Saturday Scores: Rebels close gap in the East with two wins
New Jersey 2 @ Aston 3 (SO) – The Rebels close the gap on 1st place in the East held by the Titans with a 3-2 shootout win on Friday, completing a two-win weekend for the Rebels. The Rebels took a 1-0 lead in the 1st period with a goal from Andrew Bellant. New Jersey answered twice in the 2nd period with goals from Raymond Brice and Joseph Schuler to take a 2-1 lead. Dean Balsamo scored for Aston in the 3rd period to tie the game. After a scoreless overtime, Evgeny Yakovlev and Bellant scored shootout goals to win. Trevor Micucci picked up the win in goal, making 30 saves, while Jake Berry took the loss making 25 saves. Boxscore
Topeka 2 @ Odessa 4 – The Jacks jumped out to an early lead and hung on to beat the RoadRunners 4-2 to complete a weekend sweep. Daneil Kiraly opened the scoring in the 1st period to make it 1-0. Hampus Sjodahl and Eric Carreras scored in the 2nd period to increase the lead to 3-0. Topeka made a game out of things in the 3rd period with quick goals from JB Baker and Dominic Lutz, but it would be as close as they would get as Carter Wade added an empty-net goal to secure the win. Gunner Rivers kept his record perfect on the season with 24 saves in the win, while Topeka goalie Vladimir Cibulka made 23 saves in the loss. Boxscore
Johnstown 3 @ Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 4 (SO) – The Knights posted their first ever NAHL win, with a come-from-behind 4-3 shootout win thanks to 45 saves from goalie Andrey Svistunov. Things looked good for the Knights early, who went up 2-0 on a pair of 1st period goals from Carson Knop and Steven Kelly. However, Johnstown fought back with three straight goals to take a 3-2 lead including 2nd period goals from Luke Lynch and Adam Pilewicz and a 3rd period goal from Filips Buncis. The Knights tied the game at 3-3 midway through the 3rd period on a goal from Aiden Beck. Knop scored the only goal in the shootout to secure the historic win for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Nick DeSimone made 31 saves in the loss. Boxscore
Springfield 2 @ Coulee Region 0 – Niko Della Maggorie stopped all 35 shots that came his way for his first shutout of the season as the Jr. Blues won their fourth straight game with a 2-0 shutout win in Coulee Region on Saturday. After a scoreless 1st period, the Jr. Blues took their first lead of the game late in the 2nd period on a power play goal from Anthony Scarsella. Early in the 3rd period a goal from Anthony Mangano made it 2-0 and would be all the Jr. Blues would need. Trevor Stone assisted on both Jr. Blues goals. Chill goalie Matiss Kivlenieks made 30 saves in the loss. Boxscore
Amarillo 1 @ Lone Star 6 – The Brahmas used a big 2nd period to top the Bulls on Saturday and complete a weekend sweep. After a scoreless 1st period, in which the Bulls outshot the Brahmas 8-4, Lone Star exploded for four 2nd period goals. Goals from Oskar Andren and John Zimmerman made it 2-0. After the Bull got their lone goal from Jake Houston to make it 2-1, the Brahmas answered with four unanswered goals to win going away, which included two more in the 2nd period from Carson Kelley and Cody Wickline and 3rd period goals from Peter Bates and Alex Berardinelli. Corbin Kaczperski had to make just 15 saves in the win, while Jacob Weatherly took the loss with 31 saves for the Bulls. Boxscore
Brookings 1 @ Minot 4 – The Minotauros padded their 1st place lead in the Central with a 4-1 win over the visiting Blizzard on Saturday, which completed a weekend sweep. Lucas Murray made 21 saves in the win and gave up just two goals all weekend. Minot opened the scoring with a 1st period goal from Austin Martinsen. Brookings answered to tie the game early in the 2nd period with a goal from Mikael Hakkarainen, but it was all Minotauros after that as Martinsen struck again for the eventual game-winner and Chase Springman and Derek Frentz also added goals. Josh Kuehmichel took the loss in goal for the Blizzard, making 30 saves. Boxscore
Austin 3 @ MN Wilderness 4 – Tyler Cline’s goal with just 1:45 remaining in regulation was the difference as the Wilderness picked up a weekend sweep of the Bruins with a 4-3 win on Saturday in Cloquet. The Wilderness jumped up 2-0 on two goals from Alex Toscano in the opening period. The Bruins got back in the game with a pair of goals from Gilbert Gabor to make the score 3-2 after Wilderness forward Casey Gilling had scored a power play goal. In the 3rd period, Austin’s Austin Rueschhoff had scored to tie the game midway through before Cline had his heroics. Chase Munroe made 24 saves in the win, while Austin Smith took the loss for the Bruins, also making 24 saves. Boxscore
Kenai River 2 @ Fairbanks 6 – Ryner Gorowsky and Todd Burgess both scored twice to lead the Ice Dogs to a 6-2 win and weekend sweep of the Brown Bears. Fairbanks scored the first four goals from the game, including a shorthanded goal in the 1st period from Todd Burgess and 2nd period goals from Cayden Cahill and two from Gorowsky. The Brown Bears got on the board in the 2nd period on a goal from Cameron Cook, but that was answered by another goal from Burgess. Clay Cross added a 3rd period goal for the Ice Dogs as did Cook, who ended up scoring both Kenai River goals. Gavin Nieto posted the win in goal for Fairbanks, while Nick Nast took the loss for Kenai River. Boxscore
MN Magicians 5 @ Aberdeen 3 – Just as they did last weekend, the Magicians and Wings split another series as the Magicians won 5-3 on Saturday earning a weekend road split. Will Ulrich made 39 save in the win for Minnesota. The Magicians got 1st period goals from Connor Bucsis and Jack Christensen, a 2nd period goal from Tyler Bump and two 3rd period goals both from Brady Heppner. The Wings goals came from Kieran Durgan and Tucker DeYoung in the 1st period and Colin Raver in the 3rd period. Wings goals Peter Thome made 26 saves in the loss. Boxscore
