Saturday Scores: The Wilderness Take Down the Windigo for the First Time This Season

Photo Credit: Snowyrock Photography

Northeast 2 @ Elmira 3 (OT) - The Northeast Generals went on the road to take on the Elmira Aviators. To start the game, the Generals would strike first with a power play goal from Alec Hall, Kody Moyer, and Vinny Ipri picking up the assist. Quickly after that, the Aviators would respond and get on the board with a goal from Andrew Horn, with Matt Maglio as the assist. In the second period, the Generals would score on another power-play goal to take the lead back, Jack Montaldo scoring, assisted by Finn Connor and Braydon Hudtloff. Right before the end of the second period, the Aviators would tie the game back up with a short-handed, unassisted goal from Shawn Laperriere. The final period would go scoreless, leading to overtime with both teams tied at 2-2. In overtime, the Aviators would find the game winner with a goal from Max Campbell, Cael Primanti with a game-winning assist.

Maine 4 @ New Jersey 5 - The Maine Nordiques went on the road to take on the New Jersey Titans. To start the game, the Titans struck first with a power-play goal from Nikolas Doumas, Arseniy Zharikov and Blake Jones getting the assist. Before the end of the first period, the Titans would extend their lead to two with a goal from Arseniy Zharikov, Skogen Schrott getting the assist, and Blake Jones getting his second assist of the game. In the second period, the Nordiques would get on the board with a short-handed goal, Hutchison Rose scoring, with an assist from Damon Myers. The Titans would answer back with another power-play goal from Hudson Slenker, Skogen Schrott and Arseniy Zharikov each getting their second assist of the game. The Nordiques would answer back with a goal from Marshall McCharles, Dylan Chabrier getting the assist. Easton Rooney would then tie the game for the Nordiques, Makar Kultuklu getting the assist. The Nordiques would keep their momentum going and take the lead with a goal from Damon Myers, Josh Itri and Makar Kultuklu getting his second assist. In the final period, the Titans would score on another power-play goal from Skogen Schrott, Arseniy Zharikov and Blake Jones each getting another assist. With two minutes left, Skogen Schrott would score his second goal of the game to win the game for the Titans. The Titans bounce back with a win over the Nordiques in a 5-4 fashion.

New Hampshire 3 @ Johnstown 8 - The New Hampshire Mountain Kings went on the road to take on the Johnstown Tomahawks. In the opening period, the Tomahawks would get on the board first with a power play goal from Jack Genovese, Emerson Marshall and Kalib Capecci with the assist. The Mountain Kings would then answer to get on the board with a goal from Tanner Anctil, with Joey Sylvester getting the assist. In the second period, the Tomahawks would take the lead back with a short-handed, unassisted goal from Sean Leetch. The Tomahawks would then score on a power-play goal from William Stewart, Jack Genovese and Jacob Ingstrup picked up the assist. The Mountain Kings would then answer back with a goal from Cael Knutson, assisted by Alex Gelhar. The Tomahawks would then respond with a power-play goal from Nick Metelkin, Nick Jarmain and Kalib Capecci picking up the assist. The Tomahawks would keep the momentum going with a goal from Emerson Marshall, William Stewart and Kalib Capecci picking up another assist. The Tomahawks would then score again with a goal from Peter Morris, Aaron Bleier with the assist. The Tomahawks would also score on another unassisted, short-handed goal from Charlie Zetterkvist. With 30 seconds left in the second, the Mountain Kings would score again, this time on a power-play goal from Jaden Johnson, Joey Sylvester picking up his second assist of the game. In the final period, the only goal would be a short-handed goal from Charlie Zetterkvist, his second of the game, and Kalib Capecci picking up his third assist of the game. The Tomahawks win big over the Mountain Kings 8-3.

Danbury 5 @ Rochester 7 - The Danbury Hat Tricks went on the road to take on the Rochester Jr. Americans. In the opening period, the Jr. Americans would strike first with a goal from Sam Schulte, Ryan Flaherty getting the assist. Less than a minute later, the Jr. Americans would score again with a power-play goal from Adam Gionta, Konnor Powell picking up the assist. Then, not even a minute after that, the Jr. Americans would score their third straight goal, Cameron Doran scoring, Keanan Dewberry and Corson McGuire getting the assist. In the second period, the Hat Tricks would get on the board with an unassisted goal from Ben Dempster. After that, the Jr. Americans would answer back with a goal from Michael Gravina, Maxim St. Pierre, and Konnor Powell, getting the assist. The Hat Tricks would then score again with an unassisted goal from Lukas Zimovcak. Then another unassisted goal from Matt Shpungin to bring the game back within one point. The Jr. Americans would then answer back with a goal from Ryan Shaw, with Michael Gravina picking up the assist. Then, before the end of the second period, the Hat Tricks would score on another unassisted goal, this time from Jeremy Sprung. In the final period, the Jr. Americans would score on another power play goal, Owen King getting the goal and being assisted by Adam Gionta and Ryan Shaw. Owen King would then score again with another assist from Ryan Shaw. To finish the game, Jeremy Sprung would score his second unassisted goal for the Hat Tricks. The Jr. Americans get a wire-to-wire 7-5 win over the Hat Tricks.

Fairbanks 7 @ Chippewa 1 - The Fairbanks Ice Dogs delivered an impressive offensive performance, skating to a 7–1 victory over the Chippewa Steel with timely scoring and dominant special teams play. The Ice Dogs opened the scoring midway through the first period when Oliver Barna found the back of the net. Barna capitalized on a setup from Mack Diggins, giving Fairbanks an early 1–0 advantage. In the second period, Fairbanks took full control of the game. Early in the frame, Luca Ricciardi doubled the lead with a power-play goal, finishing a play created by Clarke Nehmens and Kyle Rohrer. The Ice Dogs stayed aggressive and were rewarded again shortly after, as Mack Diggins struck short-handed, converting feeds from Harrison Kaszubowski and Dean Andrews to make it 3–0. Late in the period, the Chippewa Steel broke through to get on the board. Blake Graff scored for Chippewa with assistance from Hunter Whisenand, trimming the Ice Dogs’ lead to 3–1 heading into the intermission. Any momentum the Steel hoped to build was quickly erased in the third period, as Fairbanks pulled away with four unanswered goals. Early in the frame, Oliver Barna netted his second goal of the night on the power play, set up by Clarke Nehmens and Luca Ricciardi. Not long after, Matthew Volkman added another power-play tally, finishing a chance created by Sami Johnson and Mason Knaffla. Midway through the third, Luca Ricciardi recorded his second goal of the game on the man advantage, with Mack Diggins and Kyle Rohrer picking up assists. The scoring was capped later in the period when Kyle Rohrer buried a short-handed goal, assisted by Matthew Volkman, sealing a dominant 7–1 win for the Ice Dogs. With contributions throughout the lineup and strong execution on special teams, Fairbanks controlled the pace from start to finish and earned a convincing victory over Chippewa.

Bismarck 4 @ Watertown 0 - The Bobcats earned a 4–0 victory with a strong offensive showing through the first two periods, jumping out early and never looking back. The scoring began right off the opening faceoff, as Dennis Lominac opened the game with a goal early into the first period, capitalizing on early pressure, finishing a play set up by Mark Evans and Noah Ziskie to give the Bobcats a quick 1–0 lead. The Bobcats carried that momentum throughout the period and struck again late in the frame. Late in the period, Jimmy Dodig extended the lead to 2–0, burying a chance created by Camden Alemond and Mark Evans. The Bobcats headed into the first intermission firmly in control after outpacing their opponent offensively. In the second period, the Bobcats continued to apply pressure, and it paid off on the power play. Noah Ziskie found the back of the net with the man advantage, finishing a setup from Charlie Kresl and Mark Evans to make it a 3–0 game. Evans recorded his third assist of the night on the goal, playing a key role in the Bobcats’ attack. Later in the period, the Bobcats capped off the scoring when Ben Rakowski added a fourth goal for the Bobcats. Rakowski’s tally came off assists from Ben Osiashvilli and Gianni Divita, pushing the lead to 4-0 and sealing the outcome. No goals were scored in the third period, as the Bobcats locked things down defensively to close out the shutout victory. In the net, Bismarck’s Dane Callaway completed the 25-save shutout, clinching the win for Bismarck behind a great performance. For the Bobcats, they grab win number 19 on the season, while Watertown hopes to bounce back in their next game after their 13th loss on the year.

Minnesota M 0 @ St. Cloud 3 - The St. Cloud Norseman sought revenge against the Minnesota Mallards on home ice, after getting drained during Friday night's visit in Minnesota. In a stunning three-nothing victory, Norseman's goaltender Beck Liden landed a 22-save shutout. From that game, the club entered the scoring pool nine minutes into the second when Will Esterbrooks broke ice and opened the scoring. Then early in the third, Sam Misak wristed one through the pocket on the power play to make it two-nothing. And 20 seconds before the final buzzer, Avry Shaw sealed the deal with a laser goal. 

Anchorage 0 @ Springfield 4 - The Springfield Jr. Blues once again took down the Anchorage Wolverines and grabbed another shutout to cap off this week's sweep. From the sweep, James Ghenbari opened the scoring late into the first period. Likewise, in the first two minutes of play in the second, Lukas Wallinheimo lasered one in on the power play when Zach Howard sauced him. Eight minutes after that, Mason Benedict kept it going by burying a rebound from Wallinheimo. And to cap it off, Howard would zip down the empty net and seal the deal for Sam Doyon-Cataquiz's back-to-back shutout victory. Doyon-Cataquiz made 35 saves for this game's shutout.

Oklahoma 6 @ Corpus Christi 1 - The Oklahoma Warriors delivered a dominant performance on home ice, skating to a convincing 6–1 victory over the Corpus Christi IceRays with steady scoring across all three periods and a strong special teams showing. Oklahoma set the tone early in the opening period, striking first on the power play. Kyle Sorensen opened the scoring, finishing a well-worked sequence set up by Bronson Sabol and Dominik Kiss to give the Warriors an early 1–0 lead. The Warriors carried their momentum into the second period and quickly began to pull away. Early in the frame, Jakub Galnor extended the lead, burying a chance created by Grady Knutson and Kacper Gach. Oklahoma continued to apply pressure and was rewarded again on the power play later in the period, as Galnor struck for his second of the night off assists from Benjamin Bertrand and Keaton Martin. The Warriors weren’t finished there, adding another power-play goal later in the period when Bronson Sabol found the back of the net with help from Kyle Sorensen and Mason Wright, sending Oklahoma into the third period firmly in control. Corpus Christi broke through early in the final period to spoil the shutout. Jonathon Pylypuik got the IceRays on the board, converting a play set up by Lucas Hihn and Charles Norris III to make it 4–1. Oklahoma quickly answered back, restoring their four-goal cushion on yet another power-play tally. Sorensen notched his second goal of the night, finishing feeds from Dominik Kiss and Bronson Sabol. Late in the game, the Warriors put the finishing touches on the win when Kacper Gach capped the scoring, cashing in off assists from Jackson Hone and Benjamin Bertrand. With balanced scoring, multiple power-play goals, and a strong response whenever Corpus Christi pushed back, Oklahoma controlled the pace throughout and closed out a decisive 6–1 victory over the IceRays.

Kenai River 5 @ Janesville 2 - The Kenai River Brown Bears earned a resilient 5–2 road victory over the Janesville Jets, overcoming an early deficit with a strong response and a dominant third period. Janesville struck first in the opening period, capitalizing on special teams to jump out to an early lead. Justin Bloink opened the scoring on the power play, finishing a setup from Grant Dillard and Sean Truby to give the Jets a 1–0 advantage. The Jets added to their lead shortly after with another power-play goal. Joseph Hyten found the back of the net off assists from John Frick and Joey Fankhanel, sending Janesville into the first intermission with a 2–0 edge. Kenai River responded in the second period and began to shift the momentum. Early in the frame, Koen Burkholder got the Brown Bears on the board, scoring off a setup from Samuel Sisik and Parker Newman. The Bears continued to press and were rewarded late in the period when Massimiliano Monson netted the tying goal, finishing a play created by Gavin Jensen and Joel Hanson to make it 2–2 heading into the third. The Brown Bears took over in the final period, pulling away with three unanswered goals. Early in the frame, Parker Newman gave Kenai River its first lead of the night, scoring with help from Alex Ballard and David Greene. Midway through the period, the Bears added an insurance goal when Samuel Sisik converted a chance off assists from Carter McCormick and Newman, extending the lead to 4–2. Late in the game, with Janesville pressing and the net empty, Carter McCormick sealed the victory with an empty-net goal, assisted by Parker Newman and Samuel Sisik, putting the finishing touches on the 5–2 win. After surrendering two early goals, Kenai River responded with a complete team effort, outscoring Janesville 5–0 over the final two periods to earn a hard-fought road victory.

Minot 3 @ North Iowa 4 - The North Iowa Bulls narrowly defeated the visiting Minot Minotauros during Saturday's slate. From the first period, Fugi Suzuki opened the scoring for the Bulls after being set up by Michael Malatino and Parker Osborn. Then, a minute later, the Minotauros responded and tied the game when Ivan Sidorov capitalized on a feed from Briggs Knott. In the second, Daniel Afonin broke the tie and grabbed the lead for the Minotauros, with Jax Warren and Mackley Morelli holding the playmakers. Then six minutes after, they would score again, but this time on the power play, as Artem Prima buried the rebound from Philip Wiklund. However, Vitaliy Korolyuk responded on the PP and put the Bulls within one. After that, the Minotauros went silent, as the Bulls took it from there for the third. Carter Davis got things started in the frame and tied it up at three, with Jack Sullivan and Osborn cycling it around. Then four minutes later, they broke the tie and carried the finalizing lead, when Suzuki punched in his second of the night from an initial feed by Vitaliy Korolyuk.

Lone Star 1 @ Shreveport 0 - The Lone Star Brahmas looked for the weekend sweep over the Shreveport Mudbugs, while the Mudbugs looked for the weekend split. The first was a quiet one with no penalties or scoring between the teams. The second was like the first, a stalemate with no scoring. It took most of the third period for either team to find twine. The Lone Star Brahmas would break through with just 2:33 left in regulation on a goal by Tyson Scanlon, assisted by Christian Venticinque. The Mudbugs would not be able to answer back, and the Brahmas would take this one 1-0. Brahmas goaltender Leo Gabriel would be credited with the shutout. While Mudbugs goaltender, Tyler Hodges, would post a 0.955 save percentage, saving 21 of 22 shots on goal.

Amarillo 3 @ Odessa 6  - Saturday night, the Odessa Jackalopes took down the visiting Amarillo Wranglers 6-3 on home turf. In the first period, Nick Arrington opened the scoring for the Jackalopes when Jeremy Jacobs set him up. Then, four minutes later, Luke McPherson buried one past Charles Antoine to make it two-nothing. Late in the second, however, the Wranglers responded on the power play, when Jacob Miller got it done. The third was far from being boring, as both teams racked up a couple of goals to battle for the lead. In the first 40 seconds, Jacobs scored a goal of his own after Caden Ghiossi and Jack L’Esperance made the plays. Minutes after that, they would score again and maintain their lead. Kuczkowski would capitalize on the power play after getting a feed from Melker Lovenlund. However, 30 seconds later, the Wranglers would respond, as Alfons Jentler would be the one to do that. Fast forward a couple of minutes in the frame, and Ghiossi would go on the board from the power play. Before the final buzzer sounded, Daniel Rassega would score on a six-man advantage, an empty-net scheme. The Wranglers still had their netminder pulled to attempt another conversion. However, it did not go as planned like last time, as Luke McPherson buried the empty netter.

Austin 5 @ Aberdeen 3 - The Austin Bruins looked to sweep the Aberdeen Wings on the weekend and maintain first place in the Central Division, while the Wings looked to get even with the Bruins and climb up the rankings. The Wings struck first three minutes into the game on a goal by Cooper Anderson, assisted by Briggs Orr and Easton Edwards. The Bruins would answer two minutes later on a goal by EJ Paddington. In the second, Matsvei Marshchanok would find twine on the power play to take the lead 2-1. Paddington would tally his second of the night midway through the period for a 3-1 Bruins lead. In the third, Jack McDonough would strike for the Wings a minute in making the game competitive, 3-2. Matsvei Marshchanok would tally his second of the night on the power play halfway through the final frame, 4-2. The Wings’ Sam Scheetz would add one on the power play in response with six minutes left, 4-3. Siamion Marshchanok would seal the win for the Bruins with an empty net goal with 0:46 left in regulation. The Bruins take this one 5-3 and maintain positioning at the top of the Central Division.

El Paso 4 @ New Mexico 5 - El Paso looked to sweep the New Mexico Ice Wolves, while the Wolves looked for the weekend split. The Ice Wolves would strike first on a goal by Sean Gibbons for a 1-0 lead with just under five minutes left. The Rhinos would answer before the period ended with a goal by Ian Kastamo to tie it up at one. In the second, Gibbons would add another on the power play for the Ice Wolves. The Rhinos would also capitalize on the power play with two power-play goals in the final three minutes of the period. The Rhinos would have a 3-2 lead into the final period. Two minutes into the final frame, Gibbons would complete the hat trick for the Ice Wolves to tie it up at three. Andy Earl would add another goal on the power play just a minute later to take the lead 4-3. Gibbons would tack on his fourth goal of the night with 14 minutes left to give the Ice Wolves a 5-3 lead. The Rhinos would push to take back the lead with a power-play goal with ten minutes left. The Ice Wolves take this one 5-4.

Minnesota W 6 @ Wisconsin 2 - The Minnesota Wilderness looked to secure their first win against the Wisconsin Windigo, while the Windigo was looking to complete the sweep. River Freeman would break through for the Wilderness in the first six minutes of the game for a 1-0 lead. The Wilderness would add three more goals before the end of the period, with one coming on the power play for a 4-0 lead. In the second, the Wilderness would make it a 5-0 game just 30 seconds in. The Windigo would answer at the eight-minute mark on a goal by Jackson Schroeder. The Windigo would add another on the power play this time with just 24 seconds left in the period. The Wilderness would hold on to their 5-2 lead. In the third, the Wilderness would strike again to seal the deal on a goal by Anthony Cappello. The Wilderness would take this one 6-2 and split the weekend with the Windigo.