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Transcript from Rockwall Ranger’s Post-Game Press Conference at the Rockwall Center (19-20-2011 after a 2-6 loss on the first game with new ownership).

(General Manager Nicholas Nix)
We played our first game today under Coach Alonso, and we did a lot of things right, but we did a lot of things wrong. Again while we are trying to build this team up again we will find some set backs and taking it one game at a time we will learn from our mistakes and make our way out of the cellar.

Right now, I will let Head Coach Alonso answer some questions.

Q. What was the main reason for today’s loss?
A. First off there was no one reason for today’s loss. We knew going into today’s game that they had a better team, we weren’t fooling ourselves. We wanted to go out their and make an impression and try to get them of balance and we did that somewhat with that first goal in the first period. Just reviewing the stats they out powered us in nearly every detail and we tried to comeback after the second period when where 2-5, but they just got the insurance goal making it 2-6, and there was nothing we could do after that we just lost the heart to comeback.

Q. Do you think using four lines instead of three, hurt any chances for wining.
A. Well, I wouldn’t say it hurt any chance. Our chance to win today was slim, and we wanted to get out their and see what everyone on this team can do so we can decide where we can go from here. If anything hurt us it was our shots-on-goal, not four lines.

Q. Speaking of the number of Shots and Shots-on-Goal, what is the reason for the underperformance from the Rangers?
They just were better than we were in offense tonight 56% in all three periods, and they were able to get in more attempts. We were not able to hold the back defensively as much as we would of liked. But overall I am proud of this team they really didn’t lose heart until after that last goal, but prior to that they were in this game 100%.

Q. How do you account for the number of face-offs lost tonight?
A. I think we had 22 and they had 40, which is what you would expect after knowing the strength of that team.

Q. The Rangers tonight had twice as many penalties as did AtletideMadri, what was the cause for this?
A. Discipline, we were terrible tonight in discipline. If anything, if the other team has got your number you at least need to have discipline, and I am sorry to say we didn’t have that tonight. This is something Assistant Coach Yerno will be trying to iron out for us.

Q. Did you think that Medvedev’s slashing penalty should have been ruled spearing?
A. I think the referee made a call that could have went either way, and I am not going to get into the calls a referee makes on the other team.

Q. In that case was Balsera’s boarding penalty a good call?
If you ask Fran, he would say it was a bad call; he made that clear on the ice. As for me I saw the penalty and it was fair, and we will have to deal with not just the minor penalties, but the major ones like that to get this team disciplined if we plan to get out of the cellar.

Q. How much help did bringing Mimbrero in at the start of the 3rd?
A. It was a great help, we could see that Vicente was starting to get a little flustered and bringing Ramon, helped reinvigorate the team.

Q. Mimbrero had a save percentage of 90% compared to Alvide’s 77%, how can you justify keeping Mimbrero on the bench and letting Alvide start?
A. Well, I have not made a decision on who will be our starter at Goalie yet, but to answer your question simple; Ramon had 10 saves in 1 period compared to Vicente’s 17 in 2 periods. Vicente was just getting tired out there and we pulled him in.

Q. But what about Saura he was out the whole game and he got 17 saves?
A. Saura is a good goalie, but he had three periods to get those 17 saves, their defense did not get him wore out like ours did to Vicente.

Q. Is this just another example that there is a Goalie issue on this team?
A. Look, I am not going to go into that, we will see where we are going with our goalies over the next few weeks, and we will continue to bring in a second goalie until we will feel comfortable enough to say we can play one for all three periods.

Q. There has been talk about making Yecora the Capitan and Sanchez an Assistant, what is the truth behind this and is tonight’s game reason enough that this should happen?
A. No, tonight is just one game and there are many more to come. As for Yecora he is a great Right Wing, and he showed that tonight. But as far as I can see there will be no change anytime soon.

Q. Tomorrow night the Rangers will be facing the Braves in a friendly, what will we see as far as improvement goes.
A. We will try to reduce the number of penalties, and we will try to win. We feel good about tomorrow’s game at home and we look forward to this friendly with the Braves. As far as that we think that we are on to a wining combination and you all will just have to wait and see what is next.

Thank you, and I will now turnover the mic, to our General Manager Nicholas Nix (Coach Alonso).

I will now be taking some questions on the Franchise as a whole (G.M. Nix).

Q. Is this the kind of performance you are expecting out of Coach Alonso?
A. While I would like to start of our first game with a win, it didn’t happen and this loss is just a case of we did not have what it takes to win, not that we won’t get there but we just didn’t have it tonight.

Q. What is the magic number to say that the change is working?
A. I would say if we finish the rest of the season at .500 or better as far as wins go.

Q. At that rate of .500 the team would not be playoff eligible?
A. That is correct, but we recognize that our new management came in late, and we will try to save this season as best we can.

Q. At 6-26 is this team that can win more than half of the remaining games?
A. Well, there will be some changes, but make no mistake we are on the right track.

Q. If in a month this team is at .300 will there be any staff changes.
A. That depends on many factors, most importantly if we are headed in the right direction despite losing.

Q. What if it is not heading in the right direction?
A. I am not going to get into every hypothetical, but to answer your question there is not a person on this team that feels that by not improving they will still be on this team at the end of the season. This team has no laurels to rest on and it knows it, and if someone is not willing to improve and help make this team when we will find someone that is.

Q. Their has been a great investment by the new ownership in expanding the Rockwall Center from a 400 to an 800 seat venue, does the management feel that at 6-26 this team will be able to fill twice as many seats?
A. At 6-26 NO, absolutely not, but we are not that team anymore. We feel that we will be playing to a packed house even at 800 seats.

Q. With new cost of construction, will the fans see this being passed on to them in the ticket price?
A. No, we do not plan to raise ticket prices anytime soon.

Thank you for all your questions and good night. (G.M. Nix)
End of press conference

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