Saturday Scores: Wild take three from Brown Bears
Wenatchee Wild 2 @ Kenai River Brown Bears 1 (OT) – The Wenatchee Wild took on the Kenai River Brown Bears Saturday night in the third game of a three-game set at the Soldotna Sports Center and it would once again take extra time to decide things, but this time the Wild would need less than a minute of overtime to net a 2-1 win, sweeping the three-game series. Wenatchee opened the scoring in the final minute of the opening period, as Troy Loggins sniped one from the mid-slot giving the Wild a 1-0 lead after one. After a scoreless second period, in which Kenai River outshot Wenatchee 11-8, the Brown Bears would score 3:42 into the third period. Matt Rudin scored unassisted, tying the game 1-1. Unlike the previous two nights however, a shootout wouldn’t be needed. Loggins cut into the slot from the right side and blasted home the winning goal, giving the Wild a 2-1 win and the extra standings point, moving them past the Brown Bears and into 4th place in the Midwest Division. Boxscore
Aberdeen Wings 0 @ Minnesota Wilderness 3 – The Wilderness scored once in each period and outshot the Wings 40-18 on their way to a 3-0 shutout and sweep of the series. It was the 12th shutout of the season for the Wilderness and fourth for goalie Frank Oplinger. Alex Fredberg had a goal and an assist including the game-winning goal in the 1st period. Erick Brenk scored in the 2nd period and Dan Litchke added a 3rd period goal. Chad Catt made 37 saves in the loss. Boxscore
Bismarck Bobcats 7 @ Austin Bruins 0 – It took just 25 shots on goal for the Bobcats to score seven goals and blank the Austin Bruins, 7-0 and complete a weekend sweep. Huba Sekesi scored two goals as did Tyler Dunagan and Stanislav Dzakhov. Evan Giesler had the other goal for the Bobcats. Goaltender Aaron Nelson made 19 saves for his second shutout of the season. Dan Kovar had two assists in the game as Bismarck scored once in the 1st period, twice in the 2nd period and four times in the 3rd period. Boxscore
Johnstown Tomahawks 4 @ Port Huron Fighting Falcons 2 – The Tomahawks took three of four points in the weekend road series in Port Huron as they won on Saturday, 4-2. Shane Bednard scored twice in the win. After a Jon Hall opened the scoring the Fighting Falcons, Johnstown took a 2-1 lead with goals from Matthew Meier and Bednard. Austin Romzek tied the game at 2-2 in the 2nd period, but two 3rd period goals from Tyler Basham and another from Bednard secured the win. Boxscore
Coulee Region Chill 4 @ Janesville Jets 1 – Adam Carlson made 35 saves and Cam Bleck scored twice as the Chill got some revenge from the night before with a 4-1 win in Janesville to earn a weekend split of the series. Bleck and Cameron Cooper scored in the 1st period to put the Chill ahead 2-0. Griff Jeszka scored early in the 2nd period to make it 3-0. Bleck scored his second goal of the game early in the 3rd period to make it 4-0. Evan Feno had the lone Jets goal midway through the 3rd period to spoil the shutout bid of Carlson. Boxscore
Soo Eagles 2 @ Michigan Warriors 6 – Tyler Groat had a hat-trick as the Michigan Warriors won their lone game of the weekend in a 6-2 home win over the Soo Eagles. Michigan got off to a fast start scoring three, 1st period goals from Brandon Wolfe, TJ Stuntz and Groat. Groat scored again in the 2nd period to make it 4-1 and added a 3rd period goal along with one from Jake Hopfner. Both of the Eagles goals came off the stick of Mike Sabatini. Zack Szajner and Colin Larkin each had a pair of assists in the Warriors win. Boxscore
Fairbanks Ice Dogs 5 @ Corpus Christi IceRays 4 (SO) – The IceRays scored three goals in the final seven minutes of regulation to take a point, but could not pull of the complete comeback as the IceDogs took the extra point and win in the shootout, 5-4. The Ice Dogs led 3-0 after the 1st period on goals from Lonnie Clary, Tayler Munson and Chandler Madry. Brad LeLievre made it 3-1 in the 2nd period, but Brett Gervais scored to make it 4-1 after two periods. In the 3rd period, the IceRays tied the game at 4-4 on goals from Wes Michaud, Kyle Froese and LeLievre’s second of the night. In the shootout, Munson and Jacob Hetz had the only goals for the Ice Dogs. Boxscore
Odessa Jackalopes 5 @ Wichita Falls Wildcats 7 – In a two-game series that featured 23 combined goals, the Wildcats won a wild 7-5 game on Saturday night, which salvaged the weekend series with the Jackalopes. After the teams were deadlocked 2-2 after one period, the Wildcats took a 5-2 lead with three goals in the 2nd period. Odessa responded with three straight goals to tie the game at 5-5 early in the 3rd period only to see Wichita Falls score two goals late to secure the win. The Wildcats got two goals from Rudy Junda and others from Max Reisinger, Josh Haverstrom, Will Vosejpka, Jake Townsend and Kyle Bauman. Odessa goals came from Razmuz Waxin-Engback, Leo Lumm, Alex Alger, Mathieu Briand and Andrew McLean. Boxscore
Minot Minotauros 4 @ Brookings Blizzard 1 – Merrick Madsen made 26 saves as the Minot Minotauros gave themselves a little breathing room for the 4th and final playoff spot in the Central Division with a 4-1 win on Saturday, earning a weekend split. After a scoreless 1st period, Minot took a 3-0 lead in the 2nd period on goals from Colton Kramer, Jake Johnson and Jacob Howie. Ryan Sete scored late in the period to put Brookings on the board, but that momentum was halted by a 3rd period goal from Minot’s Tanner Holmquist to secure the 4-1 win. Boxscore
Topeka RoadRunners 2 @ Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees 3 – The Killer Bees turned the tables on the RoadRunners with a 3-2 win on Saturday, which earned them a weekend split of the series. Rio Grand Valley led 2-0 early in the 2nd period with goals from Marcus Ericsson and Kevin Antipov. Topeka’s Daniel Rzavsky cut the lead to 2-1, but Ben Greiner increased the lead back to two with a goal midway through the 3rd period. Tyler Poulsen added a late power play goal, but the RoadRunners could not find the equalizer. Boxscore
Minnesota Magicians 7 @ Springfield Jr. Blues 1 – Will Johnson had two goals and an assist and Bryan Nies made 31 saves as the Minnesota Magicians salvaged a weekend split with the Jr. Blues thanks to a 7-1 win on Saturday. The Magicians started strong with three, 1st period goals from Cody Milligan, Matt Colford and Johnson. John Severson scored the lone Jr. Blues goal early in the 2nd period, but the Magicians responded with another goal from Johnson and goals from Colin Herndon, Alex Funk and Sam Becker. Boxscore
Lone Star Brahmas 2 @ Amarillo Bulls 0 – TJ Black made 34 saves for his 3rd shutout of the season as the Lone Star Brahmas earned a weekend road split in Amarillo with a 2-0 shutout of Saturday. The Brahmas got all the scoring they needed in the 1st period as Jan Hudecek scored six minutes into the game with an assist to Todd Koritzinsky and with :50 seconds to go in the 1st period Johan Steen scored Lone Star’s second goal with assists to Gordie Helmuth and Hunter Stanley. Collin Delia made 17 saves in the Bulls loss. Boxscore
