The Mesquite Colts lost to Arlington Wild 4-1 in a contest that proved one thing: it's hard to score goals when you don't shoot the puck. In fact, if the scorekeeper's count was correct, the Colts got off just 8 shots in three periods to Arlington Wild's 38 shots.
It didn't start out that way, however, as Mesquite's #27 Dalton Watkins got the Colts get off to a strong start, putting the ponies first on the board with a goal four minutes into the contest. Cody Hanson got the assist by firing a sweet pass center that Watkins caught just perfect before ripping it into the net.
Coach Hall had his hands full during the early minutes trying to formulate new lines, as the Colts were missing three players. That left the team short-handed and a little shaken confidence-wise, as they tried their best to bond with linesmen they normally don't play with. A turnover late in the first led to a score for the Wild as Payton Baldillez passed it up to #25 James Haddock who hit the net. Another goal at the buzzer by Arlington's John Zimmerman put the Wild up at the end of the first by a score of 2-1.
Colts goalie, senior Paul Hinojo once again was sharp as a tack in net during the first period, deflecting 15 of 17 shots sent his way. By comparison, the Colts got off just 5 shots, and with a short bench, they were already starting to tire after the first 12 minutes.
During the second period, the Colts had their first power play opportunity when the Wild's Michael Chamadias got called for hooking just 38 seconds into play. Unfortunately the Colts failed to generate any heat on the power play and Arlington killed it to return to full strength.
Some good defense by the Colts' Dylan Nessman, Austin Ivy, and Justin Ivy was aided by Captain Ethan Fox who joined them at D, but the Wild kept firing at the net,and Arlington's Derek Kaufman finally slipped one past Paulie seven minutes in. A few minutes later the Colts gave Arlington their only power play opportunity of the game when Adrian Newbern was called for tripping. The best penalty killer on the ice was the Colts goalie, as Paul stopped four shots in two minutes, denying Arlington a power play goal.
Back at full strength the Colts failed to get it cooking and barely got off any shots. Our boys found themselves chasing a very good Arlington team, that handled the puck well, passed with proficiency, and looked like a team that had been together a long time. Once again Arlington out shot the colts 9-2 in the second period, and by this time, our boys were really feeling the burn of their short-handed bench.
The third period started off with a Colts power play opportunity just 17 seconds into the period as Arlington's Lance Weihmuller got tagged for elbowing to spend two minutes in the box. But once again the Colts couldn't generate the plays to score on the advantage. Then the Colts were robbed of one other power play opportunity as the refs totally missed the fact that the Wild had too many men on the ice.
Derek Kaufman scored his second goal of the game 8 minutes in to put Arlington up 4-1after a turnover had the obviously exhausted Colts chasing the puck around their own end.
Despite being crippled by a short roster, unfamiliar lines, and on-ice injuries during the game to veterans Coby Benson and Dylan Nessman, the Colts played hard. Sadly, too much hesitancy in shooting meant too little opportunity to score. But the Colts did do their best given all the things working against them, and their families and friends are still proud of how they battled through the adversity.
The Colts player of the game is #27 Dalton Watkins for scoring the solo goal for the team.
The team will be back to full strength, we hope, for a game on Sunday, Nov. 1, when the Colts face a rematch against McKinney. The game will be at 5:30 in McKinney at the Dr. Pepper Star Center.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Colts Win in Great Game Against Unbeaten Frisco
The Mesquite Colts handed Frisco their first loss of the season in an overtime 2-1 win that was definitely the most exciting game of the season thus far.
Cody Hanson gets credit for the game winner with a shoot-out goal that snuck the puck by Frisco goalie Justin Ball. Ethan Fox also scored in the shoot-out.
Regulation play ended after three periods with a score of 1-1, but don't let the low score fool you. This game was fast paced and evenly matched from the very first puck drop, as both the Frisco and Mesquite teams showed strong defense and Mesquite goalie Paul Hinojo was practically perfect, stopping 25 shots on goal and letting just one get by.
During the first period, Mesquite found itself with just one power play opportunity against a team that in just two previous games had racked up 18 penalties. Frisco killed the penalty without concern before Assistant Captain Justin Ivy had to take a seat for ten minutes midway through the period for letting his mouthpiece dangle in his cage. (Note to team: your teeth are beautiful -- let's keep them that way!)
The first period saw the Colts a little slow on the shoot, with few scoring chances and not enough shots aimed at the net, but the pace of play was fast, passes looked good, and the defense kept Frisco from camping out in front of the net.
The second period was also scoreless, with Frisco managing to keep everyone out of the box for a full period. The Colts played a physical second period, with junior Coby Benson throwing his body on the ice to save a shot, and both the Colts offense and defense keeping the Frisco team tied up enough to thwart their best efforts at hitting the net.
Once again the youngest members of the team showed they know how to get in there and play, as both Cody Richardson and Matthew Jenkin saw more playing time during this game. Jenkin caught some great passes from his linesmen, sweeping in at left wing at high speed before being pushed out of range by the Frisco defense. Richardson stopped some forward motion by Frisco on more than one occasion, bashing into some big Frisco boys without hesitation. 9th grader Austin Ivy also played well, hanging at the point and keeping the puck in Colts territory to give his team mates chances that were stopped dead by goalie Ball.
The third period started off with a face off win by the Colts that put the puck in range. Good passing among the Colts opened up a few scoring opportunities that were blocked by the bodies of Frisco D camped in front of the net. Just 49 seconds into the third Assistant Captain Tanner Holubar got two minutes in the box for a shove deemed as slashing, but the Colts killed the penalty with puck control and smart play.
Third period hits intensified just as the speed of play started to slow. Frisco's Pierce Petry got called for tripping, and Nick Adams got two minutes for a shot saving hook. With Adams in the box and both teams starting to run out of steam, Frisco's Geoffrey Giacoman took a sweet pass from Austin Cox to score a powerplay goal with just over two minutes to go.
With the Colts at full strength, Mesquite went gunning for the goal,and with just over three minutes to play, Frisco's Austin Cox tripped a Colts forward to land in the box and give the Colts one last chance at a power play. With Colts forwards front and center waiting for a pass, senior Justin Ivy took advantage of the pushing and shoving going on in front of the net and shot a beautiful slapshot from the center of the blue line, through traffic right past the goalie's head to tie the game at 1-1.
Tension mounted and the crowd got loud as the five minute overtime began. Both teams seemed to have found new energy and a willingness to battle til the end, and even with the Frisco team short a man for throwing an elbow, overtime ended still tied.
That's when Colts goalie Paul Hinojo really shined, as he confidently faced Frisco's Jake Martinez, denying him a goal. Captain Ethan Fox then lobbed a beauty behind goalie Ball, moving the Mesquite crowd to a near frenzy. Next Hinojo easily stopped a shot by Frisco's Preston Ware, leaving Frisco with only one other chance to the Colts two. Nick Adams took a shot for the Colts that didn't quite do what he intended, before Frisco's Cox snuck one past Paulie.
With virtually every fan on both sides of the ice on their feet for what we hoped would be the last shot of the game, Mesquite's Cody Hanson took off from center ice, deked to the right, and slung one in to win the game for the Colts. There was a slight delay while everyone counted "1...2...3," and then the Colts bench cleared, with our very happy boys pouncing on Hanson and Hinojo in celebration of their win.
Coaches Hall, Hanson, and Richardson can be very proud of their boys and their very effective and consistent coaching strategy. The Colts never let up for more than 41 minutes of play, and both Colts players and fans were understandably ecstatic about their win.
The Colts face Arlington Martin in Euless at the Dr. Pepper Star Center at 4:15 on Sunday, Oct. 25. See you at the rink!
Cody Hanson gets credit for the game winner with a shoot-out goal that snuck the puck by Frisco goalie Justin Ball. Ethan Fox also scored in the shoot-out.
Regulation play ended after three periods with a score of 1-1, but don't let the low score fool you. This game was fast paced and evenly matched from the very first puck drop, as both the Frisco and Mesquite teams showed strong defense and Mesquite goalie Paul Hinojo was practically perfect, stopping 25 shots on goal and letting just one get by.
During the first period, Mesquite found itself with just one power play opportunity against a team that in just two previous games had racked up 18 penalties. Frisco killed the penalty without concern before Assistant Captain Justin Ivy had to take a seat for ten minutes midway through the period for letting his mouthpiece dangle in his cage. (Note to team: your teeth are beautiful -- let's keep them that way!)
The first period saw the Colts a little slow on the shoot, with few scoring chances and not enough shots aimed at the net, but the pace of play was fast, passes looked good, and the defense kept Frisco from camping out in front of the net.
The second period was also scoreless, with Frisco managing to keep everyone out of the box for a full period. The Colts played a physical second period, with junior Coby Benson throwing his body on the ice to save a shot, and both the Colts offense and defense keeping the Frisco team tied up enough to thwart their best efforts at hitting the net.
Once again the youngest members of the team showed they know how to get in there and play, as both Cody Richardson and Matthew Jenkin saw more playing time during this game. Jenkin caught some great passes from his linesmen, sweeping in at left wing at high speed before being pushed out of range by the Frisco defense. Richardson stopped some forward motion by Frisco on more than one occasion, bashing into some big Frisco boys without hesitation. 9th grader Austin Ivy also played well, hanging at the point and keeping the puck in Colts territory to give his team mates chances that were stopped dead by goalie Ball.
The third period started off with a face off win by the Colts that put the puck in range. Good passing among the Colts opened up a few scoring opportunities that were blocked by the bodies of Frisco D camped in front of the net. Just 49 seconds into the third Assistant Captain Tanner Holubar got two minutes in the box for a shove deemed as slashing, but the Colts killed the penalty with puck control and smart play.
Third period hits intensified just as the speed of play started to slow. Frisco's Pierce Petry got called for tripping, and Nick Adams got two minutes for a shot saving hook. With Adams in the box and both teams starting to run out of steam, Frisco's Geoffrey Giacoman took a sweet pass from Austin Cox to score a powerplay goal with just over two minutes to go.
With the Colts at full strength, Mesquite went gunning for the goal,and with just over three minutes to play, Frisco's Austin Cox tripped a Colts forward to land in the box and give the Colts one last chance at a power play. With Colts forwards front and center waiting for a pass, senior Justin Ivy took advantage of the pushing and shoving going on in front of the net and shot a beautiful slapshot from the center of the blue line, through traffic right past the goalie's head to tie the game at 1-1.
Tension mounted and the crowd got loud as the five minute overtime began. Both teams seemed to have found new energy and a willingness to battle til the end, and even with the Frisco team short a man for throwing an elbow, overtime ended still tied.
That's when Colts goalie Paul Hinojo really shined, as he confidently faced Frisco's Jake Martinez, denying him a goal. Captain Ethan Fox then lobbed a beauty behind goalie Ball, moving the Mesquite crowd to a near frenzy. Next Hinojo easily stopped a shot by Frisco's Preston Ware, leaving Frisco with only one other chance to the Colts two. Nick Adams took a shot for the Colts that didn't quite do what he intended, before Frisco's Cox snuck one past Paulie.
With virtually every fan on both sides of the ice on their feet for what we hoped would be the last shot of the game, Mesquite's Cody Hanson took off from center ice, deked to the right, and slung one in to win the game for the Colts. There was a slight delay while everyone counted "1...2...3," and then the Colts bench cleared, with our very happy boys pouncing on Hanson and Hinojo in celebration of their win.
Coaches Hall, Hanson, and Richardson can be very proud of their boys and their very effective and consistent coaching strategy. The Colts never let up for more than 41 minutes of play, and both Colts players and fans were understandably ecstatic about their win.
The Colts face Arlington Martin in Euless at the Dr. Pepper Star Center at 4:15 on Sunday, Oct. 25. See you at the rink!
Friday, October 16, 2009
Colts to Face Frisco Sunday
Although far too early in the season for any sort of prediction, the Mesquite Colts proved last week that they can compete in this league.
After a tough defeat last week by McKinney, the Colts will have to be on their game for three full periods when they face Frisco this Sunday at 6:30 in Farmers Branch. Frisco is 2-0 after beating both McKinney and Allen.
What seems to be clear from a review of the box scores on last Sunday's Frisco defeat over Allen is this team plays a great defensive game and has one heck of a good goalie. Last week Allen attacked Frisco goalie Cameron Boudreau with 42 shots on goal, and Boudreau stopped all but two.
On the other side of the ice, Frisco took only 20 shots on Allen goalie Noah Wardlow, but they made them count, getting three in net to win the game.
Stats on Frisco don't show any one dominant player, but instead a good all-around team. Last week against Allen three different players scored: #28 Kyle Flowers, #64 Chris Thomas, and #3 Geoffrey Giacoman, who is credited with the game winning goal.
Looking back on Frisco's contest against McKinney, the team scored five goals, all by different players. Other goal scorers for Frisco include #21 Michael Ely, #53 Austin Cox, #98 Pierce Petry, and #32 Rick Acosta, who scored two, including the game winner two weeks ago.
Moral of this story: the team looks good on paper, but when looking at Mesquite, our boys look darn good too.
Thus far in the season, Mesquite has put points on the board with goals by #19 Tanner Holubar, #21 Coby Benson (2), #6 Ethan Fox (2), #5 Defenseman Justin Ivy,#9 Cody Hanson, and #8 Brian Hall.
The game this Sunday will mostly likely be another physical contest, and the Colts may get a chance to use their Power Play game against this Frisco team, which racked up 11 penalties in its first game with McKinney and another seven last week against Allen.
Roughing seemed to be the penalty of choice for Frisco last week, as Frisco's #28 Kyle Flowers got called twice to spend four minutes in the box for roughing, while #64 Chris Thomas and #27 Taylor Carlat did their two minutes time for roughing, as well.
If the Frisco team is analyzing the Colts, they may feel like they have an easy game ahead, as the Colts' 6-3 loss to McKinney belies how well the team actually played.
The Colts do anticipate having senior goalie Paul Hinojo back in net this week, after missing last week's McKinney game due to the flu. 8th grade goalie John Seitzler did an awesome job for the Colts last week, and if needed, he'll be there for the Colts again this week.
Coach Hall might possibly be switching up the lines a bit once again, possibly making a change between Nick Adams, who has been playing defense, and Tanner Holubar who has been playing center. Adams and Holubar, who each play both offense and defense, approached the coach about the strategy after the loss to McKinney, believing that the front lines would benefit from Adams' speed and that Holubar's size might be valuable in keeping Frisco out of scoring position near the net.
Team Captain Ethan Fox, who doesn't like to lose, says the Colts will be looking for a "W" this week. He hopes for a strong practice on decent ice tomorrow with the full squad. Last week several seniors missed practice to sit for college entrance exams, and the team was forced to practice in Addison on lousy ice that wreaked havoc on just about everyone's skates.
Excuses aside, a good practice Saturday, the return of all seniors to the ice, and a healthy Hinojo should prepare the team for a strong game and a win against the Frisco team. Go Colts!
After a tough defeat last week by McKinney, the Colts will have to be on their game for three full periods when they face Frisco this Sunday at 6:30 in Farmers Branch. Frisco is 2-0 after beating both McKinney and Allen.
What seems to be clear from a review of the box scores on last Sunday's Frisco defeat over Allen is this team plays a great defensive game and has one heck of a good goalie. Last week Allen attacked Frisco goalie Cameron Boudreau with 42 shots on goal, and Boudreau stopped all but two.
On the other side of the ice, Frisco took only 20 shots on Allen goalie Noah Wardlow, but they made them count, getting three in net to win the game.
Stats on Frisco don't show any one dominant player, but instead a good all-around team. Last week against Allen three different players scored: #28 Kyle Flowers, #64 Chris Thomas, and #3 Geoffrey Giacoman, who is credited with the game winning goal.
Looking back on Frisco's contest against McKinney, the team scored five goals, all by different players. Other goal scorers for Frisco include #21 Michael Ely, #53 Austin Cox, #98 Pierce Petry, and #32 Rick Acosta, who scored two, including the game winner two weeks ago.
Moral of this story: the team looks good on paper, but when looking at Mesquite, our boys look darn good too.
Thus far in the season, Mesquite has put points on the board with goals by #19 Tanner Holubar, #21 Coby Benson (2), #6 Ethan Fox (2), #5 Defenseman Justin Ivy,#9 Cody Hanson, and #8 Brian Hall.
The game this Sunday will mostly likely be another physical contest, and the Colts may get a chance to use their Power Play game against this Frisco team, which racked up 11 penalties in its first game with McKinney and another seven last week against Allen.
Roughing seemed to be the penalty of choice for Frisco last week, as Frisco's #28 Kyle Flowers got called twice to spend four minutes in the box for roughing, while #64 Chris Thomas and #27 Taylor Carlat did their two minutes time for roughing, as well.
If the Frisco team is analyzing the Colts, they may feel like they have an easy game ahead, as the Colts' 6-3 loss to McKinney belies how well the team actually played.
The Colts do anticipate having senior goalie Paul Hinojo back in net this week, after missing last week's McKinney game due to the flu. 8th grade goalie John Seitzler did an awesome job for the Colts last week, and if needed, he'll be there for the Colts again this week.
Coach Hall might possibly be switching up the lines a bit once again, possibly making a change between Nick Adams, who has been playing defense, and Tanner Holubar who has been playing center. Adams and Holubar, who each play both offense and defense, approached the coach about the strategy after the loss to McKinney, believing that the front lines would benefit from Adams' speed and that Holubar's size might be valuable in keeping Frisco out of scoring position near the net.
Team Captain Ethan Fox, who doesn't like to lose, says the Colts will be looking for a "W" this week. He hopes for a strong practice on decent ice tomorrow with the full squad. Last week several seniors missed practice to sit for college entrance exams, and the team was forced to practice in Addison on lousy ice that wreaked havoc on just about everyone's skates.
Excuses aside, a good practice Saturday, the return of all seniors to the ice, and a healthy Hinojo should prepare the team for a strong game and a win against the Frisco team. Go Colts!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Colts Fall to McKniney
The Colts lost their first game on the road with a 6-3 fall to McKinney on Sunday, Oct. 11.
With a final score of 6-3, it may sound as though the Colts were out-matched, but in reality, the team hung tough for two and a half periods, and with just seven minutes to go and a three to three tie, the McKinney team outshot and outscored the Colts.
"We hung tough and the boys all played well together. This was a fast team and we stayed with them most of the game," Coach Dennis Hall said after the game.
The McKinney loss stops the new coach's winning streak, which had stood at 4-0 including the pre-season tournament sweep.
"We really beat ourselves tonight. We can beat this team next time," Coach Hall said.
Team captain Ethan Fox showed his leadership on the ice with one goal and two assists. Fox played a physical contest, as well, taking McKinney out of play on numerous occasions with solid checks and a couple tangles that landed him in the penalty box.
McKinney started off strong and never let up. Two early goals put them up 2-0, before Cody Hanson took a pass from Fox to end the first at 2-1. The Colts came back to the ice for the second determined to catch up, and catch they did, as Fox took a pass from Adrian Newbern to tie the score at two less than two minutes into the second.
McKinney answered back during a miscue on line change by the Colts that left the D in a 5 on 2 situation and opened up a perfect scoring opportunity for the McKinney team. That goal by McKinney's Mason Smith put that team up 3-2, but the Colts were un-phased, coming back with a battle near the McKinney goal that had Fox fending off at least three McKinney Players before centering a pass that Brian Hall shot with a perfect wrister, tying the game again at 3-3.
The Colts rookie goalie, 8th grader John Wayne Seitzler, had a stellar performance in net, including some phenomenal grabs that were hard flung by McKinney's offense. Early in the third, however, he was rattled a bit by a puck that tipped off his own shoulder to land in net and put the McKinney team up 4-3. That goal seemed to renew the McKinney team, which went on to score two more unanswered goals to end the game at 6-3.
"I think we learned tonight that every game is going to be played hard until the end and we can never let up. McKinney wanted this win and they fought hard until the end. We had some trouble on line change and a few times our defense underestimated the speed of this team and played too far up for our own protection, but we learned something here," Coach Hall said.
The Colts will be back on the ice Sunday, Oct. 18 with a 6:30 game against Frisco in Farmer's Branch.
With a final score of 6-3, it may sound as though the Colts were out-matched, but in reality, the team hung tough for two and a half periods, and with just seven minutes to go and a three to three tie, the McKinney team outshot and outscored the Colts.
"We hung tough and the boys all played well together. This was a fast team and we stayed with them most of the game," Coach Dennis Hall said after the game.
The McKinney loss stops the new coach's winning streak, which had stood at 4-0 including the pre-season tournament sweep.
"We really beat ourselves tonight. We can beat this team next time," Coach Hall said.
Team captain Ethan Fox showed his leadership on the ice with one goal and two assists. Fox played a physical contest, as well, taking McKinney out of play on numerous occasions with solid checks and a couple tangles that landed him in the penalty box.
McKinney started off strong and never let up. Two early goals put them up 2-0, before Cody Hanson took a pass from Fox to end the first at 2-1. The Colts came back to the ice for the second determined to catch up, and catch they did, as Fox took a pass from Adrian Newbern to tie the score at two less than two minutes into the second.
McKinney answered back during a miscue on line change by the Colts that left the D in a 5 on 2 situation and opened up a perfect scoring opportunity for the McKinney team. That goal by McKinney's Mason Smith put that team up 3-2, but the Colts were un-phased, coming back with a battle near the McKinney goal that had Fox fending off at least three McKinney Players before centering a pass that Brian Hall shot with a perfect wrister, tying the game again at 3-3.
The Colts rookie goalie, 8th grader John Wayne Seitzler, had a stellar performance in net, including some phenomenal grabs that were hard flung by McKinney's offense. Early in the third, however, he was rattled a bit by a puck that tipped off his own shoulder to land in net and put the McKinney team up 4-3. That goal seemed to renew the McKinney team, which went on to score two more unanswered goals to end the game at 6-3.
"I think we learned tonight that every game is going to be played hard until the end and we can never let up. McKinney wanted this win and they fought hard until the end. We had some trouble on line change and a few times our defense underestimated the speed of this team and played too far up for our own protection, but we learned something here," Coach Hall said.
The Colts will be back on the ice Sunday, Oct. 18 with a 6:30 game against Frisco in Farmer's Branch.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Colts to Face McKinney Oct. 11
The Mesquite Colts will take on McKinney on Sunday, Oct. 11 at 7:15 at the new Dr. Pepper Star Center in McKinney, Texas.
The Colts plan to break in the new ice with a win over the McKinney team, which lost to Frisco 5-3 last week. The Colts will have their eyes on McKinney's #68 Ty Holt, who scored two of the three goals McKinney made, as well as # 25 Jorden Runeberg, who fueled both Holt goals and came up with two assists in the same game. The only other goal made by McKinney in its first game was an unassisted shot my #17 Mark Means.
Judging from the laundry list of penalties incurred by both McKinney and Frisco in their game last week, this is sure to be a very physical contest. McKinney's #7 Nick Harty leads his team in penalty minutes with 14, although that includes a ten minute unsportsman like conduct penalty apparently at the ending buzzer of the game. From their first game it looks as though this team is full of guys who like it physical and maybe a little dirty -- hooking, tripping, interference, roughing, cross checking -- either that or the officials were a bit whistle happy last week. I counted 21 penalties during the game: 10 against McKinney. That's a lot.
The Colts will need to play their usual clean style of skill-based hockey, but the hockey moms in the stands probably need to be prepared to see a little bit of rough stuff out on the ice. Let's hope the Colts can focus on scoring goals and let's also hope the coaches from McKinney have told their boys to try to do the same.
Go Colts! Let's win in McKinney!
The Colts plan to break in the new ice with a win over the McKinney team, which lost to Frisco 5-3 last week. The Colts will have their eyes on McKinney's #68 Ty Holt, who scored two of the three goals McKinney made, as well as # 25 Jorden Runeberg, who fueled both Holt goals and came up with two assists in the same game. The only other goal made by McKinney in its first game was an unassisted shot my #17 Mark Means.
Judging from the laundry list of penalties incurred by both McKinney and Frisco in their game last week, this is sure to be a very physical contest. McKinney's #7 Nick Harty leads his team in penalty minutes with 14, although that includes a ten minute unsportsman like conduct penalty apparently at the ending buzzer of the game. From their first game it looks as though this team is full of guys who like it physical and maybe a little dirty -- hooking, tripping, interference, roughing, cross checking -- either that or the officials were a bit whistle happy last week. I counted 21 penalties during the game: 10 against McKinney. That's a lot.
The Colts will need to play their usual clean style of skill-based hockey, but the hockey moms in the stands probably need to be prepared to see a little bit of rough stuff out on the ice. Let's hope the Colts can focus on scoring goals and let's also hope the coaches from McKinney have told their boys to try to do the same.
Go Colts! Let's win in McKinney!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Colts Defeat Keller in Opening Game Victory: Paul Hinojo Shines in Net
The Mesquite Colts handily beat a strong Keller team in their game opener on Sunday, Oct. 4 by a score of 4-2. Senior goalie Paul Hinojo (shown at left) delivered 19 saves on 21 shots, looking exceedingly strong in net for the Colts, while junior Coby Benson racked up two goals and one assist to end as league point leader with 3 after the first week of play.
Assistant Captain Tanner Holubar gets credit for the first goal of the season, when he grabbed a rebound off a shot by Benson to put the Colts on the board mid way through the first period. Keller answered back three minutes later with a passing play leading to a goal by Keller's Andrew Hoefer, but the Keller team had already begun a pattern of penalty trouble that would leave them short-handed as they entered the second period.
The Colts entered the second period with renewed energy and speed. Particularly impressive were Matthew Jenkins and Adrian Hall in the aggressive play and willingness to tangle with a physical Keller team. Troubles for Keller continued, as Keller's Kyle Lewis got called for tripping just 18 seconds in and joined his teammate Haydon Hammonds in the box. A few seconds later, assistant captain Justin Ivy schooled the Keller team, taking a pass to the point from Ethan Fox, and firing off a shot that tipped off a Keller defenseman's stick to go top shelf to put the Colts 2-1 with a powerplay goal.
The battle on the ice grew increasingly physical during the second period. Colts Captain Ethan Fox, who found himself tied up by a swarm of Keller cover all night long, got called for roughing as he pushed his way out of the masses, then Keller's Lewis went right back to the box for a second tripping penalty almost immediately upon his return to the ice. Jamal Holland of Keller also got his second penalty of the game during the second period. Despite the battling, Keller got off numerous shots during the period and pressured the goal, but all attempts were denied by a perfectly tuned Hinojo. With less than three minutes in the second, Benson took a well-timed pass from junior Cody Hanson to score and put the ponies up 3-1. A hooking charge on the Colts Nick Adams left the team short-handed as they entered the third period, but the Hanson to Benson pass play worked once again, making it 4-1with short hands 30 seconds into the third.
Keller's Brent Rector answered Benson's second goal quickly with a powerplay goal, bringing it to 4-2, but the Keller team had nothing left. Colts dominated puck control throughout the third, as both goalies had perfect stats over the last 8 minutes of game play. The Colts got off a total of 16 shots on Keller goalie Brian Crawford.
In summary, the Colts played a good, clean, aggressive hockey game. Keller didn't do itself any favors with 12 penalty minutes to the Colts six, and Colts goalie Paul Hinojo was on fire. Rookie Colts players showed what awesome additions they will be to the team. Rookies playing their first game in a Colts jersey included John Wayne Seiztler, Dalton Watkins, Cody Richardson, Matthew Jenkin, Brian Hall and Adrian Hall.
Former Colts hockey coach Marty Winn was on hand to watch the game (you can take Marty out of the Colts, but you can't take the Colts out of Marty), and he commented post-game on his extreme satisfaction at how they played against a tough Keller team. "They looked good. Not only the ones you expect to play well, but all of them," he said, adding how impressed he had been with some of the smaller, younger players on the team.
New Head Coach Dennis Hall racks up his first win and can be proud of how his team performed during their opening game. For complete stats, visit Pointstreak.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Colts Face Keller in Opening Puck Drop
Coach Dennis Hall, team captain Ethan Fox, and the Mesquite Colts high school hockey team will hit the ice for their opening game of the 2009/10 season, when they face Keller at the Dallas Stars Dr. Pepper Star Center in Euless, Sunday, Oct. 4 at 5:30 p.m.
Fox, a senior at Poteet High School, will join with returning seniors Justin Ivy (Horn High), Dylan Nessman (Horn High), Paul Hinojo (Dallas Christian Academy), and Tanner Holubar (Mabank High School) to lead the rest of the Colts roster in their first game as part of the Gold division in the AT&T Metroplex High School Hockey League.
This is Coach Hall's first game for the Colts, after taking over from longtime Coach Marty Winn, who retired after the 2008/09 season.
Coach Hall says his team is ready to start the season and looks forward to the new stiffer competition in the JV Gold class.
“We have a range of talent on this team. Ethan Fox is our captain for a reason. He sets the pace, and that pace is fast. We have a good range of size and speed, but best of all these kids want to win. We also are a team that isn’t afraid of getting physical, and that’s how we’ll have to start and finish every game to win in this division,” Hall says.
The Mesquite Colts will face formidable opponents in the Gold division, including teams from McKinney, Frisco, Allen, Coppell, and Arlington. Games are held on Sundays. The first four games will be today in Euless at 5:30, Sunday, Oct. 11 at 7:15 at McKinney, Sunday, Oct. 18 at 6:30 in Farmers Branch against Frisco, and Sunday, Oct. 25 at 4:15 p.m. in Euless against the Arlington Wild.
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