By Joseph Krum
Staff Writer
@joseph_krum

The anticipation for what could be the last game of senior associate captain Scott Brownrigg sweats down his forehead and makes butterflies in his stomach. As he skates out onto the ice for warmups, he prepares for his final game in a Coppell uniform.

On Tuesday night, the Coppell Cowboys hockey team faced Frisco for the first playoff game of the year. The Cowboys could not make a shot and were eliminated from the playoffs with a final score of 1-0 at the Frisco Dr. Pepper Center.

The Cowboys had plenty of opportunities to score, a couple being in the last minute of the game, yet Coppell just couldn’t find the back of the net.

Assistant varsity coach Brian Harley thinks the lack of goals for the Cowboys, who average 6.5 goals per game according to hockeyshift.com, was the basics.

“We couldn’t control the puck very well and we weren’t able to make very many passes,” Harley said. “All of our shots just went wide and we just didn’t penetrate.”

Brownrigg also credits his own team for the loss, yet for other reasons.

“Tonight we lacked intensity and a physical presence,” Brownrigg said. “We let them walk around in front of the net and didn’t put a body on them, and so they capitalized on it once and we couldn’t.”

This season has been a roller-coaster of a ride for the Cowboys. After winning 14 out of their first 15 games, they lost four out of the next five after closing the season tied for first place going into the playoffs. And then the season ended in one game for the team.

There were some struggles throughout the season, and Harley thinks there are specific things that the team can improve on going into the next season.

“One of the things we need to work on is communication on the ice,” Harley said. “We have to forget about all the little things we did wrong and just put our heads down and work hard. It’s not necessarily the talent that will win games, yet it’s the work-hard mentality that produces those wins.”

With the loss on Tuesday night, Brownrigg played his last game with those teammates by his side. Throughout his career at Coppell, Brownrigg has not only scored goals, but memories.

“I got coached by some great coaches, I’ve played with some really good kids and I’ve had lots of good memories,” Brownrigg said. “It was great to be part of a team for five years.”