Friday Finals: The Danbury Hat Tricks Score a Hat Trick Worth of Goals to give Danbury the Lead in the Play-In Series

Photo Credit: Patrick Olivero

Danbury 3  @ New Jersey 0 (Danbury leads series 1-0) - After clinching the final postseason spot in the East Division last weekend, the Danbury Hat Tricks scored a hat-trick's worth of goals against the New Jersey Titans to secure a series lead in the play-in. The contest kicked off with the Hat Tricks opening the scoring late in the third frame with Matt Dabrowski finding twine for Danbury. Moving into the second period, the Hat Tricks continued their scoring ways, this time with a tally by Ben Dempster with 5:34 left on the clock. With a 2-0 lead heading into the final period, Danbury topped off their scoring with a goal by Lukas Zimovcak seven minutes into the frame. The Hat Tricks skate to a 3-0 shutout victory in game one of the Play-In Series against the Titans. Between the pipes for Danbury, Jon Dukaric notches his fifth shutout of the season, turning aside a season-high 51 shots against the Titans. This victory was the cherry on top for the head coach of the Hat Tricks, Lenny Caglianone, as today was his birthday.

Maine 5 @ Northeast 4 (Maine leads series 1-0) - After coming off a weekend set against each other, the Maine Nordiques respond to being swept last weekend by the Northeast Generals in a big way in game one of the play-in. The game opened up with Maine’s Austin Borggaard finding twine at the 6:38 minute mark of the opening frame. Later on in the period, the captain, Damon Myers, makes it a two-goal advantage for the Nordiques heading into the second frame. In the middle period, the Generals would respond early in the period with a power-play tally by their leading goal-scorer, Logan Poulin. Following him a little over two minutes later was Pete Luecke from the Nordiques, extending their lead back to a two-goal advantage. Minutes later, William-Francisco Parent would score his first in the postseason for the Nordiques, helping his team have a three-goal lead heading into the final 20 minutes of regulation. In the third frame, the Generals were hungry to respond to their deficit. Northeast’s leading goal-scorer, Poulin, tallies his second of the night, 17 seconds into the frame. Following him in the scoring was Kody Moyer on the power play minutes later. The Generals would continue their rally back, this time with Jack Montaldo lighting the lamp midway through the final frame. As the contest was even 4-4 on the scoreboard, Maine’s captain would deliver the game-winner unassisted. Myers would find twiner for the second time of the night, helping to secure the Nordiques a tight 5-4 victory on the road.

Shreveport 7 @ Corpus Christi 2 (Shreveport leads series 1-0) - Looking to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Shreveport Mudbugs featured a dominant first period against the Corpus Christi IceRays at Georges Pond. The contest opened with Grayson Gerhard striking less than 75 seconds in for the Mudbugs. Two minutes later, following him, Evan Hoglund scored on the power play to give the Mudbugs a two-goal advantage. Moments later in the frame, Duke Ehrhard extended the lead to a three-goal advantage for Shreveport. Both teams would exchange chances following that, and in the final minute of the period, William-Alexis Tremblay would convert on the man advantage. Heading into the middle frame, the IceRays would find twine thanks to Islom Dzhabberganov scoring three minutes into the period. However, the Mudbugs would score three more in the period alone. First, Jason Simons would score his first of the playoffs at the 14:52 minute mark. Following him on the power play was Ehrhard, scoring his second of the night. Three minutes later, Ehrhard would score his hat-trick goal of the night for the Mudbugs. In the final frame, both teams traded chances; however, James Chase would find twine for the IceRays midway through the frame. Shreveport skates to a dominant 7-2 victory against the IceRays. 

Oklahoma 4 @ El Paso 3 (Oklahoma leads series 1-0) - The Oklahoma Warriors would be road warriors during the first round of the playoffs against the El Paso Rhinos. The matchup opened with three goals scored late in the first period. First, Gaige Giblin finds time late in the first frame for the Rhinos on the power play. Less than a minute later, the Warriors even the score with Trace Day scoring an unassisted tally. With 37 seconds on the clock in the first period, El Paso retakes the lead, this time Massimiliano Monson scoring on the man advantage. In the middle frame, the Warriors scored two goals to give Oklahoma the lead. First, Dominik Kiss evens the score with a tally at the 8:01 minute mark. Seven and a half minutes later, Jackson Hone gives Oklahoma their first lead of the night. In the final 20 minutes of regulation, Hone finds twine again, this time a little over a minute into the period. With a late third-period push by the Rhinos, Ian Kastamo scored to make it a one-goal game between the teams. Despite the late third-period push, the Rhinos would fall on home ice against the Warriors. 

Aberdeen 3 @ Watertown 2 - In a gripping showdown at the Prairie Lakes Ice Arena, the Aberdeen Wings edged out the Watertown Shamrocks with a 3-2 victory. The game kicked off with Watertown's Owen Chartier scoring a thrilling shorthanded goal at 9:39 of the first period, thanks to an assist from Jordan Gudridge. Aberdeen's Jonathan Doucette responded dramatically at 00:15 of the second period, leveling the score. Just over 12 minutes later, Zan Spari-Leben put Aberdeen ahead with a goal at 12:11, assisted by Taven James and Keaton Weis. Watertown's Owen Fask then equalized at 17:27 with help from Jordan Gudridge and Payton Struck, setting up a tense final period. The Wings' heroics came when Easton Edwards netted the game-winner at 7:33 in the third period, assisted by Caden Lee and Gavin Reed. Both goaltenders were stellar; Mason Gudridge of Watertown stopped 44 of 47 shots, while Aberdeen's Willum Braun made 34 saves on 36 shots. Aberdeen capitalized on their opportunities and maintained their lead despite Watertown's late surge. This victory bolsters Aberdeen's season record, demonstrating their resilience and tactical prowess.

Austin 4 @ Minnesota M 1 - The Austin Bruins take advantage of a productive second period and dynamic special teams to secure a 4-1 win over the Minnesota Mallards. Despite controlling the first period, the Bruins were unable to find the back of the net through the first 20, and the game entered the first intermission scoreless. In the second, Michael Coleman opened up the scoring early in the period. After a few minutes, Coleman followed up with a goal on the power play before completing the hat trick with less than two minutes left in the period. This phenomenal second-period effort put the Bruins up 3-0 heading into the second intermission. In the final frame, the Bruins found the back of the net on the power play once again to extend the lead to four. Late in the game, Bryce Wiitala put the Mallards on the board, but the game was already too far gone. Austin goaltender Cody Butkins stopped 29 of 30 shots to secure the win for the dominant Bruins.

Minnesota W 3 @ Janesville 8 - The Janesville Jets dismantle the Minnesota Wilderness with a dominant 8-3 win on the road. After outshooting their opponent in the first period, the Jets put three quick goals past the Wilderness goaltender, including one on the man advantage. In the second, the shot count was close, but the goal-scoring trend continued for Janesville. The Jets once again found the back of the net three times, including one goal on the power play. Avery Anderson was able to put the Wilderness on the board with a power play goal of his own, but his team was already down 6-1 heading into the second intermission. Minnesota started the third period strongly with two goals, one of which came on the power play. These two goals brought the Wilderness within 3 goals, and despite still being down 6-3, Minnesota fans had some hope. However, the Jets made sure to end that hope with two empty-net goals. The final two goals extended the Jets' lead to 8-3, and the team hung on to secure the win.

Wisconsin 1 @ Springfield 2 (OT) - In a thrilling matchup at the Nelson Center, the Springfield Jr. Blues edged out the Wisconsin Windigo 2-1 in overtime. The opening goal came at the 6:57 mark of the third period when Peyton Mithmuangneua of the Windigo found the back of the net, assisted by Jackson Ernst. Just over six minutes later, at 00:25 of the third period, Springfield's captain Zach Howard tied the game with a pivotal goal, assisted by Brady Turner. The game-winner came in dramatic fashion at 4:16 of overtime, when Joey Mugaas clinched the victory for the Jr. Blues. Joey Mugaas’s performance earned him the first star of the game, while Zach Howard's leadership and Nicolas Rempel's steadfast goaltending, with 26 saves from 27 shots, were instrumental in the win. Rempel was named the second star of the night. The Blues had a slight edge in the shot department, outshooting the Windigo 33-27. Both teams showed discipline despite minor penalties, with no power play goals resulting from the combined nine infractions. Springfield capitalized on their chances to extend their winning streak to three games, showcasing resilience and teamwork in a closely contested match.

North Iowa 4 @ St. Cloud 3 (OT) - In a close overtime battle at the St. Cloud Municipal Athletic Complex, the North Iowa Bulls edged out the St. Cloud Norsemen, 4-3. The game was a rollercoaster of emotions with both teams trading blows. The Bulls' Niko Russ kicked things off with a goal at 9:29 of the first period, assisted by Joe Coghlin. St. Cloud responded with Wyatt Farrell finding the net at 12:39, assisted by Samuel Misak and Sam Crane. Just when the Norsemen seemed to gain momentum, Denis Hodas of the Bulls scored a shorthanded beauty at 12:12 of the second period, assisted by Ivan Berčík. The Norsemen’s Gabe Gallivan, with help from Nolan Smith, leveled the score at 10:42 of the second period. Avry Shaw then capitalized on a power play at 13:41 of the third period, assisted by Gallivan, giving St. Cloud a brief lead. However, Hodas struck again with a power-play equalizer at 9:51, assisted by Vitaliy Korolyuk and Carter Davis. In overtime, Hodas sealed his hat-trick and the win with a goal at 1:09, assisted by Michael Malatino and Davis. Goaltender Wesley Jefferson-Swint II of St. Cloud faced 35 shots, saving 31, while Charlie Durkin of North Iowa made 21 saves from 24 shots.

Minot 5 @ Bismarck 7 - The Bismarck Bobcats clawed their way to a thrilling 7-5 victory over the Minot Minotauros at VFW Sports Center, much to the delight of the 1,159 fans in attendance. The action-packed clash featured a flurry of goals and standout performances that kept spectators on the edge of their seats. The Minotauros struck first at 18:02 of the first period with Peter Murray's goal, assisted by Trevor Stewart and Will Nolan. Just under a minute later, Dane Ramirez doubled Minot's lead with a goal at 08:55, assisted by Ty James and Philip Wiklund. Bismarck's comeback began in the second period with Jimmy Dodig netting the opening goal at 17:53, assisted by Mark Evans and Tommy Miller. Minutes later, Camden Alemonde equalized at 07:01, with assists from Szilveszter Lippai and George Poirier. Mark Evans then gave the Bobcats their first lead at 00:58 with an unassisted goal. The Bobcats continued their assault in the third period, starting with Alex Lunski's power-play goal at 19:35, assisted by Caden Bell and Theodore Richardson. Jimmy Dodig added another at 15:49, assisted by Daniel Browning and Caden Bell, and Will Harker scored at 09:36, assisted by Alex Lunski and Dennis Lominac. George Poirier sealed the win with a short-handed goal at 02:00, assisted by Jimmy Dodig. Minot's Davin Nichols and Lucas Ryen scored at 14:08 and 00:42, respectively, but it wasn't enough to close the gap. Goaltender Bryce Francisco was solid for the Bobcats, making 13 saves on 14 shots, while Chase Anderson stopped 27 of 33 for Minot. The Bobcats capitalized on power-play opportunities, scoring once on five chances, while Minot managed two power-play goals on four opportunities. Jimmy Dodig was the star of the night, earning the first star for his two-goal, one-assist performance. Will Harker and Caden Bell also shone, each contributing crucial points to secure the Bobcats' win.

Kenai River 4 @ Fairbanks 8 - In a battle between two of the Alaskan teams, the Fairbanks Ice Dogs would skate away with a big 8-4 victory on home ice. The scoring opened in the first period with Mack Diggins finding twine four minutes into the frame for the Ice Dogs. Following him less than a minute later was Ryan McPartland, making the scoreboard even for the Brown Bears with his fourth tally of the year. The scoring would continue in the opening period as Fairbanks’ Oliver Barna doubled the Ice Dogs’ lead thanks to a setup by Diggins. 18 seconds later, the captain, Luca Ricciardi, found twine, extending Fairbanks’ lead to three. Later in the frame, Ricciardi would strike again, this time with 68 seconds to spare in the opening frame. Kenai River would strike again in the frame, this time Braden Hansberger lighting the lamp and cutting the Ice Dogs’ lead in half. Moving into the middle frame, Fairbanks would strike quickly, thanks to Matthew Volkman tallying his first of the night. Less than a minute later, the Brown Bears would respond, thanks to a goal by Parker Newman. 10 minutes later in the period, Kenai River’s Gavin Jensen added to the Brown Bears’ score, bringing the deficit to one goal heading into the final frame. The final frame featured a trio of goals by the Ice Dogs, with two of them scored on the man advantage. First, Harrison Kaszubowski scored less than two minutes into the period. Following him moments later was Gage Leonard, tallying his 17th of the year. Finally, in the final minute of the contest, the Ice Dogs’ captain, Ricciardi, completes a hat trick with an empty-netter for the Ice Dogs. Fairbanks skates to a big 8-4 victory at the Big Dipper.