Friday Finals: Fairbanks regains Midwest lead
Michigan 5 @ Johnstown 3 – Michigan stayed hot with a 5-3 win in Johnstown thanks to two goals from Tyler Groat and three goals in the 2nd period. After Alex Alger gave the Tomahawks an early lead in the 1st period. Groat scored twice in the 2nd period along with Ryan Burr to put Michigan up 3-2. Mitch Wedding and Cody Kuster added 3rd period goals. Steven Quagliata and Casey Lickenheld had the other goals from Johnstown. Ryan Wischow made 20 saves in the win. Boxscore
MN Magicians 2 @ Janesville 3 – Dan Kucerovy scored a power play goal with less than a minute remaining as the Jets picked up a 3-2 win over the Magicians. After a 1st period goal from Janesville’s Drew Callin, the Magicians took a 2-1 lead to the lockerroom with goals from Lukas Laub and Kane Durment. Adam Winborg evened things up at 2-2 with a goal in the 2nd period, leading to Kucerovy’s game-winner. Matt Jurusik made 16 saves in the win, while Vaughan Ahrens made 29 saves in the loss. Boxscore
Wenatchee 2 @ Amarillo 3 – Thanks to Amarillo’s 3-2 win over Wenatchee and Rio Grande Valley’s loss, the Bulls gap on the 6th and final playoff spot is down to just one point after their 3-2 win on Friday. It took a three-goal comeback by the Bulls after Wenatchee jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals from Stevie Bryant and August Von Ungern-Sternberg. The Bulls got a 2nd period goal from Kyle Hartman and two 3rd period goals from Cody Gylling and Tristan Rostagno. Anton Martinsson made 34 saves in the win. Boxscore
Wichita Falls 4 @ Corpus Christi 5 (OT) – Mason Kreuger scored late in overtime to help the Corpus Christi IceRays to a 5-4 win over the Wildcats. After a scoreless 1st period, the Wildcats went up 3-2 in the 2nd period with goals from Austin Azzinnaro, Matt Koch and Nick Farmer. The IceRays kept pace with goals from Maskim Dzhioshvili and Landon Quinney, who scored his first career NAHL goal. The IceRays led 4-3 in the 3rd period with another goal from Dzhioshvili and Wes Michaud. Colin Staub scored late to force overtime. Boxscore
Coulee Region 4 @ Springfield 5 (OT) – Brady Tomlak scored 1:16 into overtime to help the Jr. Blues to a 5-4 win over the Chill. After an opening goal from Springfield’s Kyle Meeh, Coulee Region scored three straight from Aussie Miller, Jackson Charlesworth and Adam Lovick. The Jr. Blues then scored three straight of their own to take a 4-3 lead on goals from TJ Friedmann, Brian Rigali and Joey Lupo. Richard Zehnal scored with under a minute remaining in regulation to tie things up and send the game to overtime. Boxscore
Fairbanks 2 @ Bismarck 0 – Kevin Aldridge stopped all 27 shots that came his way for his second shutout of the season as the Ice Dogs regained sole possession of 1st place in the Midwest with a 2-0 shutout win in Bismarck. Robin Karlsson scored a 1st period power play goal, which would be enough for the game-winner. Todd Burgess added a 3rd period power play goal for insurance. Alex Bitsakis made 18 saves in the Bobcats loss. Boxscore
Kenai River 1 @ Minot 2 – Atte Tolvanen made 30 saves to help the Minot Minotauros to a 2-1 home win over the Brown Bears on Friday. Minot took an early 1-0 lead just :17 seconds into the game with a goal from Nick Monfils. Quinton Wonder answered right back for the Brown Bears to tie the game at 1-1 after one period. The game-winner didn’t come until five just about five minutes to go in regulation off the stick of Chase Springman. Alec Derks made 30 saves in the loss. Boxscore
Lone Star 3 @ Rio Grande Valley 0 – Jake Kupsky stopped all 19 shots that came his way for his second shutout of the season as the Brahmas kept pace atop the South Division with a 3-0 shutout win in Rio Grande Valley on Friday. Sebastian Vidmar scored twice, including a goal in the 1st and 2nd periods. Cody Wickline added a 3rd period goal. Hunter Stanley picked up two assists in the win. Nick Schmit made 19 saves in the loss. Boxscore
Brookings 2 @ Aberdeen 1 – The Blizzard cut the deficit down to three points for the 4th and final playoff spot in the Central thanks to a 2-1 win in Aberdeen on Friday. The Wings led 1-0 on a 1st period goal from Drew Doyon, but that was answered in the 2nd period power play goal from Connor Hutchins. The game-winner came with just over a minute remaining from the Blizzard’s Kristoffer Brun. Ryan Kubic made 31 saves in the win, while Andrew Shortridge made 27 saves in the loss. Boxscore
Topeka 9 @ Odessa 2 – Eight different players scored and Jasen Fernsler scored twice as the RoadRunners beat Odessa 9-2 on Friday. Topeka jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals from Fernsler and Sly Sutter, but the Jacks responded with their two goals from Derek Brown and Razmuz Waxin-Engback to make it 2-2. Topeka then scored seven unanswered goals including 2nd period markers from Dominic Lutz, Yu Hikosaka and Tyler Irvine. 3rd period goals came from JB Baker, Tyler Hayes, Daniel Brickley and another from Fernsler. Matej Tomek made 19 saves in the win. Boxscore
MN Wilderness 1 @ Austin 4 – Evan Smith made 19 saves to lead the Bruins to a 4-1 home win over the Wilderness on Friday. After a scoreless 1st period, Austin went up 1-0 on a goal from trevor Boyd. Wayland Williams would answer back for Minnesota, but before the period was done, Austin took a 3-1 lead on goals from Zach Kennedy and Tony Uglem. JC MacLean added a shorthanded goal in the 3rd period for extra insurance. Boxscore
Keystone 1 @ Soo 2 – In a game that was completed after a postponement from early February, Soo edged Keystone, 2-1. There was no scoring in the pick-up the continued game. Matt Menta and Brad Pung scored in the 1st period, which would be enough for the Eagles. Matt Jones had the lone goal for the Ice Miners. Boxscore
Keystone 4 @ Soo 1 – Alex Blankenburg made 39 saves as the Ice Miners closed in on a playoff spot with a 4-1 win. After a scoreless 1st period, Brad Pung opened the scoring for the Eagles, but that was answered by two Keystone goals from Tommy Horn and Noah Batis. Jake Coleman and Austin Romzek added 3rd period goals to secure the win. Boxscore
