Collision in the South Division

Jan 28, 2022

NA3HL action returns to the ice this weekend with 38 games to be played before end of business on Monday January 31st. For the second time in two weeks, the Texas Brahmas are set to play four games in four days starting with the 7:05pm puck drop against the second place Texas RoadRunners tonight, Friday January 28th at the NYTEX Sports Centre.

Last week, the South Division-Leading Brahmas seized upon an opportunity to put more points between them and the 2nd Place RoadRunners, who trailed the Brahmas by a mere 2 points. With 17 games remaining in the regular season, the Brahmas points lead has swelled to 10 points. The RoadRunners will have three games at the Shoebox to make an effort to cut that deficit. The fourth game of this home stand is a Monday afternoon matinee against the Louisiana Drillers.

The Brahmas and the RoadRunners enter the weekend in a similar form – both are 6-4-0-0 in their past 10 games and both teams are riding a 4-0-0-0 winning streak, and both teams are tough-tasked to stay ahead of the RED HOT El Paso Rhinos, currently riding a division-leading 8 game winning streak. The NA3HL Fraser Cup Playoffs begin in less than two months, so all games are very important at this point. The top four teams in each of the five divisions will qualify for the playoffs.

The 2022 NA3HL Top Prospects Tournament begins in just over a week and rosters were announced earlier this week. Texas Brahmas receiving Top Prospects honors will compete in the tournament for Team Red.

Brahmas NA3HL Top Prospects 2021-22

#7 Seth Manning – D – Raleigh, NC

#9 Michael Imala – F – Chicago, IL

#18 Erik Vrkoc – F – Mnichovice, CZE

#30 Dolan Gilbert – G – South Bend, IN

 

ROTHSTEIN NAMED BAUER SOUTH STAR OF THE WEEK

Week of January 25, 2022

Texas Brahmas forward Blake Rothestein earned this weekend’s South Division Star of the Week adding 9 goals and 2 assists for 11 points in 4 games. The Massapequa, NY native scored a hat-trick in a 9-1 final over the Louisiana Drillers on Thursday. On the following night, Rothstein lit the lamp four times and added an assist in the Brahmas 6-4 win over the Drillers. Rothstein scored a goal in the Brahmas Saturday overtime defeat of the Drillers, 4-3. In the final showing of the weekend, and in the fourth consecutive game against the Drillers, Rothstein added a goal and an assist in the Bahamas win, 6-1. This season, Blake has played in 7 games and has totalled 13 points (9G, 4A) with a point per game average of 1.86.

2nd Star: Anthony O’Neal, F, Atlanta Capitals

Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Josh Hirp, F, Louisiana RoadRunners – Carson Holliday, F, Atlanta Capitals – Brandon Keeney, G, Louisiana Drillers – Andrew Kungle, F, Texas Brahmas

Aside from the 1st and 2nd place collision in the South Division as the Texas Brahmas host the Texas RoadRunners, there are several close races to keep an eye on. Be sure to follow the scores on NA3HL.com and stream all games live on HockeyTV.com

 

ABOUT THE NA3HL:

The NA3HL is in its 12th season in 2021-22 and serves as one of the top training grounds in the country by providing the best coaching, exposure and developmental vehicles available for student-athletes in Tier III junior hockey.

It is one of only two USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier III junior leagues. No other league of its kind has had more movement and advanced more players onto play in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) than the NA3HL. Thanks to additional and enhanced initiatives in cooperation with the NAHL put in place several years ago, more players from the NA3HL play, practice, and earn NCAA Division I scholarships with the NAHL than any other league.

This past season not only did 35 NA3HL players sign tenders to play in the NAHL for the 2021-22 season, but 21 more players were selected in the 2021 NAHL Draft. The NA3HL also continues to make its mark and is one of the leaders in junior hockey with the advancement of players onto the NCAA.