Friday Finals: Janesville Defeats Wisconsin in Overtime for the Battle of Wisconsin Milk Can Trophy

Maryland 1 @ Danbury 2 – The Hat Tricks earned a hard-fought 2-1 victory over the Black Bears on Friday night, using a timely power-play goal in the second period to gain the advantage. The game remained scoreless through the opening period as both teams battled for control. Danbury broke through late in the second while on the power play. After controlling possession in the offensive zone for most of the power play, Gus Rabe fed the puck to Brent Beswick, who quickly returned it to Rabe for a one-timer that found the back of the net, giving the Hat Tricks a 1-0 lead heading into the final frame. Marland responded early in the third when Will Schlechtweg buried the equalizer to knot the game at 1-1 and set up a tight finish between two East Division rivals. With just over 11 minutes remaining, Rabe won an offensive-zone faceoff back to Santino Padulla, whose shot created a rebound opportunity in front. Beswick was in the right place at the right time, collecting the loose puck and finishing the go-ahead goal to lift Danbury to the 2-1 win, earning them two points in the standings.

Elmira 11 @ New Hampshire 3 – The Aviators earned an 11-3 victory over the Mountain Kings on Friday night behind an impressive offensive effort. Max Campbell led scoring with a hat trick for Elmira, while Jacob Baratta and Cael Primiano each recorded two-goal performances. Max Fest, Nico Pohjola, and Matthew Maglio also found the back of the net as Elmira generated consistent offense throughout the game. Aidan Patton, Benjamin Short, and Edgar Viskantas scored for the Mountain Kings. The Aviators built momentum throughout, capitalizing on their scoring opportunities, receiving contributions throughout their lineup. Campbell’s three-goal night highlighted the performance, earning Elmira two points in the standings.

New Jersey 5 @ Philadelphia 2 - The New Jersey Titans defeated the Philadelphia Rebels at Hollydell Ice Arena. The opening period was scoreless, with the New Jersey Titans taking ten shots on goal and the Philadelphia Rebels taking five shots on goal. At the beginning of the second period, the Rebels dominated with two shots on goal off the bat, but neither team scored in the second. The scoring opened in the third with Joe Pocrnic scoring eight seconds in for the Titans. Twenty seconds later, the Rebels answered. Timmy Donohue scored his sixth of the season, evening the score to one apiece. It didn’t stay tied for long, with Pocrnic scoring again for the Titans. Dylan Moran scored for the Rebels, 2-2. 20 seconds later, the Titans regained the lead with Ryder O’Neil scoring his sixth of the season. With 44 seconds left, Hudson Slenker scored the goal for the Titans, making the contest 3-2. 21 seconds left in the third, Tomas Pribyl scored the insurance goal for the Titans; the final score ended in a 4-2 win for the Titans.

Northeast 3 @ Johnstown 4 - The Northeast Generals hosted the Johnstown Tomahawks and fell to the team, despite the close game. At the 16:13 mark of the game, Owen O’Rear of the Generals scored to make it 1-0. The Tomahawks did not even the score in the first. In the second period, Evan Kensey of the Tomahawks scored his fifth goal of the season. Exactly one minute later, the Generals evened things up with his fourteenth goal of the season. In the third, Alex Gomes of the Tomahawks wasted no time and scored a goal 30 seconds into the period. Three minutes later, the Generals evened up the score, with Emil Szepesi scoring. With 4:31 left in the game, Charlie Zetterkvist of the Tomahawks scored, making the game 3-3. Nine seconds left in the game, the Tomahawks scored again. Alex Gomes got the goal.

Janesville 3 @ Wisconsin 2 (OT) - The Janesville Jets took on the Wisconsin Windigo on their home ice. At 2:10 in the first, Sean Truby of the Jets scored an even-strength goal. Two minutes later, Nikolas Ferry scored for the Windigo to even the game. In the second period, the Windigo took the lead at 17:34. Kaden Mote scored the goal, his fourth of the season. The Jets came storming back in the third, with Hans Hedlund scoring his seventh of the season at 6:23 in the period. The game would remain tied, with overtime coming into play for the two teams. The Jets ultimately came out on top, with Hedlund scoring the winning goal in overtime.

Aberdeen 3 @ Bismarck 5 - Bismarck secured a 5-3 victory over Aberdeen behind a strong special teams performance and a two-goal effort from Teddy Richardson. Bismarck opened the scoring with a power-play goal from Maddox Malquist, assisted by Richardson. Malquist struck again on the power play, once more with Richardson picking up the assist, giving Bismarck a 2-0 lead heading into the first intermission. Aberdeen responded in the second period with a power-play goal from Brody Dustin, assisted by Finn Safir. The Bulls followed with another power-play tally, as Melker Hof found the back of the net off assists from Dustin and Filip Henriksson to even the score. Bismarck regained control with a power-play goal from Carson Clukies before Richardson added an unassisted goal to put the Bobcats ahead 4-2 at the end of the second period. Hof brought Aberdeen within one early in the third, completing his second goal of the night on the power play with Dustin earning the assist. However, Richardson answered for Bismarck, scoring his second of the game off a pass from Mark Evans to restore the two-goal advantage. Bismarck held on through the final period to secure the 5-3 win. Both teams found success on the power play, but Bismarck ultimately generated more consistent scoring opportunities and capitalized on its chances. Aberdeen's special teams kept the Bulls competitive, but they struggled to find the same production at even strength as Bismarck earned the victory.

Shreveport 7 @ Oklahoma 4 - Shreveport claimed a 7-4 victory over Oklahoma behind a four-goal second period and a balanced offensive effort. Shreveport opened the scoring in the first period with a goal from Robin Israelsson, giving the Mudbugs a 1-0 advantage heading into the first intermission. The Mudbugs exploded offensively in the second period, scoring four times to extend their lead. Evan Hoglund found the back of the net off an assist from Jason Simons before William Alexis-Tremblay added another, assisted by Hoglund and Simons. Duke Eherhard followed with a goal assisted by Jonah Jasser, and Hoglund capped off the scoring stretch with his second of the night, assisted by Alexis-Tremblay. Oklahoma responded with two goals of its own. Joey Derosa scored off an assist from Carson Steinhoff before Oliver Laverdiere added another, assisted by Max Gagnon. Shreveport carried a 5-2 lead into the second intermission. The Warriors opened the third period with a goal from Brock Potter, assisted by Adam Bauer, before Dallas Jackson scored unassisted to bring Oklahoma within one. However, Shreveport answered with Simons finding the back of the net on an unassisted effort. Eherhard added his second goal of the night on the power play, scoring unassisted to put the game out of reach as Shreveport secured the 7-4 win. Shreveport's offensive production in the second period proved to be the difference, as the Mudbugs built a three-goal advantage and responded to Oklahoma's third-period push to close out the victory.

St. Cloud 3 @ Watertown 5 - Watertown rallied from an early deficit to earn a 5-3 victory over St. Cloud, using a strong second period and timely third-period scoring to secure the win. St. Cloud opened the scoring with Hobey Skulstad finding the back of the net, assisted by Jack Welby and Daylin Cline. Watertown answered with a goal from Jordan Brothers, assisted by Kyle Greene and Owen Chartier. The Norsemen regained the lead with Niklas Anderson scoring off assists from Easton Kennedy and Jackson Dolfi, giving St. Cloud a 2-1 advantage heading into the first intermission. Watertown took control in the second period, beginning with a power-play goal from Andrew Smulkstys, assisted by Roy Chung and Justin Obrochta. Stefans Rots followed with another goal, assisted by Maksims Pumpins and Smulkstys, giving Watertown a 3-2 lead heading into the final period. Watertown carried its momentum into the third, as Justin Obrochta extended the lead with a goal assisted by Greene. St. Cloud responded with a power-play goal from Brandon Rodenwald, cutting the deficit to one. With St. Cloud looking to find the equalizer, Greene sealed the victory with an empty-net goal, assisted by Chartier, securing the 5-3 win for Watertown. After trailing through the first period, Watertown found its offensive rhythm in the second and carried that momentum into the third. The Norsemen struggled to generate enough offense to overcome the deficit, while Watertown capitalized on key opportunities to close out the victory.

Lone Star 1 @ Houston 4 - The Bulls' two-goal second period propels them past the Brahmas 4-1 on Friday night at the Deep South Arena in Richmond, Texas. Four players scored for the Bulls, along with Aaron Sachs' 27 saves in net to lead the team to victory. For Lone Star, Liam Donnelly scored the only goal of the night, while goalie Leo Gabriel also stopped 27 shots in the contest. The first period was relatively quiet and even, as neither team found the back of the net. The Bulls did outshoot the Brahmas 10-8 in the period. The second period saw the Bulls score twice, the first coming on a short-handed goal by Nicholas Russ with 14:02 on the clock. Teammate Marat Mikhin would find the net just under five minutes later. The Brahmas tried to mount a comeback as Liam Donnelly cut the lead in half with his first goal of the season. The Bulls would find the net again for their third goal of the game thanks to Lukas Yeck with just over seven minutes left in the game. Bulls forward Vitaliy Korolyuk would find the empty net to put the finishing touches on the victory. Bulls goalie Aaron Sachs stopped 27 of 28 shots for a .964 save percentage, while Brahmas goalie Leo Gabriel stopped 27 of 30 shots for a .900 save percentage. The Bulls improve to 5-7-1-1 on the year, while the Brahmas drop to 12-3-0-1.

Springfield 2 @ Minnesota W 3 - Frantisek Netusil's 14th goal of the season leads the Wilderness to a 3-2 victory on Friday night at Northwoods Credit Union Arena in Cloquet, Minnesota. Netusil's goal and assist, along with goals from Max Edwards and Jackson Reeves, led the way for the Wilderness. For the Jr. Blues, Tate Spaulding and Brady Anundsen each added a goal, while goaltender Leyton Rinehart stopped 47 shots in the defeat. The Wilderness struck first when Max Edwards scored in the opening period. Rinehart stopped 22 shots in the period as the Wilderness took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. The Jr. Blues would tie the game late in the second period when Tate Spaulding found the net for his seventh goal of the season. The Wilderness would strike first in the third period when Netusil scored a power-play goal in the opening minute. Jackson Reeves, assisted by Netusil, would extend the lead to two with just under two minutes left in the game. Brady Anundsen would score for the Jr. Blues with just under one minute to go, but it would be too little, too late as the Wilderness escaped with a 3-2 victory. Wilderness goaltender Ryan Gerlich stopped 26 of 28 shots for a .929 save percentage. For the Jr. Blues, Rinehart stopped an impressive 47 of 50 shots for a .940 save percentage. The Wilderness improved to 10-7 on the year, while the Jr. Blues drop to 1-16-0-1.

Odessa 4 @ El Paso 1 - The Jackalopes score three goals in the final period as they defeat the El Paso Rhinos 4-1 on Friday night at the El Paso County Event Center in El Paso, Texas. Max Donatelli and Bjorn Bahneman each had a goal and two assists in the victory. For the Rhinos, Alexi Gregoire scored the lone goal in the defeat. The teams headed into the first intermission tied 0-0, with the Jackalopes leading 10-6 in shots on goal. The Jackalopes would open the scoring with 15 seconds left in the second period when Donatelli put one between the posts. Bahneman and Lucas Goodfellow would each assist on the play. The Jackalopes would strike again with 11:17 left in the game when Bahneman found the net. Ryan Staples and Donatelli would each assist on the play. Gregoire would cut the lead in half when he scored a power-play goal with just under six minutes left in the game. Odessa would put the game out of reach as Staples put the Jackalopes back up by two with just over one minute remaining. Bahneman and Donatelli would each assist on the play. Adam Matar would add another goal with just one second left to put the finishing touches on the victory. Goaltender Benjamin Vatis stopped 26 of 27 shots for the Jackalopes. For the Rhinos, Luke Brassil stopped 17 of 21 shots. Odessa improves to 12-4 on the year, while the Rhinos drop to 5-10-4.

Grand Junction 6 @ Billings 2 - The Grand Junction River Hawks flew north Friday night to face their Mountain Division rival, the Billings Cattle Punchers. Grand Junction took control early, scoring three goals in the first period. Alexander Hjorth found the back of the net twice in less than two minutes. His second goal came on the power play with an assist from Lincoln Martin. Martin added a goal of his own with 2:32 remaining in the period, marking his team-leading eighth goal of the season and giving the River Hawks a 3-0 lead heading into the first intermission. Billings came out of the locker room firing in the second period, putting pressure on Grand Junction with a barrage of shots on net. Landon Jamieson and Haydon Eckart each scored to cut the deficit to one, with Eckart's goal coming short-handed. However, despite being outshot 15-6 in the period, Grand Junction answered as Niko Julian found the back of the net to restore the River Hawks' two-goal lead. In the third period, Julian scored his second goal of the night before Gabe Iervella added a power-play goal to cap off the scoring. Grand Junction secured the 6-2 victory as goaltender Christopher Prater turned aside 28 shots in the win.

Ogden 5 @ Idaho Falls 2 - The Ogden Mustangs rolled into Idaho Falls looking to keep their three-game winning streak alive, while the Spud Kings hoped to turn the tide on home ice and avenge a pair of 5-1 losses just a week earlier. Idaho Falls struck first late in the opening period as Jackson Stocker found the back of the net with just 25 seconds remaining. The Spud Kings controlled much of the opening frame, outshooting Ogden 13-8. Idaho Falls extended its lead in the second period as Jonas Kopacka found the back of the net for his first goal of the year off an assist from Dayton Tailfeathers to make it 2-0. However, Ogden fired back as Max Harland, Henry Colbert and Wyatt Sancibrian each lit the lamp to give the Mustangs three unanswered goals. The offensive surge shifted all momentum towards Ogden. Cooper Struckel extended the Mustangs' lead on the power play with an unassisted goal. Colbert followed with his second goal of the night, also unassisted, to put the game out of reach. Doing his part in between the pipes, Jack Foy stopped 27 of 29 shots for Ogden, going perfect after allowing the first two goals. The Mustangs outshot Idaho Falls 12-6 in the final frame, scoring 5 unanswered goals and completing the comeback.

Amarillo 5 @ Pueblo 4 - The Pueblo Peppers welcomed the Amarillo Wranglers to town Friday night for a South Division clash, setting the stage for a back-and-forth battle as Pueblo looked to keep its recent momentum rolling while Amarillo hoped to end its eight-game losing streak. Amarillo wasted little time getting on the scoreboard as Cale Braid buried his team's first shot on goal just one minute into the opening period. Pueblo responded with two unanswered goals from Brady Barta and Cooper Jacobson to take a 2-1 lead. However, the Wranglers had an answer of their own as Alexander Kharinov went top shelf on a two-on-one opportunity with John Gonnella to even the score at 2-2. The Peppers regained the lead in the second period as Niko Gentilini found the back of the net. Pueblo controlled much of the middle frame, outshooting Amarillo 16-5 and keeping the Wranglers off the scoreboard. The Peppers carried a 3-2 advantage into the third period. The tug of war continued into the final period as Roko Gorsic found the back of the net following a deflection off a Peppers defenseman that sent the puck past Zachary Stahl to tie the game at three. Ralphs Veidemanis followed with a power-play goal to put Amarillo ahead, but Pueblo refused to cool off as Mykyta Bondariev's hustle created an open look for Nolan Warner to even the score at 4-4. With just 1:26 remaining, Eric Lund delivered the game-winning goal for the Wranglers, securing a 5-4 comeback victory for Amarillo's second road win of the season and snapping its eight-game losing streak.

Minnesota M 2 @ Anchorage 7 -  The Anchorage Wolverines came out against the Minnesota Mallards, establishing control early and maintaining their offensive pressure throughout the game. Anchorage secured a 7-2 victory behind a strong offensive performance and several key defensive stops. Just two minutes into the first period, Nasreddine opened the scoring with a gritty goal to give Anchorage a 1-0 lead. The Wolverines continued to capitalize on their offensive opportunities, with Lobenwein, Peterson, and Scott each finding the back of the net before the end of the period. Anchorage headed into the first intermission with a 4-0 lead, recording eight shots on goal out of nine total attempts. Goaltender Batih made an important stop on a shorthanded breakaway attempt by Caleb Mahar, using his leg pad to deny the scoring opportunity. However, the Wolverines quickly responded. Just a minute later, Scott scored his second goal of the game, extending Anchorage's lead to 5-0. Minnesota broke through seven minutes into the period, following a faceoff to put its first goal on the board. Heading into the third period, the Wolverines had accumulated 28 shots on goal to Minnesota's six. The third period brought more scoring action from both sides. Within the opening minute, Kotora added another goal for Anchorage, extending the Wolverines' lead. Minnesota answered with a goal from Gordon, bringing the scoreboard to 6-2 with 16:35 remaining in the game. Mallards attempted to generate more offensive pressure; Batih delivered an impressive save, denying Lobenwein following a scramble in front of the net. The Wolverines protected their advantage and added one more goal, with Peterson finding the back of the net to secure his second goal of the game. When the final horn sounded, Anchorage walked away with a 7-2 victory over Minnesota.

Fairbanks 2 @ Kenai River 4 - The Kenai River Brown Bears and Fairbanks Ice Dogs opened their matchup with a slow offensive start, but strong goaltending on both ends kept the game competitive. After an early defensive battle, the Brown Bears found their rhythm, using a three-goal second period to take control and carry a 4-2 lead into the third. Both teams struggled to find the back of the net early, but the goaltenders made sure neither side came away with easy scoring opportunities. Fairbanks' Woller delivered an impressive glove save, while Brown Bears goaltender Rustlie turned away a dangerous two-on-one opportunity to keep the Ice Dogs off the scoreboard. Tauscher found the back of the net for Kenai River, with assists from McSharry and Messick. The goal gave the Brown Bears a 1-0 advantage heading into the first intermission. Fairbanks came out with more offensive pressure in the second period. Kaszubowski tied the game for the Ice Dogs before Gatmaitan followed with another goal to give Fairbanks a 2-1 lead. However, Kenai River answered back, with Hansberger finding the net to even the score at 2-2. With seven minutes remaining in the second period, Woller came up with another impressive stop, denying Tosher on a clean breakaway. Despite the save, the Brown Bears continued to push offensively. Kazhibekov eventually broke through, putting the puck in the back of the net to give Kenai River a 3-2 advantage heading into the second intermission. Morrell added another goal for Kenai River, extending the lead to 4-2 during the third period and giving the Brown Bears some breathing room as they looked to close out the game. After a tightly contested opening period and a back-and-forth second, Kenai River entered the final period with control of the scoreboard.