Six big divisional series’ took place over the weekend in the Western States Hockey League, with many directly effecting future playoff match-ups. The only inter-divisional dual was also a good one, as the Dallas Ice Jets traveled to McCall, Idaho to take on the Idaho Jr. Steelheads.

Texas Brahmas (23-16-1, 3^rd in Mid-West Division) @ El Paso Rhinos (34-7-2, 1^st in Mid-West Division)

For the second consecutive weekend, the Texas Brahmas and El Paso Rhinos clashed in the Lone Star State.

It was close early on in the opening match of the series but Trey Hughes’ two goals and two assists led the Rhinos to the 6-3 victory, as El Paso out-scored the Texas 5-1 over the final two periods of play.

Texas got on the board first in game two, as Josh Gray scored unassisted 2:04 into the contest but El Paso again turned it up over the final two periods, scoring four unanswered goals in the 4-1 victory.

Matthew Tritsch scored twice in the finale, as the Rhinos controlled the game the entire way, picking up the sweep with the 5-1 win.

The Rhinos have started to come into their own as the season has progressed, bouncing back after a rough showcase and have picked up points in all 18 of their games since.

The Brahmas had a golden opportunity to pick up points with six straight games with the division-leader but could not muster enough offense to hang with the vaunted Rhinos attack. They seem destined for an opening round playoff match with the Dallas Ice Jets.

Dallas Ice Jets (24-12-4, 2^nd in Mid-West Division) @ Idaho Jr. Steelheads (40-2-2, 1^st in Mountain Division)

The first-year Dallas Ice Jets made their longest trip of the year over the weekend, escaping the Texas sun and heading north to frigid McCall, Idaho for three with the Steelies.

In the opening game, the Ice Jets held it close but could not find a way to beat Idaho goaltender Jordyn Kaufer late and took the 2-1 loss in regulation.

The next evening Idaho’s defense again flexed their collective muscles, holding Dallas to just 16 shots en route to a 5-2 win. The difference in the game was the Idaho power play, which clicked for two goals in just three chances.

Play opened up in the finale but Idaho got points from ten different skaters and swept the series with a 5-3 win. Leading the way for the Jr. Steelheads was forward Austin Parle, who collected a goal and two assists in the victory, which extends Idaho’s league-leading winning streak to 25.

The Jr. Steelheads are set for an opening round matchup with Ogden, a team they are 5-0-0 against on the season, while Dallas will more than likely host the Texas Brahmas, who they have lost to three times already.

Boulder Bison (30-10-3, 2^nd in Mountain Division) @ Park City Moose (5-35-3, 5^th in Mountain Division)

The Boulder Bison have hit a rough patch as of late but were looking to beef up with three against Park City over the weekend. Neither team has the ability to move up or down in the Mountain Division standings, as Boulder is locked into second, while Park City will finish last in the in their first season in the league.

Special teams was the story of game one, as Boulder notched two power play markers and also scored once while short handed, shutting out the Moose by a score of 3-0. Dax Deadrick only faced 20 shots in net but turned them all away for his first shutout of the season.

Dylan Meier continued his hot play in game two, scoring three times while also adding an assist as Boulder cruised to a 6-1 victory.

Game three was the closest of the weekend, as Park City put up a good fight but ultimately was ousted 3-2, suffering yet another sweep.

Skyler Metcalfe scored twice for the home team, with both goals coming off assists from Brian Barnes but Dylan Meier once again led the way for the Bison, notching two more goals, giving him six on the series.

After a tough series the weekend before with Idaho, Boulder picked up three wins which they hope will get some momentum rolling again, heading into a playoff series with the Cheyenne Stampede.

Park City showed some fight against a very good hockey team but did not have enough to put a game away. The Moose finish up their inaugural season with one more showdown with Ogden and a trip to Boise to take on the Jr. Steelheads.

Cheyenne Stampede (22-20-4, 3^rd in Mountain Division) @ Ogden Mustangs (12-28-3, 4^th in Mountain Division)

The third and fourth place teams in the Mountain Division battled in Ogden, Utah over the weekend, as the new-look Stampede attempted to get all lines rolling heading into the playoffs.

Alex Pizarro picked up a goal and an assist in the first period of game one, pacing Ogden to a 2-0 lead after the opening 20 minutes of play.

Over the final 40 minutes however, they were out-scored 7-2 by Cheyenne, dropping the opening game by a score of 7-4.

Fairbanks, Alaska native Andrew Baggen had his best game of the season for the Stampede, picking up two goals and three assists in the win.

In the middle game of the series, Cheyenne jumped out to an early 3-0 lead and controlled play throughout in the 5-1 victory. Brad McIntosh scored two goals, while goaltender Vladislav Kornienko stopped 16 of the 17 shots he saw.

In the finale, Ogden held a 2-1 lead thanks to goals by Devin Detillieux and Dax Hobbs but Cheyenne poured in on over the final 40 minutes of play and took the sweep with an 8-4 victory.

Swedish forward Carl Graf led the offensive charge with two goals and an assist, while recently-returned from the NAHL, veteran forward Bobby Watson set-up three goals.

Cheyenne is the first team to finish their regular season slate and Head Coach Jeff Heimel has got to be happy with how his team finished strong in their first year in the league. General Manger Mark Lantz did a fantastic job of picking up players as the season went along and his squad produced for him, picking up points in their final six games of the regular season. They will head to Boulder in round one of the playoffs after a couple of weekends off to rest-up.

The Ogden Mustangs will make the playoffs but are in danger of backing-in. They have proved they can play with the entire Mountain Division but can’t seem to put a game away recently, especially against some of the top tier squads. They have two games left, one on the road against Idaho, who they will visit in the first round of playoffs.

San Diego Gulls (23-16-4, 2^nd in Western Division) @ Fresno Monsters (40-2-1, 1^st in Western Division)

The Fresno Monsters attempted to hold on to the league-lead over the weekend, hosting the San Diego Gulls for three. The Gulls came into the weekend second to only Fresno in the Western Division but an astounding 24 points back of the Monsters.

Fresno showed the difference between one and two in the opening contest, winning 5-1 behind two goals from veteran forward Don Coyle, while outshooting San Diego 42-17.

In the second game, Gunnar Dircks scored short handed and Ethan Carlson put one home while on the power play for Fresno, pacing the Monsters to a 2-0 first period lead. Behind solid goaltending from Tom McGuckin, who picked up his third shutout of the season, the two would be all they needed, as they held on for the 2-0 win

You would think the Monsters would slip up sooner or later, especially in the finale of a three game series that held little value to them in regards to the standings; you would have thought wrong however.

Tomas Busek’s power play goal 3:42 into the third period handed San Diego the 3-2 lead but Fresno fired back for two more before the buzzer, taking the 4-3 win thanks to goals from Zach Alvarez and Jason Beisinger.

Fresno has now increased their winning streak to 16, second to only Idaho’s current run. They are however still the top dog in the entire league, as they’ve pretty much been since entering the WSHL.

San Diego is sliding… and fast. Just a couple of weeks ago the Gulls were essentially locked into second place but now lead Valencia and Arizona by just two points. Their losing streak has now reached six; their longest of the season. They’ll get a chance to get back on the winning track however in their final three games, as they have two with Long Beach, who they’ve yet to lose to and one with Valencia, who is hot on their heels.

Phoenix Knights (11-33-2, 6^th in Western Division) @ Long Beach Bombers (15-25-3, 5^th in Western Division)

The opposite of the Fresno/San Diego series was a clash in Long Beach, which featured the division’s bottom two teams.

Colin Bresnehan, the only returner on the Phoenix Knights’ roster, scored while short handed to knot the game at seven and force overtime in game one.

In overtime, leading-scorer Jarrod Levos was hauled down on a breakaway and awarded a penalty shot. Levos made no mistake and beat Brandon Hanser, handing the Knights their first win since December 16.

With Phoenix leading 2-1 after the first period, Long Beach’s offense exploded for four straight in the second period to take the lead and eventual win in game two.

Johnny Linehan tallied four assists, while Stephen White notched a hat-trick in the 8-4 Bombers’ win.

Six minutes into game three, Long Beach trailed again by a score of 2-1. They struck for the next eight however, blowing the doors open in a 10-3 win.

Robby Johnson and JT Barnard each collected a goal and four assists, to help the Bombers win their first series since besting the Dallas Snipers in early January.

Neither team will make the playoffs this season, as the Bombers’ have now missed for four consecutive seasons. They do have hope however, as Head Coach Chris White has made some big changes in his first season and things are only looking up.

Phoenix has missed the playoffs for the first-time ever, as the Knights were decimated by injuries throughout the year and consistently were forced to play with only a couple of lines.

Arizona Redhawks (22-17-4, 3^rd in Western Division) @ Valencia Flyers (21-17-6, 4^th in Western Division)

The craziest series of the weekend took place in Valencia, as the Flyers played host to the Arizona Redhawks, who they came into the weekend just three points back of.

In the opening game, Arizona’s Matthew Melhaff scored twice but Flyers’ forward Sebastien Beauregard matched his output and newly-returned forward Bryan Fiol picked up the game-winner, as Valencia escaped with the 5-4 win.

The next game was over before the puck dropped, as the Flyers were again led by Beauregard, who picked up three goals and two assists, as the home team dominated Arizona in every facet in an 11-1 romp.

Redhawks’ goaltender Andrew Barletta, who has carried the team throughout much of the season, was pulled for the first time all-year, after giving up a season-high five goals against for the second consecutive evening.

In the finale, a depleted Arizona lineup played their best game of the weekend and held a 6-2 lead heading into the third period, thanks in large part to a hat-trick from Ivo Dimitrijevs.

The Flyers did not go down without a fight however as the league-leader in rookie scoring, Austin Ehrlich scored twice and fellow rookie Hunter Jensen pulled Valencia within one with 4:55 left in regulation.

Swedish forward Sam Khongmuk converted off of a goalmouth scramble with just 18 second remaining to complete the comeback and send the game into extra time.

In overtime, the Flyers failed to beat Barletta during two full minutes of a four-on-three power play and Kyle Pavlack converted off a Flyers’ defensive breakdown, as the Redhawks escaped with a 7-6 overtime victory, narrowly avoiding the sweep.

Both teams will make the playoffs for the first time in three seasons; Arizona for the first time ever.

The Redhawks are currently ahead of the Flyers by mere percentage points but return to California for a three game set with the Monsters next weekend, while the Flyers have just two games left; one with Long Beach and the other at San Diego. Whichever team loses the battle gets rewarded with another trip to Fresno in the opening round of the playoffs.

THREE STARS OF THE WEEK

1. Sebastien Beauregard-Forward (Valencia Flyers)- The French-Canadian forward has done it all for the Flyers since joining the team in early January. His unique combination of physical play, speed and stickhandling, is a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses and the 19 year-old rarely takes a shift off. In a huge weekend series with Arizona, Beauregard amassed six goals and seven assists in just three games, more than doubling his output in 11 previous games with the team.
2. Johnny Linehan-Forward (Long Beach Bombers)- You would be hard-pressed to not find the name Linehan on a score sheet in Long Beach over the past three seasons. Combined with his older brother Tim, the Linehan brothers have wreaked havoc on the Western Division of the WSHL for three seasons now and this year has been not exception. Although his squad will miss the playoffs again, Johnny continues to help his team stay in games and this weekend, his two goals and six assists helped carry his Bombers to a series victory over Phoenix, picking up five of a possible six points in the process.
3. Carl Graf-Forward (Cheyenne Stampede)- The highest-scoring import in the entire league was at it again over the weekend, as the big Swedish forward collected three goals and five assists in three games against Ogden, leading his team to a clean sweep of the Mustangs. Since coming to the Stampede in a trade with El Paso, the 6’2” 190 pound winger has picked up 31 points in just 19 games, a huge reason for the Stampede’s recent success.

The playoff pairings are essentially set throughout the league but nobody wants to back-in to the playoffs, so next weekends’ matchups continue to loom large:

• The Arizona Redhawks head to Fresno for three, which could very well be an opening round Western Division matchup in the playoffs
• Boulder hosts New Mexico for three, as the former division foes look to pick up some momentum heading into the post-season
• The top two teams in the Mid-West do battle, as El Paso hosts the Dallas Ice Jets for three playoff-like clashes
• The Texas Brahmas look to work out a few kinks in two games with the last-place Snipers
• Long Beach hosts Valencia for a single and hops on the freeway the next evening for one more with San Diego
• Ogden hosts Park City and then heads north to Idaho for one with the Jr. Steelheads

Things are heating up around the Western States Hockey League and for the first time in a while, the weekend slate was filled with inter-divisional series’ with playoff hopes on the line.

El Paso Rhinos (31-7-2, 1^st in Mid-West Division) @ Texas Brahmas (23-13-1, 3^rd in Mid-West Division)

In a scheduling oddity, these two teams hadn’t met once before the weekend but will play one another six times over a span of 10 days.

The opening game was not nearly as wide-open as the following two, as the Brahmas led twice but the Rhinos fought back each time to tie the game up and the two rivals went into overtime with the score 2-2.

Just 34 seconds into extra time, Brittan Morris put home his seventh goal of the season with assists from Terry Portra and Blaine Key to hand the Brahmas the upset victory.

Josh Gray’s goal again gave the Brahmas the early in game two but once again, the Rhinos turned up the pressure as the game continued, scoring the next four and adding two more in the third to hold on for the 6-3 win. John Morales led the charge for El Paso, picking up a goal and two assists.

In the finale, the Rhinos held a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes of play thanks to goals by Tomas Stastny and Matthew Tritsch, with each player assisting on the other’s goal.

El Paso took over the game in the second and scored the only two goals of the period, as Stastny picked up his second of the game from Tritsch and Brenden Gust picked up another, as the Rhinos held strong for the 4-2 win and series victory.

After a bumpy stretch, the Rhinos are settling into playing the kind of hockey they are known for and winning games like they have for years.

Meanwhile, the Brahmas have picked up a few key players and are positioning themselves nicely for an upset in the playoffs.

New Mexico Renegades (18-20-2, 4^th in Mid-West Division) @ Dallas Snipers (5-37-0, 5^th in Mid-West Division)

In another Mid-West Division clash in the state of Texas, the New Mexico Renegades made the trip to Euless to take on the last-place Snipers.

A depleted Snipers lineup was no match in game one for the Renegades, who are starting to settle-in under first-year head coach Michael Gershon.

Defenseman Zach Hagmaier led the way with a goal and three assists and former Sniper Cole Dodson got some revenge on his former team, picking up a goal and two assists, as the Renegades ran away with the 8-3 victory in game one.

The next evening was a carbon copy of the night before, as again the Renegades took the win by a score of 8-3. Dodson picked up three points for the second consecutive game but the night belonged to Kevin Loppatto, who notched two goals and three assists in the win.

New Mexico again scored eight goals in the finale but the Snipers put up a much better fight, scoring seven of their own but dropping the game and the series to the Renegades.

Shane Bonds and Arnie Osuna, the two-headed attack that has been the only offense for the Snipers all season, each scored two goals but defenseman Nikolay Sherstyuk picked up two goals and three assists, as his Renegades took the close win.

New Mexico is locked into fourth place in the Mid-West with no chance of moving up or down. They must prepare for an opening round trip to El Paso to take on the Rhinos, a task few would prefer.

Dallas seems ready for their inaugural season to come to come to an end but have shown life recently, even though they are already mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.

Phoenix Knights (10-31-2, 6^th in Western Division) @ Arizona Redhawks (21-15-4, 3^rd in Western Division)

The first two seasons the Arizona Redhawks were in the league they played in the shadow of the perennial power Phoenix Polar Bears.

The landscape in the desert is changing however, as the now Knights have swapped places with the Redhawks, as Phoenix will miss the playoffs for the first time and Arizona will make their first-ever post season appearance.

In the opening game, the Redhawks outshot the Knights 63-20 and ran away with the 10-4 victory.

Ivo Dimitrijevs notched two goals and three assists, while Ryan Brown and Wade Weisgerber each collected four points.

The Knights took a 3-1 lead 14:49 into the second period of game two but the Redhawks responded, as Dimitrijevs scored before the end of the period and Weisgerber scored in the third to send the game into overtime, where Sean Stahlnecker scored unassisted to give Arizona the 4-3 victory.

Arizona jumped out to a 3-0 lead after one period of play in the finale but Phoenix showed some life and got within one in the second, before Arizona rattled off three straight goals to begin the third period, en route to the 7-3 victory.

Brown and Cam Maceau each picked up three points and goaltender Andrew Barletta, a former Polar Bear, picked up his third victory of the weekend against his former team.

The Redhawks are three points ahead of Valencia for third place in the Western Division and their series in Valencia this weekend will be pivotal in deciding seeding, as whoever finishes fourth gets to make the trip to Fresno, where both squads have struggled.

Phoenix continues to sputter along and have only won once since November 19^th.

Idaho Jr. Steelheads (37-2-2, 1^st in Mountain Division) @ Boulder Bison (27-10-3, 2^nd in Mountain Division)

The marquee matchup of the weekend took place in Boulder, Colorado, as the first-place Jr. Steelheads took on the second-place Bison.

Trailing 2-1 heading into the third period in the opening game, Taylor Porrier scored two power play markers less than two minutes apart, to hand Boulder the lead with 6:46 left in regulation.

Boulder has struggled with third period leads lately and once again were bitten, as Ben Hanus put home his second goal of the game with 3:21 remaining to send the contest into overtime.

In overtime, captain Justin Videen scored unassisted just 2:36 in to cap the comeback and win the game, 4-3.

The shots were even in game two, as both teams notched 28 but that was about the only thing that was close, as Idaho dominated the Bison by a scored of 6-0.

Filip Kasaly led the charge with two goals and three assists and goaltender Josh Benton stopped all 28 Boulder shots he faced, while picking up his third shutout of the season.

With the game tied at two, defenseman Dylan Hassell scored 1:33 into the third period of game three to give Boulder the 3-2 lead but again, they failed to hold on, as Sean Van Eysden and Stefan Brucato scored 35 seconds apart for Idaho to seal the win and series sweep.

The Jr. Steelheads are on fire, winning their last 22 games in a row dating back to November 26^th. There is little doubt that they are one of the top teams in the league and many would love to see a re-match of their October series with Fresno.

Boulder meanwhile, has not been their typical self since the showcase and must figure out how to pull games out late if they want to last in the playoffs.

Fresno Monsters (37-2-1, 1^st in Western Division) @ Long Beach Bombers (13-25-2, 5^th in Western Division)

The Fresno Monsters have the top spot locked-up for the third straight year in the Western Division but that did not stop them from busting out the big guns over the weekend in Long Beach.

15 players notched at least one point in the opening game of the series, as the Monsters beat-up on the Bombers by a scored of 8-1.

In game two, Nick McKee and Marc Haaf each collected three points and goaltender Tom McGuckin stopped all 13 Bombers’ shots he faced, as the Monsters took the 6-0 victory.

Long Beach kept it much closer in the final game of the series but failed to convert over 10 power play chances and took the 4-1 loss.

McKee, Fresno’s moneyman, led the way once more, picking up a goal and an assist in the win.

The Monsters beat Long Beach all six times they met this season by a combined total of 42-7. Fresno has six more games before playoffs and will not have to leave the city of Fresno for any of them.

The three losses for the Bombers stick the proverbial fork in playoff hopes, as they will miss the post-season for the fourth consecutive season.

Valencia Flyers (19-17-5, 4^th in Western Division) vs. San Diego Gulls (23-13-4, 2^nd in Western Division)

The Valencia Flyers and San Diego Gulls continued their rivalry with a quick home-at-home set over the weekend.

On Friday night, the two met in Valencia, a place where the Gulls hadn’t lost since October of 2010.

Rookie forward Hunter Jensen changed that however, scoring twice, including the game-winner with 2:43 left in regulation, to hand Valencia the 3-2 win.

The victory is Valencia’s first of the season over the Gulls and first overall since December of 2010, a game played in Las Vegas during the showcase.

The next night in Escondido, Joshua Albright scored the lone goal in the first period to pace the Gulls to the 1-0 lead.

Flyers’ leading scorer Eddie Keshishian scored two in the middle period, both coming off assists from the newly acquired Bryan Fiol, as the Flyers took the 2-1 win and short series sweep.

Valencia is playing hot as of late and has a huge series this weekend with Arizona, which will decide where they go in the opening round of the playoffs. If they can win the series, they more than likely would head back to San Diego, a team they now know they can beat.

San Diego is 2-11-2 when scoring two goals or less this season and will need to get a quick answer for their offensive struggles before the weekend, as they head to Fresno for a three-game set with the Monsters.

Park City Moose (5-32-3, 5^th in Mountain Division) @ Ogden Mustangs (13-25-3, 4^th in Mountain Division)

The two Utah teams did battle over the weekend in what was supposed to be a home-at-home series but the back end was rescheduled for a different date.

On Friday night, they did battle in Ogden and the visiting Moose got on the board first, as Brian Barnes opened the scoring 3:27 into the second period.

The Mustangs turned up the heat from that moment on and behind goals from Kody Rodriguez, Greg Gross and Devin Detillieux, took the 3-1 victory.

The Mustangs will look to continue their recent success and carry that into an opening round playoff matchup with the red-hot Jr. Steelheads.

Park City has proven to be no-match for their in-state rival this season and will need to recruit heavily over the summer to be competitive.

THREE STARS OF THE WEEK

1. Filip Kasaly-Forward (Idaho Jr. Steelheads)- It’s hard to standout when you play on arguably the highest skilled team in the league but Filip Kasaly did just that over the weekend. In one of the biggest series’ of the year, the Czech forward picked up two goals and seven assists, leading his first-place Jr. Steelheads to a three-game sweep of the second-place Boulder Bison.
2. Cole Dodson-Forward (New Mexico Renegades)- The Flower Mound, Texas native started off the season playing for the Park City Moose, then was dealt to the hometown Dallas Snipers, before being sent to the New Mexico Renegades just a few weeks later. Over the weekend, Dodson got revenge on the Snipers, as the man more known for his physical play, picked up two goals and five assists, as his new team swept his former.
3. Ryan Brown-Forward (Arizona Redhawks)- The 6’4” 210 pound forward has been a huge part of the Arizona offense since joining the team in mid-December. The big man had a huge role in the Redhawks’ sweep over the rival Phoenix Knights over the weekend, picking up three goals and five assists in the three contests.

With just three weeks left in the regular season, this weekends’ matchups are that much more important:

• The Western Division’s top two teams battle it out, as Fresno hosts San Diego
• The Dallas Ice Jets make their longest trip of the year, as they head to Idaho to take on the team with the best record in the league
• The Cheyenne Stampede head to Ogden to take on the Mustangs, as the third and fourth place teams in the Mountain Division go at it
• The Brahmas bus to El Paso, as the two teams meet for the second consecutive weekend
• Arizona clashes with Valencia, with third place in the West on the line
• Phoenix and Long Beach duke it out with nothing but bragging rights up for grabs
• Boulder heads to Park City for three with the lowly Moose

The pictures below show the winter wonderland that the teams played in on a cold February day. Both teams thoroughly enjoyed themselves and the 400 spectators enjoyed a great hockey game.

The playoff race continues in the three jam-packed divisions across the Western States Hockey League, as every team but two (Fresno Monsters and Dallas Ice Jets) were in action over the weekend.

Inter-division clashes continued late in the season as only two of the seven series were of the divisional variety.

Long Beach Bombers (13-22-2, 5^th in Western Division) @ Texas Brahmas (22-11-1, 3^rd in Mid-West Division)

The Texas Brahmas have hung around the middle of the tough Mid-West Division throughout the season but they are starting to get hot at the right time.

After a big win on a rare Wednesday night game against the second place Dallas Ice Jets, the Brahmas welcomed the Long Beach Bombers to town for a weekend set.

The Bombers came in struggling, losers of five of their last six and needed to get some points on the trip to keep their playoff hopes alive.

In the opening game, Long Beach showed no signs of travel woes and led 2-1 after 20 minutes of play, thanks in-part to a pair of goals scored by Stephen and Brian White, both produced by Johnny Linehan

The Brahmas power play was the difference in the game however, as Quade Hamlin put one home to tie the game in the second while on the man-advantage and defenseman Terry Portra put the game away 11:20 into the third period with his power play marker.

The Brahmas’ top two scorers, Conor Tamai and Kevin Filthaut assisted on each of the goals, leading the way as they have all season.

The middle game of the series wasn’t nearly as close, as the home team led 6-0 before Long Beach finally got on the board with 10:48 left in regulation.

Newly acquired forward Josh Gray led the offensive charge for Texas, notching two goals and two assists, while Kevin Filthaut had another solid outing, picking up three assists on the evening.

The Bombers were ready to make the long trip home before the final game of the series even began and it showed, as the Brahmas dominated the Bomb-squad by a score of 10-2.

This time, Texas led 9-0 before the Bombers responded in the second period.

Defenseman Terry Portra notched his first hat trick of the season for the Brahmas, while again, Kevin Filthaut had a field day, picking up one goal and four assists and moving all the way up to fourth overall in league scoring leaders.

The sweep of the Bombers keeps the momentum going in Fort Worth, as the Brahmas have kicked-off the new year by winning seven of their first eight contests. They have also continued to add to their roster, as new additions have helped to bolster an already solid offense.

The Bombers are at the other end of the spectrum. They have proven they can hang tough against some of the better teams in the league but don’t quite have the offensive power to pull out the big win. First-year Head Coach Chris White has done an admirable job of getting his boys ready to play within his system but it’s not quite there this season. With nine games to go, the Bombers currently sit 11 points out of a playoff spot, so there still is a chance but they must right the ship soon.

Cheyenne Stampede (19-20-4, 3^rd in Mountain Division) @ New Mexico Renegades (15-20-2, 4^th in Mid-West Division)

In another inter-divisional matchup, the Cheyenne Stampede made the trip south to Rio Rancho, New Mexico for their first-ever look at the New Mexico Renegades.

Head Coach/General Manager has done a good job in his first year in the desert and has made some recent moves, as he has his Renegades poised to make the post-season for the first time.

Cheyenne is one in the same, as General Manger Mark Lantz continues to be the most active trader partner in the entire league, bolstering his lineup seemingly every week.

After a scoreless first period in the opening game, Zach Hagmaier and newly acquired Fredrik Svantesson paced the Renegades to a 2-0 lead.

The Stampede came roaring back behind a power play goal by Tobias Pehrson and an even strength marker from Elliott Langford to knot the game at two.

Cheyenne took control of the game in the third period and turned up the heat, out-shooting New Mexico 16-6 over the final 20 minutes of regulation.

The pressure paid off 6:20 into the period, as Pehrson put home his second power play goal of the game, sealing the win for the visitors.

In game two, the two teams took to the great outdoors and played the first-ever outdoor game in WSHL history, played just down the road from Rio Rancho in Los Alamos.

The two teams had nothing solved again after two periods of play, as they were tied for the second night in a row, this time at three a-piece.

Carl Graf, who has arguably been the biggest addition for any team, coming over from El Paso during the showcase, put one home just ten seconds into the third, which momentarily gave Cheyenne the lead. Cole Dodson and Fredrik Svantesson scored back-to-back goals for New Mexico just minutes later however, to give the Renegades the lead.

While on the power play, Bobby Watson, freshly returned from the North American Hockey League, would tie the game at five and send it into overtime.

Nothing was solved in the five minute overtime period and the two teams went to a five-man shootout.

Renegades goaltender Joey MacConnell, who entered the game halfway thru the second period, stopped all but one Stampede attempt and Michael Pisarevsky and Fredrik Svantesson scored for the Renegades, as they took the shootout win outdoors.

In a penalty filled finale, Cheyenne held a 1-0 lead after the opening period thanks to a goal by Dorren Masters, before New Mexico rang off three-straight to begin the middle period.

Bobby Watson’s short-handed goal sent Cheyenne into the locker room down by just a goal after 40 minutes of play. In the third, Brad McIntosh and Watson each notched power play goals in the to seal the victory and give Cheyenne five out of a possible six points on the weekend.

The Stampede have played the most games of any team in the entire league and have only three left before the post-season, which they are assured of for the first time in team history.

Their new additions, combined with the play of their veterans have helped them solidify their place in the standings, as it look like they’ll have a date with the Boulder Bison in the opening round of the playoffs.

New Mexico on the other hand, is more than likely going to finish fourth in the Mid-West Division, which would mean a first round meeting with either the Dallas Ice Jets or El Paso Rhinos, two teams they are a combined 3-9-0 against.

El Paso Rhinos (29-7-1, 1^st in Mid-West Division) @ Phoenix Knights (10-29-1, 6^th in Mountain Division)

The El Paso Rhinos are again at the top of the heap in the Mid-West Division, as many expected they would be. Head Coach/ General Manager Cory Herman has made a few moves and has his club playing the kind of hockey fans are used to seeing out of them.

The Phoenix Knights continue to struggle in their first season in the league, as the perennial power Phoenix Polar Bears are no longer.

The Rhinos rolled into town and torched the Knights in the opening game by a score of 14-2.

The Knights actually got on the board first in that game, as Jarrod Levos, who’s been one of the few bright spots for Phoenix all season, put home his 19^th goal of the season 3:49 into regulation.

From that point on however, it was all Rhinos, as 14 of the 18 skaters in their lineup enjoyed multi-point games, with forwards John Morales and Matthew Pietrzykowski each notching hat tricks.

Game two was more of the same, as Phoenix skated with only 14 players, as they’ve been forced to do numerous times this season and dropped the game 10-1.

This time, only six skaters had multiple points, led by three goals and an assist by Matthew Tritsch.

In the finale, Phoenix scored the first and last goals of the game, the bad part was, El Paso scored seven in between the two.

Tomas Stastny, another new addition, scored twice to lead the Rhinos to the easy sweep, their seventh of the season.

The Rhinos continue to win games in the new year, as they are now 11-0-1 in 2012.

The Knights’ struggles continue, as Phoenix has now lost eight in a row dating back to the showcase in Las Vegas.

Valencia Flyers (17-17-5, 4^th in Western Division) @ Idaho Jr. Steelheads (34-2-2, 1^st in Mountain Division)

The Valencia Flyers made the long 22-hour bus ride north over the weekend to spend three days in beautiful McCall, Idaho.

In 12 previous matchups with their former divisional foes, the Flyers were just 0-11-1, so the odds were stacked up against them going in.

Idaho, meanwhile, has been doing what they do since entering the league; win hockey games.

The opening game was the closet of the series, as the Flyers hopped off the bus and played a tough game and came back late but it wasn’t enough, as they lost 4-3.

The Parle brothers each notched a goal for Idaho, while Ben Hanus and Tyler Kruenegel each added one of their own in the victory.

Game two got a little out of hand in the second period, as a few players got into fisticuffs, adding to the penalty minute total of 154 for the game.

Idaho hit the Flyers where it counted however, on the scoreboard, as they ran away with a 5-0 win, led by Austin Parle’s two goals and two assists.

Things calmed down in the finale but the score didn’t change much, as Idaho took the sweep behind a 7-3 victory.

The Flyers were able to hang tight early but as it has been for many teams in the league, Idaho’s offense was just too much.

The Jr. Steelheads have absolutely cemented the top spot in the Mountain Division and will get home ice advantage throughout the divisional round.

The Flyers’ momentum from their previous series victory over Boulder was crushed, as they fall to fourth in the Western Division, one point back of Arizona and 11 back of San Diego.

Dallas Snipers (5-34-0, 5^th in Mid-West Division) @ Park City Moose (5-31-3, 5^th in Mountain Division)

The cellar-dwellers in both the Mid-West and Mountain Division met in Park City over the weekend and even though they’re both well out of the playoff race, the series was a good one.

With the teams tied at two after two periods of play, each offense was shut down through the third period and overtime, as they went into a shootout.

Garrett Allen and Arnie Osuna each scored for Dallas, while goaltender Michael Mealey turned away all five shooters he faced, as the Snipers picked up their first win of the new year.

The next evening, Park City’s offense exploded for a season-high 12 goals, as they ran away with the 12-1 victory.

Brian Barnes picked up four goals in the win, while Tyler McConnell and Anthony Mancini each picked up three assists.

Things settled down in the final game of the series, as Dallas picked up another shootout victory, with Allen and Osuna scoring again, as the Snipers picked up the 2-1 win and their first series victory in franchise history.

Again, neither team is going to sneak into the post season but they continue to play hard and build toward next season.

With good management teams behind each squad, don’t be surprised to see both teams moving up next year.

Boulder Bison (27-8-2, 2^nd in Mountain Division) @ Ogden Mustangs (11-25-3, 4^th in Mountain Division)

The first divisional clash of the weekend saw two teams coming off of very different weekends, January 27-29.

Boulder finished up a six game California trip by losing two of three in Valencia to the Flyers and will now be hard-pressed to catch Idaho for the top spot.

Ogden meanwhile, finished up their first sweep of the season, taking down the Dallas Snipers the weekend before.

Their fortunes switched last weekend however.

Ogden got the jump in game one and led 3-1 early in the first period, until the Boulder offense awoke.

From that point on, Boulder out-scored the home team 11-2 and took the 12-5 victory.

The league’s leading scorer, Chris Guidotti led the way with a goal and five assists, while Will Neff and Taylor Porrier each picked up four points.

With game two tied after two periods of play, the Bison offense turned it up in the third en-route to a 6-3 win.

Guidotti again led the charge with two goals and two assists, while linemate Ryan Gauthier picked up three assists of his own.

In the finale, the Mustangs proved they can hang with one of their division’s best teams and actually led heading into the third period.

Again however, Boulder saved the best for last and escaped with the 6-3 win, behind five third period goals.

Guess Who? Chris Guidotti again picked up four points; good for 14 on the weekend, as Boulder kept pace with Idaho but is still a ways out of first place.

Ogden continues to play strong hockey and will make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history but needs to figure out how to put games away late.

Arizona Redhawks (18-15-4, 3^rd in Western Division) @ San Diego Gulls (23-11-4, 2^nd in Western Division)

The Arizona Redhawks made the short trip south to take on the San Diego Gulls in a Western Division collision over the weekend.

The third-year Redhawks look as if they will make the post season for the first time in franchise history, as Arizona has finally surpassed Phoenix as the top dog in the desert.

The San Diego Gulls are enjoying much success in their first season under Head Coach Craig Carlyle, as they are second to only Fresno, have locked up yet another playoff berth and likely home series in the opening round.

In the first game, San Diego scored three times in the first and three times in the second and ran away with the 6-0 win.

Leading scorer Arseny Stoyakin picked up two goals and two assists, while Zen Hamil and Tomas Busek each picked up two points.

The Redhawks offense struggled again in the second game and failed to get on the board for the second night in a row, as the Gulls scored a goal in each period and took the win, 3-0.

Backup goaltender Reed Kinsey took the win in net, stopping all 25 shots he faced for his first shutout of the season.

In the finale, the Gulls held a 4-2 lead nearly halfway thru the third period but Arizona fought back and behind goals by Mitchell Lyons and Chance Taylor, pushed the contest into overtime.

After overtime solved nothing, the two teams went to the shootout, where Arizona had their normal starting goaltender Andrew Barletta matched up against San Diego’s third goaltender, Sean Donohew.

Barletta stopped all four shooters he faced, after Sean Stahlnecker scored in the first round for Arizona and Ryan Brown clinched it by beating Donohew in the fifth.

The two points on the weekend may not seem like a lot but the win is huge for the Redhawks, who jump a point ahead of Valencia into third place, which would mean an opening round trip back to San Diego, a team they now know they can beat. Finishing fourth earns you a trip to Fresno to take on the league-leading Monsters, not the easiest of tasks.

San Diego picks up five out of a possible six points and keeps plugging along, alone in second, with no chance of moving up and little of moving down.

THREE STARS OF THE WEEK

1. 1. Chris Guidotti-Forward (Boulder Bison)- The second-year forward continues to tear apart the WSHL and picked up an astounding 14 points in three games over the weekend against Ogden. The Fort Collins, Colorado native leads the league with 77 points in just 36 games played and puts up points while making everyone else around him better.
2. 2. Kevin Filthaut-Forward (Texas Brahmas)- The Brahmas picked up six big points against Long Beach and Kevin Filthaut was a huge reason for that. The second-year forward plays on a line with veterans Conor Tamai and Quade Hamlin, which combined for 21 points over the weekend, with Filthaut picking up 10 and moving up to fourth overall in league scoring.
3. 3. Terry Portra-Defenseman (Texas Brahmas)- As many know, winning isn’t all about offense but don’t tell that to defenseman Terry Portra. The assistant captain picked up five goals in three games over the weekend and now leads all WSHL defenseman in scoring with 38 points in 33 games, while also playing against the oppositions top lines on a regular basis.

The playoff race continues next week with the following matchups:

-          The New Mexico Renegades look to get back on the winning path with a three gamer in Dallas against the Snipers

-          The battle for the Grand Canyon State concludes, as Phoenix and Arizona meet for their final three games of the season with one another

-          The league-leading Monsters are back in action with a short trip down to Long Beach

-          The Idaho Jr. Steelheads host the Boulder Bison in a clash between the Mountain Division’s top two teams

-          The El Paso Rhinos travel to Fort Worth to take on the up-start Brahmas

-          Ogden and Park City battle in the state of Utah with a short two-gamer

-          Valencia and San Diego continue their rivalry with a home-at-home series

OGDEN, UT – The tragic events of Jan. 4th 2012 have been forever seared into the hearts and minds of the Ogden Community. On that day, six officers, all part of the Weber-Morgan Narcotics Strike Force, were involved in a fatal shootout while serving a search warrant.

Five of the officers were wounded but were able to escape with their lives. However, the sixth, Officer Jared Francom, paid the ultimate sacrifice as he was fatally wounded by the gunman.

In response to this tragedy, the Ogden Mustangs, their sponsors and the community rallied together.  On Friday, Jan. 27th the Mustangs hosted a fundraiser, using their game against the Dallas Snipers as the platform.

Committing 100% of all ticket proceeds and hosting a silent auction that included commemorative game worn jersey’s, the Mustangs were able to pack more than 1,000 fans into The Weber County Ice Sheet.

“There was enormous fan support for this game.” said Mustangs Head Coach Joe Pfleegor.  “I am so proud of our team, organization and community.”

Among the more than 1,000 fans in attendance where family members of all the officers involved in the shooting, including Officer Francom’s younger brother Gunner, who honored the Mustangs by dropping the puck for the opening face-off.

Also in attendance, was Salt Lake City native and right winger for the Los Angeles Kings, Trevor Lewis. Lewis, who was in Utah visiting relatives while on All-Star break, lend his support by donating an autographed stick for The Mustangs silent auction, as well as presented a Mustangs Weber-Morgan Narcotics Strike Force commemorative jersey to the task force commander, Darin Parke.

“Ogden is a wonderful community.” Said Mustangs Owner Lori Miller. “We are so blessed to have our team there and we are honored to be given the opportunity to show our support in these trying times.”

Flight A – #1 vs #4
Flight B – #2 v #3
Home Ice #1 & #2
Best of # Games

March 16-18 : Divisional Championship

Winners of Semi Final at Home ice based on best record going into Playoffs

March 29-April 1: League Championship

Winners of Divisional Championships plus Host Host El Paso Rhinos, event held in El Paso Texas, Round Robin, top 2 finishers play for Championship

Rio Rancho, NM – The New Mexico Renegades are pleased to announce that they will be taking part in the first-ever Western StatesHockey League outdoor game on February 4th, 2012 in Los Alamos,NM. The 2012 Renegade Fusion Series will feature the New MexicoRenegades taking on the Cheyenne Stampede in the second game of their three game series on the outdoor rink in Los Alamos, NM.  Coach Gershon had this to say about the venue, “Playing outside will take our players back to their childhood when they would just grab skates and a puck and play for hours. We hope that many people will come out to watch and that we can make this into an annual game.”  Gershon also commented that the Los Alamos Youth HockeyLeague and the City of Los Alamos have been extremely helpful in getting this game set up. “We hope this game turns out to be as good as other outdoors games have been.” Following the game, the Renegades will host a skate with the team for all attendees. The game will start at 5:30 PM and tickets can be purchased at the doorfor a general admission price of $3 each.

A collection of stories and recaps from this year’s WSHL Shootout Showcase:

Spartans’ Shootout Report – Junior Hockey News (12/16/11)

WSHL Showcase Continues With All 18 Teams In Action Sunday (12/17/11)

Close Games Highlight Third Day of Competition in Vegas (12/18/11)

Three Teams Head Into Final Day of Showcase with 3-0-0 Record (12/19/2011)