Friday Finals: Wild night in the West
Fresno 1 @ Wenatchee 5 – Max McHugh scored twice to cap a dominant performance by the Wild as they outshot Fresno by a wide 43-15 margin on their way to a 5-1 win. After a scoreless 1st period, the Wild scored three times in the 2nd period to blow the game open as Jacob Barber, Noah Nelson and McHugh scored. Matt Salituro cut the lead to 3-1 with a goal for Fresno early in the 3rd period, but another goal from McHugh and one from Nathan Flynn put the game on ice as Wenatchee moved back into a 1st place tie in the West. Boxscore
Fairbanks 4 @ Kenai River 5 (SO) – Kenai’s Matt Seidel had a night for the ages as he scored all four Brown Bears goals in regulation to help the team to a 5-4 shootout win over Fairbanks. The only time Seidel didn’t score was in the shootout, but the other three shooters (Alec Butcher, Zac Lazzaro and Alex Jackstadt) did to secure the win. Doug Rose scored twice in regulation for Fairbanks and other goals came from Garret Clemment and Ethan Somoza, who scored his first career NAHL goal. Boxscore
Springfield 3 @ Soo 0 – Recently NCAA committed goaltender Matt Leon looked like he was ready for the next levels of hockey as he stopped all 41 shots that came his way as the Jr. Blues helped their playoff chances with a 3-0 shutout in Soo of the 1st place Eagles. Trevor Stone, who had a goal and an assist, scored the game’s first goal. Brett Skibba and Matt Iacopelli added 2nd period goals to finish the scoring. It was Iacopelli’s first career goal in his first career game. Boxscore
Port Huron 4 @ Janesville 1 – Three goals in the final five minutes of the 3rd period was the difference in the game as the Fighting Falcons put themselves on the cusp of clinching a playoff spot in the North Division with a 4-1 win in Janesville on Friday. Easton Powers opened the scoring in the 1st period for Port Huron, but that was answered in the 2nd period by Janesville’s Ruslan Pedan. In the 3rd period David Parrottino, Brett D’Andrea and Tyler Spezia all scored within a five minute span. Boxscore
Bismarck 5 @ Austin 2 – Five different players scored goals and Aaron Nelson had to make just 17 saves as the Bobcats came away with a 5-2 win in Austin on Friday. Austin struck first in the 1st period as CJ Smith scored. Bismarck answered with two straight from Filip Starzynski and Matt Pohlkamp. Grant Eichstadt tied the game at 2-2 in the 2nd period, but it was all Bismarck from that point on as Bob Kinne and Matt Anders scored in the 2nd period to make it 4-2 and Cory Chapman added an empty-net goal. Boxscore
Texas 2 @ Topeka 3 (SO) – The RoadRunners took a big step toward securing home ice in their upcoming first round series against Texas with a 3-2 shootout win on Friday. After no scoring in the 1st period, it was the Tornado who grabbed the lead in the 2nd period as Andrew Mayer scored a power play goal. That was answered by two straight goals from Topeka’s Michael Covach and Tyler Andrew. A goal late in the 3rd period from Texas forward Jackson Leef sent the game to a shootout where Tomas Nechala won the game as the last shooter. Boxscore
Coulee Region 1 @ Aberdeen 4 – Erik Baskin had a hat-trick, which included the 1st, 3rd and 4th Wings goals of the game as the Wings stayed alive once again in the playoff hunt with a 4-1 home win over the Chill. Baskin gave the Wings a 1-0 lead less than a minute into the 1st period. Eddie Matsushima answered back for the Chill to make it 1-1. Justin Parizek scored the lone goal of the 2nd period, which turned out to be the game-winner. Baskin added two more in the 3rd period. Boxscore
Odessa 1 @ Wichita Falls 7 – The Wildcats kept their playoff hopes alive with a convincing 7-1 win over Odessa, handing the Jackalopes their 18th straight loss. Taylor Portner scored the lone goal for Odessa. However, it was all Wildcats as they got two goals in the 1st period from Nick Farmer and Conor O’Neil. O’Neil added his second of the game in the 2nd period and George Pagonis and Kyle Bauman also scored for the ‘Cats. Brian LeBlanc and Rudy Junda added 3rd period goals in the win. Boxscore
Minot 3 @ Brookings 4 – Minot lost another chance to clinch the Central’s final playoff spot as Brookings edged out the Minotauros 4-3 on Friday. After an early goal from Minot’s Jake O’Borsky, the Blizzard scored four unanswered goals from Drew Brevig in the 1st period and Aidan Cavallini, Craig Lindegard and Eric Brenk in the 2nd period. Down 4-1, the Minotauros cut the lead to 4-3 with power play goals from Cameron Rowat and Lucas Oliver, but could not find the equalizer in the 3rd period. Boxscore
Michigan 2 @ Jamestown 1 – Trevor Gorsuch made 25 saves to lead the Warriors to a 2-1 road win in Jamestown preventing the Ironmen on gaining any ground in search of a 1st round bye. The other star of the game for Michigan was TJ Stuntz, who had both Michigan goals. Stuntz scored in the 1st period with an assist to Jon Farkas and again in the 2nd period with assists to Zach O’Hara and another to Farkas. Jamestown got their lone goal with an extra attacker as Dylan Zink scored late in the 3rd period. Boxscore
