Norsemen Grab Two Critical Points
Tanner Hunt's shootout winner was the difference as St. Cloud grabbed a huge victory
Watertown 1 @ St. Cloud 2 (SO) - The St. Cloud Norsemen picked up two crucial points in their race for the final playoff spot in the Central Division as they outlasted Watertown in a shootout on Thursday by a score of 2-1. Krisjanis Sarts scored for the Norsemen in the second period to break the scoreless deadlock with his third of the season. Cam Markham netted his 22nd of the campaign for Watertown later in the frame. That would be all the scoring in regulation and overtime as we needed a shootout to decided the outcome of this one. Owen Chartier and Mason LeBel scored in the opening rounds of the skills competition and it was Ryan Gingher who put the Shamrocks up in the fifth round but Tre Peck had ice in his veins to also score in the fifth round to keep the game going. Then in the sixth round after a save on one end, Tanner Hunt netted the game deciding goal to give the Norsemen the extra point in the standings and the win on Thursday, Damian Slavik earned the win in the blue paint with 24 saves on the evening. Mason Gudridge was stuck with the loss despite stopping 31 of the 32 shots he faced.
Janesville 2 @ Minnesota W 1 - The Janesville Jets delivered a big blow to the Minnesota Wilderness playoff chances as a late goal from Joseph Hyten secured a 2-1 win for Janesville on the road. Sullivan Miller potted his eighth of the year about midway through the opening frame but that was countered by Frantisek Netusil’s 29th of the season about three minutes later. That would be all the scoring until the final minutes. Hyten put the game winner past Niklas Erickson with just 1:28 remaining and then Matthew Alberti stood tall to close it out. All together Alberti finished with 38 saves while Erickson stopped 20 for Minnesota.
Chippewa 1 @ Fairbanks 2 (SO) - The Fairbanks Ice Dogs got a big win over the Chippewa Steel as they look gain home ice advantage in the first round of the Robertson Cup playoffs. Kyle Rohrer scored his 18th goal of the season early in the second period of action to break a scoreless tie. Later in the period, Mason Johnson found the back of the net for the second time this year to even the game at one. After Jackson Lackas and Ian Norkevicus traded goals in the opening rounds of the shootout, Adam Timm was the only goal scorer in round four which gave the Ice Dogs the extra point and a win in the standings. Both goaltenders were nearly perfect as Mason McElroy got the win in between the pipes with 32 saves. Devin Shakar was saddled with the loss as he ended the evening with 27 stops.
