Hookers Deflect Sabres
Seven Hookers Score in Rough and Tumble Match

October 31, 2008 - The Las Vegas Hookers served up a nasty Halloween treat to the Sabres, beating them 7-3 in Thursday night hockey action. Seven different Hookers scored including team captain Patrick Bailey who missed several games with a broken ankle. It was the Hookers' first Thursday night win in a season plagued by injuries.

The Sabres entered the game with a 3-1 record and a lot of confidence. They sliced through the Summer league thanks in large part to a line-up of big players complimented by several junior A players on temporary call-up. But with the speedy juniors gone for the regular season, while still big, the Sabres are not as sharp. The Hookers suspected the Sabres wouldn't play well from behind, so they devised a game plan that played on the Sabres' overconfidence and large size. The Hookers clogged the neutral zone to take away the Sabres' long, lazy break-out passes while opportunistically looking for quick counter attacks.

The strategy worked with Cary Snider taking a pass from Ryan Hoffman before firing a lazer shot past Sabres goalie Kevin Paparocki at 10:43 of the period. Tim Mitchell started the play after cutting off a long pass in the neutral zone. The Sabres were surprised, but managed to counter at 8:36 when Mat Londnall raced across the blue line and snapped a shot from the circle over the shoulder of Hookers goalie Sean Clark. But the Hookers stuck to their plan resulting in another neutral zone turn-over that sent Todd Brautigam in for a solo goal with 54 seconds left in the period to give the Hookers a 2-1 lead.

The Hookers kept the pressure on in the second period, rolling their lines at a fast pace to keep the larger, slower Sabres off balance. The tactic paid off at 12:53 when Hoffman cracked the Sabre defense, broke down the left wing drawing the lone defender, then deftly pushed a pass across the crease to Bailey who neatly tucked the puck between the legs of Paparocki for a 3-1 Hookers lead. Keith Capobianco made it 4-1 two minutes later with a solo effort on yet another turn-over at 10:46. Then Ken Barbour scored his second goal as a Hooker at 8:43, also unassisted to completely unhinge Paparocki and the Sabres.

For the remainder of the period the Sabres stopped playing the puck and took runs at Hookers instead. Sabre high sticks cut Mike Reed and nearly gored Bailey's eye. Rob Sayer found himself held against the boards in a choke hold by a Sabre with his stick across the Hookers' neck from behind. Along with their physical mischief, the Sabres descended into long verbal abuses of the officials. All the while, the Hookers absorbed the abuse and calmly continued to clog the neutral zone and dump the puck deep into the Sabres zone. Although Clark did a good job of smothering just about everything that came toward the Hookers' net, the Sabres managed to get a goal back before the end of the period at 1:19. But the game was already looking out of reach for the Sabres.

The rough stuff and trash talk from the Sabres continued in the third period with the Hookers' Josh Hoover getting called for roughing at 10:44 after responding to a challenge. But it was the Hookers who took the advantage with defender Mitchell rambling in on the Sabres' net for a shorthanded goal at 9:46 to make it 6-2. Bailey and Snider picked up assists. Mitchell's goal sent the Sabres into complete disarray enabling the Hookers to kill the remainder of the penalty.

The Sabres got a chance to close the gap at 3:46 when the Hookers' Reed was whistled for tripping. Londnail scored a quick powerplay goal for the Sabres, but despite getting another gift in the form of a holding call against the Hookers' Barbour, they sheathed their swords instead. Hoffman closed out the scoring with the seventh Hookers goal at 1:45 from Chris Heckman and Capobianco.

Notes: Despite their rough play and denegration of the officials, the Sabres benefitted from a 3-4 advantage in penalties. Clark was a late addition to the Hookers' line-up, but made 28 saves for an impressive win despite starting without a warm-up. The game marked just the second Thursday game in which the Hookers were able to call on a full bench of their regulars. Last week was the first and they nearly beat the league leading Royal Frogs. The Hookers are off next week, then return to action on Monday November 10 against the Fire.

Hookers Bite Dogs
Reed's Three Goals Lead Hookers

October 27, 2008 - The Las Vegas Hookers overcame penalties to defeat Underdogs by a score of 7-3 in Monday night hockey action. Mike Reed led the Hookers with three goals.

Reed opened the scoring for the Hookers by converting a neat pass across the slot from Chris Heckman at 15:22 of the first period. The Hookers continued to dominate play but the Underdogs managed to escape the period down just one goal.

Reed struck again at 18:20 of the second period on the powerplay with an assist from Jameson Peacock. But the Hookers seemed to ease up after taking a two goal lead, enabling the Underdogs to claw their way back into the game with a goal from Kyle Markman at 10:51 followed by another by James Ross at 3:06.

With time running down in the period, the Hookers picked up the pace off the ensuing face-off enabling Heckman to break in alone for the go-ahead goal at 2:58. Ken Barbour scored his first goal as a Hooker moments later at 2:16 thanks to a set-up by Heckman and Cary Snider.

Leading 4-2 in the third period, the Hookers fell victim to a series of penalties. Todd Brautigam was whistled for a suspicious hook, then Barbour got nabbed for tripping to put the Hookers down two men at 13:02. The Hookers got a break when Reed was pulled down from behind on a shorthanded break-away at 12:37. Had the officials followed the rules, Reed would have been awarded a penalty shot, but instead they sent Issac Graredo to the box effectively halving the Hookers' manpower deficit.

The Hookers found themselves down two men again when Rob Sayer was called for holding followed by another mysterious penalty to Brautigam at 10:32. It was Brautigam's third minor penalty of the game resulting in a ten minute misconduct. Removing any doubt that he was having a bad hair day, referee Shane Resmon promptly called Peacock for interference at 10:03 removing three of the Hookers' top penalty killers in the space of just 30 seconds.

The penalties continued with Hookers defender John Rauch drawing a coincidental minor after being slashed by Garrett Slinger. But rather than fold, the Hookers attacked despite being outnumbered with Reed breaking free for a shorthanded goal at 8:11. Snider capped the scoring for the Hookers with their seventh goal at 7:27 unassisted. Ross managed to score one more goal for the Underdogs at 3:06, but the Hookers deftly killed the remainder of the clock to secure the victory.

Notes: Penalties were 8-3 in favor of the Underdogs. Heckman scored his second goal in as many games. The Hookers sit atop the Monday night standings with a 5-2 record and the most goals scored and fewest allowed. The Hookers face the Sabres on Thursday night, but have next week off before resuming play on Monday November 10 against the Fire.

Hookers Come From Ahead Against Frogs
Bowman Scores Three in Losing Effort

October 24, 2008 - The Las Vegas Hookers blew a two-goal third period lead to lose 5-7 in Thursday night hockey action. Kevin Bowman scored three goals to lead the Hookers.

The Hookers got onto the score board first when Ryan Hoffman was hooked from behind on a break resulting in a penalty shot. The speedy Hooker forward snapped his shot past Frog goalie Gianno Buonaguro at 18:32 for a 1-0 lead.

The teams exchanged chances at a furious pace with new Hookers goalie Gino McQue making a diving glove save at the twelve minute mark. But the Frogs evened the score at 10:53 on a goal by Winston Feyereisen. Moments later, Joe Peshe gave the Frogs a 2-1 lead with his first of four goals at 9:35. But the Hookers tied the game just before the end of the period when Bowman scored on a solo effort with 37 ticks on the clock.

With Hoffman in the box at 16:03 of the second period for hooking, the Frogs did their best to get a go-ahead goal. But the Hooker defense held firm with new defender Chris Courtemanche clearing the goal area and McQue making several big saves. Bowman grabbed the lead for the Hookers when he converted a play set up by Courtemanche and Rob Sayer at 8:41. Just four minutes later, the speedy Hooker took another pass from Courtemanche to make it 4-2 in favor of the Hookers at 4:31.

The Frogs closed the gap to 4-3 at 10:42 of the third period when Pesche scored shorthanded with Paul Muniz in the box for hooking. Pesche struck again to tie the game at 7:41, before giving his club a one goal lead with another shorthanded goal at 3:58 with Sergei Vahnistrov off for crosschecking.

The Hookers managed to get a goal back less than a minute later when Chris Heckman scored his first goal as a Hooker at 3:05 from Bowman. But despite holding a man advantage, the Hookers failed to maintain pressure, allowing the Frogs to take the lead for good with goals at 2:29 and 2:02 from Tim Hurlbut. The Hookers pulled the goalie with a minute to go to no avail.

Notes: Penalties were 4-6 in favor of the Hookers. Courtemanche was a force in front of the net, but also along the boards. After taking a stick to the face, the big Hooker squashsed Kody Youngs against the glass. The Hookers played without the services of injured players including last leading scorer Keith Capobianco (mental,) top defensive forward Patrick Bailey (ankle,) and both Cary Snider and Tim Mitchell (work.)

Hookers Shell Shucks
Buonaguro Gets Second Shut-out

October 21, 2008 - The Las Vegas Hookers defeated Shucks 6-0 in Monday night hockey action. Cary Snider scored two gals and Rob Sayer scored a goal and two assists to lead the Hookers. Goalie Gianno Buonaguro picked up his second shut-out of the season.

The game started at a furious pace with both teams exchanging scoring chances. Depite the pressure, Buonaguro served notice early that he would be tough to beat. With a Shucks forward in position to slam in a "backdoor" goal, the Hooker goalie slid across the crease and stacked his pads to make a dazzling save just two minutes into play.

The Hookers responded with a rush that resulted in a what appeared to be a goal, but which was eventually waved off. But Sayer got the Hookers onto the official score sheet at 7:43 when he converted a play from Keith Capobianco and Todd Brautigam.

Things got chippy late in the period when Sayer got nabbed for tripping at 3:52, followed by Brautigam also for tripping. The Hookers killed the two-man deficit, but found themselves short again when Josh Fender charged Shucks' Nick Patterson, then mixed it up to pick up an extra penalty for roughing as time ran out on the period.

The Hookers opened the second period down a man. After killing the penalty to Fender, Hooker defender Jameson Peacock set up Mike Reed for a goal at 17:04 to open the second period. With Shucks' Casey Colvin off for tripping, Fender redeemed himself at 8:07 when he took a pass from Sayer and Capobianco for a powerplay goal that stretched the Hooker lead to 3-0 that they carried into the final period.

Capobianco extended the Hookers' lead when snapped a pass from Sayer into the net at 11:23 of the third period. Then Snider decided to get into the action. After leveling Shucks' captain Guido Peralta with a vicious forearm to the face along the boards that drew grimaces from the Hookers' bench, Snider took a pass from Ken Barbour to score at 9:29. Snider struck again at 1:10 when he completed a play from Brautigam and Barbour to end the match at 6-0 in favor of the Hookers.

Notes: Penalties were even at five per side. The whitewash was Buonaguro's second against Shucks this season. Barbour and defender Chris Courtemanche made their Hooker debuts.

Hookers Bleach Blondies
Capobianco Scores Four to Lead Hookers

October 16, 2008 - The Las Vegas Hookers defeated Blondies 12-2 in Monday night hockey action. Keith Capobianco scored four goals and three assists to lead the Hookers. Mike Reed added three goals.

Capobianco set the tone in the first minute of play when he took a pass from Reed and Rob Sayer then ripped a shot past Blondie goalie Josh Kuneunen at 19:05 of the first period. Jameson Peacock blasted a shot from the point to beat Kuneunen at 16:01. Josh Fender added a goal at 8:05, then Reed scored his first of the night at 6:01 to give the Hookers a 4-0 lead. Blondies finally got on the board at 4:50 when Glen Cochrane slipped a shot past Hooker goalie Sean Clark. But Capobianco struck twice in the last two minutes to put the game out of reach. Capobianco finished a play from John Rauch and Todd Brautigam at 1:23, then completed a play set up by Fender and Rauch with 26 seconds remaining to give the Hookers a 6-1 lead heading into the intermission.

Reed opened the second period with his second goal of the night at 18:01 on a play set up by Sayer. Reed completed his hattrick at 8:46 with help from Sayer and Peacock. The Hookers took an 8-1 lead into the third period.

Fender scored his second goal of the night at 14:03 of the third period after taking a nice pass from Peacock. Big Tim Mitchell cruised up from defense to score at 3:36 from Peacock and Rauch. Brautigam got onto the books with a goal from Peacock and Capobianco at 2:55 to make it 11-1 in favor of the Hookers. Then Lance Knight went in alone on Clark to score Blondies second goal at 2:05. Capobianco closed out the scoring with his fourth goal of the night on a pass from Fender with 11 seconds left in regulation.

Notes: Hookers defenders played an offensive role with Peacock scoring a goal and three assists and Brautigam and Mitchell each adding a goals.

Injuries Plague Hookers
Bailey Breaks Ankle, Brown on IR List

October 15, 2008 - The Las Vegas Hookers have struggled through the early season due to a series of unfortunate injuries to key players. Team captain and last season's top defensive forward Patrick Bailey suffered a broken ankle in late September, forcing him to miss several games. Bailey is expected back in the line-up soon.

Forward Cary Snider, a 50 goal scorer last season, has been in and out of the line-up due to an injured wrist. Snider is expected to return this week.

Goalie Tom Brown, whose 3.62 goals against average, .900 save percentage, and seven shut-outs helped him lead both B and C divisions over the past three years suffered a knee injure during the Summer season that has landed him on the injured reserve list. No time table has been set for Brown's return.

Brown Moves Behind Bench
Goalie Takes Over Coaching Chores During Injury

October 15, 2008 - The Las Vegas Hookers announced that Tom Brown will move behind the bench as the club's head coach. Brown has been the club's starting goalie since its inception, but is currently on the injured reserve list. Brown previously served as a player-coach in Dallas where he led the Stickmen, winless in two previous seasons, to a 12-5-3 record and their first ever play-off appearance. He went on to serve as player-coach for the Dallas MooseKnuckles, leading the club to a first place finish and play-off title in their first season.

The Hookers also named Joe Huntington to join Brown as their assistant coach. Huntington previously served as the club's scout and director of "player" personnel.

Danna Departs
Play-Off MVP Heads West in Free Agency

October 10, 2008 - Chris Danna, last season's play-off MVP, has left the Las Vegas Hookers as a free agent in favor of a new club in California. Danna scored 28 goals and 20 assists for 48 points during 29 regular season matches for the Hookers. He led all Hookers in play-off scoring with 11 goals and 8 assists for 19 points. Danna scored the winning goal in the championship final.

Hookers Announce Annual Awards
Reed Named MVP for Third Time in Four Years

July 8, 2008 - The Las Vegas Hookers announced their annual player awards for the 2007-2008 season. Awards were presented for Most Valuable Player, Top Goal Scorer, Top Point Scorer, Top Rookie, Gentlemanly Conduct, Most Improved Player, Top Defender, Top Defensive Foward, and Play-Off Most Valuable Player.

Several Hookers enjoyed outstanding seasons, making award selection tough. The club had four fifty goal scorers, three 100 point scorers, and a record setting goalie.

Mike Reed was named Most Valuable Player for the third time in four years. Reed scored 57 goals and 57 assists for 114 points in 56 games. It was Reed's third consecutive 100 point season.

Keith Capobianco took home honors for Top Goal Scorer and Top Point Scorer. Last year's USA Hockey National Championship MVP tallied 71 goals and 53 assists for 124 points. Capobianco surpassed the 50 goal and 100 point marks for the second straight year.

Rob Sayer was named Most Improved Player. Sayer made the switch from defense to offense and went from scoring 11 goals and 42 total points in 2007 to 53 goals and 49 assists for 102 points in 2008.

Cary Snider took the award for Rookie of the Year. Snider was a fixture in front of opposition nets, scoring 50 goals and 14 assists for 64 points. Snider also captured the award for Gentlemanly Conduct by being penalized 30 times for a total of 87 minutes.

Tim Mitchell broke Todd Brautigam's three year hold on the Top Defender title. Mitchell scored 10 goals and 12 assists. But more importantly the big Ho was a nearly impossible to beat in the neutral zone or his own end all season.

Patrick Bailiey was named Top Defensive Forward. Bailey made the transition from power forward to checker and sacrificed his scoring in order to shut down opponents' top scoring threats throughout the season.

Chris Danna earned the Play-Off Most Valuable Player award by leading the club in scoring through the play-offs. Danna scored 11 goals and eight assists for 19 points in the play-offs. Danna also scored the tying goal and winning goal in the championship final against Shucks.

Special mention should be made of a few other players who made big contributions. Brautigam scored 37 goals and 50 assists for 87 points from a defensive position. It was the third year in a row in which he scored more than 80 points.

Josh Hoover scored 28 goals and 31 assists for 59 points while playing both offense and defense. It was the second year Hoover managed to gather more than 50 points despite playing in just over 30 games each season. Like Hoover, Ryan Hoffman played offense and defense. He appeared in 39 games and scored 15 goals and 35 assists for 50 points.

Mark Bonner played in 30 games before being traded to Philadelphia Phury in the gay hockey league. Bonner scored 20 goals and 31 assists for 51 points. Finally, the league's leading scorer from last season, Paul Kasztelan, managed 18 goals and 7 assists for 25 points in just 9 games before the club "decided to go in a different direction."

Congratulations to each of the award winners and all the Hookers for winning yet another leaugue championship title.

Hookers Finish As Top Defensive Team
Brown Allows Fewest Goals Against for Third Straight Year

July 1, 2008 - The Las Vegas Hookers allowed the fewest goals against in both the B and C divisions of the LVICHL. Back-stopping the team, goalie Tom Brown finished the regular season with a 3.62 goals against average and .900 save percentage - both club records. He also set a new club standard with seven shut-outs in league play plus one in tournament play. For Brown and the Hookers it was the third consecutive year in which they took the defensive title in the B division and the second straight year in the C division.

Brown finished the season with a record of 41-13-2. It was his second consecutive forty-win season. He has 152 career wins as a Hooker. Brown has finished as the top goalie five times since joining the Las Vegas Hookers. He also earned a top-goalie award in 2001 while leading the Dallas Moose Knuckles to a regional tournament championship and a league championship in Texas. In 2007, Brown posted the lowest goals against in the USA Hockey National Championship tournament while helping lead his club to the title.

Cizdziel Says Good-bye
Tough Defender Pursues Better Hockey Through Chemistry

July 7, 2008 - The Las Vegas Hookers announced the departure of Jim Cizdziel. The plucky defender played two seasons for the Hookers tallying 1 goal and 15 assists for 16 points. He also picked up 28 penalty minutes. Cizdziel was a solid two-way player who as former Hooker and current Sabre star Wally Lacroix once noted was, "one tough sucker to get around." Cizdziel will be heading to Mississippi where he will take up a teaching post in the chemistry department of Ole Miss.

Hookers Defeat Shucks to Win Tournament Cup
Danna and Sayer Score Two Goals Each for Hookers

May 20, 2008 - Regular season champion Las Vegas Hookers defeated Shucks 8-3 to win the 2008 "C" division tournament championship. The Hookers entered the match as top seed after finishing first in the round-robin phase. Chris Danna scored two goals including the game winner and Rob Sayer added two goals to lead the Hookers. Complete details to follow.

The fast skating Hookers had the better of the action over the first four minutes of play, but it was Shucks that struck first when Travis Roseberry's shot through a screen found twine at 14:20. The Hookers took advantage of a penalty to Shucks' Evan Zucker to even the score with Danna converting a pass from Cary Snider at 13:05. Patrick Bailey gave the Hookers the lead less than a minute later when he completed a play set up by Danna and Jameson Peacock at 12:25. Rob Sayer scored on another powerplay at 3:41 to make it 3-1 in favor of the Hookers. Todd Brautigam assisted on the play.

Danna scored what would be the game winner at 11:58 of the second period on a play from Bailey and Josh Hoover. Shucks stepped up their attack, getting traffic in front of the Hookers' net. The tactic paid off when Shucks' Peter Holland took advantage of a screen to beat Hookers' goalie Tom Brown and make it 4-2 at 9:42.

Things got rough in the third period as Shucks got desperate. First Shucks players started taking runs at Brown in the Hookers' crease. Then after Mike Reed converted a rebound of a Peacock shot at 12:46, Roseberry cross-checked the Hooker forward from behind well after the whistle, knocking him to the ice. Ryan Hoffman stepped in for the Hookers and a melee ensued. Roseberry and Hoffman received coincidental minors.

With the Hookers leading 5-2, Snider got caught interfering with Robert Raffert. With the referee's hand up for a delayed penalty, Snider continued to engage Raffert, evenutally earning a double minor and a major penalty for head butting. Faced with nine minutes shorthanded, the Hookers defense responded with Brautigam, Peacock, and Tim Mitchell keeping Shucks outside and Brown making several big saves.

Adding to Shucks' frustration, Keith Capobianco managed to strike shorthanded for the Hookers at 8:27 to extend the lead to 6-2. Reed and Danna picked up assists. Shucks finally managed to score just before the powerplay ended with Zucker getting the goal at 4:39.

But rather than sit on their lead, the Hookers mounted another set of attacks. Bailey and Reed made a nice play to set up Sayer for his second goal of the night at 4:03. Then Hoffman scored off a pass from Reed at 2:08 to close the scoring at 8-3 to ensure the championship for the Hookers.

Notes: Danna led all Hookers in play-off scoring with nine goals and eight assist for 17 points. Together with his tying goal and game winning goal in the championship final, Danna's play-off performance earned him the Play-Off MVP award. Capobianco finished second in scoring with 10 goals and 6 assist for 16 points. Reed was third with 5 goals and 10 assists for 15 points. Brown lead all goalies with the fewest goals against in the tournament.

Hookers Shoot Down Hawks
Brown Steals Game as Hoffman Seals the Deal in OT

May 16, 2008 - The Las Vegas Hookers defeated the Hawks 6-5 in Thursday night "B" division tournament action. Tom Brown had arguably his finest game of the season, stopping 50 shots plus five in an overtime shoot-out to steal the game for the Hookers. Cary Snider and Mike Reed scored twice in regulation and Ryan Hoffman netted the game winner in overtime for the Hookers.

The high-powered Hawks came into the match unbeaten in the tournament, having scored the most goals and featuring goalie Mike Katz, recently returned from a stint with the Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL (a professional minor league.) The Hawks started fast as expected, getting five shots on goal in the first minute of the game. The Hookers responded with a rush of their own, but the Hawks immediately went back on the offensive, launching ten more shots at the Hookers' goal over the next five minutes.

But despite the Hawks' pressure, it was the Hookers who scored first with Snider popping in a goal from the back door at 9:17 of the first period with assists from Todd Brautigam and Reed. The Hookers doubled their lead when Reed took a pass from Chris Danna to beat Katz at 7:51. The Hawks finally cracked the Hookers defense when PJ Hiscock scored at 3:09. The Hawks struck again with just 11 ticks left in the period when the Hookers failed to clear the zone allowing Ryan Madison to even the match.

The Hawks carried their momentum into the second period, but the Hookers got a break when Brian Anderson was whistled for hooking at 18:38. Ryan Hoffman took the puck deep his own zone and skated past four Hawks before dishing a perfect pass to Reed who hammered in the go-ahead goal for the Hookers on the powerplay at 16:08.

But the Hawks responded immediately with Anderson redeeming himself with a goal at 15:22. Minutes later the balance tipped in favor of the Hawks as Hookers defenders Brautigam and Tim Mitchell were both sent off with hooking minors within moments of one another. The Hawks launched a barrage of shots at the Hookers' goal, but the Hos managed to kill Brautigam's penalty, the first of the two minors. Then with just seconds remaining on Mitchell's penalty, Stan Polozov jammed the puck through a displaced goal post to give the Hawks at 4-3 lead.

The Hawks continued to pour on shots with Hiscock increasing the Hawks lead with a goal at 7:01. The Hookers got a turn on the powerplay with three minutes left in the period, but a minor to Rob Sayer at 2:01 washed out the advantage.

The Hawks did their best to seal the deal in the third period with constant pressure in the Hookers' zone. But Brown came up with several big saves to buy his club time to regroup. Once they did, the Hookers managed a sustained forecheck that forced the Hawks into a series of late penalties. With Ross Nenton off for hooking, Snider scored at 3:29 from Mitchell and Brautigam to pull the Hookers within one goal. It was his 50th goal of the season. Then with Mike Ellis off for slashing, Bailey took a feed from Dannas and beat Katz to even the score at five goals apiece with just 2:43 remaining in regulation.

The Hawks mounted a furious last minute charge, launching eight shots on goal as the clock wound down. But Brown held firm in the Hookers' goal earning two face-offs with key stops before making a diving last second save to force overtime.

The Hookers shot first in the overtime shoot-out. Bailey skated in on Katz and had the puck stall on some snow before pulling it back and firing a shot into the net to give his club a 1-0 edge. Brown stoned Hiscock on the Hawks' first shot, then forced their next two players, Landon Hines and Ryan Madison, to shot wide. Katz bounced back to stop Josh Hoover, Brautigam, and Danna in succession. Then big Hawks defender Corey Siefred tried to mimc Penguins star Evengi Malkin by taking slapshot from five feet in front of the net, but Brown was too quick with the butterfly move and snuffed the shot.

Snider skated in on Katz with a chance to ice the win for the Hookers, but was stymied. Then Polozov finally beat Brown on the Hawks' fifth penalty shot forcing an extra round. Hoffman stepped up for the Hookers and fired a shot past Katz to give his club the advantage. Then with the game on the line, Brown stoned Mike Ellis with a pad stop to seal the victory for the Hookers.

Notes: Snider became the fourth Hooker to score 50 or more goals this season. He joined Reed, Keith Capobianco, and Rob Sayer. Capobianco was a healthy scratch. Reed's two goals gave him 56 for the season. The high-flying Hawks managed 18 shots in the first period, 22 in the second, and 15 in the third for a total of 55, the most ever against the Hookers. Brown made fifty saves in regulation, a club record, plus five in the shoot-out to get the win for the Hookers.

Hookers Crack Shucks
Danna and Hoover Lead Hookers in Cup Preview

May 12, 2008 - The Las Vegas Hookers ended a two game losing streak with a 12-3 victory over Shucks in "C" division hockey action. Chris Danna and Josh Hoover scored two goals and two assists each to lead the Hookers in a preview of next week's "C" division cup final.

Shucks carried the action right off the opening face-off by penning the Hookers in their own end for the first three minutes of the match. Hookers goalie Tom Brown came up with two big saves including a diving poke check and a deflection of his mask to buy his club time to regroup.

After surviving Shucks' initial thrust, the Hookers responded when Ryan Hoffman, taking a turn on defense, rushed end-to-end to score an unassisted goal at 16:11. The teams exchanged chances before Danna netted his first goal of the night at 8:44 from Keith Capobianco and Hoover to make it 2-0 in favor of the Hookers. Hoover added to the Hookers' lead at 1:57 when Danna found him open in front.

Shucks got a goal back on the powerplay with John Rauch off for holding at 17:33 of the second period. Travis Roseberry used a defender as a screen to score the goal. The Hookers answered with their own powerplay goal when Patrick Bailey converted a pass from Hoover at 11:18. Cary Snider scored his 48th goal of the season at 10:38 from Capobianco and Reed to lift the Hookers to a 5-1 lead. But Scott McCore scored at 5:28 to keep Shucks in the match heading into the third period.

The Hookers put the game out of reach during a four minute span in the third period. First Hoover finished a play set up by Danna and Bailey at 14:35 for his second goal of the night and 28th of the year. Then Capobianco scored his 70th goal of the season at 13:00 from Hoover. Todd Brautigam rushed end-to-end to score his 37th goal of the year at 10:29 unassisted on the powerplay, followed by Matthew Wurm's goal from the crease on a feed from Capobianco that made it 9-2 in favor of the Hookers. Danna scored his second goal of the night and 25th of the year at 6:07.

Shucks managed one more tally with Robbie Hernandez finding the net at 4:49. Mike Reed scored his 54th goal of the season at 1:57 from Rob Sayer and Bailey, followed by Sayer's 51st goal of the year at 0:41 to close the scoring at 12-3 in favor of the Hookers.

Notes: The Hookers and Shucks will meet next Monday in the "C division tournament final. With two "B" division matches remaining, Snider needs two goals to reach 50 for the season and Sayer needs two points to reach 100. Brown needs one more win to reach 40 for the second consecutive season.

Hookers Crush Ice
Capobianco Scores Four Goals, Wurm Adds Three Points

April 29, 2008 - The Las Vegas Hookers defeated Desert Ice by a score of 9-2 in Monday night hockey action. Keith Capobianco scored four goals and Matthew Wurm added a goal and two assists to lead the first place Hookers.

Desert Ice got off to a fast start with two first period goals. After the Hookers failed in three attempts to clear their zone, Jeff Prince scored at 18:50 for the Ice men. A failed clearing attempt also set up Jeff Verani for an unassisted goal at 15:10, giving Desert Ice a 2-0 lead.

The Hookers settled down and got a goal back at 12:12 when defender Jameson Peacock ripped a shot past Ice goalie Gianno Buonaguro after taking a pass from Mike Reed and Tim Mitchell. The Hookers continued to press, but their momentum was slowed by a hooking call against center Patrick Bailey late in the period. But with Bailey emerging from the box and just 25 seconds remaining, Capobianco took a pass from Wurm and scored the tying goal.

Desert Ice managed several scoring chances in the second period, but Hooker goalie Tom Brown was up to the challenge. Brown's diving poke check five minutes into the period prevented Josh Odoms from scoring and gave the Hookers a lift. Then Brown stopped a break-away that ended up with both him and defender Tim Mitchell in the net. Mitchell suffered a cut to the face on the play and briefly went to the room for repairs.

After weathering the Ice storm, the Hookers rallied for two second period goals. Capobianco scored unassisted at 11:46 to give his club a one goal lead. Then Wurm found Josh Hoover open at 36 seconds for yet another last minute goal to crush Desert Ice's morale. It was Hoover's 25th goal of the season.

Although leading 4-2, it looked like the Hookers might give Desert Ice a chance to get back into the game when Capobianco inexplicably pulled down an Ice attacker for a tripping call at 14:26 of the third period. But the Hookers penalty killers did a nice job for a minute until Desert Ice was assessed their own tripping call at 13:08 to even things up.

Capobianco made up for his penalty by converting a pass from Ryan Hoffman to complete his hattrick and make it 5-2 in favor of the Hookers at 6:04. Two minutes later Wurm fired a shot past Buonaguro to make it 6-2. Hoover picked up the assist. Wurm's goal seemed to melt the Ice and the Hookers wasted no time taking advantage. Capobianco took a feed from Rob Sayer to score his fourth goal of the night at 2:32. Sayer was set up by Reed for his 49th goal of the year at 1:56. Then Todd Brautigam closed the scoring at 9-2 with a goal from Chris Danna and Hoffman at 1:08.

Notes: The Hookers are now 28-2-1 (40-10-2 overall.) Capobianco's four goals give him a club leading 65 for the season. Wurm's goal and two assists give him eight points in his first eight games with the team. Peacock's goal gave him a personal best of 26 points for the year. Hoffman's two assists give him 34, moving him into fifth place for helpers. Reed leads the club with 50 assists. Cary Snider sat out the match serving a one game suspsension as a result of an altercation at the end of last week's game against the Flyers.

Hookers Ground Flyers
Danna Scores Three Goals, Snider Gets Gordie Howe Hattrick

April 22, 2008 - The Las Vegas Hookers defeated the Flyers 7-1 in Monday night hockey action. Chris Danna scored three goals and Cary Snider added two goals, three assists, and a fight to lead the Hookers in a game that was marred by a post-game altercation.

The Hookers opened the scoring at 16:30 when Snider knocked a pass from Rob Sayer past Flyer goalie Micah Sanford. The Flyers, fresh off their upset of Desert Ice last week, looked for the equalizer with four good chances over the next five minutes. But despite playing without leading scorer Keith Capobianco and with Danna still in the room getting an equipment repair, the Hookers took control of the game.

Josh Hoover took advantage of the pressure, scoring what would be the game winner at 2:20 with an assist by Ryan Hoffman. Todd Brautigam took a feed from Snider and made one of his patented end-to-end power rushes to score the Hookers' third goal at 2:15. Then Snider scored his second goal of the night at 1:20 unassisted to give the Hookers a 4-0 lead heading into the break. It was Snider's 45th goal of the year.

After completing his equipment repair, Danna rejoined the Hookers bench for the second period. The big Hooker forward promptly took a pass from Snider and scored at 17:30. The Hookers seemed to sit on their lead for the remainder of the period. But this allowed the Flyers' James Harvick to score with a screen shot at 2:06 to end the second period with the score at 5-1.

Danna teamed up with Snider again in the third period to score his second goal of the night at 10:03. Then Danna completed his hattrick at 4:04 unassisted to close the scoring at 7-1. It was Danna's 21st goal of the season.

Notes: The Flyers' Ken Herrera, an unskilled player known for carrying his stick too high and taking cheap shots at opponents, sucker-punched Snider during the post-game handshake, leading to a five minute melee at center ice. Herrara demonstrated his class earlier in the game when he stood and cheered an injury to a Hookers' player. Herrara was assessed a two game suspension and Snider received a one game suspension pending review of a video of the incident. The Hookers face Desert Ice, a team loaded with late season additions to their roster, on Monday April 28 at 7:45 PM.

Hookers Fall to Shucks
Club Finishes as Top Defense Despite Shoot-out Loss

April 18, 2008 - The Las Vegas Hookers lost 9-10 in an overtime shoot-out to rival Shucks in Thursday night hockey action. Mike Reed scored three goals for the Hookers to reach the 50 goal mark for the second time and the 100 point plateau for the third consecutive season. Despite the loss, the Hookers managed to finish regular season play with the lowest team goals against in the "B" division for the third consecutive season. The club also allowed the fewest goals in the "C" division.

Hookers Kiss Frogs and Give Them Warts
Snider and Bailey Score Two Goals Each

April 11, 2008 - The Las Vegas Hookers defeated Royal Frogs 5-1 in Thursday night "B" league hockey action. Patrick Bailey and Cary Snider scored two goals apiece and goalie Tom Brown held the high scoring Frogs to one goal to lead the Hookers.

The Royal Frogs entered the game with the league's top scoring offense and top defense. But the Hookers defense had allowed just one goal more than the Frogs, so from the outset it looked like it might be a low scoring game. The game started off at a high pace with both teams successfully holding their own blue lines. But Chris Danna managed to break through with a pass from Damon Hall to beat Frogs goalie Gianno Bunaguro at 17:30 to give the Hookers an early 1-0 lead.

With Todd Brautigam off for holding, Sergei Vahmistrovs used a Hooker defender as a screen to fire a shot through the pads of Brown for the equalizer at 11:50. The Hookers killed off a penalty to Cary Snider for cross checking before Bailey and Kody Youngs were sent off with coincidental minors for holding. No sooner did the duo return when the Frogs' Winston Feyereisen was sent to the box for interference. The Hookers took advantage with Snider scoring on the powerplay with just 50 seconds remaining in the period to make it 2-1. Keith Capobianco and Rob Sayer picked up assists.

The Hookers carried the momentum into the second period with Bailey scoring less than a minute into play at 19:12 on a play set up by Ryan Hoffman. They continued to press until the Frogs called a time-out midway through the period. After regrouping, the Frogs tilted the ice and managed several good scoring chances, especially during a powerplay with Snider off again, this time for high sticking. But the Hookers defense was up to the test. The Frogs were then whistled for three successive penalties, killing their chances to catch up.

The tight checking continued in the third period with both teams taking two penalties each. The Frogs turned up the pressure with Capobianco off for hooking and managed a flurry of shots that tested the Hookers defense. But Brown came up with two kick saves on shots inside the crease to thwart the effort. With the clock running down and the Frogs playing desperate, Bailey cut off a pass in the neutral zone and cruised in on a break-away to score at 1:17 unassisted to make it 4-1. Snider added an empty net goal, his 41st of the season, at 27 seconds on a feed from Hoffman to close out the scoring.

Notes: Mike Reed played despite an unspecified lower body injury. Snider's goal in the first period was his fifth game winner. He is tied for second in this category with Reed. Sayer has scored the most game winners with 9. Penalties were 7-9 in favor of the Hookers. By holding the Frogs to one goal and scoring five, the Hookers moved into the league's top spot in team defense. The Hookers led the league in this category in each of the past two years.

Hookers Win "C" Division Regular Season Title
Danna Scores Four Goals to Lead Hookers Past Shucks

April 8, 2008 - The Las Vegas Hookers held off Shucks 10-8 to win their third consecutive "C" division regular season title. Chris Danna scored four goals and Rob Sayer added two to lead the Hookers in a penalty-filled match.

Shucks opened the scoring when Scott McCorkle cut across the top of the slot and fired a shot through a screen with thirty seconds left in the first period. The Hookers responded at the start of the second period when Sayer took a pass from Keith Capobianco to score at 19:32. Sayer struck again at 18:54 when he converted a play started by Jameson Peacock.

McCorkle tied the game for Shucks with a shot from the circle at 16:43. Danna scored for the Hookers at 14:02 from Patrick Bailey and Paul Kasztelan, then Scot McCore responded for Shucks to keep the seesaw rocking at 13:28. Danna scored again at 12:40 from Kasztelan to put the Hookers ahead again. With the ice tipping in their favor, the Hookers stepped up the pressure. Defender John Rauch cruised down the slot for a goal at 10:45 followed by fellow defender Todd Brautigam who scored unassised at 9:30 to put the Hookers ahead 6-3. Ryan Laroche scored for Shucks to slow things down at 7:59. Then the game was interrupted by an altercation that saw play stop for more than five minutes.

Hookers forward Kasztelan got into a verbal scrap with a Shucks forward that led to a minor penalty call for unsportsmanlike. But with the Shucks player circling after the call, Kasztelan continued jawing. Matters escalated when Kasztelan and an official exchanged words. In the end, Kasztelan was sent to the dressing room and the Hookers were forced to kill both a minor and a major penalty. Despite being down a player, Danna shocked Shucks by completing his hattrick at 3:10 unassisted. But Shucks managed a powerplay goal from Evan Zucker to close the period 7-5 in favor of the Hookers.

The Hookers killed off the rest of Kasztelan's penalty to open the third period. Matthew Wurm picked up a rebound from Capobianco to score for the Hookers at 10:57. But just when it looked like the Hookers might escape, they ran afoul of the referees again. Cary Snider was whistled for slashing at 7:01. Tim Mitchell became the third Hooker defender to score in the match at 5:48 unassisted while shorthanded to give his team a 9-5 lead.

But then Peacock was sent off for hooking at at 5:20 leaving the Hookers two men short. The Hookers killed the first penalty, but just as Snider came out of the box, Bailey was sent in for slashing at 4:42. Given a second chance with a two man advantage, Shucks scored again at 3:40. Matthew Wurm was then send off for the Hookers at 2:21 for tripping, allowing Shucks to score again at 2:19. The Hookers responded immediately at 2:00 with Danna getting his fourth goal of the ame, then Shucks managed one more powerplay goal at 1:41 to close out the scoring.

Notes: The Hookers closed the "C" division regular season with a seven point lead over second place Shucks and a record of 25-2-1. The Hookers have finished at the top of the "C" division regular season standings in each of the past three years. The Hookers won 15 Monday games in a row on their way to the title. They finished with the most goals scored and the fewest goals against in the division. Danna scored his second consecutive hattrick and added a goal for good measure. He now has 16 goals in just 17 games played. Sayer needs three goals to reach 50. Penalties were 8-3 in favor of Shucks. Kasztelan will serve a two game suspension for his antics. The "C" division play-offs start next week. The Hookers have two regular season games remaining in the "B" division. They face first place Royal Frogs this Thursday.

Hookers Knock Off Kilroys
Kasztelan, Capobianco, and Danna Score Hattricks

April 4, 2008 - The Las Vegas Hookers defeated Kilroys by a score of 13-2 in Thursday night hockey action. Paul Kasztelan, Keith Capobianco, and Chris Danna scored three goals apiece to lead the Hookers in a game marred by an incident that saw two-time MVP Mike Reed leave with an injury.

Kasztelan, back in the line-up after long absence, wasted no time getting back into the swing of things. Last year's leading scorer snapped the game's first goal past Kilroys' goalie MIke Hamilton at 17:45 unassisted. Kasztelan scored again at the end of the same shift at 15:57 with help from Ryan Hoffman. Then Kasztelan completed the natural hattrick (three goals in a row by the same player) at 11:20 on a play created by Danna and Josh Hoover.

Mike Reed made a smart drop-pass that misdirected the Kilroys defense and allowed Todd Brautigam to score with a wrist shot at 10:05. But minutes later Reed was injured on play in which Kilroys' Ron Ericksen, twice the size as the Hooker, grabbed him from behind and fell onto his legs. Reed left the game with an lower leg injury and Ericksen picked up a minor penalty for holding. The Hookers scored immediately on the powerplay with Danna ripping a shot into the net at 8:21 from Keith Capobianco and Brautigam. Kilroys managed one goal in the period when Matt Lendell cruised in on an odd-man break with 20 seconds left in the period.

The Hookes continued to dominate in the second period with Danna cruising in alone to score his second goal of the night at 14:41. But just when it looked like the Hookers might enjoy two natural hattricks, Capobianco interrupted the party by converting a pass from Danna and Kasztelan at 13:26.

Hookers goalie Tom Brown came up with a big save midway through the period when he stoned Jay Mercer with glove save while prone on the ice. But Mercer managed to score Kilroys' final goal moments later at 10:09 with Brautigam off for hooking. The Hookers recovered and Capobianco made a bid for his own natural hattrick when he scored again at 3:36, but Danna returned the favor by breaking up the party with his third goal of the night with 29 seconds left in the second period. Rob Sayer picked up the assist.

Leading 9-2 to start the third period, Hoffman converted a pass from Tim Mitchell at 13:28 to increase the Hookers' lead. Hoover jumped into the attack from his defensive position to score at 4:16 from Hoffman. Brown neatly swatted away Kilroys' last serious threat at the seven minute mark with a deflection off the handle of his goal stick on a shot that had the upper corner of the net labeled. Then Capobianco closed the scoring with his third goal at 3:20 from Danna and Kasztelan.

Notes: The line of Kasztelan, Danna, and Capobianco displayed instant chemistry. All three players scored three goals each. Capobianco's three goals and one assist enabled him to surpass the 100 point plateau with a club leading 61 goals and 101 points. Capobianco has scored better than 1.5 goals per game this season. Kasztelan has played in just 8 games, but scored 18 goals for a 2 goals per game average. Reed left the game before he could score a goal, leaving him one short of 50. His assist moved him within three points of 100. Reed had an MRI done on his ankle. Preliminary reports are no break, but final physician review is pending.

Hookers Extiguish Fire
Capobianco Scores Five Goals to Close in on 100 Points

April 1, 2008 - The Las Vegas Hookers defeated the Fire by a score of 11-4 in Monday night "C" league action. Keith Capobianco scored five goals to lead the Hookers. The Hookers are in first place with a record of 24-2-1 in Monday night play (34-10-1 overall.)

The Hookers scored first when Capobianco combined with Mike Reed to set up Rob Sayer just thirteen seconds into the first period. The Fire responded when Mike Sullivan was allowed to break down the wing for a slapshot from the bottom of the circle that squeezed through goalie Tom Brown's pads at 18:26. The teams exchanged chances for the next ten minutes before Cary Snider scored from in front of the Fire net on a play composed by Capobianco and Todd Brautigam. The Fire, playing with several new players as did Desert Ice last week, managed to answer at 6:14 with Steve Alberts breaking in for a slapshot from ten feet out. But Capobianco put the Hookers back in front by a score of 3-2 with a goal at 1:04 to close the period. Sayer picked up the assist.

The second period was all Hookers. Patrick Bailey, who had been in a season long slump, scored in his fourth consecutive game at 12:36 from Brautigam and Reed. Josh Hoover scored what would be the game winner at 8:17 unassisted. Reed took a pass from Brautigam and fired in a goal at 4:15. Then Capobianco scored his second goal of the night at 3:19 from Sayer and Reed to close the set at 7-2.

With the Hookers coasting, the Fire managed to fight back midway through the third period when Mike Sullivan snuck in for two quick goals. His first shot at 8:36 snuck through a screen. His second also found it's way through several players at 8:20. But Capobianco got the Hookers back on track with his third goal of the night at 7:47 from Reed and Brautigam, followed by another goal at 6:59 from Tim Mitchell and Snider. Sayer scored at 5:14 from Chris Danna and John Rauch. Then Capobianco ended the scoring with his fifth goal unassisted at 2:40.

Notes: Penalties were 6-4 in favor of the Fire. Capobianco leads all Hookers with 58 goals and 97 points. He should reach the 100 point mark for the second consecutive season. Reed is also closing in on the 100 point mark. He has scored 100 points in each of the past two seasons. Sayer needs five goals to reach 50. The Hookers have allowed just 77 goals in Monday night play.

Hookers Crush Ice
Danna, Bailey, Brautigam, and Sayer Score Two Each

March 25, 2008 - The Las Vegas Hookers defeated Desert Ice by a score of 13-3 in Monday night hockey action. Chris Danna scored two goals and two assists while Patrick Bailey, Todd Brautigam, and Rob Sayer added two goals each to lead the Hookers. The win combined with Shucks' loss to third place Vagrants increased the Hookers' first place lead to three points.

Desert Ice started the game with several new players in hopes of reversing their season long losing streak against the Hookers. It looked like they might get their wish when Osama Bin Laden's shot from the circle found the corner of the Hookers' goal at 18:15 of the first period. The desert men continued to threaten until Bailey finished a play set up by Sayer at 10:35 to even the score for the Hookers. Brautigam gave the Hookers the lead a minute later when rushed end-to-end to score unassisted at 9:20. Ryan Hoffman took a pass from Danna and Brautigam to rip a shot past Desert Ice goalie Gianno Buonaguro at 7:38. Then Danna scored the first of his two goals and the eventual game winner at 2:55 with an assist by Hoffman.

Jeff Verani got Desert Ice on the board in the second period when he scored unassisted at 12:19 to pull his club within 4-2. But Danna struck again with a quick shot off a pass from Josh Hoover at 7:35 to restore the Hookers' three goal lead. The Hookers got a scare with three minutes left in the period when Verani fired a high slap shot from in close that caught goalie Tom Brown under his mask near the neck. Brown shook off the injury and continued in goal. When play resumed, Hoover continued to act as the play maker setting up Sayer for a goal at 1:33 then doing it again at the thirty second mark to to give Sayer his 44th goal of the year and end the period with a 7-2 Hookers lead.

The teams played even through the first nine minutes of the third period until Cary Snider scored on one of his patented deflections on a point shot by Jameson Peacock at 11:04. It was Snider's 38th goal of the year. Brautigam scored his second goal of the night at 10:00 from Bailey. The Hookers captain scored his second goal of the night at 8:40 unassisted. It was Bailey's 18th goal of the season. Mike Reed added to his team leading point total when he scored on a pass from Hoffman at 5:50. Desert Ice managed one more goal when after Brown came up with two consecutive pad saves, the Hookers failed to clear allowing Verani to rip a shot at 2:11. But Hoover responded immediately with a goal at 1:27 from Matt Wurm and Peacock. Then Wurm finished the scoring for the Hookers with a tip-in goal with just 18 ticks left on the clock. Danna picked up the assist.

Notes: The Hookers played without three starters including leading goal scorer Keith Capobianco who was a healthy scratch. Brown won his 31st game of the season despite battling the flu and being injured in the second period. After the game the injury was found to be a baseball-size contusion on the collar bone with a one inch cut. The Hookers face the Hawks in a key "B" division match on Thursday night at 10:00 PM. The Hookers give a shout-out to their fans in Korea led by Kim Young Do.

Hookers Ground Flyers
Sayer Scores Three Goals to Lead Hookers

March 18, 2008 - The Las Vegas Hookers defeated the Flyers by a score o 9-1 in Monday night "C" league action. Rob Sayer scored a hattrick and Cary Snider added two goals to lead the Hookers.

The Hookers wasted no time asserting their dominance over the last place Flyers. Mike Reed scored just 32 seconds into play when he took a pass from Sayer and Keith Capobianco, then fired a shot past Flyers goalie Micah Sanford. The Hookers kept the Flyers penned in their own zone for the next ten minutes resulting in Sayer's first goal of the night at 13:50. Todd Brautigam and John Rauch picked up assists. But some haphazard back-checking allowed the Flyers to draw within one goal when Jared Harvick was allowed to jump on a rebound to score at 9:41. Cary Snider restored the Hookers' two goal margin with a tally at 8:18 with help from Patrick Bailey.

Leading 3-1 to start the second period, the Hookers got off to another fast start with Sayer notching his second goal at 18:56. Reed and Capobianco picked up assists on the play. Matthew Wurm, playing his second game since being called up on a try-out basis, scored his first goal as a Hooker when he pounced on a loose puck and front and fired it past Sanford at 13:56. Bailey and Tim Mitchell got the assists.

Snider made it 5-1 when he deflected Rauch's shot from the point at 8:57. Sayer picked up the other assist. The Flyers reacted with a brief spark of offense, but Hooker goalie Tom Brown snuffed a rush by Harvick, then kicked the puck out to Brautigam who went end to end to score at 8:57.

The third period was all Hookers with Sayer getting his third goal at 12:30 from Wurm and Brautigam at 12:30.The Hookers settled into a game of keep-away for much of the period, before Bailey closed out the scoring with an unassisted goal at 3:23 to make it 9-1 in favor of the Hookers.

Notes: Sayer's five point game raised his season totals to 43 goals and 79 points. Reed's goal and assist keep him one point ahead of Capobianco with 89 points. All three Hookers forwards appear destined to top the 100 point plateau this season. Brown just missed a shut-out by allowing just one goal for the fourth time this season. He has six regular season shut-outs plus one tournament shut-out. Brown also picked up his second assist in as many games thanks in large part to Brautigam's ability to rush the puck.

Hookers Chase Vagrants
Kasztelan, Capobianco, and Sayer Lead Hooker Attack

March 11, 2008 - The Las Vegas Hookers cruised past the Vagrants by a score of 12-2 in Monday night "C" league action. Paul Kasztelan scored three goals and an assist to lead the Hookers. Keith Capobianco and Rob Sayer each contributed two goals and two assists as the Hookers scored their 31st win of the season.

Capobianco got the Hookers on the board first when he took a pass from Sayer to score at 14:29. But with Matthew Wurm, playing in his first game as a Hooker on a try-out basis, was nailed for tripping at 10:35 allowing the Vagrants to even the score. Tony Cassollo redirected Matt Levin's shot from the point past Hooker goalie Tom Brown at 9:55.

The Hookers answered immediately with Capobianco taking a feed from Mike Reed to score at 8:18. Kasztelan scored the first of his three goals a minute later when he broke in alone to fire a shot past goalie Sean Mullaney at 7:06. Last year's scoring champion Kasztelan wasted no time doubling his tally when he took a pass from Tim Mitchell to score again at 5:33. Chris Danna knocked in a pass from John Rauch at 3:20 to give the Hookers a comfortable 5-1 lead heading into the second period.

Cary Snider got things going again in the second set with his 36th goal of the year from Rauch at 16:48. Sayer scored his second goal of the night at 14:40 with assists from Capobianco and Mitchell. Then the Vagrants caught a break when Trey Goetheter's centering pass from behind the net deflected off Brown's goalie stick and into the net at 12:50 to make it 7-2. But the Hookers were far from finished. Todd Brautigam took a feed from Rauch to score his 27th goal of the season at 10:20. Mike Reed added to his club leading point total when he finished a play set up by Capobianco and Sayer at 6:59. Then Josh Hoover closed out the period with a goal at 4:47 from Katztelan and Brautigam.

The Hookers added two more goals in the third period. Sayer buzzed through the Vagrants' defense to score at 13:06 on a play created by Capobianco and Reed. Then Kasztelan ended the game by completing his hattrick at 2:35 with help from Patrick Bailey and Damon Hall.

Notes: Kasztelan has 15 goals in seven games. With 19 games remaining on the schedule, Kasztelan may be aiming at repeating his feat of 2006 when he scored 63 goals in 23 games. Capobianco leads all Hookers in goal scoring this season with 54. Reed's goal and two assists added to his club leading point total of 87. Despite giving up a bad deflection in the second period, Brown continued to play well in the Hookers' goal. His Monday night goals against average is a league leading 2.87. The Hookers have allowed half as many goals as the second best club. Penalties were 3-6 in favor of the Vagrants. The win keeps the Hookers in first place in the "C" division with a record of 21-2-1 (31-9-1 overall.)

Frogs Lick Hookers
Vahmistrovs Four Goals Give Hookers Warts

March 7, 2008 - The Las Vegas Hookers were defeated by Royal Frogs by a score of 4-1 in a clash of the top two teams in the Thursday night "B" league. Sergei Vahmistrovs scored all four goals to lead the Frogs. Mike Reed picked up the Hookers' lone goal.

The Frogs got off to a fast start, penning the Hookers in their own end during the first two shifts of the opening period. The Hookers finally managed to break free, but a turn-over at the other end allowed Doug Stone to get the puck to a streaking Vahmistrovs. Hookers goalie Tom Brown came out to cut the angle, but Vahmistrovs' shot deflected off the trapper for the first goal of the game at 17:26.

Vahmistrovs scored the Frogs' second goal at 11:25 on a play set up by Chris Crotty. Then Vahmistrovs completed his hattrick when he beat the Hookers' defense to a rebound of a long shot by Jason Allen and sent his own slapshot off the left pad of Brown at 5:33.

The Hookers had two opportunities to get back into the game on the powerplay in the first period. Kody Youngs was sent off at 7:43 for interference, then Jay Polar was tagged for holding. But the Frogs penalty killers held firm.

The Hookers picked up steam in the second period largely on the strength of a series penalties. The Frogs were whistled for four penalties to the Hookers' two during the period, allowing the Hookers ample time in the attack zone. Twice they managed to get the puck behind Frogs goalie Gianno Buonaguro, but both plays were ruled "no-goal." Brown made twelve saves at the other end to hold the Frogs at bay until Mike Reed finally got the Hookers on the board with an unassisted goal at 1:02.

Buoyed by the late goal, the Hookers came out flying in the third period. The line of Mike Reed, Keith Capobianco, and Rob Sayer finally managed to get the Frogs back on their heels. As a result of the pressure, the Frogs once again found themselves shorthanded with successive hooking minors to Allen and Paul Muniz. Hooker Ryan Hoffman nearly took advantage with a blistering shot from the wing that dinged off the far post and out of play. But the Hookers' momentum seemed to end when Cary Snider laid a hit on Allen in the Hookers defensive end resulting in a double minor.

The Hookers killed the first three minutes of the penalty, but Vahmistrovs' shot through a screen with thirty seconds left in the advantage clipped Brown's shoulder and went in to make it a 4-1 game at 4:03. Muniz picked up the assist.

Things got rough over the final four minutes of play with seven penalties assessed to the clubs including two roughing calls and two misconducts. The Hookers came out on the short end of the calls and were forced to play the balance of the game a man down, effectively ending any hope of a comeback.

Notes: The loss was just the second for the Hookers in 2008. It ended a six game winning streak. The Hookers are now 10-7 in "B" league play (30-9-1 overall.) A win by the Hawks over Shucks lifted them into a tie with the Hookers for second place in the "B" league. The teams meet on Thursday March 27. The Hookers get a rematch with the Frogs on April 10. Reed's goal was his 44th of the season. He has a club leading 82 points. Last season's top scorer, Paul Kasztelan, dressed for the Hookers.

Las Vegas Hookers Beat Shucks to Lead League
Capobianco Hattricks for 51st Goal to Pace Hookers

March 4, 2008 - The Las Vegas Hookers moved into first place in the
"C" league with a convincing 9-4 victory over Shucks on Monday night. Keith Capobianco led the way with three goals and three assists to surpass the 50 goal mark for the second consecutive season.

In a match between teams separated by just one point in the standings, the Hookers made their intentions clear immediately. Ryan Hoffman slammed in a shot at 17:18 of the first period to give the Hookers a 1-0 lead. Damon Hall picked up the assist. The Hookers applied a smothering fore check that prevented Shucks from generating any offense. The pressure eventually wore Shucks down, allowing defender Hall to score his first goal of the season at 6:50 thanks to a set up by Rob Sayer and Mike Reed.

With Shucks still reeling, Reed clocked in with his 44th goal of the season at 3:27 from Sayer and Capobianco. Just over a minute later, Capobianco scored his first goal of the evening thanks to some solid play making by defenders Tim Mitchell and Hall. Then Patrick Bailey slipped in for a solo effort with just 31 seconds left in the period to make it 5-0 in favor of the Hookers.

The Hookers continued to press the attack in the second period. Sayer picked up his 38th goal of the season on the powerplay at 13:20 after taking a pass from Capobianco and Reed. Capobianco broke free for an unassisted goal at 8:08 to up the ante to 7-0 in favor of the Hookers. It was his 50th goal of the year. Then Travis Roseberry finally cracked the Hookers' defense and ended goalie Tom Brown's shut-out streak at 184:54 minutes with a goal from the right circle at 6:17 to end the period with the score at 7-1.

The Hookers cruised in the third period with Capobianco netting his third goal of the night at 11:31 to reach 51 on the season. Chris Dana capped the Hookers' side of the scoresheet with his fifth goal of the year at 4:41 from Bailey and Capobianco to make it 9-1. With the clock running down, the Hookers relaxed allowing Shucks to score three quick goals. Bill Muller scored through a screen at 3:00, followed by Roseberry on a scramble in front at 1:50. Muller picked up Shucks' final goal at 1:37 with a slapshot through another screen. Brown called time-out to settle his club for the final minute of play.

Notes: Capobianco is just the second Hooker to score 50 or more goals in consecutive seasons. Paul Kasztelan is the other. Mike Reed is the only other Hooker to score more than 50 goals in a season with 61 in 2006. Sayer's goal and two assists raised his season total to 70. Reed leads the club with 85 points followed by Capobianco with 81. Brown's shut-out streak stretched across four games to set a new club record. Josh Hoover missed the game due to injury and Cary Snider was a healthy scratch. The Hookers play Royal Frogs on Thursday at 8:00 PM in another game for first place. This time it is the "B" league lead on the line.

Las Vegas Hookers Snuff Fire 14-0
Brown Goes Double 0, Capobianco and Snider Triple

February 26, 2008 - The Las Vegas Hookers won their fifth straight game, defeating the Fire 17-0 in Monday night "C" league action. It was the Hookes second straight shut-out, giving Brown six on the season. Keith Capobianco and Cary Snider scored three goals each to lead the Hookers (19-2-1 "C" division, 29-8-1 overall.)

Capobianco got the Hookers rolling just five minutes into the game when he scored on a pass from John Rauch. Rob Sayer scored an unassisted goal at 12:20 to give the Hookers a two goal lead. Snider made it 3-0 when he deflected a shot by Sayer at 10:14. Todd Brautigam got the other assist. Then Snider struck again at 5:07 thanks to another set up by Sayer and Brautigam. The Fire finally broke out of their own end and got a shot on goal at 3:35, but Brown easily turned it aside. Tim Mitchell closed out the first period scoring with his second goal in as many games at 1:49. Ryan Hoffman was credited with the assist.

After playing keep-away for about ten minutes in the second period, Mike Reed scored unassisted for the Hookers at 10:03. It was Reed's 43rd goal of the season. Sayer followed up with another solo effort at 5:36, then Chris Danna did the same at 4:26. Josh Hoover finished the period by knocking in a rebound on a play created by Reed and Rauch at 1:35 to make it 9-0 in favor of the Hookers.

Snider opened the third period by completing his hattrick with a powerplay goal at 14:01 from Danna and Sayer. It was Snider's 35th goal of the season. Brautigam took a pass from Reed to score at 13:00. Danna scored his second goal of the night at 9:27 thanks to a pass from Sayer. Then Capobianco added a set of bookends with two goals to close out the scoring. The first came at 4:35 from Reed and Hoover. The second came at 1:18 unassisted. Capobianco's hattrick gave him 48 goals for the season.

Notes: The shut-out was the Hookers' second in a row. Brown faced just ten shots on the way to his sixth shut-out in league play. He has seven white-washes this year including one in tournament play. Capobianco needs just two goals to become only the second Hooker to score 50 or more goals in consecutive seasons. Reed's goal and two assists gave him 81 points. Reed is on course to score more than 100 points for his third consecutive season. The Hookers play two big games next week. On Monday they face-off against Shucks at 9:30 PM. A win moves the Hookers one point over Shucks into first place in the "C" league. On Thursday at 8:30 PM the Hookers take on the Royal Frogs. A win ties the Hookers with the Frogs for first place in the "B" league.

Las Vegas Hookers Goose Kilroys
Brown Stops 31 Shots to Collect Fifth Goose Egg

February 22, 2008 - The Las Vegas Hookers defeated Kilroys 7-0 in Thursday night "B" league hockey action. Keith Capobianco scored two goals and Tom Brown stopped 31 shots to earn the shut-out.

The Hookers got off to a slow start, showing the effects of a nine day lay-off over the Valentine/President's Day break. But Kilroys came out fast, pouring fifteen shots on goal in the first period. Brown came up with several big saves early to buy his club time to get their rhythm. Rob Sayer finally got the Hookers kick-started with the first goal of the game at 4:30 with an assist from Todd Brautigam.

The action continued to go end-to-end in the second period, but only Capobianco was able to score, collecting his 44th goal of the season at 15:31. Jay Mercer had Kilroys' best chance at 6:30 when the big Canadian forward cruised in alone down the wing and fired a shot that glanced off Brown's blocker before hitting the far post and careening safely into the corner boards. Brown survived a scare with four minutes to go in the period when a shot ricocheted through traffic and trickled toward the line behind him. But just as he reached back with his stick, the long arm of defender Tim Mitchell reached around to pull the puck safely out of harm's way.

Protecting a 2-0 lead entering the third period, the Hookers turned up the pressure with a buzz-saw fore check that kept Kilroys penned in their zone for long stretches. Mitchell made it 3-0 in favor of the Hookers when his "seeing-eye-dog" shot from the point found it's way through a mass of players into the net for an unassisted goal at 12:46. The goal finally broke Kilroys' spirit, leading to an orgy of four additional goals.

Mike Reed scored his 42nd goal of the season at 10:45 thanks to a set-up by Josh Hoover and Patrick Bailey. Capobianco took a feed from Mitchell to notch his 45th goal of the year at 8:06. Hoover helped Brautigam score his 25th goal of the season at 5:18. Then Hoover closed out the scoring with his own goal at 2:49. It was the London, Ontario native's 17th goal of the year. Reed picked up an assist on the play.

Although they gave up five third period goals, Kilroys still managed to threaten the Hookers' shut-out late in the game. Taking advantage of a turn-over in the Hookers' zone, Kilroys managed three quick shots in succession. The third deflected off Brown and was laying dangerously near the post, but a scrambling Rob Sayer dove through the crease to knock the puck away and preserve the white-wash.

Notes: The shut-out was Brown's fifth of the regular season - a new club record. Thanks to a solid defense, the Hooker goalie is enjoying his best season as a Hooker with one additional shut-out in tournament play and three one-goal games. The win improved the Hookers record to 10-6 in "B" league play (28-8-1 overall) and moved them into sole possession of second place over the Hawks. The Hookers are now just two points behind first place Royal Frogs.

Las Vegas Hookers Trade Bonner
Veteran Forward Moves to Philadelphia

February 15, 2008 - The Las Vegas Hookers announced the trade of forward Mark Bonner to the Philadelphia Phury of the PGHA (Philadelphia Gay Hockey Association - Google it, I'm not making this up.) The Hookers received a bag of pucks and a reach-around in the deal.

Bonner appeared in 105 regular season games for the Hookers. He scored 70 goals and 89 assists for 159 career points, while being whistled for a ladylike 5 minor penalties. Bonner also played goalie in three games, allowing 14 goals for two wins and an overtime loss.

Bonner joined the Hookers at the trade deadline in 2006, just in time to help the club win "B" and "C" league regular season titles. He also contributed to last year's league and national championships. Bonner was named the club's 2007 Most Improved Player.

Las Vegas Hookers Crunch Ice
Snider and Capobianco Score Three Goals Apiece

February 12, 2008 - The Las Vegas Hookers defeated Desert Ice 12-5 in Monday night "C" league hockey action. Cary Snider and Keith Capobianco scored three goals each to lead the Hookers.

Early in the first period the Hookers looked like they were suffering a hang-over from their gritty Thursday night victory over the Hawks. The Hookers defense got caught pinching twice resulting in odd-man breaks. Goalie Tom Brown erased the mistakes with two big saves including a nifty two pad stack, allowing the Hookers time to get organized.

Todd Brautigam got the Hookers on the board with back-to-back goals. His first came at 12:30 on a set-up by Snider and his second came at 11:30 thanks to a pass from Josh Hoover. Snider struck for his first goal of the night unassisted at 4:20 to give the Hookers a 3-0 lead heading into the break.

The Hookers continued to press the attack in the second period. Mike Reed deflected a Tim Mitchell shot just one minute into the period. Capobianco scored his first goal of the evening at 17:30 with help from Brautigam. Half a minute later Snider broke in alone to score his second unassisted goal. Then Capobianco pumped in his second tally at 10:45 on a play set up by Reed.

Brown saw his shut-out ruined at 10:17 when the Hookers turned over the puck at the top of the slot with nobody supporting the puck carrier. Jeff Prince cruised straight down the pipe and fired a shot into the left corner to put the Ice on the board. Capobianco answered less than a minute later with an unassisted goal to complete his hat trick at 9:40. Reed completed a play from Capobianco and Mark Bonner at 8:45 for his second goal of the night. But another turn-over, this time a Hooker trying to enter the Ice zone through two defenders with his entire team held up at the line, resulted in a break that allowed Kyle Gohres to score at 3:10.

The Hookers opened the third period with at 9-2 lead. Snider added to it with his third goal at 13:27. This time he finally accepted some assistance from Hoover. But lose play in the neutral zone allowed Desert Ice, whose sole offensive threat consists of leaving a forward hanging at center ice in hopes of a lucky break, to score three third period goals.

John Odoms was allowed to break in alone at 10:10. Then Prince was allowed to swoop in on an odd-man break at 6:30. Chris Danna managed break up the party briefly with a goal for the Hookers at 2:30, but Prince was allowed to finish his hat trick on yet another solo break 1:34. Bonner, playing his final game as a Hooker, scored the last goal of the evening with an assist from Reed with just 45 seconds left in the match.

Notes: Although the Hookers scored 12 goals, anyone scouting the club could easily see how to beat them. One need only take advantage of the Hookers' tendency to rush defenders too often, leaving their backside exposed. The Hookers will need to address their lackadaisical positional play if they are to seriously challenge down the stretch.

Las Vegas Hookers End Hawks Streak
Hoffman Scores Twice to Lead Disciplined Hookers

February 8, 2008 - The Las Vegas Hookers defeated the Hawks 4-3 in Thursday night "B" league action. The Hookers' win ended a seven game winning streak for the Hawks. Ryan Hoffman scored two goals including the game winner for the Hookers.

The Hookers entered the game two points behind the Hawks in the standings. Missing several regular starters for the match, the Hookers had to come up with a plan to shut down the high scoring Hawks offense. The plan worked well for the first nine minutes of play, but a holding call against Rob Sayer gave the Hawks a chance to foil the strategy on the power play. Forty five seconds into the advantage, the Hawks broke into the Hooker zone 3-on-2. Goalie Tom Brown stopped the initial shot, but faced two Hawks forwards on the rebound. Jay Cohen snapped the puck past Brown to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead at 11:16 of the first period.

The Hookers tried to shrug off the goal, but another penalty, this time to Cary Snider for cross checking, forced them back on their heels again. The Hookers killed the penalty, but three minutes later Cohen struck again when he turned a defender and snuck a shot through the five-hole from the bottom of the circle at 2:43.

Hoffman got the Hookers on the board early in the second period with a solo effort at 16:46 to make it a 2-1 game. Brown came up with a save on a break-away at the 13 minute mark, but the Hookers got caught flat at the Hawks line a minute later allowing Russ Nenton to break in alone for a shot that slipped through Brown's pads at 11:44. After giving up two breaks, the Hookers' defense shut down the neutral zone, allowing Todd Brautigam a chance to return the favor by streaking in on the Hawks net for a goal at 4:19 to pull the Hookers within one.

The Hookers finally got everyone to stick to the game plan in the third period. Their tactics kept the Hawks penned in their own zone much of the period, eventually resulting in a 5-on-3 powerplay when Cory Siefred was nabbed for Hooking followed by Landon Heinz getting called for tripping. The Hawks managed to kill the penalties, but the effort wore them down leading to Mike Reed's goal at 8:20. Josh Hoover picked up an assist on the play.

With the game tied at 3, the Hookers continued to force the Hawks back deep in their own zone with a determined fore check. The Hawks tried to break the blockade by double shifting their top line at the four minute mark, but the plan backfired when Jim Cizdziel got the puck to Mark Bonner who in turn got past a tired group of Hawks defenders for a pass to Hoffman. The Hookers forward banged a shot past Hawks goalie Mike Katz at 2:43 to give his club a 4-3 lead. The Hookers did a fine job killing the clock for the remainder of the match with Snider tying up the puck deep in the Hawks end on two successive plays.

Notes: The win gives the Hookers a 9-6 record (26-8-1 overall.) The Hookers are tied with Hawks with 18 points, but hold a game in hand and an advantage in head-to-head play. The win also moves the Hookers within two points of first place Royal Frogs. Strange but true: Although they led the league in scoring last year, the Hookers have scored the fewest goals (92) of any "B" league team this season. Fortunately, the Hookers have allowed the second fewest goals in the "B" league (77.) The club has allowed the fewest goals on Monday night by more than thirty goals. The Hookers play Desert Ice on Monday night before taking a week off. They resume play on Thursday February 21 with a match against Kilroys.

Las Vegas Hookers Ground Flyers
Capobianco Scores Two in a Hurry to Lead Hookers

February 5, 2008 - The Las Vegas Hookers defeated last place Flyers 7-1 in Monday night hockey action. Keith Capobianco scored two goals including the game winner to lead the Hookers. The win advances the Hookers' Monday night record to 17-2-1 (25-8-1 overall.)

Capobianco opened the scoring for the Hookers just ten seconds into the first period when he finished a quick passing play set up by Mark Bonner and Mike Reed off the opening face-off. At ten seconds, Capobianco's goal was the second fastest in Hookers history (tied with Paul Kasztelan.) Todd Brautigam holds the mark for the fastest goal at seven seconds.

Capobianco doubled the Hookers' lead of the ensuing face-off when he combined with Bonner and Reed again to score at 18:40. The Hookers settled into the Flyers' zone for the remainder of the period, scoring three more goals before the intermission. Cary Snider knocked in the Hookers' third goal at 13:01 with an assist from Reed. Bonner snapped in a shot at 10:45 thanks to a pass from John Rauch. Then Chris Danna made it 5-0 with just ten seconds left in the period. Brautigam and Bonner picked up assists.

Hookers' goalie Tom Brown saw his bid for a league leading fifth shut-out evaporate at 19:30 of the second period when Rauch allowed two Flyers to get the jump on him resulting in a two-on-none in the Hookers' zone. The Flyers' Jared Harvick streaked down the wing and faked a shot to pull Brown out on the angle, but the forward slipped a pass across to Greg Manzi who beat Rauch to score into the empty net.

The Hookers shrugged off the goal and continued their assault on the Flyers goal. Their efforts paid off at 7:24 when Reed took a pass from Capobianco and fired a shot past Flyers goalie Micah Sanford.

Bonner closed out the scoring for the Hookers at 14:48 of the third period when he converted a play set up by Rob Sayer. The Flyers managed two more chances, but Brown and the Hookers defense closed the door for a 7-1 victory.

Notes: The Hookers face a tough Hawks club on Thursday night at 8:30 PM in a key "B" division game. The Hawks have a seven game winning streak and are coming off a big 8-5 win over first place Royal Frogs.

Las Vegas Hookers Chase Vagrants
Capobianco Helps Hookers Remain Unbeaten in 2008

January 29, 2008- The Las Vegas Hookers defeated Vagrants 7-2 in Monday night hockey action. Keith Capobianco scored two goals and Mark Bonner added three assists to help the Hookers remain unbeaten in January. Goals came in batches for the Hookers in a rare penalty-free game.

Todd Brautigam opened the scoring less than two minutes into first period play when he finished a play set up by Damon Hall at 18:15. Cary Snider doubled the Hooker lead when he deflected a Tim Mitchell shot from the point two minutes later at 16:16. Bonner picked up the other assist. Then Josh Hoover notched a solo tally when he walked in alone to beat Vagrants' goalie Sean Mullaney at 15:12 to extend the Hooker lead with their third goal in three minutes. The Vagrants managed just one shot on the Hooker goal during the period.

The Vagrants got a glimmer of hope at 16:10 of the second period when the Hookers offense left their own zone ahead of the play, leaving the defense to face a 4-on-2. Trey Gethofer took advantage to bang in a goal off the right pad of Hooker goalie Tom Brown drawing his club within two goals.

But the Vagrants' hope was short-lived as Capobianco scored his first goal of the night at 14:15. The high-scoring Hooker forward cruised across the crease just in time to knock in Bonner's pass to make it 4-1 in favor of the Hookers. Defenseman John Rauch picked up a goal when his point shot deflected off a Vagrant in front of Mullaney and found twine at 13:15. Then Rob Sayer scored the Hookers' third goal in less than three minutes when he converted a pass from Hoover at 12:12 to make it 6-1 in favor of the Hookers.

Another premature evacuation by the Hookers' offense allowed the Vagrants a measure of dignity midway through the third period when David Sazer grabbed a turn-over and fired in a shot through a screen at 13:09 to make it a 6-2 game. But Capobianco ended all hope for the Vagrants when he roofed a shot from the crease off a set-up by Bonner at 9:17 to close out the scoring at 7-2.

Notes: The win improves the Hookers' Monday night record to 16-2-1 (24-7-1 overall.) The Hookers defensive corps of Brautigam, Mitchell, Hall, Rauch, and Jameson Peacock turned in another sterling performance. By allowing just two goals the Hookers improved their goals against average to a league leading 2.89 on Monday night. The league norm is greater than four goals per game. The Hookers have a nine game unbeaten streak going back to mid-December and are 7-0 in January. They close out the month against Shucks at 8:30 PM on Thursday night.

Las Vegas Hookers Shell Shucks
Seven Hookers Score to Tighten Division Race

January 22, 2008- The Las Vegas Hookers defeated Shucks 7-3 in Monday night hockey action. Seven different players scored to help the Hookers draw within one point of first place Shucks.

The Hookers got off to a shaky start by taking three first period penalties. The team managed to kill the first two powerplays, but Travis Roseberry slapped a shot past Hooker goalie Tom Brown during the the third with 1:30 remaining in the first period to give Shucks a 1-0 lead.

The Hookers turned up the pressure early in the second period with Paul Kasztelan roofing a shot from just outside the crease to even the score at 16:30. Mike Reed picked up the assist. Keith Capobianco followed up with the go-ahead goal for the Hookers at 13:52 on a nice pass from Josh Hoover. Then the Hooker defense took over to kill two more penalties and keep Shucks off the board for the remainder of the period.

Shucks drew within one goal at 9:51 of the third period when Roseberry's shot through a screen clipped a defender and deflected past Brown to make it 3-2. Then Brown saw his solid play of the first two periods go for naught when he mishandled a dump-in and saw the puck slip under his glove at 8:49 to tie the score.

But the Hookers rallied two minutes later when Mark Bonner scored the game winner on a play from Todd Brautigam at 6:43. Rob Sayer added insurance at 3:27 on a play created by Patrick Bailey and Chris Danna. Shucks forced the play after the face-off, but Bailey snagged the puck and skated in unassisted to give the Hookers a three goal cushion at 2:43.

Shucks pulled their goalie and mounted serious pressure forcing Brown to make several point-blank saves to protect the lead. With the clock ticking down Brautigam pulled down a player in front and was whistled for tripping at 1:20. But the Hookers not only killed the penalty, but managed to spring Cary Snider free for an empty net goal at 36 seconds to seal the victory.

Notes: Penalties were 2-6 in favor of Shucks. The win improves the Hookers' record to 15-2-1 (22-7-1 overall.) The Hookers are unbeaten at 5-0 so far in 2008. The Hookers have allowed just seven goals in their last four Monday night games and lead the division with just 53 allowed so far this season. The Hookers face Shucks again on Thursday night in "B" league action.

Las Vegas Hookers Squash Frogs
Sayer Scores Game Winner, Brown Fights for Victory

January 11, 2008- The Las Vegas Hookers defeated Royal Frogs 4-2 in Thursday night "B" league action. Rob Sayer scored the game winner and goalie Tom Brown made several key saves and dropped the gloves to help draw the Hookers within four points of the division leaders.

Ryan Hoffman opened the scoring for the Hookers when he ripped a shot past Frog goalie Gianno Buonaguro at 17:09 of the first period. Mike Reed and Keith Capobianco picked up assists on the play. The Hookers got two powerplays during the period, but the Frogs killed off both.

Todd Brautigam was sent off at 15:23 of the second period to give the Frogs their first chance with the extra man, but the Hooker defense held firm. Then a parade of Frogs found their way to the sin bin. Five Frog penalties were whistled in a span of eight minutes, but Buonaguro kept his club in the match with several quality saves. The Hookers finally scored on the powerplay at 4:20 when Capobianco converted a play set up by Reed and Jameson Peacock. Sayer followed Capobianco's goal with what would be the game winner at 1:57 of the second period on a set up by Mark Bonner.

The Frogs got another chance on the powerplay with Tim Mitchell off for holding early in the third period, but Brown once again shut the door with some timely saves. Brown's shut-out streak of over five periods came to an end at 10:35 when Jeff Varani's high shot rebounded off the goalie's chest to Jay Pojar who snapped a shot into the corner of the net to make it a 3-1 game.

Rather than build on their momentum, the Frogs' Sergei Vahmiskov lost his composure over a missed hand pass at center ice, resulting in multiple penalties and an ejection. Tempers remained high through the rest of the period. Capobianco was sent off for roughing at 4:12 to give the Frogs another man-advantage, but the Hooker defense killed the penalty with Brown making several big saves including a series with the pads stacked. Once things settled down, Patrick Bailey gave the Hookers some breathing room with an unassisted goal at 1:47 to make it 4-1.

With 1:19 remaining and the Buonaguro off for the extra attacker, Ricardo Adam slashed and hooked Brown in the crease resulting in an altercation that saw players pile up around the goal. Ricardo picked up penalties for slashing and a roughing, while Brown was tagged with roughing. When play resumed Polar managed his second goal of the night for the Frogs, breaking in from the right wing to jam a shot in at the post at 38 seconds, but it was too little too late.

Notes: The Hookers' win moved them into sole possession of second place with a 7-5 record (20-7-1 overall.) The Hookers trail the Frogs by four points, but hold two points over third place Hawks and a six point gap over Shucks. Brown's shut-out streak ran 104 minutes including his white-wash of Desert Ice last Monday.

Las Vegas Hookers Melt Desert Ice
Reed and Sayer Score Two, Brown Picks Up Shut-out

January 8, 2008- The Las Vegas Hookers defeated Desert Ice by a score of 6-0 in Monday night hockey action. Mike Reed scored two goals and added three assist, Rob Sayer scored twice, and goalie Tom Brown picked up the shut-out.

The Hookers opened the scoring at 12:28 of the first period when Rob Sayer stepped up from defense to finish a play set up by Patrick Bailey. Reed scored his first goal of the night at 8:56 thanks to a pass from Keith Capobianco. Brown came up with a big save to keep the score 2-0 when he slid across the crease and stacked his pads to stop a back-door play at the six minute mark.

Reed scored his second goal at 8:48 of the second period by converting a passing play from Bailey and Sayer. Moments later, Capobianco took a pass from Reed to score at 8:03. Sayer scored his second goal with a helper from Reed at 3:25. Then Cary Snider closed out the scoring at 2:15 after taking a pass from Reed to make it 6-0 in favor of the Hookers.

The Hookers continued to apply pressure through the third period, but failed to convert. Brown made two big stops late in the period to preserve his shut-out.

Notes: The shut-out was the club's fifth of the season including one during tournament play. The white-wash sets a new club record. The Hookers have allowed 20 fewer goals than the second ranked defense in the "C" league. They trail only Royal Frogs for lowest goals against in the "B" league. The win improves the Hookers' record to 13-2-1 (19-7-1 overall.) The Hookers face Royal Frogs on Thursday night.

Las Vegas Hookers Open '08 With Win
Hoover and Kasztelan Help Hookers Shell Shucks 9-4

January 4, 2008- The Las Vegas Hookers started the new year with a big win over rival Shucks in Thursday night "B" league action. Josh Hoover and Paul Kasztelan contributed three goals each to lead the Hookers. The win moves the Hookers four points up on third place Shucks and maintains a points tie with the Hawks for second place. The Hookers hold an edge in head-to-head meetings with the Hawks as well as a game in hand.

The Hookers "B" league record improves to 6-5 and their overall record moves to 18-7-1. The Hookers face Desert Ice on Monday night, followed by a "B" league match-up with first place Royal Frogs next Thursday.

Las Vegas Hookers Holiday
Hookers Enter Break in Second Place in "B" and "C"

December 25, 2007 - The Las Vegas Hookers defeated Kilroys 11-5 in Thursday night "B" league action to enter the holiday break on a high note. The Hookers have an overall record of 17-7-1.

The club is in second place in the Monday "C" league with a 12-2-1 record and 25 points. The Hookers are tied with the Hawks for second place in the Thursday "B" league with a 5-5 record and 10 points. The Hookers have a game in hand on the Hawks.

The Hookers lead the "C" league in lowest goals against with just 50. The club is second in the goals against category in the "B" league with 56. The Hookers finished last season on top of both leagues in this important defensive category.

The Hookers get back into action on Thursday January 3 against Shucks. A win moves the Hookers four points up on their rivals.

Hookers Blow Out Fire
Kasztelan Returns With Seven Goals, Sayer Nets Five

November 27, 2007 - The Las Vegas Hookers defeated the Fire by a score of 16-3 in Monday night hockey action. Paul Kasztelan marked his season debut by tying his team record of seven goals. Rob Sayer scored five goals and Cary Snider added three to lead the Hookers. The win improved the Hookers' record to 11-2 (14-6 overall.)

Kasztelan wasted no time making his presence known, scoring his first goal of the season right off the opening face-off at 19:50 of the first period. At ten seconds, it was the second fastest goal in Hookers history. Todd Brautigam holds the record at seven seconds. Keith Capobianco picked up an assist on Kasztelan's goal.

The Fire managed to tie the game at 18:32 when Adam Riccardo knocked in a rebound during a scramble in the Hookers crease. But Sayer responded immediately for the Hookers, scoring off a feed by Snider at 17:29. Snider scored for himself at 11:27 on a set up by defender Damon Hall to make it 3-2 Hookers. Then Sayer notched two more goals to gain his first hattrick as a Hooker. The first came at 10:22 from Snider and the second at 8:21 from Capobianco. The Hookers took a 6-1 lead into the intermission.

Kasztelan opened the second period with his second goal of the night at 18:13 thanks to a play set up by Mark Bonner. The Fire capitalized on another scrum in front of the Hookers' net when Adam White managed to beat goalie Tom Brown on the short side after he had stopped two previous point-blank shots. Sayer scored his fourth goal at 10:52 on a play from Hall and Snider. Snider nabbed a hattrick of his own at 8:32 thanks to a pass from Brautigam. Then Kasztelan went berserk, scoring five goals in a row for a natural quintuplet.

First Kasztelan took a pass from Capobianco and fired it into the net at 7:00 to complete his hattrick. Then the big Hooker forward scored again at 5:20 from Sayer. Kasztelan closed out the period with his fifth goal at 39 seconds.

The third period opened with Kasztelan continuing his rampage with his sixth goal at 14:28 from Bonner and his seventh goal at 13:54 from Capobianco and Bonner. Bonner finally got a goal of his own at 12:58 with help from Capobianco and Kasztelan. Sayer closed the Hookers' side of the score sheet at 9:45 with his fifth goal of the game to give his club a 16-2 lead. With the Hookers sitting back, the Fire managed one more goal at 8:33 from Chris Hertriere to make the final score 16-3.

Notes: Sayer joins a select group of just five Hookers who have scored five or more goals in a single game. Capobianco failed to score, but picked up six assists. Brown has allowed just six goals in his last four "C" league games. The Hookers lead the "C" league in lowest goals against. Kasztelan took the Hookers' only penalty, a tripping call at 14:03 of the second period.

Hookers Win Silver at CHE Tournament
Canadian Hockey Enterprises Fall Adult Tournament

November 20, 2007 - The Las Vegas Hookers took the silver medal at the Canadian Hockey Enterprises Adult Hockey Tournament held in Las Vegas on November 15-17. The Hookers took a depleted line-up into the tournament with three of their top scorers missing some or all of the tournament. After gaining the finals with a 2-1 record in round robin play, the Hookers lost to the Santa Barbara Rasputins in the championship game by a score of 6-2.

Todd Brautigam led the team in scoring during the tournament with six goals followed by Mark Bonner with five goals. Goalie Tom Brown earned a shut-out against Hawaii and allowed just one goal against Sin City. Brautigam, Ryan Hoffman, Mike Reed, and Jameson Peacock were awarded Player of the Game honors during the tournament.

Hookers Melt Desert Ice
Bagger Just Misses Natural Hat Trick

November 21, 2007 - The Las Vegas Hookers defeated Desert Ice 9-1 in Monday night hockey action. Erik Bagger scored two goals in the first period, then just missed scoring a third for a natural hat trick with one second left in the opening period. The win improves the Hookers' record to 9-2 (12-6 overall.) The Hookers are currently in second place in the Monday night "C" league. They lead the division in lowest goals against with just 33 and are second in scoring with 60 goals.

The Hookers are off over the Thanksgiving holiday, but return to action on Monday November 26 at 9:45 PM versus the Fire. The Hookers then take on Shucks in a key "B" league contest. A win pulls the Hookers back into a tie for second place.

Hookers Keep Kilroys Winless
Hoover Scores Two Goals to Lead Hookers

October 5, 2007 - The Las Vegas Hookers defeated Kilroys 6-2 in Thursday night "B" league hockey action. Josh Hoover led the Hookers with two goals and an assist. The "London Knight," has scored two goals in each of his last two games. The win improved the Hookers record to 2-1 (5-2 overall) while Kilroys fell to 0-3.

Hoover got the Hookers on the board first when he broke in to beat Kilroys goalie Mike Hamilton unasisted at 18:14 of the first period. The Hookers continued to press the attack in the Kilroys zone with their finest display of passing of the new season. But Kilroys managed to equalize when Steve Poscente was left alone to redirect a cross-crease pass at 6:08. But with Kilroys' Bud Sweeney off for interference, Todd Brautigam rushed from the defense to the attack to give the Hookers a 2-1 lead with his third goal of the season. Keith Capobianco picked up an assist on the play.

The Hookers extended their lead at 14:08 of the second period when Ryan Hoffman took a feed from Hoover and scored what would be the game winner on a laser shot from the top of the circle. It was Hoffman's first goal as a Hooker. Kilroys took advantage of successive Hooker penalties midway through the period to fight back. First the Hookers killed a hooking penalty to Kerry Snider at 10:42. But the fell 13 seconds short of killing Patrick Bailey's minor for hooking with Todd Owen doing the damage for Kilroys at 4:43.

The Hooker regained control of the game in the third period, when Capobianco took a pass from Hoffman, broke in across the blue line and launched a long shot that evaded Hamilton at 12:47 to extend the Hooker lead to 4-2. It was Capobianco's fourth goal of the season. Hoover netted his second goal of the night and his fifth of the season at 8:34 on a set-up by Brautigam. Bailey notched the final goal of the game at 4:05 when he converted a pass from Rob Sayer for his fourth goal of the year. Hooker goalie Tom Brown shut down any hope of a Kilroys comeback with a nifty glove save at 3:30 that brought Hookers fans to their feet.