Friday Finals: Wisconsin Rallies and Wins in a Shootout

Maryland 5  @ Maine 2 - The Maryland Black Bears delivered a poised, structured, and opportunistic road performance, powering to a 5–2 win over the Maine Nordiques behind timely special-teams execution, a three-goal third period, and a steady night in net from Ryan Denes. Maryland wasted no time setting the tone, converting on their first power play of the night just 1:55 into the opening period. Ryan Franks buried his sixth of the season off a crisp passing sequence from Harrison Smith and Tanner Duncan to give the visitors an early 1–0 edge. Despite being outshot 7–5 in the frame, the Black Bears controlled the middle of the ice defensively and carried their one-goal lead into intermission. The second period saw both teams trade chances, but it was Maine who broke through late. At 19:18, Austin Borggaard finished a net-front setup from Rylan Oster and Marshall McCharles to knot the game at 1–1. Maryland responded immediately, striking on another power play less than two minutes later. Smith delivered his seventh of the year at 17:24, restoring the lead off feeds from Franks and Joshua Frenette. The Black Bears dominated possession with a 15–6 shot advantage in the period and held a 2–1 lead heading into the third. Maryland’s depth took over in a decisive final frame. Maine briefly equalized at 18:08 when Dante Rodriguez converted off a transition rush, but the Black Bears answered right back — and emphatically. Just 44 seconds later, Liam Doherty buried the eventual game-winner at 11:24 on a setup from Frenette and Trey Hinton, capping off a hard forecheck that forced a turnover below the goal line. Maryland added insurance moments later when Logan Deuling snapped home his second of the season at 10:51, thanks to strong puck movement from Owen Drury and Daniel Johnson. The Black Bears sealed the night with their third power-play goal at 1:19, as Jonathan Lanza rifled a point shot through traffic off feeds from Johnson and Duncan to make it 5–2. Goaltender Ryan Denes was sharp throughout, stopping 21 of 23 shots and controlling rebounds to thwart Maine’s attempts to build sustained pressure. Lukas Fursten kept Maine within reach for much of the game with 26 saves on 31 shots, but had little answer for Maryland’s late surge. The Black Bears finished with a 31–23 shot advantage, including a dominant second period that tilted momentum in their favor. Smith, Franks, and Duncan led the charge, while Frenette contributed two timely helpers. Maryland’s special teams proved decisive, going 3-for-4 on the power play and holding Maine scoreless in their lone opportunity. With disciplined structure, efficient scoring, and a clutch third-period push, the Black Bears secured a complete and convincing road victory to keep pace in the division race.

Northeast 1 @ Danbury 3 - The Danbury Hat Tricks leaned on structure, timely scoring, and a sharp 41-shot effort to secure a 3–1 home win over the Northeast Generals, overcoming a feisty and penalty-filled matchup to earn two key points. Goaltender Jon Dukaric was rock-solid throughout, backstopping Danbury with a 33-save performance in a game defined by momentum swings and special-teams battles. Danbury struck first late in the opening frame after sustained pressure in the offensive zone. At 18:31, Luke Melnik buried his fifth of the season on a feed from Matt Shpungin, giving the Hat Tricks a deserved 1–0 lead after outshooting the Generals 17–12. Northeast fought back in the second, capitalizing on a power play midway through the period. At 10:39, Andrew Gibbons punched in his second goal of the year off crisp puck movement from Owen O’Rear and Tyler Kelly, tying the game 1–1. Despite the Generals’ surge — and a 14-shot effort — Danbury kept the game level with composed defensive coverage and key saves from Dukaric. The Hat Tricks put their stamp on the game in the third. At 15:19, Austin Michaud delivered the eventual game-winner, finishing a setup from Matt Dabrowski after Danbury forced a turnover and transitioned quickly through the neutral zone. Northeast pulled goalie Keagin Wilson for an extra attacker in the final minutes, but Danbury slammed the door. With 1:06 remaining, Peter Freel hit the empty net for his fourth of the season, assisted by Michaud, sealing the 3–1 victory. Danbury controlled the shot clock 41–33, maintaining pressure throughout and generating consistent looks in tight. Dukaric’s steady presence and Melnik’s productive night led the way, while Michaud provided the clutch finishing touch. For Northeast, Gibbons’ power-play marker was the lone breakthrough against a Danbury team that stayed composed in a penalty-ridden game. With disciplined late-game execution and superior possession, the Hat Tricks earned a complete home win and tightened their hold on divisional positioning.

Rochester 4 @ New Hampshire 2 - The Rochester Jr. Americans used a fast start, airtight defense, and flawless special teams to secure a 4–2 road victory over the New Hampshire Mountain Kings, extending their strong early-season form behind a disciplined, structured effort and a standout night from goaltender Jensen Carlstrom. Rochester began the night on the front foot, striking in the opening period to claim a 1–0 lead and immediately dictating pace despite being outshot 9–7. Their defensive structure limited New Hampshire’s interior chances, and the Jr. Americans carried the momentum into the second. The middle frame proved decisive. Rochester capitalized on a power play at 4:01, where Keanan Dewberry buried his fourth of the season off a smooth passing sequence from Owen King and Konner Powell. The tally would stand as the eventual game-winner. Rochester added another strike later in the period to build a 3–0 cushion, making the most of their limited opportunities in a period where shots favored the Mountain Kings only 5–4, thanks to strong defensive play on both sides. The Mountain Kings mounted a push in the third, finally solving Carlstrom on a power play at 9:14. Joey Sylvester swept home his first NAHL goal off setups from Alexander Duhon and Aidan Petroff, giving New Hampshire life at 3–1. They struck again late to close the gap to 3–2, forcing Rochester into a defensive shell in the closing minutes. But with the net empty, the Jr. Americans responded with composure; they sealed the win when they hit the empty net at 0:18, restoring the two-goal margin and capping off a disciplined road effort. Carlstrom was steady throughout, turning aside 20 of 22 shots and controlling rebounds in a game that demanded calm from the crease. At the other end, Gavin Weeks made 14 saves on 17 shots before being pulled for the extra skater in the final minute. Rochester, though outshot 22–18 overall, generated higher-quality chances and executed in key moments. Dewberry’s power-play marker highlighted an efficient special-teams showing, while King and Powell each recorded helpers in the victory. With smart structure, timely scoring, and steady goaltending, Rochester secured a complete 4–2 win and continued to build momentum within their division.

New Jersey 2 @ Philadelphia 6 - The Philadelphia Rebels rode a dominant start, explosive special teams, and a balanced scoring attack to a commanding 6–2 home victory over the New Jersey Titans. Philadelphia struck early and often, building a 6–1 lead through two periods before locking down defensively in the third to secure a statement win. The opening period belonged entirely to the Rebels. Charlie Spencer opened the scoring at 7:22, finishing a smooth passing play from Alex Lunski and Mikey Conlon. Just a few minutes later, Brayton Frick extended the lead with his fourth of the season off feeds from Johnny Conlin and Billy Sheridan. New Jersey momentarily halted the surge when Ty Creech buried his fifth of the year at 0:24, cutting the deficit to 2–1. But the Rebels answered instantly — only 14 seconds later — when Jordan Brothers deposited the eventual game-winner at 0:10, set up again by Spencer and Lunski. Philadelphia took a 3–1 lead into the locker room after outshooting the Titans 18–13 and controlling nearly every shift. The second period sealed the outcome. At 17:08, Michael Mathison made it 4–1 after capitalizing on a clean zone entry with help from Ethan Coots and Gavin Callahan. The Rebels’ power play struck next at 7:23, when Conlin fired home his eighth of the season off a low-slot setup from Cam Wilson and Brothers. Just four seconds before intermission, Frick notched his second of the night with an unassisted tally, pushing the lead to 6–1 and chasing New Jersey starter Andrei Nikolaev from the crease. The Titans’ penalty issues and defensive miscues fed Philadelphia’s momentum as shots tilted 18–9 in favor of New Jersey, but did not translate into meaningful pressure. New Jersey showed pushback in the third, breaking through at 4:43 when Skogen Schrott buried his eighth of the campaign with assists from Archer Brown and Hudson Slenker. But despite outshooting the Rebels 11–8 in the period, the Titans couldn’t claw back further. Philadelphia tightened defensively, and goaltender Ben Varsa — who faced 42 shots on the night — stood tall to preserve the win. Varsa finished with 40 saves in one of his best outings of the season, while Nikolaev and reliever Tyler Rounds combined for 29 stops against the Rebels’ 35-shot attack. Spencer, Lunski, and brothers Frick and Conlin powered a deep Philadelphia offense that converted in all situations. With elite puck movement, opportunistic finishing, and strong goaltending, the Rebels delivered one of their most complete performances of the season — a decisive 6–2 win over a high-volume Titans squad.

Elmira 1 @ Johnstown 2 (OT) - The Elmira Aviators went on the road to Johnstown to take on the Tomahawks. The Aviators would strike fast with a goal one minute into the game from Yianni Koukoves, Matt Maglio with the assist. The scoring would go silent for the rest of the opening period, as well as the second period. In the final period, the Tomahawks would finally answer back with a goal of their own. Nick Metelkin gets the Tomahawks on the board with an assist from Jack Genovese and Kalib Capecci. Neither team would score before the end of regulation, leading to overtime. In overtime, Nick Metelkin would score again to give the Tomahawks the win, Jacob Ingstrup and Charlie Zetterkvist picking up the assist. The Tomahawks beat the Aviators in a low-scoring affair 2-1.

Bismarck 3 @ St. Cloud 2 - The Bismarck Bobcats went on the road to challenge the St. Cloud Norsemen. The Bobcats would score the only goal in the opening period, a power-play goal from Cooper Williams, with Charlie Kresl with the assist. In the second period, the Norsemen would tie it up with a goal from Avry Shaw, Gabrial Bugeaud, and Tanner Hunt picking up the assist. The Bobcats would answer with a goal from Charlie Kresl, assisted by Eddie Revenig. The Norsemen would then tie it up again with a goal from Gabe Gallivan, Vinny Hart with the assist. In the final period, Williams would score the lone goal to give the Bobcats the win, his second goal, assisted by Charlie Kresl and Camden Alemond. The Bobcats win a close one with the Norsemen 3-2.

Janesville 3 @ Chippewa 4 - The Janesville Jets took a trip to Chippewa to take on the Steel. In the opening period, the Steel would score first with a goal from Tom Manzella, Ben Norris on the assist. Ben Norris would score in the second period to give the Steel a 2-0 lead, with Tom Manzella and Jakob Hansen with the assist. In the final period, the Jets would get on the board with a goal from Joey Fankhanel, Joseph Hyten, and Nathan Tobey with the assist. The Steel would answer back with an unassisted goal from Sam Schulte. With less than 3 minutes left, the Jets brought it back within one with an unassisted goal from Joseph Hyten. With less than a minute left, the Steel would answer again with a goal from Anthony Preskar, Hunter Whisenhand, and Tom Manzella with the assist. Before the end of regulation, the Jets would bring it within one again with an unassisted goal from Joey Fankhanel, his second of the game. But it was not enough, the Steel shocked the Jets in an upset 4-3.

Watertown 4 @ Austin 3 - The Watertown Shamrocks went on the road to Austin to take on the

Bruins. Despite being short-handed, the Bruins would strike first with a goal from JJ Franceschetti, Connor Beckwith picking up the assist. The Shamrocks would answer back quickly with a goal from Antons Macijevskis, assisted by Justin Bartley. In the second period, the Shamrocks would take the lead with a goal from Zach Boren, Andrew Smulkstys, and Jordan Gudridge with the assist. In the final period, the Bruins would score another short-handed goal to tie up the game, Matsvei Marshchanok with the goal and Siamion Marshchanok with the assist. Then just three minutes later, Matsvei Marshchanok would score again to take the lead, with Siamion Marshchanok and Nathan Williams with the assist. The Shamrocks would answer back to level the game once again with a goal from Jake Pietila and Andrew Smulkstys with another assist. With just two minutes left, the Shamrocks would find the game winner, scored by Owen Chartier and assisted by Jordan Gudridge. The Shamrocks win a thriller against the Bruins 4-3.

Oklahoma 2 @ Shreveport 4 - The Shreveport Mudbugs successfully defended their home ice, defeating the visiting Oklahoma Warriors with a final score of 4-2. The Mudbugs grabbed an early lead in the first period, scoring two goals to take a 2-0 advantage thanks to Duke Ehrhard and Josephy Samango finding the back of the net. Heading into the second frame, Samango tallied another goal for the Mudbugs, giving them the 3-0 advantage. However, Oklahoma’s Ben Likness responds to the Mudbugs’ lead with a power-play goal at the 1:24 minute mark. As the contest moved into the final frame, the Warriors cut the lead, bringing them within one of Shreveport. Oklahoma’s Ronnie Wade notches his first short-handed goal with less than six minutes left in the frame. However, the late-game heroics would not be enough when Shreveport’s Jacob Stock finds the back of the net at the 3:09 minute mark, doubling the Mudbugs' lead over Oklahoma. Shreveport would secure a 4-2 victory. Between the pipes for the Mudbugs, Tyler Hodges would turn away 19 out of 21 shots, helping his team secure the win.

Amarillo 3 @ Odessa 1 - The Amarillo Wranglers secured a decisive home victory, defeating the Odessa Jackalopes with a final score of 3-1. The matchup featured the Jackalopes lighting the lamp first on home ice, thanks to a power-play tally by Shea Barry. With a 1-0 edge heading into the middle frame, the Wranglers got to work and responded. Amarillo’s Daniel Rassega evened the score when he found the back of the net at the 15:37 minute mark. Later in the frame, Amarillo’s Jake Boulanger doubled the Wranglers’ lead, giving his team a 2-1 advantage heading into the final 20 minutes. The third period featured Lucas Schaefer securing his first NAHL goal in his career while extending Amarillo’s lead 3-1. The Wranglers would secure a victory against their West Texas rival. Between the pipes for Amarillo, Charles Antoine-Girard turned away 35 out of 36 shots, helping his team secure a win.

North Iowa 5 @ Aberdeen 4 (SO) - The North Iowa Bulls edged out the Aberdeen Wings in a thrilling contest that ultimately finished 5-4 in a shootout. The matchup kicked off with North Iowa showing up on the scoresheet first, thanks to a tally by Denis Kuzmenkov. The Wings lit the lamp later in the frame when Jibber Kuhl found the back of the net on the power play. However, North Iowa responds short-handed. Alternate Captain, Fugi Suzuki scores on the penalty kill at the 35-second mark, giving the Bulls a 2-1 edge heading into the second period. The next 20 minutes featured Aberdeen evening the score. The Wings first even the score when Matthew Martin scores unassisted around the 18-minute mark. Less than two minutes later, North Iowa converted on the power play with Parker Osborn scoring his fourth of the season. That short-lived lead would be ended again when Aberdeen’s Martin scored on the man advantage to make the contest 3-3 heading into the second intermission. The third period saw the lamp lit quickly when North Iowa’s Fugi Suzuki tallied his second short-handed goal of the night, giving the Bulls a 4-3 lead. However, Aberdeen would not go down without a fight. Wings third-year veteran, Kuhl, secures his second tally of the game around the nine-minute mark, eventually forcing the game into extra minutes. Overtime featured both teams trading chances; however, the matchup was then forced into a shootout. The Bulls battled from behind in the shootout, with Aberdeen’s Owen Pitters securing a goal in the first round. With their back against the wall, North Iowa scores two shootout goals, thanks to Vitaliy Korolyuk and Denis Hodas, to give them the 5-4 victory.

Corpus Christi 1 @ Lone Star 4 - The Lone Star Brahmas secured a strong home victory, defeating the visiting Corpus Christi IceRays with a decisive final score of 4-1. The Brahmas wasted no time establishing control, scoring three goals in the opening period to take an immediate lead. Lone Star’s Denver Damphousse lights the lamp first at the 10:26 minute mark. However, the IceRays respond less than a minute later when Jack Mackenzie finds the back of the net for Corpus Christi. This tied contest would be short-lived when Vincenzo Capano and Christian Venticinque would tally two goals for Lone Star, giving their team a 3-1 lead heading into the middle frame. Less than a minute into the second period, third-year Lone Star veteran Anthony Capello finds the back of the net, extending the Brahmas to a 4-1 edge over the IceRays. The final 20 minutes were scoreless, with both teams trading chances. Lone Star secures its first win against Corpus Christi this season and extends their win streak at NYTEX Sports Centre to seven straight wins. Between the pipes for Lone Star, Nicolas Rempel turns away 16 out of 17 shots.

New Mexico 1 @ El Paso 2 - Looking to extend their dominance at home, the El Paso Rhinos play host to the New Mexico Ice Wolves on Friday night. The matchup kicked off with El Paso lighting the lamp first in the opening period. Greyson Stettipane tallies El Paso’s first goal of the night with Tommy Shore finding the back of the net on the man advantage four minutes later in the first frame. Heading into the middle frame, the Rhinos were holding a 2-0 edge over New Mexico. Halfway through the second period, New Mexico shows up on the scoresheet thanks to a tally by Andy Earl. As the game moved into the final 20 minutes, both teams traded chances but were scoreless for both teams. The Rhinos secured a 2-1 victory, extending their dominance on home ice to 6-1. Between the pipes for El Paso, Logan Hughes stopped 34 out of 35 shots on goal, helping to lift his team to a win.

Springfield 4 @ Fairbanks 3 - In a battle in the Midwest, the Springfield Jr. Blues visit the Fairbanks Ice Dogs during their Alaska road trip. The matchup started with both teams trading chances in the first frame. As the contest was scoreless heading into the middle period, the game moved into a scoring frenzy. Springfield’s Owen Lowe lights the lamp first at the 18:14 minute mark. Following shortly behind him, Niko Laus extends the Jr. Blues' lead with a power-play goal. The scoring continued with Springfield Padraic Whited securing his first goal as a Jr. Blue with a tally halfway through the period. With Springfield having a 3-0 edge, the Ice Dogs got to work and responded. Fairbanks’ Mason Knaffla finds the back of the net at the 7:49 minute mark, and shortly behind him, Gage Leonard tightens the contest with a tally. Heading into the second intermission, the Ice Dogs trail 3-2 against the Jr. Blues. As the game moved into the final frame, the Jr. Blues were hungry to keep their edge. Three minutes into the third period, Springfield’s Dennis Emesibe helps to double the Jr. Blues' lead thanks to his goal. Fairbanks would respond when Oliver Barna found the back of the net, making the contest 4-3. As both teams traded chances for the final 14 minutes, neither team was able to score again. The Jr. Blues would pick up a 4-3 victory, helping to bounce back from a Sunday night loss after a week.

Wisconsin 4 @ Anchorage 3 (SO) - In Wisconsin’s first Alaska road trip of the season, the Windigo were hungry to make a mark in a Midwest Division Final rematch with the Anchorage Wolverines. The game started with Anchorage lighting the lamp first when Chase Trompeter tallied a goal at the 4:25 minute mark. Scoring 20 seconds behind him, Luc Bydal finds the back of the net to give the Wolverines a 2-0 lead. Three minutes later, the Windigo got to work and responded to Anchorage’s short-lived lead. Wisconsin’s Ryan Mottau scores at the 1:18 minute mark. Just like Anchorage, Wisconsin tallies another goal 20 seconds later when Will Doherty secures his first goal of the season. Moving into the middle frame, Wisconsin’s Doherty would give the Windigo a short-lived lead when he secured his second tally of his season. Anchorage’s leading scorer, Luc Bydal, would score between the legs to tie the contest 3-3 heading into the third period. The third frame would feature both teams trading chances and ultimately forcing the game into overtime. The extra minutes saw both teams looking to score; however, neither could get it done in overtime. The tight matchup moved into a shootout. In a crazy back-and-forth of scoring in the shootout, the Wolverines would eventually fall to Wisconsin when Rylan Bydal missed the goal. Seven straight goals were scored between the teams before the Windigo would secure the hard-fought 4-3 victory.