Friday Finals: Austin Battles Back to Secure Win in Overtime

Photo Credit: Toby Newton

New Hampshire 2 @ New Jersey 4 - The New Hampshire Mountain Kings traveled to face the New Jersey Titans on Friday night. The contest opens up with New Jersey’s Ty Creech finding the back of the net on the man advantage. That 1-0 lead was short-lived with New Hampshire’s Nicolas Vrtiel notching a power-play goal five minutes later to equalize the matchup. Heading into the second frame, the Mountain Kings secured a lead when Gavin Wilkie produced his first goal of the season for his team. However, the Titans quickly respond when Skogen Schrott finds the back of the net less than a minute after New Hampshire’s goal. As the teams moved into the final 20 minutes of play, the contest was tied 2-2. New Jersey’s Tate Pecknold and Owen Leahy would seal the deal for the Titans as they both lit the lamp to give New Jersey the 4-2 victory over New Hampshire.

Maine 4 @ Elmira 0 - The Maine Nordiques paid a visit to the Elmira Aviators on Friday night. Looking to gain crucial points in the standings, both teams were hungry for a victory. Kicking off the scoring was Rylan Oster, an ‘06 forward for the Nordiques. He notches his team’s first goal at the 14:22 mark in the first period. Following shortly behind him, Marshall McCharles kept the scoring going by finding the back of the net three minutes later. Heading into the middle frame, Luke Gallo continued the Nordiques lead by extending the score to 3-0. Moving into the final period, Ryan Santiago, a second-year veteran of the Nordiques, notched his first NAHL career goal in the third frame. Lukas Fursten kept the crease clean for Maine as he posted a shutout, padding away all 34 shots on goal.

Danbury 5 @ Northeast 7 - Coming in at third and fourth in the East Division standings, the Danbury Hat Tricks and the Northeast Generals were in the hunt for some early-season standings points. Riding a three-game win streak, Danbury looked to take that streak on the road and steal one from the Generals. As the contest opened up in the first frame, the Generals got the scoring started with Spencer Hirsch scoring a goal at the 8:35 mark. However, the Hat Tricks quickly evened up the contest when Danbury’s goal leader, Parker Deschene, found the back of the net a minute later. With less than a minute on the clock in the first, the Generals’ Braydon Hudtloff sealed a goal to give his team the lead. The second period opens up with Danbury’s Kai Elkie finding the back of the net to even out the contest. However, Northeast’s offensive prowess was on display in the final few minutes of play of the second frame. Stephen Fabiano notches his first goal of the season for the Generals while Kody Moyer converts on the power play and scores a goal for Northeast. Danbury’s Matt Shpungin finds the back of the net for the Hat Tricks in the middle of the frenzy to help tighten up the contest with Northeast; however, Spencer Hirsch of the Generals wastes no time to notch a goal 15 seconds later. As the teams move into the final 20 minutes, Kody Moyer opens the scoring for Northeast with a goal at the 15:03 mark. Captain of the Hat Tricks, Brendan Boring, responds with a goal, and his teammate Luke Melnik scores on the man advantage to bring Danbury within one of the Generals. At the 33-second mark, Captain of the Generals, Mikey Bartkowski, seals his seventh goal of the season to help secure a 7-5 victory for his team.

Rochester 4 @ Philadelphia 1 - Coming off a big 12-3 victory last Saturday night, the Rochester Jr. Americans were hungry to continue their winning ways. Starting off the scoring in the first period, the Jr. Americans’ Corson Maguire finds the back of the net at the 8:59 mark to kick off an early 1-0 lead. Moving into the middle frame, Rochester strikes again, and this time, Adam Gionta shows up on the scoresheet. The Niagara commit is the first Jr. American this season to score short-handed. Less than three minutes later, Gionta, the third-year veteran, notches another goal for the New York-based team. At the 3:26 mark in the second frame, Billy Sheridan of the Philadelphia Rebels responded and scored his first goal of the season to bring the matchup within two goals. As the game moved into the final period, Rochester lit the lamp once again, and this time it was the team’s goal leader, Ryan Shaw, showing up on the scoresheet. The Jr. Americans secured a 4-1 victory, and Jensen Carlstrom secured the win between the pipes. He stopped 21 out of 22 shots last night. 

Maryland 5 @ Johnstown 1 - The Black Bears continue their winning ways as they head to the 1st Summit Arena to take on the Johnstown Tomahawks. Kicking things off in the first frame, Air Force commit Trey Hinton scores on the power play to give the Black Bears the lead. With less than a minute on the clock, second-year Tomahawks veteran Jack Genovese notches a goal to tighten up the contest 1-1. Following Johnstown’s lone goal, Maryland takes over in the matchup. The second frame saw Tanner Duncan and Jaden Sikura scoring goals to extend the Black Bears' lead to 3-1. Maryland was able to secure another pair of goals in the final 20 minutes, with Logan Deuling tallying his first goal of the season and Brayden Wade scoring shortly behind him. Maryland continued their dominance on the penalty kill, stopping all four opportunities that Johnstown had in the contest. In net, Dom Gatto picked up his third consecutive win between the pipes, turning aside 13 out of 14 shots. 

Amarillo 2 @ Oklahoma 7 - The Amarillo Wranglers traveled to Oklahoma on Friday night to take on the sixth-ranked Warriors. Oklahoma is coming off being swept by the Lone Star Brahmas and are looking to bounce back from the series. In the first frame, the Warriors kicked off the contest with back-to-back goals by Trent Burlison. The 5’11 righty notched his first and second goals of the year within the first five minutes of the contest. Following Burlison’s goals, William Francisco-Parent found the back of the net on the man advantage, extending the Warriors' lead to 3-0. Heading into the second frame, the captain of the Warriors, Ethan Gonyeau, kept the scoring going by notching his first goal of the season. However, the Wranglers responded in the middle frame. Daniel Rassega scored short-handed for the Wranglers with five minutes left in the second, and then Mason Lupo followed and helped to cut the Warriors' lead in half with his first goal of the year for Amarillo. Despite the Wranglers’ efforts, as the contest moved into the final frame, Oklahoma wasted no time in extending their lead as Kyle Sorensen scored within 30 seconds of the frame. The Warriors continued their offensive dominance with a goal by Ronnie Wade and Jakub Bednarik to end the contest.

St. Cloud 1 @ Minnesota M 2 - The St. Cloud Norsemen hit the road to visit the Minnesota Mallards in this Central Division matchup on Friday night. In a low scoring affair, Minnesota opened the scoring when Wes Berg lit the lamp in the first. That was the only goal in the opening frame. After a scoreless second period, St. Cloud got on the board via a Sam Crane power-play goal to knot the score at one. In the final three minutes of the third period, Tyler Kusznier scored the game-winning goal and secured the win for Minnesota. This win marks the first win at home for the Mallards this season.

El Paso 4 @ Corpus Christi 2 - In a battle between the bottom two teams in the South Division, the El Paso Rhinos outlasted the Corpus Christi IceRays with a 4-2 win on the road Friday night. Despite coming in with the South’s least effective power play, El Paso managed to capitalize on key chances and play disciplined hockey throughout. Brendan Murray led the way with two goals, including a second-period tally that helped shift momentum after an early IceRays lead. Corpus Christi, who continues to struggle on the penalty kill, could not contain the Rhinos' attack late. The IceRays held a 35-22 edge in shots, but goaltender Michael Modelski stood tall for El Paso, earning the win with a 33-save performance. With the win, El Paso snapped a skid and gained ground in the standings, while Corpus Christi’s penalty-kill woes and inability to convert offensive pressure into goals kept them stuck at the bottom of the division.

Minot 3 @ Austin 4 (OT) - The Austin Bruins rallied past the Minot Minotauros with a 4-3 overtime victory, powered by a relentless offensive attack. The first period was scoreless for both teams. Heading into the next 20 minutes of play, Minot’s Michael Solominsky opened the scoring in the contest by finding the back of the net on the man advantage four minutes into the frame. Following shortly behind him, Ivan Sidorov scored his first goal of the season for the Tauros around the 14-minute mark. Third-year veteran and captain of the Bruins, Nathan Williams, slashed Minot’s lead in half by notching a goal with 2:30 left on the clock. However, Solominsky capitalized yet again on the power play and scored his second goal of the contest with around a minute left in the second frame. Moving into the third period, Austin was down 3-1. Looking to tighten up the contest, Bruins’ second-year blueliner, Ryan Lund, finds the back of the net. The momentum finally shifted to Austin’s side when T1ER alumnus Zander Lipsett notched the game-tying goal in the matchup with less than two minutes on the board. As the game moved into overtime, Lipsett sealed his fate as the hero of the contest when he found the back of the net again and produced the game-winning goal with 33 seconds left in overtime. In net for Minot is 17-year-old Brian Cooke. The St. Louis, Missouri native put up a valiant effort with 73 saves in this loss.

Aberdeen 8 @ North Iowa 4 - The red-hot Aberdeen Wings kept their dominant run alive with an 8-4 road win over the North Iowa Bulls on Friday night. Aberdeen jumped out to a 4-2 lead in the first period and never looked back, notching their ninth win in ten games—all in regulation. Facing the Central Division's weakest penalty kill in North Iowa, the Wings’ high-powered offense went to work early and often, racking up goals in every period. Despite a brief pushback from the Bulls in the second, Aberdeen’s special teams and depth proved too much to handle. Captain of the Wings, Owen Pitters, notched his first hat trick while Adam Dybal turned aside 19 shots to earn the win for Aberdeen. With both athletes performances, it also showed why they boast the division’s top penalty kill, keeping North Iowa off the board with the man advantage. The Bulls, now mired in defensive struggles and discipline issues, were outshot 35-23 and continue to search for consistency. Aberdeen, meanwhile, stays firmly atop the Central with another statement victory.

New Mexico 4 @ Shreveport 1 - In their first road series of the season, the New Mexico Ice Wolves came out strong and silenced the crowd at Shreveport’s glowing “Glotober” rink with a convincing 4-1 win over the Mudbugs on Friday night. New Mexico, fresh off a bye week, looked sharp early, jumping out to a 2-1 lead in the first and adding two more in the second. Sean Smith opened the scoring with a power-play goal—one of only a few chances for an Ice Wolves team that’s had the fewest man-advantage opportunities in the division so far this year. Shreveport, despite leading the division in power-play chances, could not convert on home ice. The Mudbugs were held scoreless after the opening frame and managed just 19 shots on goal. Goaltender Gavin Schahn stopped 18 shots in the win for New Mexico, who limited the Mudbugs' chances and controlled the pace. The victory gives the Ice Wolves early momentum on their road swing, while Shreveport looks to regroup heading into the rest of their themed home weekend.

Chippewa 1 @ Minnesota W 9 - The red-hot Minnesota Wilderness extended their league-best winning streak to seven games with a dominant 9-1 blowout over the visiting Chippewa Steel on Friday night. Back home after a successful Alaska road swing, the Wilderness wasted no time asserting themselves, piling on five goals in the opening frame and never looking back. Forward Jakeb Lynch led the charge with a four-point night (two goals and two assists), while Noah Dziver netted two first-period goals and added an assist. Minnesota controlled the game from the opening faceoff, outshooting Chippewa 33-21 and suffocating a Steel team desperate to snap a six-game skid. Chippewa’s lone bright spot came early, when Mason Johnson briefly cut the Wilderness lead to 2-1 midway through the first. But that momentum did not last, as Minnesota responded with three more unanswered goals before the first intermission. Goaltender Ryan Gerlich turned aside 20 shots to earn the win, while the Steel’s struggles continued on both ends of the ice. With just one win on the season, Chippewa remains at the bottom of the Midwest Division standings, while the surging Wilderness further solidify their position at the top.

Wisconsin 4 @ Janesville 5 - With an in-state battle brewing at the brand-new Woodman’s Center, the Janesville Jets play host to the Wisconsin Windigo on Friday night. Kicking things off quickly in the first period, Miami University commit Mason Minsky finds the back of the net on the power play a little over 30 seconds into the contest. The 5’10 skater lights the lamp again less than four minutes later, to give the Jets a 2-0 lead. The Windigo’s Ronnie Hill was able to cut the lead in half with a power-play goal at the 13:47 mark. However, that did not stop the Jets’ offensive prowess. Sammy Smith responds a little over a minute later with a goal of his own for the Jets. Heading into the second frame, Wisconsin was hungry to tighten up the matchup. Ryan Mottau finds the back of the net for the Windigo while securing his first goal of the season. Two minutes later, Janesville’s Justin Bloink also secures his first goal of the season, and he does it in short-handed fashion. With less than five minutes on the clock in the middle frame, Alexios Georgaklis scores his first short-handed goal of the year for the Windigo. To round out the scoring in the second frame, Janesville’s Joseph Hyten finds the back of the net and also scores it short-handed. As the matchup entered the final 20 minutes, Wisconsin was determined to battle back from behind. With 1:06 left on the board, Ryan Mottau finds the back of the net again for the Windigo to help tighten up the contest to 5-4. Eventually, the Windigo would fall to the Jets, and Janesville would keep its second-place rankings in the Midwest Division standings. 

Odessa 1 @ Lone Star 6 - In a battle of Texas teams, the Odessa Jackalopes visit the Lone Star Brahmas for a matchup on Friday night. The scoring did not kick off until the second frame of the contest, where Lone Star’s Van Martin got the scoring started. Following Martin’s goal, Leo Isaksson extended the Brahmas' lead with a goal scored on the man advantage. Odessa’s Nicholas Puricelli was able to cut the lead in half with a power-play goal for himself, marking his first goal scored on the man advantage this season. As the Texas-sized battle continued into the third, the reigning South Division Champions showed why their team has seen success year after year. Lone Star’s Denver Damphousse lights the lamp for the first time this season at the 18:26 mark. Aaron Vanwie continues the Brahmas' lead with his second tally of the season, and then Christian Venticinque notches a goal less than three minutes later. Lone Star ends their scoring frenzy with Texas native Vladimir Saibel notching his first short-handed goal of the year. The Brahmas decimate the Jackalopes, and Nicolas Rempel picks up the win in the blue paint. He turned away 23 out of 24 shots he faced. Rempel is riding a four-game win streak between the pipes.

Springfield 2 @ Kenai River 5 - In an eagerly anticipated Midwest Division clash, the Kenai River Brown Bears hosted the Springfield Jr. Blues at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. Despite the absence of spectators, the Brown Bears showcased a dominant performance, securing a 5-0 victory over the Jr. Blues. This win marked their third consecutive triumph against Springfield this season, enhancing their record to 6-5-0-0. Gavin Jensen, the leading goal-scorer for Kenai River, continues to impress with his consistent performance, adding to his tally of 5 goals for the season. Thomas Gunderson also shone brightly, leading the team in assists with 7, and overall points at 11. The Brown Bears excelled defensively as well, with goalie Connor Mackenzie maintaining a remarkable save percentage of .940. His stellar performance, including a shutout, underscores Kenai River’s defensive prowess. For Springfield, Brady Turner was a standout, leading in goals and points with 5 and 7 respectively, though they struggled to break through Kenai's defense in this matchup. 

Fairbanks 5 @ Anchorage 3 - In an intense matchup at Sullivan Arena, the Fairbanks Ice Dogs emerged victorious over the Anchorage Wolverines with a decisive 5-3 win. The game saw Fairbanks excel in the second period, scoring three goals to Anchorage's one. Despite Anchorage's efforts, including power-play goals by Andrew Karkoc and Bowen Burke, Fairbanks maintained their lead. Emmet McClaine and Sami Johnson were standout performers for Fairbanks, each contributing significantly to the scoreboard. Johnson's power-play goal at 04:48 in the second period was a pivotal moment, setting the tone for Fairbanks' offensive surge. Mack Diggins added another power-play goal early in the third, and Jace Sebert sealed the victory with an empty-net goal just over a minute before the final buzzer. On the defensive end, Fairbanks' goalie Mason McElroy made 14 saves, proving crucial in maintaining the lead despite Anchorage's 17 shots on goal. Anchorage's Liam Ernst faced a barrage of 32 shots, saving 26, but it was not enough to turn the tide. This victory propels Fairbanks to a 6-3-1-0 record, continuing their strong start to the season.