Mad Dogs

Veteran Nick Mastro put on Injured Reserve

2009-02-02T17:27:00.000-08:00

Mad Dog veteran Nick Mastro was placed on Injured Reserve this week after an incident against the Venom. As we all know Nick doesn't take lip from anyone however one of the Venom players definitely took lip from him (and you should see the other guy). A complaint has formally been filed to the AHA B2 administrator, however, since he happens to be a member of the Venom Fight Club we expect little action to be taken.

In all seriousness, Nicks procedure was believed to be a success. He is looking at being out 6 weeks. That will possibly bring him back in time for the playoffs. Just in time for another meeting with the Venom ; ) if they make it that far. Nick sent along some pics and asked me to publish them on the blog. Enjoy. Send him an email if you get a chance nmastro08@hotmail.com. I'm sure he'd love to hear from you.

Venom Fans Riot After the Venom Beat the Venom

2009-01-27T11:24:00.001-08:00

Thats right. The Venom came out and played a game full of rage. They forgot about the game of hockey and came out looking for an all out brawl. The Mad Dogs being the true gentleman that they are, which is obvious when you realize they are the least penalized team in B2, paid no attention to the out of control Venom and stuck to their game. While the Venom used their stick to take 2:00 minute minors all game the Dogs used theirs to score goals and direct the Venom players to the penalty box.

It was a highly anticipated game by all AHA fans. The Mad Dogs came out strong in the first with Nick Mastro scoring the first goal of the game after a nice set up by line mates Gervais and Johnson. The Dogs slowed down a bit after that and the first period ended with the Dogs up by 1. First period penalty score Dogs 1 - Venom3. Shot: Mad Dogs 12-9

Second period was mostly controlled by the Venom and their strong physical game. The Mad Dogs shied away from the craziness and soon found themselves in a tie game after Venom star forward #77 Tony Cherne scored at 10:40 in the second. It didn't take long for the Dogs to respond. At 5:58 during another power play opportunity Mastro dropped a nice pass back to the blue line for Brian Loehr to fire towards the net for Rousey Johnson to tip into the net and the Mad Dogs regained the lead. It was only a couple minutes later when Tony Cherne from the Venom scored again to tie the game late in the second. Second period ends 2-2. Penalties: Dogs 2 - Venom 3. Shots: Mad Dogs 10-5

The second period was not the best for the Dogs. They were getting sloppy and not winning the battles. Third period was an entirely different game. They Venom lost their minds and went penalty crazy and the Dogs stayed out of the box and started putting the puck in the net. Tim Moeller started the scoring off after a nice set up from Nielsen and Dirk Hanson.

Not even 2 minutes later Johnson scored on a nice set up from defenseman Jeff Snyder. Then at 8:02 during a penalty kill Nielen intercepted another pass and fed defenseman Dirk Hanson who took off down the ice only to be dragged down on the side of the Venom goal. Somehow while being dragged down he managed to get the puck on net and it slid behind the Venom goalie that had no idea what had just happened. Then to finish the Venom off Nielson let a rocket go in the slot after a feed from Paul Swenson scoring with :42 seconds left in the game. Third period goal: Dogs 4-0 Shots: Dogs 14-6 Penalties: Dogs 2 Venom 5.

The Mad Dogs outscored the Venom 4-0 in the third period alone giving them a decisive 6-2 victory. Venom player and B2 administrator admitted in the post game press conference that the Venom beat themselves, especially in the 3rd when they took 5 penalties for a game total of 11 penalties (22 minutes). He said no team will ever beat the Mad Dogs if they skate over a third of the game short handed. The Venom had a very strong penalty kill giving up only 2 shorted goals out of 11 penalties but it wasn't enough. If the Mad Dogs can pull their power play unit together they could be looking at a some really high scoring games.

Venom fans were furious that their teams penalty game strategy was no longer a strategy that can win games and took to the streets to riot. One drunk fan standing shirtless on a burned out car was screaming "PENALTIES SUCK!!!" Others were chanting "Get your mind out of the box!" One cute fan said she is disappointed with the Venom because "they are to eager to get in the box."

It was an exciting night at the Wakota Civic Arena in St. Paul. There is a good chance the two teams will meet up in the playoffs for one final battle.

1/18/09 Another Impressive Win for the Dogs

2009-01-26T17:50:00.000-08:00

Well the Mad Dogs pulled off another impressive victory of the Mudflaps thanks to the goaltending of Larry Amundson. Shot count was 40-28 for the Mad Dogs and Amundson made a number of amazing saves to post his second shut out of the season. The Mad Dogs are dangerous when they shoot. We have see 93 shots and 18 goals from the Mad Dogs in the last two games. That's what they are going to have to do during the backstretch of the season to remain in a playoff position.

Scoring started early by defenseman Jeff Warren after a nice assist from Paul Good. It was a solid game all the way around by the Mad Dogs. A lot of accurate passes and a lot of good defensive play. The Dogs did an excellent job on reading the Mudflaps passes and picking them off.

The only thing the Mudflaps managed to do well was get penalized. They tallied up 7 penalties in which the Dogs Nielsen and Mastro each had a power play goal. Rousey Johnson received the only penalty of the game after he donkey punched a Mudflap slashing Amundson after he had a pick covered. Next up... The Venom looking for a little revenge after the Mad Dog junior team handed them a wooping at the Xcel earlier in the month.

1/11/09 Mad Dogs Sweep Bulldogs in Second Dog Fight of the Season

2009-01-26T16:19:00.000-08:00

After a strong close in the previous game against the Farmers the Mad Dogs come out looking to sweep the Bulldogs in their second match up of the season. And they did so in style out shooting the Bulldogs 52 -37. The highlight of the game came late in the third period when defenseman Jeff Snyder was moved up to forward to score his first goal in many years. On his way back to the bench after scoring he did some sort of slalom skiing celebration dance and was immediately placed back on defense.

It was one of the cleanest games of the season with the two least penalized teams going up against one another and the Mad Dogs Dirk Hanson managed to score on their only power play of the game. Final score 13-6.

It was a very impressive win after a 3 game losing streak that put the Dogs back in first. Any critics that thought the dogs reign at top was over for the season better watch out. Their fighting their way back to the top with great passing, lots of goal scoring, minimal penalties and excellent goaltending from Larry Amundson.

1/4/09 Mad Dogs get Hoed in OT by the Farmers

2009-01-26T15:07:00.000-08:00

Down 3-0 in the third period of the game the Mad Dogs decided it was time to put an end to their 2 game losing streak before it became 3 games. Mastro and Nielson got the scoring started. Then with 4:53 left in the third a Farmers forward took his second run at goaltender Larry Amundson and Gervais led the charge followed by Loehr and others to clear the net and protect Larry so he didn't have to.

After they got the penalties sorted out the Mad Dogs were all fired up and desiring a win. Loehr came out shortly after the penalty and scored with 1:17 left to bring the Dogs within 1. Seeing the opportunity to complete the comeback the Dogs went right back down crashing the Farmers net and Nielsen picked up a puck that bounced of the boards behind the net and buried it to tie the game 4-4 with only :35 seconds remaining.

The crowd went crazy and so did the Mad Dog bench. Ending the third period with a tie the Mad Dogs were guaranteed 1 point for the game, officially ending their losing streak, or should I say pointless streak. There was enough ice time remaining for a 1 minute run time OT. The Dogs came out hoping to score quick but the Farmers picked up the puck at the far blue line and came down 3 on 1 and scored with a nice shot to win the game with only 15 seconds remaining in the OT.

Dogs were out shot were 33-36. A few more shots and it may have been a different game. The Mad Dogs were back though. They managed to pick up a point, finished strong and remembered how much fun it is when they play well. They left the locker room stoked for their upcoming match up against the Bull Dogs.

12/26/08 Dogs get chopped down by the Lumberjax

2009-01-26T14:52:00.000-08:00

Another tough game for the injury and broken skate plagued Mad Dogs. Not looking very good at all the Mad Dogs entered their first losing streak of the season losing to the Lumberjax 8-5. Lumberjax outshot the Dogs 38-26.

The Lumberjax had a total of 9 penalties compared to the Mad Dogs zero penalty minutes. Despite the 9 penalties the Dogs captain Brian Loehr scored the only power play goal. Unfortunately that was offset by a short handed goal later in the game by the Lumberjax. Nielsen Managed to pick up a hat trick and Tim Moeller picked up the 5th goal of the game late in the third.

Looks like the Mad Dogs need more fire in their game if they want to get out of this losing streak.

The Writer Strike is Over!

2009-01-26T14:45:00.000-08:00

The adult hockey writers union and the league have come to an agreement ending the one month stand still of the writers strike. Inspired by the recent inauguration of Obama both sides agreed it was time for change and tossed in the towel over the labor dispute. They writers agreed to offer a brief summary of the previous games and will get back to full game summary's after tonight's crucial game against the Venom at the Wakota Civic Arena in St. Paul starting at 9:20pm. For information to the arena please click here.

Dog's didn't play Good!

2008-12-16T22:48:00.000-08:00

That's right. Paul Good missed his first game of the season and it was evident. The first place Mad Dogs came out with a short bench and completely flat. For the first time this season they were shut out with a final score 4-0 for the Mayhem. It was obvious that the Mayhem wanted to win. Captain Brian Loehr chalked it up to the fact that the Mayhem were out to revenge their last season playoff loss to the Mad Dogs.

The tide was turned in a chili game at SPA's Drake arena. The Mayhem controlled most of the game by winning virtually every race to the puck, playing smart position, and passing the puck very well. They looked good. The Dogs's were unable to connect on any passes, struggled with positioning, didn't shoot too often and were unable to capitalize on 3 power play opportunites.

If the 1st period was a sign of what was to come the Mad Dogs were outshot 15-3. Goaltender Larry Amundson was pumped up and only let in one in the first period. The Mayhem continued to shoot and put pressure on Larry. They had a total of 39 shots compared to the Mad Dogs 26. Larry kept his cool and was doing everything in his power to get the team fired up.

Despite all his efforts the Dog's never caught their spark and suffered a difficult defeat agains the then 2 and 4 Mayhem. First year captain caught some flak from the bench for his line combinations and for not calling a much needed time out late during third period. During the post game press conference Captain Loehr blamed the difficulties of injuries and the abscence of second year Paul Good for the unusual line combinations. He also noted that the shattering of rookie Sean Gervais skate in the third period was the icing on the cake.

The Mad Dogs maintian their first place position with a 1 point lead over the Hawks and the Falcons. The Venom and the Mudflaps are tied closely behind by 2 points. As the Dogs eneter mid-season it's critical that they fine tune a few things.

1. Hustle! They have to skate their ass off their entire shift. Skate to the puck. Put pressure on the other team. And when their legs are no longer moving... time to get off.

2. Passing. The Mad Dogs had no passing game going on. No break-outs, nothing in the neutral zone and no break-ins.

3. Shoot! We've said it before. A team needs shots to win. This was the Dogs second loss and the second time they were out shot... badly. Players don't always have time for big wind-ups when the other team is all over them in the offensive zone. They have to quit trying to make pretty plays and fire that puck on net. And when that's happening, someone needs to be in the goalies face screening and distracting him and someone else needs to be ready for the rebounds because there are a lot of them.

4. TALK! Is anyone out there? The Dog's need to start communicating out there. Let each other know when they are open, or not, or yell when someone else is. It's gotta be loud though. Defense needs to hollar if they are wide open on the blue line. More often then not they are. Forwards, keep your heads up and look around for the opportunities. They are there as well.

Just a few simple things the Mad Dogs can take into consideration as the enter mid season. If they can take anything positive out of the loss it's that they now remember losing sucks and that a team with any record in this B2 division is capable of playing a strong, smart hockey game like the Mayhem did. Next up is the Lumberjax in a primetime game, Sunday night the 21st, 9:35 at Saint Louis Park East. The Lumberjax are a .500 team that moved up from the C1 division this year. All reports indicate they are a very strong team that is capable of beating any team in this B2 division. Fire up Mad Dogs.

Mayhem Scouting Report

2008-12-10T07:42:00.000-08:00

The Mad Dogs take on the Mayhem this coming Monday the 15th, 7:45 at St. Paul Academy, Drake Arena. Click here for a link to arena info.

Just a few thoughts about our next game that came in from the scouting report.

• The Mayhem is the second most penalized team in not only our division, but the entire league. Let's play our game, stay out of the box, and no retaliating, Steve Riley ; ) They have six players with at least 10 minutes in penalties.

• Decent goaltending, so a lot of shots are needed. We know we can shoot, 51 last game alone. So let's get a lot of shots... on net, and pick up the rebounds. Anyone going to the net to pick up rebounds do not get in to tight. We seem to be missing a lot of rebound opportunities because we over skate them or are in to tight to get a shot off. When you are in their zone hurry up and snap that shot off when you have a chance. Let's not be too patient, it's a fast game. The slap shots in close are getting blocked and the goalie usually has all day to get set for them. Sanp shots will not be block as often and are less predictable.

• Our power play was looking great last week. Let's keep it up when we have the chances. Set up, move the puck around, screen the goalie and pick up any rebounds.

• No real superstars on the Mayhem, but a few guys that have between 4-5 goals. A very balanced team. That usually means their passes will be pretty obvious. Keep your head up and watch the play unfold. We should be able to pick off a lot of passes in the neutral zone. Doing so will create a lot of scoring chances.

• Keep the puck in their end. Icing is at the red line so if you don't feel you can skate it in or have a pass option send the puck into thier zone and send it hard then skate your ass off to the puck. If we keep it in their end and keep dumping it in on them they will get exhausted. When we do that lets not have all three forwards in the offensive corner fighting for the puck. Someone stay high or in front of the net to screen their goalie.

• They’re 1-1-1 in their last three, and just beat the Mudflaps. They can be dangerous like any other team in division, and for the most part have played every opponent tough. Lost to the Venom by two goals earlier in the year. We also beat the Mayhem in a tough playoff game, our last game of the season last year. If I remember right they were not to happy so they may be looking for a bit of revenge.

A lot of pointers but let's play like we have been. Let's have some fun out there. This game is ours if we want it.

An Impressive Performance

2008-12-09T17:23:00.000-08:00

The Mad Dogs put on a nice show Sunday night at the West Side Arena in St. Paul against new B2 team the River Pirates. The first period was a bit rough and ended with a tied score 1-1. It could have been much worse for the Dogs but they managed to kill of 2 penalties.

Second period the Dogs were killing another penalty when Mastro slid a pass over to captain Brian Loehr who back handed it in for the go ahead short handed goal. However the Pirates came down :19 seconds later during the same power play for a quick goal to tie the game back up. Mad Dogs had enough and went on to score 2 more, 1 by Mastro and 1 by Good, before the Pirates got another with 1:52 left in the period. Mad Dogs responded :31 seconds later when Riley scored a late period goal assisted by Lobe and Ashton ending the period with a 2 goal lead.

The third period was dominated by the Mad Dogs because the Pirates found themselves in penalty trouble. The Dogs out shot the pirates in the third 21-10 and goaltender Larry Amundson shut out the Pirates in the 3rd to help the Mad Dogs to victory. Pete Lobe scored 2 power play goals and Paul Good got his second with a minute left in the game.

The Dogs won out shooting the Pirates by 30 shots, 51-21. Overall it was a solid game by the Dogs. The power play was looking good seeing that they had 3 power play goals. Their penalty kill was also solid. The Dogs allowed only one short handed goal killing off 6 of the 7 penalties that they received. Next Monday the Dog play the Mayhem, the second highest penalized team in the entire AHA. Should be an intense game. Scouting report came in from Pete Lobe and will be published to the blog soon.

Johnson Placed on Injured Reserve List

2008-12-06T18:43:00.000-08:00

Mad Dogs rookie center Rousey Johnson met with doctors on Wednesday to check the progress of the double fracture in his right thumb. The results were not good and he had to undergo surgery on it Thursday morning. He is expected to be out 4 - 6 weeks putting him back on the ice sometime in mid January. Rousey was in good spirits Wednesday night while discussing the procedure with captain Brian Loehr and said he was excited to heal up so he could be back on the ice for the Mad Dogs playoff run.

Johnson missed two weeks earlier in the season after the original fracture to his thumb. In the 4 games he's played in during his rookie season in B2 he has managed to tally up 8 points. 5 goals(1 short handed, no pun intended) and 3 assists. 4 of those points came from last weeks game against the Falcons. We look forward to having him back soon but until then expectations have been raised for rookie Sean Gervais to fill his place on the score sheet.

Mad Dogs Snipe the Dirty Bird

2008-12-01T08:34:00.000-08:00

Expecting a dirty game from the Falcons the Mad Dogs kept their focus and concentrated on skating hard, scoring goals and staying out of the penalty box. The Falcons picked up 6 penalties (reminding us why we refer to them as the Dirty Birds) compared to the Dogs 3 penalties, 2 coming from Nielsen for checking and hooking.

The pregame scouting report pointed out that the Mad Dogs were usually stronger in the first period and less productive in the second and third periods. In an interview with Pete Lobe before the game he promised the Dogs will be skating their asses off until the final buzzer. That is exactly what they did. Skating noticeably shorty shifts their legs were well rested and the players looked fresh through the entire game.

Pete's line displayed that pressure during their first shift of the game with a quick goal coming from Nielsen assisted by defenseman Jeff Snyder and center Pete Lobe. The Falcons responded 2 minutes later with a goal of their own to tie the game up at 1-1. The game remained tied up until about half way through the second period when rookie Rousey Johnson picked up his first goal of the game 16 seconds into the Dogs first power play. Johnson also picked up one more goal late in the second after a nice set up from Mastro to end the second period with a 3-1 lead.

The Falcons found themselves in penalty trouble again early in the third period. Again the new line combination of Mastro, Loehr, and Johnson capitalized on the pp advantage and Johnson scored his third goal of the game for his first hat trick of the season. Another rookie Tim Moeller also decided the scoring looked like fun and wanted to get in on the action so late in the game during his final shift he scored two goals. One coming by way of a beautiful two line pass from defenseman Jeff Warren and another coming from a scramble in front of the Falcons net after a feed from the corner.

Shortly after that Rousey Johnson snuck back on the ice to pick up his 4th goal with 27 seconds left on the clock. After the game he admitted to feeling guilty for scoring a goal so late in the game with a 6-2 lead. Off the record he was overheard saying if it would have been any other team then the Falcons he would have never even taken the shot.

The Falcons did manage to score 1 more goal in the 3rd period while putting on tremendous pressure. The scouting report said they were a third period team and the third period shot stats proved that. The Dirty Birds out shot the Dogs 18 - 8 in the third period. Despite the tremendous pressure Mad Dogs goalie Larry Amundson was poised to win and only allowed one goal in those final 18 shots. Larry put on a goaltending clinic throughout the game. The total shots were even at 31-31.

Final score 7-2 keeping the Mad Dogs at the top with a 5-1 record. It was an impressive win. If the Mad Dogs bring this much passion, energy, and aggression to every game they will be very hard to beat. We are waiting to see the results of the Venom vs. Hawks game to see if the Dogs will have sole possession of first place. Look for an announcement soon.

Mad Dogs vs. Falcons Preview

2008-11-25T22:01:00.000-08:00

Pete Lobe has provided us with this weeks scouting report. Here's what we know.

• Stats indicate that we're stronger in the beginning of the game and the Falcons get stronger as the game progresses.

• #8 W. Nelson leads the team and the entire league with 11 goals. #7 TJ Haffner has 14 points on the year. The rest of the team seems average.

• Jay O'neill, former Mad Dogs, plays for the Falcons now. He may give them insider info on our team.

• The Falcons are a heavily penalized team, so don't let them take us off our game like the Venom did. They have two Haffners' and a W. Felber on their team and the three of them combine for 66 minutes in penalties in 5 games. Keep your heads up and no retaliation. We can win this game on power plays.

• They beat the Mudflaps 6-3 in their last game, so they can be dangerous.

• We play our game and skate hard for 3 periods, we can win this game.

Larry Shuts out the Hawks!

2008-11-25T15:17:00.000-08:00

Posting his first shut out in four years Mad Dogs goaltender Larry Amundson put on a remarkable performance against the first place hawks to help the Dogs regain the first place ranking. It was an exciting game with lots of action. The Dogs were moving quickly, passing the puck well, scoring and it was probably their most impressive game on defense this season.

Larry took on 23 shots in his shut out putting him at the number 2 spot of goaltenders in the AHA B2 division with a .873 save percentage. In 5 games he has taken on 142 shots and allowed only 18 goals and has a win loss record of 4-1. Another milestone for Larry lies in the PIM column. Living up to his promise he has been punished with only 2 penalty minutes so far this season. This is the kind of goaltending that gets teams to nationals.

Offensively the Mad Dogs were equally impressive. The Mad Dogs outshot the Hawks 32-23 and still have not lost a game when they have outshot or outscored their opponent. Veteran star Pete Lobe continues his streak with a 3 point game scoring his sixth goal of the season and getting 2 assists for a total of 6 this season. He now leads the team and is second in the B2 division with 12 points.

Also joining in on the scoring was Nick Mastro scoring his 4th of the season, Nielson also scored his 4th of the season and got one assist. Rookie Tim Moeller scored his 3rd of the season and got 3 assists and captain Brian Loehr buried a late 3rd period goal for his second of the season. Rousey Johnson, Jeff Warren and Matt Sundeen also had one assist each. 3 of the 5 goals for the Mad Dogs came in the 3rd period. The team skated hard all game and never let up. It was fun to watch.

Another turn-a-round from the previous game was in the lack of penalties. Captain Brian Loehr received the only 2 minute penalty after he hugged superstar #10 from the Hawks and dragged him into a 4 man collision with defenseman Jeff Snyder and goaltender Larry Amundson and the goal post. Everyone involved was slow to get up and it was frightening moment when Scary Larry was flat on his back and Snyder went knee first into the boards and was also down for a while. No serious injuries though. What a great game.

The next game is against the Falcons. They are a scrappy team that takes a lot of penalties. One of the last games the Mad Dogs had against them we blew a 3 goal lead by skating the last 5 minutes of the game shot handed 5 on 3. We had more guys in the penalty box then we did on the bench and former Dog and leading scorer Tschida received a suspension for punching one of there goons square in the face.

Pete Lobe pulled together a comprehensive scouting and stat report for the next game. We are sorting through the info now and will publish the findings within the next 24 hours.

10-5 and Tempers Flared on Both Benches

2008-11-17T00:07:00.000-08:00

The Mad Dogs winning streak came to an end this evening after a fierce battle with the Venom. There's nothing more to say other then it just wasn't their night. Pucks were bouncing around, legs weren't moving and tempers were flaring.

The Venom are known for their fancy stick work which landed them a total of 13 2-minute minor penalties. The Mad Dogs managed to stick to their game and ignore the Venom's dirty play... until the second period when they fell victim to the Venom scheme. The Mad Dogs tallied up a total of 9 2-minute minors with rookie Dave "The Hooker" Schmidt leading the way with 3 penalties, 2 of which were for hooking, thus the new nickname.

Joining the party in the box for the Mad Dogs were, Nick Mastro, Jeff Warren, Dirk Hanson, Matt Sundeen, Jeff Snyder, and finally celebrating his first unsportsmanlike of the season, Goaltender Larry Amundson. If I remember right his penalty came after he politely pointed out to the ref's that Pete Lobe was on his knees after being drilled in front of the Mad Dogs goal. I think Pete would agree that it needed to be brought to the ref's attention. Thank you Larry ; )

The Mad Dogs did manage to put up 5 goals in the game with only 27 shots. Paul Swenson got the scoring started after a nice shot from the point. Good, Mastro, Gervais, and Moeller also contributed. The Venom had a total of 34 shots. This was the first game of the season that the Dogs didn't out shoot their opponent and it happened to be their first loss. They have to keep shooting if they want to win in this league. In the previous games this season the rookies managed to snap off a lot of shots. The team will be looking for them to do more of the same in the big game next week.

Next up for the Mad Dogs is the Hawks. The Hawks suffered their first loss in overtime on Saturday night against the Mudflaps. Since it was an OTL they did receive 1 point for the game which puts them in first by one point. The Mad Dogs are currently in a 4 way tie for second.

Obviously frustrated with the outcome of the game and seeing his scoring streak come to an end, assistant captain Pete Lobe stated during the post-game press conference, "I feel sorry for the Hawks and what they will experience next week. Were going to kick their A$$!" If he would have said that at any point in the game tonight I am all but certain he would have received a 2 minute unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

A scouting report is expected in the coming days on the Hawks. Seeing as their last game went into overtime there is a tremendous amount of game film to study before the report can be fully completed. However Matt "The Tripper" Sundeen volunteered to submit the scouting report after receiving his first penalty of the season. Sundeen said he wants to review the tape so he can decide which sorry Hawk he can trip up next for his second penalty of the year.

Venom Scouting Report

2008-11-13T19:34:00.000-08:00

Mad Dogs will take on the Venom this Saturday at New Hope Arena N. at 9:15 pm. For rink information please click here. It will be a tough game. The Dogs will have to skate their ass off, shoot a lot, score, not take chances, play position and play some smart hockey.

Below are the notes that came in from the scouting report. Thanks Pete.

• They have 119 shots on goal through three games (we have 102)
• Owen (#17) and Anhorn (#24) are leading the team in points (4-4 – 8)
• Cherne (#77) has 8 penalty minutes, so we have to watch him and not get sucked into anything. In the past he have had a lot of penalties against them. It we try and play them short handed we will lose.
• Their only loss was to the Mudflaps 4-3, and I’d guess they overlooked them. They just beat a team a week prior to that 9-4.
• I think they’re one of the best teams in B2
• They won the pre-season tournament (beat Jesters in Championship)

Mad Dogs win a close one.

2008-11-13T17:01:00.000-08:00

Going into this weeks game there was a three way tie for first place between the Mad Dogs, Mudflaps the Hawks. Mad dogs were down two defenseman and rookie forward Rousey Johnson who is out with a double fracture injury on his thumb. In a tough game the Mad Dogs managed to hand the Mudflaps their first loss of the season and bump them out of the first place position.

With another impressive crowd attendance the Mad Dogs came out shooting to outscore the Mudflaps 2-0 during the first period. Shortly in the second the Pete Lobe scored the third goal of the game to continue his streak. Mudflaps realized they needed to step it up and started taking control of the game. They scored two quick goals midway through the second turning it into a tight game. Mad Dogs seemed a bit flustered and surprised by the quick goals and the pressure that the Mudflaps were applying.

Late in the second the Dogs found themselves in penalty trouble after defenseman Snyder was called for a holding penalty and managed to pick up a 10 minute misconduct on his way to the box. The Mad Dogs were able to kill of the penalty. The second period ended with a score of 4-2. It was an exciting period with 30 total shots, 15 per team. Larry Amundson had his glove working for him and had some impressive saves.

The third period was back and forth with out a lot of shots or to much action until a couple minutes left in the game when the Mudflaps called a time out to put together an empty net strategy. They put pressure on and a Mudflap forward snook past all the Mad Dogs for a breakaway. Jeff Warren managed to catch up to him and take a smart baseball swing tripping penalty to prevent a late scoring opportunity. With 1:53 left in the game and a face off in the Mad Dogs end the Mudflaps pulled their goalie for a 6 on 4 advantage. Their efforts paid off a little to late and they scored to make it 4-3 with .7 seconds left on the clock.

Final score 4-3. Mad Dogs out shot the Mudflaps 32-28. Mad Dogs managed to pick up a season record of 5 penalties but the penalty kill looked strong giving up only one short handed goal late in the game.

Next weeks game is against the Venom. They are a very strong team sitting at 2-1 right now and are not going to want to drop to 500. In the past the Mad Dogs have pretty much split gamed with them. A scouting report is expected soon so keep your eye out for a post on the blog.

Mad Dogs vs. Mudflaps

2008-11-06T10:00:00.000-08:00

Big Game this Saturday for the Mad Dogs. They will be taking on the Mudflaps. Currently we are in a tie for first place with them. They have beaten the Bulldogs 6-1 in their first game and the Venom, a very strong team, 4-3. It looks like they get a lot of shots so it will be a big game for Larry. It also looks like their goalie is solid only letting in 4 goals in 64 shots this season for a .938 save percentage. Lets keep the Mad Dog scoring machine going and light this sucker up so we can put Larry ahead of the number 1 spot for the B2 goalies where he deserves to be.

Game is Saturday, November 8th at Breck School Anderson Arena. Game time is 7:45 and the Mad Dogs are the home team and will be wearing their white jerseys. Everyone try and remember to bring all their equipment this game. For arena info click here.

He scores!

2008-11-06T09:49:00.001-08:00

Mad Dogs leading scorer Pete Lobe and his lovely wife Ivy had a their first child Mason. Congrats Pete and Ivy. Were all happy to have Mason in the Mad Dogs family. We can't wait to see him at the game in his Baby Mad Dog attire.

Nice work goalie.

2008-11-03T22:20:00.000-08:00

Congrats to Mad Dogs goalie Larry Amundson and his wife on the birth of their baby girl Brooklyn last Tuesday October 28th. We hope to see the family making noise in the stands soon.

Mad Dogs Win Best of Show

2008-11-02T08:18:00.000-08:00

There was a B2 dog fight tonight at St. Louis Park Arena between the Mad Dogs and the Bulldogs. However, there was little bite from the Bulldogs. In an impressive display of force the Mad Dogs came out shooting. Pre-game, captain Brian Loehr stressed to the team that the scouting reports came back saying shoot often on the Bulldogs goalie.

As a result the scoring started early. During the second shift of the game the Mad Dogs line came out for two quick goals. First one coming from rookie David Schmidt. After a feed from the corner he buried his first shot the season. Not a bad start for the rookie, one shot, one goal. 33 seconds later line mate Brian Loehr scored for an early 2 goal lead. The first period onslaught continued and the Mad Dogs scored a total of six goals from six different players. One of most exciting goals came at 5:05 from rookie Rousey Johnson during a penalty kill. In the HNA last season he scored a majority of his goals during short handed situations so expect him to continue that in the AHA this season.

Things slowed down a bit after the first period as Bulldog goalie J. Suppes started making saves. First period he let in 6 goals on 17 shots. The second and third period he only let 2 goals in on 27 shots. The Mad Dogs kept the pressure on throughout the game and the Bulldogs never generated any offense.

Here is a scoring summary for the rest of the game. As in the first game the rookie Steve Riley scored at 6:57. He now with 2 goals in his first 2 games as a Dog. Veteran star Pete Lobe is on fire. He now has 4 goals in his first two games. Jeff Warren blasted a shot from the blue line for his first goal of the season and rookie Tim Moeller scored his first official goal of the season and the final goal of the game late in the third period.

Mad Dogs goalie Larry Amundson had another solid game. After an equipment malfunction at the drop of the puck he didn't see a lot of action. Bulldogs only had 8 first period shots on him but #13 Murray managed to squeak 2 goals past Amundson. He was solid the rest of the game and managed to stop the combined 20 shots against him in the second and third peroid. Bulldogs had a shot total of 28 vs. the Mad Dogs total of 44 shots. In the first two games he has seen a total of 66 shots and given up only 5 goals. That's some solid goaltending by the veteran and proud new father of a baby girl, Brooklyn.

The offense for the Mad Dogs help explain the real story unfolding this year. In two games they have tallied up a total of 81 shots for 18 goals. The team management is confident if the Dogs continue this shock and awe offensive it will be an electrifying season. The Mad Dogs PR firm has hinted that the team is in negotiations with local charities and may be setting up a donation program to a local charity. An example would be that a $1 per goal will be donated to an inner city youth hockey program. Discussions are ongoing and if anything comes of it an announcement will be made in the coming weeks.

Saturday night dog fight!

2008-10-31T09:24:00.000-07:00

Mad Dogs will be looking to continue their goal scoring this Saturday night against the 0-1 Bulldogs. Game time is 7:45 at Saint Louis Park on the West Rink. For information about the rink click here.

An epic opening night effort.

2008-10-26T21:38:00.000-07:00

The Mad Dogs season opener was celebrated with the ringing of cowbells and roars from a surprisingly modest sized crowd. The opener against the Farmers turned out to be just the game the Dogs needed to get a good look at the new roster. It didn't take long for the Mad Dogs to fire up the scoring machine.

Just over 4 minutes into the game Mastro and Sundeen teamed for the first goal of the 2008 season to kick off what turned out to be the highest scoring opening season game in recent Mad Dog history. When it was all said and done the Dogs tallied up a total of 10 goals by 7 different players, including 2 goals each for Lobe, Nielsen, and rookie sensation Sean Gervais. 3 of the 10 goals came from power play situations, putting to rest the belief in the media that the Mad Dogs didn't have their power play strategy in check.

The Farmers hung in there to score a respectable goal each period for a final score of 10 to 3. The Farmers did manage to outscore the Dogs 5 to 2 in the penalty column with 4 roughing calls against them. The Mad Dogs remained cool and managed not to retaliate until late in the 1st when Paul "Leather Fist" Swenson managed to get a couple shots in on some kid looking to prove himself as a tough guy in the AHA.

Another interesting stat is the shots on goal numbers. The Dogs out shot the Farmers 37 to 29. This proves that the new guys are not afraid to fire the biscuit on the net and serves as a reminder that when the Dogs out shoot their opponents, they win! "Scary" Larry Amundson looked impressive between the pipes with numerous acrobatic saves. After the game Larry mentioned his new moves were the result of hours spent training over the summer with right-winger Nick Mastro.

All in all, it was an impressive season opener. AHA fans will be keeping an eye on next Saturday’s prime time "Dog Fight" as the Mad Dogs take on a new B2 team, the Bulldogs.

Mad Dogs vs. Farmers

2008-10-23T16:25:00.000-07:00

Mad Dogs kick off the 2008/2009 season this Sunday 10/26, 5:30 pm at Harding Arena in St. Paul vs. the Farmers. For rink information click here.

The team looked great at the last pre-season scrimmage against the B1 Grizzlies and expect to continue that in their prime-time, season opener game.

2008/2009 Schedule has been finalized

2008-10-23T16:21:00.000-07:00

According to the AHA website this is the final regular season Mad Dog schedule. However, we strongly recommend checking the AHA website for game day information in case there have been any updates that are not reflected on the Mad Dogs blog. You can find our schedule on the AHA website by clicking on this link.

10/26/08 Sun 5:30 PM Harding Mad Dogs vs. Farmers
11/1/08 Sat 7:45 PM SLP West Bulldogs vs. Mad Dogs
11/8/08 Sat 7:45 PM Breck Mad Dogs vs. Mudflaps
11/15/08 Sat 9:15 PM New Hope N Venom B vs. Mad Dogs
11/23/08 Sun 7:55 PM SLP East Hawks vs. Mad Dogs
11/29/08 Sat 10:00 PM New Hope S Mad Dogs vs. Falcons
12/7/08 Sun 6:30 PM West Side River Pirates vs. Mad Dogs
12/15/08 Mon 7:45 PM SPA Mad Dogs vs. Mayhem
12/21/08 Sun 9:35 PM SLP East Lumberjax vs. Mad Dogs
1/4/09 Sun 6:00 PM Breck Farmers vs. Mad Dogs
1/11/09 Sun 9:30 PM Breck Mad Dogs vs. Bulldogs
1/18/09 Sun 6:00 PM Breck Mudflaps vs. Mad Dogs
1/26/09 Mon 9:20 PM Wakota 1 Mad Dogs vs. Venom B
2/8/09 Sun 7:45 PM Coliseum Mad Dogs vs. Hawks
2/15/09 Sun 6:00 PM Breck Falcons vs. Mad Dogs
2/22/09 Sun 7:45 PM Coliseum Mad Dogs vs. River Pirates
3/1/09 Sun 4:15 PM Coliseum Mayhem vs. Mad Dogs
3/6/09 Fri 9:30 PM Pleasant Mad Dogs vs. Lumberjax
3/8/09 Sun 9:30 PM Richfield 2 Mad Dogs vs. Farmers
3/16/09 Mon 7:30 PM BIG 1 Bulldogs vs. Mad Dogs

2008/2009 Roster Finalized

2008-10-23T16:06:00.000-07:00

Preseason has ended and final negotiations have come to a close. The Mad Dog scouts and management spent an exhausting off season at neighborhood ice rinks, dive bars, and cheap hotels in the attempt to build a team that can compete at the national level. We are very pleased with all the new additions and all the returning stars. Were proud to introduce the 2008/2009 Mad Dogs.

1 Larry Amundson G
3 Rousey Johnson III C
4 Paul Swenson D
6 Tim Moeller F
7 David Schmidt LW
8 Pete Lobe (Assistant) C
10 Sean Gervais C/LW
11 Josh Ashton D
13 Mike Nielsen F
15 Paul Good LW
16 Steve Riley LW
17 Jeff Snyder D
27 Dirk Hanson D
29 Nick Mastro RW
44 Jeff Warren D
55 Matt Sundeen F/D
77 Brian Loehr (Captain) F/D

Jersey Announcement

2008-10-23T15:56:00.000-07:00

Mad Dogs management has made a difficult decisions in the last week in regards to the team jerseys. As the returning players know in the past we have had a home, away, and an alternate Black jersey. Due to the large number of new players on the roster that have to purchase jerseys, the state of our economy, and the lack of a sponsor for the alternates we will postpone the use of the alternate jerseys until further notice. If we can find a sponsor we may look at reintroducing an alternate jersey. Any questions, comments, or concerns please send them my way.

Mad Dogs Management