NAHL Showcase comes to an end as talent is on display

September 22, 2019

The 17th annual NAHL Showcase came to a close on Saturday, September 21st at the Super Rink in Blaine, Minnnesota.

 

The annual event, also known as The Greatest Show on Ice, once again exceeded all expectations as a new record turnout for fans and scouts was established, as everyone was treated to maybe the closest games and competition in recently memory

 

The Lone Star Brahmas and Amarillo Bulls both went undefeated at the event, as the Brahmas went a perfect 4-0, outscoring their opponents 16-7, while the Bulls went 3-0, which included two regular season wins on Wednesday and Thursday, and then a 4-2 win over the NTDP 17-Team from the USHL on Saturday night.

 

Central: 13-5-6

East: 12-13-3

Midwest: 11-9-4

South: 14-8-2

vs. NTDP: 1-1

 

 

Lone Star 4 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 1 – The Lone Star Brahmas finished four days at the NAHL Showcase as the only undefeated team as they jumped out to an early lead and never looked back in a decisive 4-1 win over the Knights on Saturday. Three different players scored for the Brahmas, which included CJ Walker in the 1st period to make it 1-0. The Brahmas tacked on three more goals in the 2nd period with tallies from Matthew Rickard, Michal Stinil, and another from Walker. Nikita Asylaev scored the lone goal for the Knights. 

 

Northeast 2 vs. Aberdeen 1 – The Northeast Generals posted their first win of the NAHL Showcase as they edged the Aberdeen Wings, 2-1. The Generals took a 1-0 lead with a 1st period goal from Cade Destefani. The Wings answered back late in the 2nd period with a goal from Riley Murphy. With just over three minutes remaining in the 3rd period, the Generals found the game-winner off the stick of Trevor Smith, who potted home a rebound. Generals goalie Ethan Racz made 26 saves in the win, while Wings goalie Henry Welsch made 25 saves in the loss.

 

Topeka 1 vs. Jamestown 0 (SO) – Topeka goalie and NHL prospect Jakub Dobes posted his first career shutout as he stopped all 12 shots in regulation and all three shooters in the shootout to help the Pilots pick up their third win at the NAHL Showcase. Jamestown goalie Noah West also got credit for a shutout, making 32 saves through regulation and overtime. The lone goal of the shootout was scored by Topeka’s Shawn Kennedy.

 

Minot 3 vs. Maryland 2 – Minot goalie Ben Garrity made 34 saves to help the Minotauros pick up their third win of the NAHL Showcase thanks to a 3-2 win over Maryland on the final day. After a scoreless 1st period, the Black Bears got on the board first early in the 2nd period as former Minotauros forward Wilmer Skoog scored the game’s first goal. Minot would answer back with three straight goals, including tallies from Andranik Armstron-Kingkade, Cole O’Connell, and the game-winner from Jack Westlund. Ethan Heidepriem had a late goal for the Black Bears to make it a 3-2 final. Black Bears goalie Andrew Takacs made 24 saves in the loss.

 

New Jersey 5 vs. New Mexico 2 – Mitch Machlitt scored twice and Michael Outzen had a goal and two assists as the Titans won their third game of the NAHL Showcase with a 5-2 win over New Mexico. Machlitt scored two goals in an 8-minute span to open the scoring and give the Titans a 2-0 lead. The Ice Wolves stormed back with goals from Shamil Khadizhalov and Jackson Wille to tie the game at 2-2 midway through the 2nd period. However, the Titans would answer with the final three goals of the game, including one from Outzen in the 2nd period and others from Kyler Head and Matt Cameron in the 3rd period. Titans goalie Patrick Pugliese made 27 saves in the win, while Josh Graziano made 27 saves in the loss.

 

Johnstown 7 vs. MN Magicians 6 (OT) – Bennett Stockdale had the game-winning goal in overtime and three assists and Carson Gallagher scored twice as the Tomahawks won a wild contest over the Magicians thanks to a 7-6 overtime win. The Tomahawks got goals from Pavel Kharin and Tristan Poissant in the 1st period, both goals from Gallagher in the 2nd period, and 3rd period goals from Colin Price and Noah Basarab. The Magicians got goals in the 1st period from Jonathan Ziskie and Josh Bohlin, a 2nd period goal from Jimmy Doyle and 3rd period goals from Sasha Shogren, Valentino Passarelli, and other from Doyle. Alex Tracy made 32 saves in the win, while Alexander Aslanidis made 26 saves in the OT loss.

 

Chippewa 5 vs. Maine 2 – Braiden Dorfman scored twice and Grant Boldt made 19 saves as the Steel won their second straight game at the NAHL Showcase by defeating the Maine Nordiques, 5-2. The Nordiques, who won their first two games of the event, dropped their final two games in Blaine to finish at 2-2. The Steel opened up a 3-0 lead with three goals in the 1st period from Braden Lindstrom, Killian Kiecker-Olson, and Dorfman and never looked back. Dorfman added his second goal in the 2nd period and Jacob Dirks added a 3rd period goal. Noah Kane and Tyler Harvey scored for the Nordiques. Connor Androlewicz made 21 saves in the loss.

 

Springfield 1 vs. Corpus Christi 0 – Jr. Blues goalie Ryan Wilson stopped all 28 shots that came his way for his first NAHL win and shutout as Springfield blanked the IceRays on the final day of the NAHL Showcase. The lone goal for the Jr. Blues came from forward Adisen Brueck, who scored late in the 1st period on a nice snap shot to the glove side of IceRays goalie Jeremy Forman. Forman would end up allowing just one goal on 14 shots in the game.

 

MN Wilderness 3 vs. Shreveport 0 – Wilderness goalie Ryan Ouellette stopped all 22 shots that came his way for his first career NAHL shutout as the Wilderness picked up their third win of the NAHL Showcase thanks to a 3-0 shutout of the Mudbugs. After a scoreless 1st period, the Wilderness jumped ahead 1-0 in the 2nd period with a goal from Brady Hunter. Minnesota added on two more insurance goals in the 3rd period, including a nice 2 on 1 conversion from Jaocb Herter for his first goal of the season and a goal late in the period from Tyler Watkins. Shreveport goalie Richie Parent made 26 saves in the loss.

 

Janesville 2 vs. St. Cloud 1 (OT) – Jets goalie Grant Riley stopped 17 of 18 shots that came his way to lead the Jets to their third win of the NAHL Showcase as they edged the Blizzard in overtime on Saturday, 2-1. St. Cloud took a 1-0 lead just over two minutes into the contest as Thomas Gazich scored his first career NAHL goal. The Jets had an answer late in the 2nd period as Nick Brown netted his second goal of the season. In the overtime, it took the Jets just :07 seconds to win the game as forward Nick Nardella won the face-off, skated down the ice and potted home his own rebound for the game-winner. Blizzard goalie Britt League made 27 saves in the loss.

 

Bismarck 4 vs. Fairbanks 0 – Bismarck forward and Blaine, Minnesota native Will Hillman had a hat-trick and Bobcats goalie Ryan Ullan stopped all 13 shots that came his way for his first shutout of the season as the Bobcats won their Showcase finale over the Ice Dogs, 4-0. Hillman got the scoring started midway through the 1st period. George Grannis added a 2nd period goal and then Hillman scored back-to-back goals less than three minutes apart in the 3rd period to complete the hat-trick and 4-0 win. Ice Dogs goalie Mattias Sholl made 18 saves in the loss.

 

Kenai River 4 vs. Austin 3 (SO) – The Brown Bears saw an early lead evaporate, but hung onto win against the Austin Bruins on the final day of the Showcase, 4-3 in a shootout. The Brown Bears collected six points in Blaine with a 2-0-2 record. Logan Ritchie opened the scoring for the Brown Bears in the 1st period with two goals. Austin tied the game at 2-2 with 2nd period goals from Kevin Gabor and Tiernan Shoudy. Robert McCollum gave Kenai River the lead back late in the 2nd period at 3-2. Late in the 3rd period, the Bruins tied the game as Hugh Larkin scored a power play goal. Laudon Poellinger had the only goal in the shootout to secure the win for the Brown Bears. Danny Fraga made 38 saves in the win, while Jaxon Friedman made 18 saves in the loss.

 

Amarillo 4 vs. NTDP 2 – Nick Trela and Lauri Sertti each had a goal and an assist as the Bulls doubled up the NTDP 17-Team, 4-2 in the final game of the 2019 NAHL Showcase. Things started really well for the Bulls, which included a 1st period goal from Brendan Blair and 2nd period goals from Trela and Linus Udd Hellgren to make it 3-0 less than four minutes into the middle frame. Jeremy Wilmer scored for the NTDP to make it 3-1, but a power play goal less than three minutes later from Sertti made it 4-1. The NTDP would add on a late 3rd period goal from Ty Murchinson to make it a 4-2 final. Bulls goalie Max Guyjahr made 18 saves in the win, while Gibson Homer made 21 saves in the loss.