Friday Finals: Rochester Defeats East Division Leader on the Road

Photo Credit: Emmy Vitali

Johnstown 6 @ Danbury 5 (OT) - The Johnstown Tomahawks and Danbury Hat Tricks delivered a thrilling contest that needed overtime to decide a winner, with Johnstown skating away with a dramatic 6–5 victory. Danbury struck first in the opening period, as Matt Shpungin opened the scoring on the power play. The Hat Tricks continued to build momentum when Austin Michaud added another goal, and Shpungin followed with his second of the period to give Danbury a 3–0 lead after one. Johnstown responded in a big way during the second period. Sean Leetch sparked the comeback with back-to-back goals to quickly cut into the deficit. Kalib Capecci then tied the game with his own tally, completing a three-goal period for the Tomahawks and sending the game into the third knotted at 3–3. The back-and-forth action continued in the third period. Lukas Zimovcak put Danbury back on top, but Johnstown answered with a goal from Charlie Zetterkvist to even the score once again. Nick Jarmain then gave the Tomahawks their first lead of the night, scoring his 21st goal of the season. Danbury refused to go away, however, as Shpungin completed the hat trick to force overtime with the score tied 5–5. With just 32 seconds remaining in the extra frame, Jarmain buried the game-winning goal to cap off an exciting comeback and secure the 6–5 overtime win for the Tomahawks. The two teams split the weekend, each taking home a victory.

Elmira 0 @ New Hampshire 5 - The New Hampshire Mountain Kings put together a complete performance as they shut out the Elmira Aviators 5-0 behind strong offense and stellar goaltending. New Hampshire opened the scoring in the first period when Ronnie Hill netted his 10th goal of the season to give the Mountain Kings an early 1-0 lead. The Mountain Kings continued to build momentum in the second period, as Joey Sylvester found the back of the net to extend the lead to 2-0 heading into the final frame. In the third period, New Hampshire pulled away with three unanswered goals. Aidan Petroff scored early to make it 3-0, followed by a tally from Mikhail Cherepanov. Ronnie Hill capped off the scoring with his second goal of the game, sealing the 5-0 victory. Between the pipes, Nolan Francis was flawless for New Hampshire, stopping all 32 shots he faced to earn the shutout.

New Jersey 1 @ Maine 4 - The Maine Nordiques earned a solid 4-1 victory over the New Jersey Titans, pulling away late with two empty-net goals. The first period was a defensive battle, as neither team was able to break through, and the game remained scoreless heading into the second. Maine opened the scoring in the second period when Rylan Oster capitalized on the power play to give the Nordiques a 1-0 lead. Austin Borggaard followed with another goal to extend the advantage to 2-0. New Jersey found some late momentum just before the intermission, as Sebastian Vitali scored with seven seconds remaining in the period to cut the deficit to 2–1. In the third period, Maine locked things down defensively and sealed the win late. Hutchison Rose scored into the empty net to make it 3-1, and Borggaard added his second goal of the night, also into the empty net, to close out the 4-1 victory for the Nordiques.

Northeast 1 @ Philadelphia 7 - The Philadelphia Rebels rolled past the Northeast Generals with a dominant 7-1 victory Friday night at Holydell Ice Arena. Philadelphia jumped out early with four first-period goals, highlighted by a pair from Dylan Moran, to take full control of the game. Billy Sheridan added two goals of his own, while Abzal Alibek, Jake Schultz, and Luke Janviriya also found the back of the net for the Rebels. Northeast broke up the shutout midway through the second period when Tyler Kelly scored, but the Rebels quickly reasserted control in the third with three more goals. Philadelphia limited the Generals to just one goal despite being outshot 29-26.

Rochester 6 @ Maryland 2 - The Rochester Jr. Americans put together a strong road performance as they defeated the Maryland Black Bears 6-2. Rochester set the tone early in the first period, jumping out to a quick lead with three unanswered goals. Konner Powell opened the scoring, followed by tallies from Michael Gravina and Keanan Dewberry to give the Jr. Americans had a commanding 3-0 advantage after one. The Jr. Americans continued their offensive push in the second period when Owen King scored to make it 4-0. Maryland responded with a goal from Harrison Smith to get on the board, but Rochester answered late in the period as King netted his second goal of the night with just 38 seconds remaining, sending Rochester into the intermission with a 5-1 lead. In the third period, the Black Bears struck again as Ryan Franks scored to cut the deficit to 5-2. Any momentum was short-lived, however, as Konner Powell added his second goal of the game on the power play to seal the 6-2 victory for Rochester. The win highlighted a balanced scoring effort from the Jr. Americans as they picked up an impressive road victory over Maryland.

Minnesota W 4 @ Chippewa 2 - The Minnesota Wilderness earned a 4-2 road win over the Chippewa Steel on Friday night. Minnesota opened the scoring early with a power-play goal from Zachary Homer just over two minutes into the game and carried a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. The second period belonged to the Wilderness, as Logan Nagle scored twice and River Freeman added another to build a commanding lead, despite Chippewa getting on the board with a goal from Blake Graff. The Steel made a push in the third period with a goal from Ryan Murphy, but Minnesota’s defense held firm down the stretch. The Wilderness outshot Chippewa 27-15.

Bismarck 3 @ St. Cloud 0 - The Bismarck Bobcats shut out the St. Cloud Norsemen 3-0 on Friday night at the St. Cloud Municipal Athletic Complex. Mark Evans opened the scoring midway through the first period with a power-play goal, setting the tone early for Bismarck. Cooper Williams added two goals in the second period, including the eventual game-winner, as the Bobcats built a three-goal cushion. Bismarck controlled play throughout, outshooting St. Cloud 28-16 and killing off all eight Norsemen power plays. The Bobcats’ defense and goaltending held firm in the third period to secure the road shutout and cap a disciplined, complete performance.

Austin 2 @ Watertown 3 - The Watertown Shamrocks edged the Austin Bruins 3-2 on Friday night, snapping Austin’s push late in the third period. After a scoreless opening frame, Watertown struck twice in the second period with goals from Owen Chartier and Payton Struck to build a 2-0 lead. Austin answered early in the third on a power-play goal from Nathan Williams, but Chartier restored the two-goal cushion minutes later with his second of the night. The Bruins made it a one-goal game late when Siamion Marshchanok scored with under seven minutes remaining, but Watertown held on down the stretch to secure the win. The Shamrocks finished with a slight 35-34 edge in shots.

Shreveport 1 @ Corpus Christi 4 - The first period featured end-to-end action as both teams battled to score first. Shreveport struck first when Jonathan Berndt fired a wrist shot off the post that slipped past the goaltender. Joseph Samang picked up the assist on the opening goal. Corpus Christi responded quickly. Marc-Alexandre Richard and Nick Sinani combined to set up Charles Norris III, who scored his first career NAHL goal to even the score at 1-1 heading into the first intermission. Both teams generated scoring chances in the second period, but strong goaltending on both ends kept the game tied at 1-1 after 40 minutes. The IceRays took control in the third period. Midway through the frame, Sam Troutwine capitalized on a turnover at the blue line and scored unassisted to give Corpus Christi a 2-1 lead. Moments later, Islom Dzhabberganov extended the lead with a goal assisted by Nick Sinani and Lucas Hihn. Sinani capped the scoring run with a goal of his own, assisted by Andrej Paricka and Nick Evans, to seal a 4-1 victory for the IceRays. Shreveport goaltender Ethan Phillips made 29 saves in the loss. Corpus Christi goalie Xander Miceli stopped 26 shots to earn the win.

Lone Star 5 @ Amarillo 0 - The Lone Star Brahmas jumped out to a fast start, scoring the game’s first goal in the opening minute. Dylan McFadden collected the puck below the Amarillo net and found Jackson Vaites in front, who slid the puck back door to give Lone Star an early 1-0 lead. Both teams continued to battle for the remainder of the period, but neither side was able to convert, and the Brahmas carried the one-goal advantage into the first intermission. Lone Star maintained its momentum in the second period. Christian Venticinque extended the lead with a goal assisted by Denver Damphousse and Tyson Scanlon. Less than a minute later, Vladimir Saibel added another, with assists from Vincent Gellar and Scanlon, pushing the lead to 3-0. The Brahmas struck again in the final seconds of the period when Tyson Scanlon scored off a faceoff win to give Lone Star a 4-0 lead after two periods. Lone Star closed out the shutout in the third period, adding one more goal in the final minutes. Jackson Vaites scored his second goal of the game, assisted by Gellar and Damphousse, to seal a 5-0 victory. Amarillo goaltender Charles Antoine-Girard made 27 saves in the loss. Lone Star goalie Nicolas Rempel stopped all 17 shots he faced to earn the shutout.

North Iowa 4 @ Aberdeen 3 (SO) - Both teams opened the first period trading scoring chances, with the North Iowa Bulls striking first. Niko Russ scored early in the frame with assists from Davis Higley and Denis Kuzmenkov to give the Bulls a 1-0 lead. Aberdeen continued to push and answered later in the period. Keaton Weis found the back of the net with help from Taven James and Cooper Anderson, tying the game 1-1 at the end of the first. North Iowa regained the lead early in the second period. Marat Mikhin sent a pass to Russ at the point, and Russ fired a shot through traffic to make it 2-1. The Bulls held the advantage until the final minute of the period, when Aberdeen capitalized on a loose puck. Jibber Kuhl buried a top-corner shot to even the score at 2-2 heading into the second intermission. North Iowa pulled ahead again in the third period when Parker Osborn cycled the puck up the boards to Denis Hodas, who blasted a shot from the top of the circles to give the Bulls a 3-2 lead late in the frame. Aberdeen refused to go away and forced overtime in the final minute of regulation. Kuhl found Easton Edwards, who finished the chance to tie the game 3-3. After a scoreless overtime, the Bulls completed the comeback in the shootout. Michael Malatino scored the lone shootout goal to lift North Iowa to a 4-3 victory.

Odessa 4 @ New Mexico 5 - The Odessa Jackalopes came out fast in the opening period and struck first. Shea Barry opened the scoring with assists from Melker Lovenlund and Nicholas Puricelli to give Odessa an early lead. Soon after, Jake Kasay scored for the Ice Wolves with assists from Nayan Pai and Sean Smith, tying the game 1-1 at the first intermission. Both teams generated quality chances in the second period as they looked to break the tie. Odessa finally capitalized late in the frame when a play created by Hunter Toms and Puricelli set up Lovenlund, who found the back of the net to give the Jackalopes a 2-1 lead heading into the third. The third period featured a flurry of goals. Caden Ghiossi extended Odessa’s lead with a goal assisted by Jack L’Esperance and Jeremy Jacobs. New Mexico responded quickly when Stanley Hubbard scored, with assists from Anton Malyshev and Smith. The Ice Wolves tied the game soon after as Andy Earl netted a goal to make it 3-3. New Mexico continued to surge ahead when Malyshev connected on a goal assisted by Koen Harrold and Oskar Edberg, followed by another Ice Wolves tally from Gibbons, assisted by Pai and Earl, pushing the lead to 5-3. Odessa made a late push in the final minute of regulation when L’Esperance scored his second point of the night, assisted by Ghiossi and Nicholas Arrington, but the comeback fell short as New Mexico held on for a 5-4 victory. Odessa goaltender Kevin Jones made 47 saves in the loss. New Mexico goalie Jackson Silverberg stopped 27 shots to earn the win.

Minnesota M 3 @ Minot 6 - The Minot Minotauros and Minnesota Mallards entered this contest hungry, each ready to end their current losing streaks. Minot got on the board first, controlling the first 20 minutes of play. Volodymyr Naumenko scored his first of the season in just his second game with Minot. Owen Dawson scored next before Ivan Sidorov capped off the first period on a Minotauros power play. Briggs Knott continued Minot's scoring streak into the second, assisted by Sidorov and Lucca Ori. Keanan Pearman responded by scoring Minnesota's first goal of the game. Ori added another tally for the Tauros before Carver Hasbargen scored for the Mallards less than a minute later. To open the third, Ty Gordon scored one more for the Mallards before the Tauros added insurance with a late power-play goal from Philip Wiklund to wrap up the match. Minot’s netminder Brian Cooke made 24 saves to give Minot a win to start the weekend.

Springfield 1 @ Wisconsin 4 - Both teams entered this match looking for a win. The Wisconsin Windigo have started 2026 hot with two back-to-back wins against the Janesville Jets last weekend. The Springfield Jr. Blues, however, came into this game searching for their first win of the new year. The game opened with a scoreless first period despite three power-play chances, one for Springfield and two for Wisconsin. The Jr. Blues scored first in the middle frame, Zach Howard found the back of Wisconsin's net off the stick of teammate Logan Sutton. Will Doherty answered back two minutes later. Brendan Finley then added another, his eleventh of the season, to make the score 2-1 at the end of the period. The lamp lit again for Wisconsin late in the third period with a goal from Ryan Mottau. In an attempt to even the score, Springfield added an extra attacker in the final minutes. However, Doherty capitalized on their empty net to score the Windigo's fourth and final goal of the night. Easton Cody was in the net for Wisconsin, making 31 saves to earn his tenth win of the season.

Oklahoma 2 @ El Paso 4 - The El Paso Rhinos hosted the Oklahoma Warriors in a competitive matchup to start the weekend; both teams entered this contest coming off a win and eager to add another. Taking advantage of an early power play, Kyle Sorensen scored first for Oklahoma, assisted by Jakub Kristek. Sorensen added another shortly after unassisted, bringing him up to a total of 21 goals so far this season. Troy Hunka answered back for the Rhinos towards the end of the period, making the score 2-1 entering the second. Jackson Potulny opened the scoring in the middle frame before Kamden Kaiser added another, less than two minutes later, both capitalizing on power-play opportunities. Kaiser added another tally, again on a man advantage, in the third to seal the win for the Rhinos. Kaiser has enjoyed a strong season with the Rhinos, recording 19 goals in 35 games, including 10 power-play goals. The Rhinos outshot the Warriors 36-32 with goaltender Michael Modelski stopping 30 of Oklahoma’s shots to secure this victory for his team.

Anchorage 5 @ Kenai River 2 - In a rematch from Thursday night, the Anchorage Wolverines head South to take on the Kenai River Brown Bears for a Friday night contest. The opening frame was a scoreless one with both teams trading chances. Moving into the second period, Kenai River would strike first, thanks to Gavin Jensen finding the back of the net at the 6:31 minute mark. However, that 1-0 lead would be short-lived as Air Force commit, Duke Gentzler, would find twine a little over two minutes later to even the scoreboard. Following that, Anchorage would secure its first lead of the night when Caleb Mahar would tally his 15th of the season. Moving into the final frame, the Brown Bears would look to reclaim the lead. Kenai River’s Braden Hansberger lit the lamp three minutes into the period. With the game tied in the final few minutes of the game, that is when the Wolverines really turned up the offensive heat. Anchorage’s Luc Bydal would be the first one to score at the 4:59 minute mark. Following shortly behind him, Leon Buzek would add to the Wolverines’ lead with a tally a minute later. Finally, with a little over a minute on the clock, Rylan Bydal would add insurance to Anchorage’s lead, bringing the score to 5-2. The Wolverines would skate away with a weekend sweep.

Janesville 3 @ Fairbanks 8 - In a penalty-ridden matchup, the Janesville Jets head to the Land of the Midnight Sun for the first time this season on Friday night. The game kicked off with the Ice Dogs striking first quickly, thanks to hometown kid, Mason Noble. Following him six minutes later was Oliver Barna, finding twine on the man advantage. The power play scoring would come into effect again, this time, Janesville scoring. Joseph Hyten would score his 16th tally of the year, cutting the Ice Dogs’ lead in half. However, Fairbanks would respond with another power-play goal less than three minutes later. Harrison Kaszubowski would notch his second tally of the year. Heading into the second period, the scoring would continue. First, the lamp was lit by Janesville’s Grant Dillard, tightening the score 3-2. However, Barna would score two back-to-back goals in the minutes following that Janesville goal. With 5:38 on the clock, Brody Olson would tighten the matchup for the Jets, making the score 5-3. Like before, the Ice Dogs would respond to the Janesville goal. This time, Fairbanks’ captain, Luca Ricciardi, would light the lamp, doubling the Ice Dogs’ lead. As the contest moved into the final period, Fairbanks would secure two tallies in the first half of the frame. First, Barna would score his fourth of the night in unassisted fashion. Following him at the midway point of the period, Gage Leonard would add insurance with a tally. The Ice Dogs would skate away with a dominant 8-3 win, extending their win streak to seven-straight games. Barna spotlighted a season-high night of four goals, contributing to five goals on the scoresheet.