Showcase comes to an end as Fairbanks and Austin share title
The Fairbanks Ice Dogs, the Austin Bruins and the Kenai River Brown Bears all finsihed the 2013 NAHL Showcase with perfect 4-0 records, but in the end it was Fairbanks and Austin who will share the Showcase title thanks to both teams having a +10 goal differential. The Brown Bears finished with a +7 goal differntial.
In total, an all-time record of 346 NHL, NCAA and junior scouts checked-in during the four days of the NAHL Showcase.
Here is a look at the final day results:
Port Huron Fighting Falcons 4 vs. Corpus Christi IceRays 3 (SO) – The Fighting Falcons will leave Blaine with a 3-0-1 record and a 5-0-1 record overall as they won their last game of the NAHL Showcase in a thrilling 4-3 shootout win over Corpus Christi. The IceRays finished the event with a 1-2-1 record. Each team enjoyed the lead throughout different stages of the game. Corpus Christi had an early lead with a goals from Joe Costello. Bryan Yim and Noah Batis gave the Falcons a 2-1 lead by the 2nd period. In the 3rd period Logan Lambdin scored for Port Huron, but Corpus answered with goals from Tony Roisum and another from Wes Michaud with :22 seconds remaining to send the game to extra time, where the Falcons had two shooters score in the shootout. Boxscore
Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees 2 vs. Soo Eagles 1 (SO) – It was yet another solid goaltending duel between Rio’s Olli Kalkaja and Johnstown’s Colin Brennan, but in the end it would be the Bees picking up the win on the final day of the Showcase. Rio Grande finished the Showcase with a 1-1-2 record, while Soo also finished 1-1-2. Both regulation goals came in the 1st period as Will Clark scored for Rio Grande and Jacob McDowell scored for the Soo. JB Baker would eventually earn the shootout winner as the sixth shooter of the shootout. Kalkaja made 24 saves in the win, while Brennan made 29 saves in the loss. Boxscore
Johnstown Tomahawks 3 vs. Bismarck Bobcats 1 – Colin DeAugustine had another solid outing in goal, making 29 saves as the Johnstown Tomahawks bested the Bismarck Bobcats in both team’s Showcase finale by a score of 3-1. Johnstown finished the Showcase 2-1-1, while the Bobcats finished the Showcase at 2-2-0. Johnstown jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the 2nd period on goals from Joe Drabin and Matthew Meier. Huba Sekesi was able to get Bismarck on the board late in the 2nd period to draw the Bobcats to within 2-1. The Tomahawks put the game out of reach in the 3rd period with a shorthanded goal from Shane Cuckovich. Bismarck’s Aaron Nelson made 23 saves in the loss. Drabin and Meier both had multi-point games. Boxscore
Springfield Jr. Blues 4 vs. Minnesota Wilderness 3 (SO) – It took 20 combined shooters, but eventually the Jr. Blues got a goal from Mike Gambino in the shootout to overtake the Minnesota Wilderness, 4-3 in a shootout. The Jr. Blues finished the Showcase with a 2-2-0 record while the Wilderness went a very respectable 2-0-2. The Wilderness had leads of 2-1 and 3-2 on goals from Colton Kramer, Jakob Romo and Johno May, but the Jr. Blues responded each time with goals from Kyle Shreve, Kevin Shand and Mike Severson. Jr. Blues goalie Sandro Aeschlimann made 36 saves in the win, while Minnesota’s Kasimir Kaskisuo took the loss, making 22 saves. Boxscore
Michigan Warriors 3 vs. Minot Minotauros 0 – Michigan’s Colin Larkin scored twice, including the game-winning goal in the 2nd period as the Warriors shutout the Minotauros, 3-0. The win helped Michigan finish the Showcase at 2-2-0, while the Minotauros fell to 1-2-1. Dillon Kelley stopped all 20 shots that came his way for his first shutout of the season. Larkin scored early in the 2nd period and Scott Cuthrell scored his first career NAHL goal later in the period to increase the lead to 2-0. Larkin added his second goal of the game early in the 3rd period to make the final 3-0. Minot’s Brandon Wildung made 25 saves in the loss. Boxscore
Janesville Jets 6 vs. Amarillo Bulls 5 (OT) – No report available
Aberdeen Wings 1 vs. Topeka RoadRunners 0 – Offense was hard to come by and at a premium in this contest, but ultimately the Wings got the goal they needed and 21 saves from Henry Dill to shutout the RoadRunners, 1-0. The Wings finished with a 3-1 record at the Showcase, while the RoadRunners finished with a 2-2-0 record. The lone goal of the game came in the 2nd period, as Wings defenseman Jake Horton blasted home and power play goal. It would be the only goal that Topeka goalie Blake Wojtala would allow, as he made 18 saves. The shutout for Dill was the first of his NAHL career. Boxscore
Odessa Jackalopes 5 vs. Minnesota Magicians 3 – The Jackalopes kept the momentum going from their win on Friday and followed it up with another win on Saturday over the Magicians, as the Jacks scored four, 3rd period goals. Odessa finished the Showcase with a 2-2-0 record, while the Magicians finished with a 2-1-1 record. Minnesota led 2-0 after the 1st period on goals from Matt Colford and Derick Kuchera. The Jacks responded with two straight to tie the game as Derek Brown and Razmuz Waxin-Engback scored. Colford struck again for the Magicians for his second marker of the game, which gave a 3-2 lead back to Minnesota. However, it was all Jacks after that as Chad Guderian, Lukas Laub and Robb Stautz all scored to secure the win. Boxscore
Austin Bruins 5 vs. Wichita Falls Wildcats 1 – It was the Jay Dickman show as the 6’6 forward helped the Austin Bruins to a 5-1 win over the Wichita Falls Wildcats and secure a perfect 4-0-0 record at the Showcase. The Wildcats finished the Showcase with a 2-1-1 record. Dickman recorded four of Austin’s five goals in the game. His first came in the 1st period on a nice 1 on 1 play to elude the Wildcats defenseman and goalie Chase Munroe. Dickman then scored back-to-back goals in front of the net in the 2nd period to make the score 3-0. Guillaume Leclerc, who had a four-point game, added the fourth goal to make it 4-0 after two periods. Dickman added his fourth goal late the 3rd period before the Wildcats Alfred Johansson ended the shutout bid of Nick Lehr with just a few minutes remaining in the game. Boxscore
Fairbanks Ice Dogs 6 vs. Lone Star Brahmas 3 – Fairbanks outshot Lone Star 32-12 and won 6-3 to help claim a share of the NAHL Showcase title. Fairbanks finished with a perfect 4-0 record and a +10 goal differential, which was the same as the Austin Bruins. The Ice Dogs are off to a perfect 6-0 start on the season. The Brahmas fell to 1-4-1 on the season as they went 0-4 at the Showcase. Fairbanks scored four times in the 2nd period including two goals from Colton Wolter and others from Johnny Mueller and Doug Rose. Chandler Madry and Kyle Lee. Lone Star goals came from Matt Lison, AJ Duggan and Jan Hudecek. Boxscore
Kenai River Brown Bears 4 vs. Brookings Blizzard 3 (SO) – Alec Butcher scored in regulation and then the shootout winner to give the Brown Bears a 4-3 shootout win and perfect record at the NAHL Showcase. With the shootout loss, the Blizzard claimed their first point of the season and finished the Showcase at 0-3-1. Kenai River got goals in regulation from Conor Deal in the 1st period and Frankie Spellman and Butcher in the 3rd period. Brooking had two goals in the 2nd period from Nick Nitta and Conor Andrle and a 3rd period goal from Eric Brenk. Kenai River finished with a +7 goal differential, which was three less than the +10 that Fairbanks and Austin shared. Boxscore
