For the 2ND week in a row the Texas Tornadoes are shut out, but this time it was the the first place team.  In game one they were defeated 3-2 and Topeka out shot them 35-19.  Scott Deur and Rock Einerson accounted  for the two Texas goals.   Texas had some life and had a chance to get right back in it when Rock tied the game 0:58 seconds into the third period,  however Topeka answered with Justin Kivac's goal ten minutes later.   In game 2 of the doubleheader, Topeka came out with a 4-1 lead in the first period.  Things were not looking good for the Texas Tornadoes, but when James Howard scored his second power play goal of the game and Scott Deur also added a power play goal, things started to look up.  In the third period James Howard scored a hat trick with another power play goal to and Scott Deur also scored to tie the game 5-5. His second of the game.   This all of sudden got ugly as the Tornadoes just could not stop their attack.  Topeka scored the next three goals in the remaining six minutes of the game to make it and 8-5 final. The final goal on an empty net.   Texas had 4 power play goals in this game and show that they can score against the big boys.  The Tornadoes showed alot of poise being down 4-1 in the first period and battling back to tie the game in the third.  Tornadoes goalie Dan Sullivan stopped 28 of 34 shots against the number one team in the division.  They would have liked to come out with at least one of the two, but they will regroup and return home to host Fairbanks on Wednesday, and play them again on Friday and Saturday to hopefully end this streak of bad luck and get back on track.

Come out and see the Texas Tornado play hockey in Frisco, TX and the Stars Center at Gaylord and the Tollway

The RoughRiders' used the longball for four of their seven runs as Frisco defeated Tulsa 7-6 on Wednesday to take the first game of the series. Frisco starter Martin Perez allowed three runs over six frames, but didn't factor into the decision. Jonathan Greene and Chad Tracy went deep for the RoughRiders.

The Drillers scored twice in the first frame and added another in the third inning to take the early 3-0 lead. Frisco tied the game at three in the fourth inning when Greene hit his first career Double-A home run, a three-run homer, in his first game with the RoughRiders. The Drillers regained the lead in the sixth inning with a pair of runs, but Frisco answered and made it 5-4 with a run in the bottom of the sixth when Chad Tracy hit his league-leading 24th homer on the season. The RoughRiders rallied to take the 6-5 advantage with two runs in the eighth inning when Dustin Majewski scored on a sacrifice fly by Greene and Johnny Whittleman scored on an RBI single by Steve Murphy. The Drillers knotted the game at six with a run in the top of the ninth, but Frisco answered in the bottom of the ninth when Renny Osuna singled, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on Majewski's RBI walk-off single.

Perez allowed three runs on six hits over four innings, striking out four and walking two. Frisco used five pitchers in relief as Clayton Hamilton (1-2) pitched a scoreless 0.1 inning. Matt Reynolds (0-1) took the loss, allowing the winning run in the bottom of the ninth.

Greene had a game-best four RBI in his first career game at the Double-A level. Elio Sarmiento, who also made his Double-A debut, had a double. With Tracy 's homer, he extended his season-best hit streak to 14 games. Midland defeated NW Arkansas 8-0 so the 'Riders remain 3.0 games behind the RockHounds.

Frisco and Tulsa will play game two of this series on Thursday at Dr Pepper Ballpark with first pitch slated for 7 p.m

The Texas Tornado will be sporting a new helmet when they take the ice against the Topeka RoadRunners this weekend.

The helmet is the M11, a new state-of-the-art helmet designed by Mark Messier created to substantially reduce the risk of concussions in the high-contact sport of hockey.  The helmet is the product of a movement known as the Messier Project.

This act seeks to solve the problem of concussions, referred to as an epidemic in contact sports. The extra protection in the helmets comes from Seven Technology. Seven Technology is a new absorption system that provides the protection of two helmets during an impact all in the space of one helmet. After taking into account the fact that players experiences multiple impacts in hockey, the Seven Technology performs up to 140% better than the conventional foam used in hockey helmets.

Individual players from the NHL and teams throughout the ranks of hockey are continuing to jump on board with the new helmets. The Tornado are currently one of three teams in the NAHL using the M11 and will continue to use the helmets after their debut this weekend.

Since their inception in 1999, the Texas Tornado has set the standard for excellence for junior hockey in the United States.  Besides their three straight National Championships from 2004-2006 the Tornado has won seven NAHL Regular Season Division titles and had seven straight 40+ win seasons from 1999-2007. Their seventh straight division crown in 2007 tied a 30-year NAHL record, and their seven straight 40+ win seasons is an NAHL record.  The Tornado have developed and moved on over 80 players in nine years onto NCAA and professional teams.

Vance Wilson’s walk-off solo homer in the bottom of the ninth gave the Naturals the 2-1 victory

Frisco collected only five hits as the Naturals avoided the sweep with a walk-off 2-1 victory on Monday. RoughRiders’ reliever Thomas Diamond gave up a ninth inning solo home run to Vance Wilson to break the 1-1 tie and snap a three-game losing streak for NW Arkansas.

The game was deadlocked at zero through the first six innings as the RoughRiders and Naturals battled in a pitching duel between starters Michael Ballard and Anthony Lerew. NW Arkansas scored a run in the seventh inning on an RBI single by Kurt Mertins to plate Corey Smith and give the Naturals the 1-0 lead. The score would stay that way until the ninth inning when, with two outs, Chad Tracy hit a solo homer to tie the game at one. The heroics were short-lived for Frisco as Vance Wilson hit a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth for NW Arkansas to give the Naturals the walk-off victory.

Ballard allowed just one run on seven hits over 7.1 innings, striking out one, but didn’t factor into the decision. Frisco reliever Thomas Diamond (0-3) gave up the ninth-inning home run to take the loss. Naturals’ reliever Juan Abreu (2-1) blew the save, but earned the win for NW Arkansas.

Frisco’s offense managed just five hits with Tracy’s home run being the only extra-base hit on the night. Tracy extended his hit streak to 14 games and now leads the Texas League in home runs with 23 on the season. Craig Gentry reached based twice with a single and a walk and recorded his league-leading 45th stolen base.

With Midland losing in Tulsa, the RoughRiders remain three games behind the RockHounds for first-place in the South Division. Frisco will enjoy an off-day Tuesday before beginning a six game homestand on Wednesday against Tulsa with first pitch at 7 p.m. at Dr Pepper Ballpark.