Friday Finals: Austin Battled From Behind and Takes Victory on the Road

Photo Credit: Jeremy M. Elbert

Northeast 3 @ Elmira 2 - The Northeast Generals went on the road to take on the Elmira Aviators. In the opening period, the Aviators would strike first with a power play goal from Maximus McGuire, Cael Primanti, and Andrew Horn getting the assist. Not even a minute later, the Generals would answer back with a goal to tie the game. Alec Hall scored for the Generals, with an assist from Spencer Hirsch and Braydon Hudtloff. In the second period, the Aviators would take the lead back with a goal from Greg Johnson, Shawn Laperriere and Quin Pine picking up the assist. Going into the final period, the Aviators had a 2-1 lead over the Generals. To begin the third period, the Generals would score on a power play of their own to tie the game. Jack Montaldo lit up the scoreboard, assisted by Owen O’Rear and Braydon Hudtloff, his second assist of the game. With just five minutes left, the Generals would score the game-winning goal on a short-handed goal from Kody Moyer, Robert Savaglio and Owen O’Rear, picking up his second assist. The Generals come back in the third to defeat the Aviators 3-2.

Maine 6 @ New Jersey 3 - The Maine Nordiques went on the road to take on the New Jersey Titans. Despite the high-scoring affair, there were no goals from either team in the first period. In the second period, the Titans would get the scoring started with a goal from Nikolas Doumas, Skogen Schrott and Blake Jones getting the assist. The Nordiques would then get on the board to tie the game with a goal from Josh Agnese, Makar Kultuklu and Josh Itri picking up the assist. The Nordiques would then take their first lead of the game with a goal from Dante Rodriguez just two minutes later. After that, the Titans would tie the game back up with a goal from Skogen Schrott, Nikolas Doumas returning the assist Schrott gave him earlier in the game, and Blake Jones getting his second assist of the game. Then, just 14 seconds later, the Nordiques would take the lead back with a Damon Myers goal, assisted by Marshall McCharles and Makar Kultuklu, his second assist of the game. Before the end of the second period, the Titans would tie the game with a power-play goal from Skogen Schrott, his second goal of the game, Hudson Slenker and Ty Creech picking up the assist. In the final period, the Nordiques would take the lead back with a short-handed goal from Damon Myers, his second goal, with Luke Gallo getting the assist. Then Damon Myers would complete his hat trick to extend the Nordiques' lead, Rylan Oster and Dylan Chabrier getting their second assist of the game. To finish the game, the Nordiques would score an empty-net goal from Dawson Anderson. The Nordiques surged in the final frame to defeat the Titans 6-3.

New Hampshire 3 @ Johnstown 2 (SO) - The New Hampshire Mountain Kings went on the road to take on the Johnstown Tomahawks. In the opening period, the Mountain Kings would strike first and score the lone goal in the opening frame, Cael Knutson scoring with an assist from Nico Pasquale. In the second period, the Tomahawks would answer back with a short-handed unassisted goal from Emerson Marshall. In the final period, the Tomahawks would take the lead for the first time, Nick Metelkin scoring with an assist from Jack Roberts. With seven minutes left in regulation, the Mountain Kings would score an unassisted, short-handed goal of their own. Jaden Johnson scored the game-tying goal to send it to overtime. In overtime, both teams were held scoreless to lead to a shootout. The Mountain Kings' first shot was a goal from Thomas Quast. The Tomahawks' first shot from Emerson Marshall was saved by Mountain Kings keeper Nolan Francis. The Mountain Kings' second shot from Jaden Johnson was saved by the Tomahawks' keeper Zack Ferris. The Tomahawks' second shot was a goal from Charlie Zetterkvist. The Mountain Kings' final shot was a goal from Kaden Rehberger. To win the game, Nolan Francis would save William Stewart’s shot to give the Mountain Kings the win 3-2.

Danbury 0 @ Rochester 5 - The Danbury Hat Tricks would go on the road to take on the Rochester Jr. Americans. In the opening period, the Jr. Americans would get on the board with a goal from Sam Schulte, Ryan Shaw with the assist. Just three minutes later, Konnor Powell would score an unassisted goal to extend the Jr. Americans' lead. Before the end of the opening period, the Jr. Americans would score on an unassisted, short-handed goal from Colin Dustin. The second period would come and go with no activity. In the final period, the Jr. Americans would score on an unassisted, power-play goal from Owen King. To finish the game, Corson Maguire would knock one in for the Jr. Americans, Sam Schulte and Keanan Dewberry getting the assist. The Jr. Americans get the shutout victory over the Hat Tricks 5-0.

Fairbanks 6 @ Chippewa 0 - The Fairbanks Ice Dogs went on a tear last night against the Chippewa Steel, picking up a shutout for Mason McElroy. In the first period, Harrison Kaszubowski opened the scoring. A minute later, Mason Knaffla made it two-nothing, as Ian Christian and Gage Leonard cycled it. Three minutes after that, and they would grab another, as Oliver Barna punched one in on the power play. And to close out the first, Kyle Rohrer tucked one in after being fed by Mack Diggins. In the third period, the club racked up two more just ten seconds apart at the three-minute mark. Barna, while unassisted, got himself another. And then Leonard scored himself a goal to cap it off, with Christian carrying the sauce. Goaltender McElroy made only 18 saves while his team was an offensive powerhouse.

Bismarck 1 @ Watertown 4 - In a Friday homer, the Watertown Shamrocks took down the Bismarck Bobcats with a crowd of 1,500. During the first period, Grady Dimberio opened the scoring when Vincent Curasi fed him to light the lamp. After that, the scoring subsided for over 30 minutes until Curasi grabbed himself a goal nine minutes into the third; Dimberio was the one to set him up. Two minutes later, Own Fask made it three-nothing, as Noah Sergott and Joe Rice cycled it. Then, with two minutes to work with, the Bobcats capitalized on the power play and put away the shutout dream, as George Poirier got it done. Bismarck ended up attempting the empty-net scheme, but it was met with Zach Boren sending it down and getting the empty-netter to seal the deal.

St. Cloud 2 @ Minnesota M 5 - The Minnesota Mallards defeated the St. Cloud Norsemen 5-2 during Friday night's homer. In the first period, the Mallards racked up three unanswered goals to start off the 20-minute stretch. Bryce Wiitala opened the scoring after being set up by Joe Delaurentis and Beckett Hinchsliff. Then, minutes later, Parker Deschene picked up two goals just a minute apart. For the second, the club capitalized on the power play with Wiitala grabbing his second of the night, as Drew Bowe and Mitch Vanderway carried the assists. But at the five-minute mark, the Norseman went on the board, when Sam Kartch tucked one in. As for the third, Deschene scored his natural hat-trick, as Ty Gordon primarily assisted again. And to cap it all off, the Norseman snuck in another one to call it a game while on the power play, with William Esterbrooks getting it done. 

Anchorage 0 @ Springfield 3 - In a rematch between the Anchorage Wolverines and Springfield Jr. Blues, the home club, continued its win streak to two against the Wolverines. In this game, however, the Blues would get a shutout for Sam Doyon-Cataquiz. The scoring would not commence until the second period, when Dennis Emesibe opened the scoring after being sauced by Brayden Sprickman. Then, with 20 seconds left on the clock, Sprickman got himself a goal, with Zach Howard being the one to set him up. Late into the third, Lukas Wallinheimo would call it a game from the empty net, as Sprickman notched his third point of the game.

Oklahoma 3 @ Corpus Christi 2 (OT)  - The Oklahoma Warriors escaped with an overtime victory Friday night against the Corpus Christi IceRays by a score of 3–2. In what was a back-and-forth contest, it came down to the final seconds of overtime to decide a winner. In the first period, despite several traded opportunities, neither team was able to break the ice. In the second, Oklahoma’s Jakub Galnor got on the board first to give the Warriors a 1–0 lead. Corpus Christi answered back with a pair of goals from Chase Nehring to take a 2–1 advantage. The assists came from Marc-Alexandre Richard and Ondrej Husak on one goal, while Grayson Cohen and Trent Coleman picked up assists on the other. The IceRays carried that lead into the second intermission. In the third, Oklahoma responded early with a power-play equalizer from Kyle Sorensen, with assists from Dominik Kiss and Jackson Hone. With the game tied 2–2, it remained deadlocked through regulation and was forced into overtime. In the extra period, with only a few seconds left on the clock, Oklahoma’s Denny Oh scored the game-winning goal. Corpus Christi’s Xander Miceli turned in a valiant effort in net despite the loss, stopping 24 shots. However, it was Billy Stuski’s strong performance between the pipes for Oklahoma that helped fuel the road victory, as he turned away 33 shots. Corpus Christi will look to bounce back from the tough loss in tomorrow night’s rematch, while Oklahoma hopes to sweep both games on the road this weekend.

Kenai River 1 @ Janesville 4 - The Janesville Jets pulled away with a home victory Friday night against the Kenai River Brown Bears by a score of 4–1. The Jets’ offense helped secure the win, but it was a fantastic defensive effort and strong play in net that proved to be the key for Janesville. It was Kenai River who struck first, as Thomas Gunderson found the back of the net on the power play off assists from Anthony McIntosh and Gavin Jensen. The Brown Bears held onto the 1–0 lead heading into the first intermission. In the second period, Janesville answered back when Mason Minsky scored to tie the game, with assists from Connor Hillig and Wyatt Ezman. Justin Bloink then added on for the Jets to give them a 2–1 lead, assisted by Murray Marvin Cordes and Joseph Hyten. In the third, Janesville extended its advantage with a pair of late goals. The first came on the power play from Ty Bashaw, off an assist from Grant Dillard. Then, less than 30 seconds later, Hillig sealed the game with an empty-net tally, assisted by Ezman and Hyten. In net, Connor Mackenzie battled hard against the Jets’ offense, but it wasn’t enough despite making 31 saves in the loss. For Janesville, Kaenan Smith turned in a strong performance, stopping 29 shots and helping shut down the Brown Bears’ attack. The Kenai River will look to bounce back tomorrow after suffering a tough regulation loss, their 17th of the season. Janesville, meanwhile, hopes to carry its momentum into the rematch after earning its 14th win of the year.

Minot 3 @ North Iowa 2 (OT) - The Minot Minotauros powered past the North Iowa Bulls Friday night with an overtime road victory by a score of 3–2. Despite a late push from the Bulls, Minot was able to hold off the comeback attempt. The first two periods were a complete stalemate between the teams, as despite plenty of shots, neither side was able to generate a goal. It was not until the third period that North Iowa broke through. Fugi Suzuki opened the scoring with a power-play goal for the Bulls, assisted by Michael Malatino and Vitaliy Korolyuk. Minot responded less than a minute later, as Michael Solominsky found the back of the net with helpers from Evan Foiles and Arseni Vorobyov. Later in the period, Minot grabbed the lead when Owen Dawson scored, with assists from Jax Warren and Lucca Ori to make it a 2–1 game. Late in the third, Korolyuk struck again for North Iowa on the power play, tying the game at 2–2. Brody Dietz and Malatino earned assists on the equalizer, sending the contest into overtime. With just over two minutes remaining in the extra frame, Foiles buried the overtime winner for the Minotauros. Ty James and Philip Wiklund picked up the assists on the decisive goal, helping secure a much-needed win for Minot. In net, Aaron Sachs turned away 32 shots for North Iowa in the tough loss. On the other side, Minot’s Brian Cooke delivered a phenomenal performance, stopping 40 shots and shutting down a strong Bulls attack. North Iowa will look to defend home ice better in tomorrow’s rematch, while Minot hopes to build off its 11th win of the season moving forward.

Lone Star 4 @ Shreveport 1 - The Lone Star Brahmas pulled away with a statement road victory Friday night over the Shreveport Mudbugs by a score of 4–1. Lone Star established itself as one of the top teams in the NAHL, taking down a very solid Shreveport squad. It was the Mudbugs who struck first following a scoreless opening period, grabbing a 1–0 lead early in the second. Grayson Gerhard found the back of the net, with assists from Jeremiah Roberts and Chase Secriskey. The Brahmas answered back not long after to tie the game. Aaron Vanwie scored to make it 1–1, assisted by Gustav Lexell and Christian Venticinque. Lone Star followed later in the frame with a goal from Tyson Scanlon, taking a 2–1 lead into the second intermission. In the third period, the Brahmas added to their lead. Lucas Siomos converted on the power play to extend the lead to 3–1, with helpers from Leo Isaksson and Lexell. Lone Star’s Alexander Oliver sealed the win with a goal of his own, making it a 4–1 final, assisted by Isaksson and Vincenzo Capano. In net, Shreveport’s Tyler Hodges turned aside 22 shots in a strong effort against a tough Lone Star offense. At the other end, Leo Gabriel delivered a solid performance as well, stopping 18 shots to help secure the win for the Brahmas. Shreveport picked up its 10th loss of the season and will look to bounce back in its next game. Lone Star, meanwhile, earned its 19th win of the year and hopes this road victory sends a statement moving forward.

Amarillo 5 @ Odessa 1 - The Amarillo Wranglers traveled to the Odessa Jackalopes for a Friday night matchup. The Wranglers got the scoring started in the first on a power-play goal by Ty Izadi, assisted by Daniel Rassega for the 1-0 lead. In the second, the Wranglers would add another two minutes later by Tyler Tsoukalas, assisted by Michael Tarasenko and Domeniks Domokejevs. The Jackalopes would answer on the power play midway through the second on a goal by Caden Ghiossi, assisted by Alex Thomas. Mason Lupo would add a short-handed goal with just over four minutes remaining. The Wranglers would take a 3-1 lead into the third. The Wranglers would add another one with eight minutes remaining by Daniel Rassega. Izadi would pick up his second goal of the night to seal the deal with an empty-netter. The Wranglers take this one 5-1. Wranglers' goaltender Charles Antoine Girard posted 31 of 32 saves and an impressive 0.969 save percentage.

Austin 5 @ Aberdeen 2 - The Austin Bruins traveled to the Odde Ice Center to take on the Aberdeen Wings Friday night. Sam Scheetz got the scoring started for the home Wings just over a minute into the game for the 1-0 lead. The Wings would add another on the power play midway through the period to make it 2-0. Siamon Marshchanok would answer for the Bruins with two minutes left in the first, assisted by his brother, Matsvei and Nolan Davis. The Bruins were not intimidated by the Wings' 2-1 lead. In the second, the Bruins would score four unanswered goals by Alex Perrault, Gavin Hruza, EJ Paddington, and Gus Elbert to make it a 5-2 game. Despite the third being a physical one, there was no scoring. The Bruins take this one 5-2.

El Paso 4 @ New Mexico 3 (OT) - The El Paso Rhinos traveled to the New Mexico Ice Wolves for a Friday night matchup. The Rhinos would strike first with a goal by Troy Hunka. The Ice Wolves would respond on the power play with a goal by Sean Smith. The game would be tied up going into the second. The Rhinos would strike again on the power play by Ian Kastamo for a short-lived 2-1 lead. The Ice Wolves also responded on the power play two minutes later with Aiden Connell finding twine. In the third period, the Rhinos would strike first once again with just six minutes left in regulation. The Ice Wolves were not shaken, as they would tie the game up for the third time with just three minutes left in the game on a goal by Noah Teng. 60 minutes would not be enough for this one, as the teams went to overtime. Nolan Smith would prove to be the hero for the Rhinos as he would score at 3:13 in overtime. Despite outshooting the Rhinos 45 to 22, the Rhinos take this one 4-3 in overtime.

Minnesota W 2 @ Wisconsin 3 - The Minnesota Wilderness traveled to the Wisconsin Windigo for a Friday night matchup. The first period was a quiet one as there was no scoring. Olle Karlsson broke through the stalemate for the Wilderness just 30 seconds into the second period. The Wilderness would hold their 1-0 lead into the third. Declan Burns would answer for the Windigo four minutes into the final frame to tie it up. The Wilderness would respond with eight minutes left on a goal by Max Edwards to go up 2-1. The Windigo would respond just a minute later on a goal by Jackson Ernst to tie it at 2. The Windigo would break the tie with just a minute and twenty-one seconds left in the game, with Aidan Hickok as the hero, assisted by Ernst. The Windigo takes this close matchup 3-2.