Odessa Jackalopes (21-19-1-1, 44pts) vs. Lone Star Brahmas (28-10-1-4, 61pts)
at NYTEX Sports Centre in North Richland Hills, TX
Time: Monday 2:00 p.m. CDT
Broadcast: (Away) HockeyTV | Listen Live Here
What You Need to Know:
All-Time Record: 18-64-3-8
Season Series: 2-2
Leading Scorers:
ODA: 39pts, Mansfield (15G, 24A)
LOS: 23pts, Mara (11G, 12A)
Last Month:
Odessa last saw Lone Star a month ago for a 2 p.m. game. The Brahmas would win the game, 2-1. However, since then Lone Star is 3-6-1 and was shutout twice. They also went on a five-game losing streak and were swept by Corpus Christi and Shreveport. Lone Star is coming off a weekend in which they recorded three of four points against the Mudbugs. As for Odessa, they are 6-3-1 since they last saw Lone Star. They picked up sweeps against Shreveport and Corpus Christi. They were only swept once and it was by the top team in the league, Oklahoma Warriors.
Points on the Board:
After their game with Lone Star, Odessa will still have a game in hand on Shreveport (54pts) and two on New Mexico (55pts). A win on Monday would move the Jacks into fifth place and eight points out of a playoff spot. Of their final 18 games, ten are against playoff teams. Lone Star travels to Shreveport this weekend and New Mexico will travel to Oklahoma. If Odessa wins out for the month of February and the Mudbugs and Ice Wolves both lose, then Odessa would be four points out of a playoff spot. They still have four games remaining against New Mexico and two against Shreveport.
Close Calls:
Three of the four meetings this season between Odessa and Lone Star were decided by one goal. The Brahmas are the only team in the NAHL that has yet to lose a one-goal game in regulation (10-0-1-4). The Jackalopes are 8-4-1-1 in one-goal games. Half of the last 16 games for Odessa were separated by one goal. Lone Star is second in the league in goals-against per game at 2.09. The main reason is that they have two of the top-four goalies in the league on their roster. Odessa is ranked 22nd in goals-against per game with 3.21.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Jackalopes (F: #11 – Ryan Mansfield)
The 20-year-old is in his final season of junior hockey and certainly making the most out of it. The Burlington, ON native leads the team in points (39) and is tied for the lead in assists (24). The 5’11”/195lb. left-handed forward was selected captain by his teammates this season. He also has one of the two short-handed goals for Odessa this season. Mansfield ended his rookie season last year fourth on the team in scoring (12G, 20A). He recently played in the NAHL Top Prospects Tournament and put up four assists in two games. Mansfield has two assists in four games against Lone Star this season. Mansfield has recorded a point in 27 of the 42 games he has played this season.
Brahmas (F: #26 – Dhillon Wilde)
The Leominster, MA native is in his final year of junior eligibility. The 20-year-old started his NAHL career last season playing ten games for Corpus Christi (1G, 3A). The 5’11”/185lb. right-handed forward is currently third on the team in points (21) and leads in goals (15). The former #203 overall pick in 2022 by the Brahmas has four goals in his last four games. Wilde had played Odessa twice this season and registered a goal in each game. He is T-3rd in plus/minus (15) and is third in shooting percentage (20%). Wilde also spent the last few seasons in the NCDC playing for a total of 115 games and totaling 63 points (29G, 34A).
Photo credit: Danne Braden
