Saturday Scores: Wenatchee posts weekend sweep
Wenatchee 5 @ Kenai River 2 - The Wenatchee Wild concluded their 6-game Alaskan road trip in style Saturday. Four different players scored unanswered second-period goals for the Wild en route to a 5-2 victory over the Kenai River Brown Bears at the Soldotna Sports Center. The win gave the Wild a sweep in their 2-game set against the Brown Bears after a 3-1 win Friday in the first game of the series. Kenai River broke a scoreless tie with 4:02 remaining in the first period when Marek Hensky scored on a rebound during a delayed penalty. The Brown Bears got a huge lift with one second left in the first frame when Raymond Stenehjem scored a short-handed marker during a 2-on-2 entrance into the Wild zone. The Wild scored four unanswered even-strength goals in the second period. Matt Cope started the goal spree 2:27 into the frame when he buried a wrist shot from the left wing, picking the top far corner. Michael Lant set up the goal on his pass to Cope at the blue line. Max McHugh tied up the contest near the middle of the second stanza.The Wild took their first lead with 7:26 left in the second period when Jerad Tafoya, who recently returned to the lineup, banged home his seventh goal of the season after an extended stay in the offensive zone. Tyler Rostenkowski notched his first goal in a Wild sweater less than a minute after Tafoya’s marker on a wrister from the blue line. Jacob Barber added an empty-netter from Blake Saylor and Lant with 1:51 remaining in regulation. Barber notched six points (5G, 1A) and was plus-3 during the Wild’s road trip. Robert Nichols made 21 saves on 23 shots for his second win in as many days. Austin Severson made 17 saves on 21 shots and was tagged with the loss in a little more than 35 minutes of work. Gabe Grunwald stopped all seven shots he saw in relief of Severson. Boxscore
Dawson Creek 2 @ Fresno 4 – A two-goal 2nd period was the difference in the game as Fresno gave their playoff hopes a big shot in the arm with a weekend sweep of Dawson Creek. Chase Sisk gave the Monsters an early lead, which was answered by Dylan Rota from the Rage. Riley Borer and Jeff Pauluk added 2nd period goals for Fresno and after a Jason Wark goal for the Rage, Carl Witty put the game away with an empty-netter. Boxscore
Aberdeen 1 @ Austin 4 – Nicholas Lehr made 13 saves and the Bruins got goals from four different players in a 4-1 win over the Wings. Austin jumped out to a 3-0 lead with goals from Austin Nelson, CJ Smith and John Simonson. Justin Parizek scored the lone goal for Aberdeen on the power play, but Colton Kramer added some more insurance for the Bruins to put the game away. Marcus Zelzer made 22 saves in the loss. Boxscore
Kalamazoo 5 @ Traverse City 2 – On the strength of four, 3rd period goals the Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings earned a weekend split with the North Stars thanks to a 5-2 win on Saturday. Kyle Gattelaro scored twice and Nick Kovalchik and Davis Dekorte each added a goal and assist. Kyle Schempp scored first for Traverse City, which was answered by Gattelaro’s first goal. Seth Adams gave Traverse City a 2-1, lead which led to the K-Wings big 3rd period. Boxscore
Chicago 0 @ Port Huron 7 – The Fighting Falcons put together another convincing win and completed a weekend sweep of Chicago with a 7-0 win, the same they beat them buy on Friday night. Max Milosek stopped all 30 shots for Port Huron and Logan Lemirande scored twice. Nolan Valleau, Brett D’Andrea, Mike Moroso and Max Reavis also had multi-point games for Port Huron. Sean Gammage scored the lone goal of the 1st period, which proved to be the game-winner. Boxscore
St. Louis 3 @ Michigan 4 – The Warriors scored three goals in a seven-minute span late in the 3rd period to come from behind to defeat the St. Louis Bandits 4-3 and earn a weekend split of their weekend series. AJ White gave Michigan a 1-0 lead early in the 2nd period, but that was answered with three straight Bandits goals from Joe Kalisz, Josh Dangel and Wes Elrod. However, two goals by Chris Eckler and another from Sheldon Taylor late in the game was the difference. Boxscore
Janesville 2 @ Jamestown 1 (SO) – For the second straight game, the Ironmen pushed the Midwest Division-leading Jets to the brink only to fall in a shootout, 2-1, as Janesville complete the weekend sweep. Zack Szajner opened the scoring in the 1st period for Jamestown, but that was answered by Jake Horton’s goal for Janesville. Tony Kujava did the rest as he made 25 saves in the game and stopped all five shooters in the shootout for the win. Joe Ballmer made 36 saves in the loss. Boxscore
Springfield 7 @ Coulee Region 1 – The Jr. Blues salvaged a weekend sweep thanks to a convincing 7-1 win on Saturday night against the Chill. Coulee Region jumped out to a 1-0 lead on an early goal from Tyler Klein, but it would be Springfield’s game the rest of the way. Kyle Cook scored twice and added an assist, Josef Pontasch had three assists and Brett Skibba had two goals in the win. Chris Sitler, Ethan Nauman and Radim Matus also had goals for the Jr. Blues. Boxscore
Alexandria 3 @ Bismarck 6 - The Bismarck Bobcats poured in five straight goals to rally past the Alexandria Blizzard for a 6-3 win Saturday at the VFW Sports Center, meriting the Bobcats a two-game split in their home-and-home series with the Blizzard. Special teams carried a lot of weight for the Bobcats, who scored three power play goals on three chances while denying both man advantages the Blizzard earned. Tommy Burke made 26 saves on the way to his 26th win of the year. Boxscore
Topeka 1 @ Fairbanks 4 – Steve Perry made 21 saves as Fairbanks picked up a 4-1 win on Saturday to earn a weekend split with the RoadRunners. JT Osborn opened the scoring for the Ice Dogs in the 1st period. Evan Wilson scored to make it 2-0 midway through the 2nd period and Max Birkinbine increased the lead to 3-0 late in the period with a goal. Ben Bahe tallied the lone RoadRunners goal early in the 3rd period, but Logan Wendling answered back for Fairbanks giving them the final three-goal cushion. Boxscore
