Friday Finals: Bobcats one of many to snap skids
Tyler Johnson made 32 saves for Topeka in a 5-0 shutout over Springfield on Friday.
Corpus Christi 2 @ Amarillo 5 – The Bulls snapped a nine-game losing streak as they picked up a big 5-2 home win over the IceRays. Corpus Christi got the first and last goals of the game, which came from Andy McGlynn and Drake Lindsay, but it was all Bulls in the middle. Jake Houston scored twice, including the game-tying goal to make it 1-1 in the 1st period. Brady Crabtree scored before the period was out to give the Bulls a lead they would not relinquish. Houston added his second goal in the 2nd period to make it 3-1 and George Mika and Michael Forman scored in the 3rd period to make the final 5-2. Anton Martinsson made 39 saves in the win. Boxscore
Springfield 0 @ Topeka 5 – Tyler Johnson stopped all 32 shots that came his way for his second shutout of the season as the RoadRunners blanked the Jr. Blues, 5-0. Topeka got the game-winner early in the 1st period on a goal from Quinn Preston. Cam Strong and Matt Jennings scored in the 2nd period to make it 3-0 courtesy of a power play and a shorthanded goal. Strong scored his second goal of the night early in the 3rd period and Yu Hikosaka capped things off with an empty-net goal. Tommy Nappier took the loss in goal for Springfield as he made 33 saves. Boxscore
Bismarck 5 @ Aberdeen 2 – Oskars Batna had a big night with three points, including two goals as Bismarck snapped their losing skid with a 5-2 road win in Aberdeen. Batna got the Bobcats off to a strong start with two 1st period goals. The Wings responded with two power play goals in the 2nd period to tie the game at 2-2 from Colin Raver and Gavin Payne. Bismarck regained the lead late in the 2nd period thanks to a goal from Nick Alexander, which would stand as the game winner. Tobias Fladeby scored in the 3rd period to make it 4-2 and Alexander added his second of the game on an empty-net goal. Hunter Shepard had to make 13 saves in the win. Boxscore
MN Magicians 1 @ Brookings 5 – The Blizzard snapped their losing skid with a 5-1 home win thanks to 22 saves from goalie Eric Hancock. Five different players scored for the Blizzard, who were bolstered by three 1st period goals from Chase Gamelin, Connor Hutchins and Peter Valent. Hugo Gallet had the lone Magicians goal, which came in the 1st period. Kane Durment and Max Rasberg added 2nd period goals, which was more than enough for the Brookings victory. Magicians goalie Andrew Lindgren made 26 saves in the loss. Boxscore
Odessa 4 @ Wichita Falls 6 – Nikita Litviak and Austin Albrecht each had two goals and an assist to lead the Wildcats to a 6-4 home win over the Jackalopes. The teams combine for five goals in the 1st period, which saw the Wildcats lead 3-2 on goals from Litviak, Matt Hines and Jonathan Lazarus. Matthew Rypien and Andrew McLean had the goals for the Jacks. In the 2nd period, the Wildcats increased their lead to 5-2 on back-to-back goals from Albrecht. Odessa cut the lead to one with goals from Carter Wade and Ryan MacKellar, but a late 3rd period goal from Litviak secured the win. Julian Sime made 21 saves in the win, while Gunner Rivers made 33 saves in the loss. Boxscore
Minot 3 @ Austin 2 (OT) – The Minotauros increased their lead atop the Central Division with a come-from-behind 3-2 overtime win over the Bruins. After a scoreless 1st period, the Bruins got on the board first with a power play goal from Austin Rueschhoff. Minot answered back with Johnny Walker’s 8th goal of the season. The Bruins would regain their one-goal edge midway though the 3rd period courtesy of a Dawson DiPietro goal, but Minot would answer with the game-tying goal with just over a minute remaining in regulation from Tyler Jeanson. It took just a minute into overtime for Minot defenseman James LaDouce to win the game. Lucas Murray made 24 saves in the win, while Kris Carlson took the loss with 21 saves. Boxscore
Janesville 3 @ Coulee Region 1 – The league’s best defensive team strutted their stuff again as the Jets got 24 saves from Blake Weyrick in a 3-1 win in Coulee Region. The Jets got on the board first with a goal from John Peterson, but that was answered by the Chill’s lone goal from Jon Evans, which made the score 1-1 after one period. The Jets then got two straight goals from Jake Bresser in the 2nd and 3rd periods to secure the win. Hunter Vorva had the loss in goal for the Chill with 26 saves. Boxscore
Aston 6 @ Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 3 – The Rebels got a three-point night from Evgeny Yakovlev as they doubled up the Knights on Friday, 6-3. Dean Balsamo got the scoring started for Aston in the 1st period. Yakovlev and Andrew Zerban added 2nd period goals and then the Rebels scored three times in the 3rd period, which included another goal from Yakovlev and others from Chris Deprez and Ryan Solomon. The Knight got a goal in each period from Blake Busch in the 1st period and two from Paul Maust in the 2nd and 3rd periods. Darion Hanson made 24 saves in the win. Boxscore
New Jersey 6 @ Johnstown 5 (OT) – Bruno Birzitis scored the overtime-winner with a nice snap shot from the low slot as the Titans stayed in 1st place in the East with a 6-5 overtime win. New Jersey led 3-0 on two from Keegan Miller and another from Joseph Schuler. Johnstown stormed back with three straight goals from Zak Galambos, Dante Suffredini and Tommy Horn to tie the game at 3-3. Goals by Joe Nathe and Raymond Brice put the Titans back ahead by two, but again the Tomahawks stormed back with goals from Andrew Romano and Filips Buncis to tie the game before Birzits’ game-winner. Jack Berry made 29 saves in the win. Boxscore
