Saturday Scores: Austin Clinches Central Division Title

Maine 1 @ Northeast 4 - The Northeast Generals took down the Maine Nordiques on home ice during Saturday night's mayhem. From the first period, Logan Poulin lit the lamp first with a jailbreaker after Kody Moyer set him up while short-handed. Then, for the second, Owen O'Rear scored off the power play, as Tyler Kelly would cross-ice feed him. Moments following, however, the Nordiques took matters into their own hands by responding on their own PP opportunity, when Michael Sandruck buried one. But seven minutes later, the Generals answered back on another PP run, as it was done by Spencer Hirsch, firing it in the top corner. In the third, Rich Rucireto called it a night at 1:32, with Moyer chipping in.

New Jersey 3 @ New Hampshire 0 - The Jersey Titans shut out the home club, New Hampshire Mountain Kings, three-nothing Saturday evening, showing off their successful power play capabilities. Late into the second period, Arseni Vorobyov opened the score by burying a beauty on the breakaway. Four minutes later, Jersey would capitalize on the power play, as Ryder O'Neil would tuck in a loose puck created off of Arseniy Zharikov. From the third, Luke Schoen would call it a night by burying the rebound off of Nik Doumas on another power play run.

Rochester 2 @ Elmira 0 - The Rochester Jr. Americans capped off their road trip at the LeCom Events Center with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over the Elmira Aviators on Saturday night. The win served as a strong bounce-back performance for the Rochester squad after a narrow defeat the night before. The game was a defensive battle through the opening frame, yet Rochester finally found the back of the net early in the second period. Maxim St. Pierre opened the scoring by burying a chance off feeds from Clay O’Donnell and Ryan Shaw. Holding a slim one-goal lead heading into the final frame, the Jr. Americans looked to put the game out of reach. In the third period, St. Pierre was able to do just that as he found the back of the net for his second goal of the night. The insurance marker was beautifully set up by Cameron Doran and William Penoyer. Elmira attempted a late push to cut into the deficit, but the Rochester defense remained suffocating until the final horn. In net, Jensen Carlstrom provided a massive performance for Rochester, turning away all 35 shots he faced to earn the shutout and clinch the victory. With the result, the Rochester Jr. Americans continue their strong push at the top of the East Division standings.

Maryland 3 @ Danbury 2 (OT) - Maryland got on the board first in the first period when Sokrat Markarian sniped one in the blocker side. Moments following, Anthony Pellitteri capitalized on the power play from a wrister at the point. But seconds later, the Hat Tricks would get on the board from their own power play run, after Maryland took a penalty shortly after their goal was scored. Luke Vanderroest would pepper one through to break the ice. After a scoreless second period, the Hat Tricks bounced back with another goal up their sleeve to tie the score at two. Ludovik Gauvin would laser in a feed by Pat Ula to force an inevitable overtime period. During bonus hockey, Brady Anes would win it for the Bears on a two-on-one with 25 seconds left on the clock. 

Philadelphia 3 @ Johnstown 1 - Late into the first period, Billy Sheridan would open the score for Philly while on the power play by snapping in Dylan Moran's backdoor feed. From the middle frame, Philly kept it rolling, as they scored again late into the period. Thomas Klochkov snuck one by after Sheridan sauced to him. Now, for the third, Nick Jarmain broke the ice for the Tomahawks on the power play after sniping one in the top frame. Shortly after scoring, absolute mayhem broke out between both teams. Due to gaining a power play, the Rebels put in the work to respond to Johnstown's goal. At 15:46, Klochkov answered and called it a game for Philly in Johnstown.

Corpus Christi 7 @ Oklahoma 5 - The Corpus Christi IceRays looked to get revenge for the previous night’s 4-2 loss to the Oklahoma Warriors. The Ice Rays would get on the board first, just two minutes in on a goal by Nick Sinani, 1-0. The Warriors would answer back two minutes later on a goal by Keaton Martin, tying it up at one. The Ice Rays would take the lead back at 8:55 of the first with Emil Obstfelder finding the back of the net, 2-1. Dominik Kiss of the Warriors would strike on the power play with 35 seconds left in the first to once again tie the game at two. In the second, it was an offensive show with six goals combined. The Ice Rays would score two in two minutes midway through the period for the 4-2 lead. The Warriors would quickly answer back with an even strength and short-handed goal to tie the game for the third time at four. In the last five minutes of the second, the Ice Rays would pot two more for a 6-4 lead. In the third, Nick Sinani would score for the Ice Rays five minutes in, extending their lead to 7-4. The Warriors would push to catch up for a fourth time with Alexander Duhon scoring a power-play goal, 7-5. Eventually, time would run out, and the Ice Rays would take this one, 7-5.

Watertown 7 @ Minnesota M 6 - The Watertown Shamrocks survived a back-and-forth thriller at the Forest Lake Sports Center on Saturday night, edging out the Minnesota Mallards with a 7-6 road victory. In an explosive offensive contest, Watertown was able to hold on late for the win. Watertown set the tone early in the first period, building a commanding lead with goals from Payton Struck, Owen Fask, Kyle Greene, and Joe Rice to make it 4-0. Despite the early four-goal deficit, Minnesota refused to fold and began a furious comeback in the second frame. The Mallards narrowed the gap with tallies from Wes Berg, Ryan Lucarelli, and Colin Simpson. Yet, Watertown’s Ben Davis helped keep the Shamrocks ahead 5-3 heading into the final intermission with a goal of his own. The third period was pure chaos as both teams traded goals in a race to the finish. Daniel Halonen extended the Watertown lead, but Minnesota responded with goals from Michael Domina and Joseph DeLaurentis to pull within one. Owen Chartier provided what proved to be the game-winning goal for the Shamrocks shortly after, and while DeLaurentis added his second of the night for the Mallards in the closing minutes, Watertown’s defense held firm to preserve the win. The exhilarating win marks a significant milestone for the Shamrocks as they continue to climb the Central Division standings with their 31st win on the season.

Minnesota W 6 @ Janesville 2 - The Janesville Jets looked to get revenge on the Minnesota Wilderness for the previous night’s loss. However, the offensive prowess of the Midwest Division’s first-place team was too much. Zachary Homer would strike first for the Wilderness nine minutes into the game, 1-0. Mason Minsky would answer for the Jets three minutes later to tie it at one. In the second, the Wilderness would pot three goals by Talan Blanck (x2) and Ryan Deangelis for the 4-1 lead. Jets’ Nathan Tobey would beat Ryan Gerlich to cut into the deficit, 4-2. In the third, special teams were key as tempers flared. The Wilderness’ Noah Dziver would score both goals of the third with one on the power play and another shorthanded. The Wilderness would take this one 6-2 and sweep the Jets on the weekend.

Chippewa 1 @ Springfield 2 (OT) - The Chippewa Steel looked to get revenge for the previous night’s loss to the Springfield Jr Blues. The Jr Blues struck quickly on a shot through traffic by Josh Zitzman just 35 seconds into the game for a 1-0 lead. He was assisted by Dennis Emesibe and James Marshall. The Steel pressured the Jr Blues with shots on goal being 10-5 for the Steel midway through the first. Grady Knutson would find the net on his birthday for the Steel to tie it up at one with just under nine minutes to go in the first. He was assisted by Joc Bukovec and Blake Graff. In the second period, the tempers would flare, but no scoring would occur. In the third, it was a back-and-forth action with many chances, including a Steel power play in the final two minutes. Neither team was able to score, and the game went to an extra session. Joey Mugaas would be the hero for the Jr Blues with just under two minutes left in overtime, assisted by Lukas Wallinheimo. Steel goaltender Zach Stahl saved 24 of 26 shots for a 0.923 save percentage in the loss. Amir Valiullin saved 25 of 26 shots for a 0.962 save percentage and was credited with the win. The Jr Blues take this one 2-1 in overtime.

Bismarck 0 @ Austin 3 - The Austin Bruins looked to lock up first place in the Central Division while the Bismarck Bobcats looked for revenge on the previous night’s loss. The first period was a quiet one with no scoring occurring. In the second, Carter McKay of the Bruins would break through Bryce Francisco for the 1-0 lead at 15:04. Four minutes later, Michael Coleman would extend the Bruins’ lead to two. With just under five minutes left in the second, veteran EJ Paddington would score on the power play for the Bruins, extending their lead to 3-0. The third period would be a physical one, but the Bobcats would be unable to score. The Bruins win 3-0 and lock up first place in the division. Jack Solomon would be credited with first star honors and the shutout, saving all 29 shots.

North Iowa 3 @ St. Cloud 6 - The St. Cloud Norsemen delivered a dominant performance at the St. Cloud Municipal Athletic Complex on Saturday night, skating to a convincing 6-3 home victory over the North Iowa Bulls. The offensive dominance provided a thrilling night for the home crowd as the Norsemen controlled the pace for much of the contest. St. Cloud ignited the scoring in the first period when Sam Crane found the back of the net to give the Norsemen an early lead. North Iowa managed to answer back with a goal from Andrej Tomasec. But the Norsemen quickly reclaimed the momentum before the first intermission, as Avry Shaw took over the game by netting two quick goals to give St. Cloud a comfortable two-goal cushion. The second period saw the Norsemen extend their advantage even further. Mate Tardi and Wyatt Farrell each buried chances to push the lead to 5-1. The Bulls attempted to chip away at the deficit with a goal from Denis Hodas late in the frame, and another from Vitaliy Korolyuk in the third, but the comeback fell short. Brandon Rodenwald added the final insurance marker for St. Cloud late in the game to put any hopes of a North Iowa rally to rest. In net, Izaak Kalis was steady for the Norsemen, making 28 saves on 31 shots to secure the win. The victory continues a strong stretch of play for St. Cloud as they cap off their season on a positive note.

El Paso 2 @ Shreveport 4 - Looking to end their regular season with a bang on home ice, the Shreveport Mudbugs featured a power-play scoring affair. The opening period was quiet as both teams traded chances, Shreveport outshooting El Paso 18 to 6. In the second frame, the Mudbugs scored a trio of power-play goals. Duke Ehrhard found twine first, with Grayson Gerhard scoring eight minutes later. With 2:39 left on the clock in the second period, Johnny Berndt scores his 15th of the season to give Shreveport a 3-0 lead heading into the final frame. In the third, Evan Hoglund scores on the man advantage to give Shreveport a 4-0 lead. In the final seven minutes of the game, Jacob Solano scores back-to-back power-play tallies for the Rhinos, cutting the deficit in half. Shreveport skates to a 4-2 victory.

New Mexico 2 @ Odessa 4 - The Odessa Jackalopes electrified the home crowd at the Ector County Coliseum on Saturday night, skating away with a gritty 4-2 victory over the New Mexico Ice Wolves. It was a battle against a top team in New Mexico, where Odessa was able to avenge their loss yesterday. New Mexico struck first in the opening period, as Damon Bickler found the back of the net off a feed from Brock Fairbanks to give the Ice Wolves   1-0 lead. However, Odessa found their stride in a packed second period. Nicholas Arrington leveled the score early in the frame with help from Jeremy Jacobs and Bjorn Bahneman, followed shortly by a Nicholas Puricelli goal, assisted by Austin Lamer and Gabe Pankratz, to give Odessa their first lead of the night. The Ice Wolves refused to go away quietly, as Andy Earl buried a chance set up by Jeremy Sprung to tie the game at 2-2. But the momentum swung back to the Jackalopes just minutes later when Alex Thomas fired one home off assists from Chris Graves and Joey Anderson to regain the lead. Odessa was able to seal the result in the third period, as Caden Ghiossi struck the dagger with an empty-netter, assisted by Jeremy Jacobs, his second helper of the night, and Luke McPherson. The Jackalopes' defense stood tall for the remainder of the game, stifling any comeback attempt from the visitors. In net, Kevin Jones was a pillar of strength for Odessa, recording 26 saves on 28 shots to anchor the victory. The win marks their 23rd on the season, in a huge win after losing to the New Mexico team last night.

Amarillo 1 @ Lone Star 4 - Looking to extend their winning ways at home, the Lone Star Brahmas hosted the Amarillo Wranglers for the last time in the regular season. The contest opened up with a tally by Amarillo’s Jake Boulanger. Minutes later, Lone Star would even the scoreboard, this time, Vincenzo Capano finding twine. In the second, Lone Star would add to the lead, this time Alexander Oliver scoring his fifth of the year. In the final frame, Gustav Lexell scores two for the Brahmas. He lights the lamp once on the power-play with his final tally being an empty-netter. Lone Star skates to a 4-1 victory in their final regular season game.

Aberdeen 4 @ Minot 3 - In a back-and-forth battle, the Wings would escape to a victory on the road. The opening frame featured Aberdeen striking first and tallying two on the man advantage. First, Easton Edwards scores midway through the frame. Following him, Caden Lee extends the Wings’ lead to give them a 2-0 advantage heading into the second period. In the second frame, Aberdeen’s Sam Scheetz lights the lamp three minutes into the frame. However, the Minot Minotauros would battle back, bringing the score within one. First, Dane Ramirez scores shorthanded, and then a minute later, Peter Murray would find twine for the Tauros. In the final 20 minutes of regulation, the Wings would score once more, this time Jibber Kuhl finding twine midway through the frame. The Tauros looked to tighten the score, and in the final minute, Philip Wiklund scored with 55 seconds on the clock. The Minotauros would fall 4-3.

Wisconsin 2 @ Fairbanks 3 - Heading into Saturday night, the Fairbanks Ice Dogs were looking to respond to a Friday night loss. The contest opened up with two Wisconsin tallies in the opening frame. First, Hunter Friedrich scores shorthanded for the Windigo less than five minutes into the frame. Following him minutes later, Riley Joslin extends Wisconsin’s lead to give them a two-goal advantage in the middle frame. The second period featured the Ice Dogs evening the score with two power-play goals. Kyle Rohrer finds twine in the first six minutes of the second frame. Following him later in the period, Oliver Barna nets his 30th goal of the year for the Ice Dogs. With the scoreboard tied, both teams were looking to score the decider of the contest. In the final eight minutes of the game, Clarke Nehmens lights the lamp for the Ice Dogs while on the man advantage. His sixth tally of the year secures the Ice Dogs the victory on home ice.

Kenai River 3 @ Anchorage 8  - In a scoring affair at the Sullivan Arena, the Anchorage Wolverines continue their series with their in-state rival Kenai River Brown Bears. The contest kicked off with the NAHL’s leading scorer, Luc Bydal gets the scoring started with a tally two minutes into the opening frame. Following him five minutes later was newcomer Oliver Morris, scoring his third of the year. The Brown Bears would cut the Wolverines’ lead in half thanks to Talen McBride scoring his first of the season. Moving into the second period, the Wolverines would snatch a commanding lead with a four-goal frame. First, Morris tallies his second of the night, extending Anchorage’s lead to three. A minute later, the Brown Bears strike back with a goal by Braden Hansberger to make the score within one. Moments later, the Wolverines scored a trio of consecutive goals. Sam Evert of the Wolverines scored unassisted to double Anchorage’s lead. Minutes later, Bydal scores his second of the night for the Wolverines. Finally with four minutes on the clock in the second, Jack McKenna finds twine to give Anchorage the 6 to 2 lead heading into the final 20 minutes of regulation. In the third period, Koen Burkholder strikes first for Kenai River, cutting the deficit to three goals. However, moments later, Anchorage scores back-to-back goals. Rylan Bydal finds twine off a feed from his older brother at the 13:59 minute mark. 15 seconds later, Oliver Morris caps off his performance with his hat-trick goal. The Wolverines skate to an 8-3 victory.