Friday Finals: Aberdeen stuns Bismarck in OT

Aberdeen 5 @ Bismarck 4 (OT) - The Bismarck Bobcats overcame a 3rd period deficit to force overtime but could not overcome the offense of Cory Ward as the Cats fell 5-4 in overtime to the Aberdeen Wings at the VFW Sports Center Friday night.  Aberdeen got on the board 8:05 into the game as a puck deflected away from Kevin Becker to a wide open Paul Prescott, who slammed the puck into a mostly open net to post the Wings to a 1-0 lead.  Donald Olivieri answered for the Bobcats to level the game at 1-1, threading a power play wrist shot through traffic and past Wings netminder Marcus Zelzer 2:52 after Prescott’s opening tally.  The Wings, however, responded minutes later as Joe Mottiqua found Trevor Husch wide open for a one-timer that beat Tommy Burke under the cross-bar to boost the visitors to a 2-1 lead heading into the first intermission. A second period burst by the Bobcats would guide them to the lead, as back-to-back goals from Mike Dockry and Tyler Richter pushed the division-leading Cats to a 3-2 advantage 10:13 into the middle frame. Aberdeen answered that rally with a two-goal volley of their own as Ward and CJ Reuschlein tallied scores in the final eight minutes of the second to reclaim the lead at 4-3 after 40 minutes. Adam Knochenmus tied the game 4-4 5:28 into the third, grabbing an entry from Bryce Anderson and faking a pass on a 3-on-1 rush before burning a shot past Zelzer.  Zelzer was forced to come up with 15 third-period stops—including two point-blank chances by Dockry and Buster Hebda in the final minute of regulation—to force the game into overtime.  In the extra frame Ward delivered the game winner just 49 seconds shy of a shootout to deal the Bobcats just their second loss after regulation of the season.  Ward has both game-winning goals for the Wings against the Bobcats on the year.  Burke made 30 saves but could not avoid his first overtime loss of the season. Boxscore

Corpus Christi 3 @ Odessa 2 – The IceRays gave themselves a little breathing room in the playoff race as the won their first game of the year in Odessa on Friday night by a score of 3-2.  AJ Jarosz scored twice and Jonathan Grebosky added the other marker for Corpus Christi, who also scored two power play goals.  Tyler Minx scored both goals for the Jacks.  Anthony Stolarz made 27 saves in the win, while Connor Hellebuyck suffered the loss, making 26 saves. Boxscore

Janesville 1 @ St. Louis 5 – The St. Louis Bandits edged closer to 1st place in the Midwest Division with a convincing 5-1 win over the Jets, whose 1st place lead was shaved down to one point.  After Jordan Bancroft scored first for Janesville, the Bandits answered with back-to-back goals from Frank Dichiara and Joe Kalisz.  Kalisz would add his second of the game in the 2nd period and Cody Ganchar also scored twice to complete the scoring.  Tyler Green made 36 saves in the win. Boxscore

Michigan 3 @ Jamestown 2 – In a race between the two teams fighting for the fourth and final playoff spot in the North Division it was the Warriors, who used a final second goal from Robert Mantha, who edged the Jamestown Ironmen, 3-2.  The teams traded goals in the 1st period with Luc Gerdes scoring for Jamestown and James Kline for Michigan.  Travis Hill gave Michigan a 2-1 lead, but that was answered midway through the 3rd period by Aaron Arm.  That set up Mantha’s heroics as he scored with just one second to go in the final period. Boxscore

Coulee Region 4 @ Austin 7 – Matt Hansen had a night to remember as the Bruins forward recorded a hat-trick and an assist for a four point night as the Bruins bounced the Chill, 7-4.  It was Austin’s 4th straight win.  Charlie Adams and AJ Reid each had a goal and two assists for the Bruins and John Simonson and Jeremy Finger also netted goals for Austin.  Ben Jaremko (2 goals) and Jake Useldinger (2 goals, 2 assists) provided all the offense for the Chill in the loss. Boxscore

Texas 2 @ Topeka 0 – Texas goaltender Hunter Leisner picked up his 4th shutout of the year, making 23 saves, as the Tornado blanked the RoadRunners, 2-0.  Alexander Larson, who was picked up from the 3HL’s Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks, made the start in goal for Topeka, who were playing without both of their regular goaltenders because of injury.  Taylor Herndon scored the first Tornado goal in the 1st period and Jack Prince followed it up in the 3rd period with an empty-net goal, his league-leading 36th of the season. Boxscore

Alexandria 3 @ Minot 2 (SO) – Minot’s Derek Tylka tied the game up with :11 second left in regulation, but Alexandria goaltender and recent Brian’s Goalie of the Month Jacob Meyers, shut the door in the shootout, as the Blizzard picked up a road win in Minot.  Seth Ronsberg and Craig Lindegard scored for the Blizzard in regulation and Carl Krieger and Tylka answered back for the Minotauros.  Charlie Aus and Lindegard scored in the shootout, while Meyers blanked Minot. Boxscore

Fairbanks 8 @ Dawson Creek 4 – The Ice Dogs erupted for eight goals and crept closer to the West Division title with an 8-4 win in Dawson Creek on Friday.  It was the 4th straight win for Fairbanks.  Logan Wendling and Jeff Earnest each scored twice for Fairbanks.  It was Earnest’s 5th goal in his last three games.  JT Osborn scored his league-leading 36th goal of the year and Pavlo Padakin, Max Birkinbine and Russell Finch also scored for the Ice Dogs. Scott Fellnermayr and Shawn Mueller each had three points for the Rage in the loss. Boxscore

Alaska 4 @ Kenai River 5 (SO) – The Brown Bears picked up a big two points in the standings with a 5-4 shootout win at home over the Avalanche on Friday.  The Brown Bears led 4-2 after two period with two goals coming from Matt Thompson and others from Chris Blessing and Alex Frere.  Alaska stormed back in the 3rd period with Kevin Novakovich’s 2nd goal of the night and another from Tanner Fahlstedt.  Two Brown Bears shooters scored in the shootout to win the game.  Boxscore

Springfield 5 @ Chicago 2 – The Jr. Blues handed the Hitmen their 6th straight loss as Kyle Cook and Chris Sitler paced the Springfield offense in a 5-2 win, moving the Jr. Blues to over .500 for the season.  Springfield jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the 1st period as Cook scored twice and Tyler Rehm added the other.  Shingenobu Kakudate and Zach Schrotenboer scored to draw Chicago to within 3-2, but Sitler and Josef Pontasch put the game out of reach with two more goals. Boxscore