. Andrew is replacing Brandon as our go-to guy for all matters Houston Hockey Series. If you need to contact him, his e-mail is afarlow@aeros.com. He has updated the stats through game 11 and will be updating today so that game 12 will be reflected in a few hours.
The Aeros play their final Home game for the month of January this Saturday, Jan 16th. This will also be Canada night as we will be facing-off against the Toronto Marlies. The Space City Novice Hockey League is playing an exhibition Play Like the Pros at 2:30 before the Aeros game at Toyota Center. Leo Skiba may still have a spot or two on his rosters if you would like to join them. You can reach him at lskiba@gmail.com.
HHS Member,
The Space City Space Invaders took on the Beaumont Roughnecks in their second December matchup last night. It was their 3rd meeting this season and Beaumont took the upper hand in the series with a methodical offense through out the game. Space City took the upper hand early in the game and looked like they had shaken off the rust from their last matchup with the Roughnecks. John Connolly was able to notch his first goal of the season in his first few minutes of HHS play. Two other ‘Vaders’ would put points on the board in the first period putting them up 3-0 at the end of the first period.
It was all Beaumont from that point forward. Speed Skater / Sharp Shooter John Leggett notched two quick goals in the early going of the second period putting the Roughnecks back in contention. Team Captain, Ryan Jones, had some motivating words on the bench for his team.
“I told them, hey, this is the same situation we were in last time with these guys. Down 3-0 and we stayed with it to make the come back.”
His words proved true as Leggett put in a Hat-Trick goal for the lead with break away goals from two of his team mates.
The Space Invaders showed great poise without Team Captain Jeff Stone (a recruiting trip to Indianapolis) by not allowing Beaumont to run away with the game. No doubt there will be a strategy meeting upon his return.
Be sure to catch the lone HHS game in January on Friday, Jan 8th as the Space Invaders seek redemption on the Sugar Land Hitchhikers. HHS action will take a 3 week hiatus for the “All Star” break and then return full-steam for the final push to the playoffs. DON’T MISS IT!
Attention Players! If you would like to play in a Novice Exhibition with the Space City Novice group at Toyota Center next Saturday, Jan. 16th be sure to contact Josh at 713-361-7937. This exhibition will play at 2:30 pm and will be a great way to get some extra time on the ice! There is limited space available on each roster, so let me know ASAP if you would like to join.
HHS Players,
It’s Brandon here, I just wanted to sign on one last time to say goodbye! My internship with the Aeros has come to an end and I will be packing up and heading home to Ohio this week for good. I have enjoyed every minute here in Houston and a big part of that was because of the HHS. It has been a blast working with such an innovative league made up of some very interesting players. I hope you all have had as much fun as I have and you continue too! A new intern will be here shortly and Josh and Ravi will have them trained in the routine in no time. You might even have a few surprise posts from me in the future, I doubt Josh will be able to figure out how to change the password to the site!
Good Luck The Rest Of The Season!
-Brandon Biller
Houston Hockey Series Member,
After a short (2 weeks) hiatus from HHS action at Toyota Center, the Beaumont Roughnecks did battle with the Space City Space invaders last Friday night. In a stunning upset the Roughnecks edged out the Space Invaders by one goal at the end of regulation!!! This marked the first “W” for the Roughnecks this season! Beaumont found success in passing the puck and capitalized on goals from John Gibson, Joe Gomberg, and Ben Wood. HHS Rookie, Jodell Almond, was able to contribute in her first game by notching an assist to Gibson for the first goal of the game.
It was obvious that the near double amount of shots-on-goal were what put the Roughnecks over the top. This is a credit to Space City’s Mary Kidd, who stopped 25 of 28 in the net. The Space Invaders had a hard time finding the offensive rhythm that has made them one of the deadliest offensive teams in the league on Friday Night. They will have a chance to redeem themselves on Monday, Dec. 28th as they face off against the Roughnecks once again. Team Captain, Jeff Stone, has issued team orders to watch their intake of Pie and Adult Beverages over the extended Holiday.
Last night the Willowbrook Wild took on the Hitchhikers of Sugar Land. The first period proved to be a dead heat with both teams notching 2 Goals. The Wild proved why they are the team to beat in the 2nd period by netting 3 goals. Jesper Jensen had a breakout game for the Wild by pulling off a Hat Trick in the 3rd period. This victory came on the heels of some bad news for the Wild who will be without team enforcer Gerard Van Der Werf for at least two months suffering a hamstring injury.
Dan Fuller of the Sugar Land Hitchhikers did his best to keep his team in the game by notching an early goal, but the Sugar Land defense could not contain the Wild offense. The Wild scored 8 goals from 6 different players.
After the game, Hitchhiker Captain Barry Price said, “We have to continue to improve every game. If we play our cards right, we could be in a great position to create an upset in the Tournament.”
You have your chance to catch more HHS action this Friday and Monday! The Aeros Front office is doing their annual Center Ice Holiday Special with $25 Center Ice seats for Houston Hockey Series Members! Bring your friends, family, and teammates to relax and enjoy some Hockey during the Holidays!
Have a Great Holiday and we will see you at the rink!
In what turned out to be one of the most exciting games in Houston Hockey Series history, the Willowbrook Wild edged out the Beaumont Roughnecks by a single goal at the end of regulation. The Wild were first to jump on the board with goals by Barry Bergedick and David Sutton late in the first period. The Wild managed to keep the puck out of their net during the first period of play and it looked like they were on their way to an easy street victory. Ben Wood would have something to say about that during the second period with a late goal to bring the Roughnecks within one. Beaumont’s defense was surprisingly stout against the high powered Willowbrook offense by not allowing any goals in the 2nd period.
The third period proved to be worth the price of admission for the lucky fans who stuck around after the Aeros game. Jim Brown set the tone for the Wild with a first minute goal stretching their lead to two. The Roughnecks would answer with two back to back goals in the same minute of play by Sean Lowe and John “Booger” Gibson. The Wild and Roughnecks would exchange goals once more before the final nail in the coffin by Wild sharpshooter David Sutton with 1:30 left on the clock.
Wild captain, Dan Pata, was impressed with the Roughnecks tenacious defense. “We just couldn’t get anything going against their D. They were able to hold their lines and really throw us off our rhythm. That was exciting!”
Goalie for the Roughnecks, Chris O’Quinn, had a lot of confidence going into this game. “I kept telling everyone not to judge us by our first few games. I really thought we could pull this one off.”
Beaumont will have a chance to prove they can maintain their high level of play as they face-off against the Space City Space Invaders for the second time on Friday, Dec. 11th. Space City will be coming off 4 ½ weeks of inactivity from HHS play. Rumors of team captain Jeff Stone holding midnight practices have yet to be confirmed…
Don’t miss the chance to take a long lunch on Thursday, December 3rd. The Aeros will host San Antonio at 11:05 AM for the “Kids Game”. Thousands of grade-school kids will take a field-trip to Toyota Center for the 5th annual “First Flight with the Aeros.” HHS members who would like to attend will receive an additional discount with $25 Center Ice seats. Feel free to bring along your co-workers to take advantage of this discount as well!
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