Northeast Triumphs to a Victory After a Nine-Round Shootout

Northeast 4 @ New Jersey 3 (SO) - The New Jersey Titans hosted the Northeast Generals for their fourth matchup of the season and second of the weekend. The Titans won their previous game 4-2. The Generals were off to a quick start in the first period, with forwards Owen O’Rear scoring at 18:14 and Kody Moyer scoring on the penalty kill with 14 seconds remaining in the period to end the first with a two-goal lead. In the second period, New Jersey Forward Skogen Schrott scored a lone, unassisted shorthanded goal. In the third period, the Generals extended their lead to two goals with forward Andrew Gibbons netting one at 19:40. New Jersey forwards Schrott and Jonathan Lanza were able to tie up the game with goals at 17:12 and 8:59 to end regulation 3-3. Neither team was able to score in overtime, and it would take until the ninth round of the shootout for the Generals to secure a win. Will Mizenko started in net for the Generals and made 33 saves on 36 shots, while Tyler Rounds started in net for the Titans and made 34 saves on 37 shots.

Danbury 5 @ Maine 1 - The Maine Nordiques hosted the Danbury Hat Tricks for their sixth matchup of the season and second of the weekend. Maine won their previous game 7-2. The only goal of the first period came from Maine forward Henry Butte at 1:12. In the second period, Danbury stormed ahead with the lead with goals from forward Brendan Boring at 10:45 and defensemen Ludovik Gauvin at 8:59 and Ryan Lukko on the power play at 2:19. In the third period, the Hat Tricks continued to extend their lead with forwards Ben Dempster scoring on the power play at 19:25 and Kai Elkie at 11:10 to win the game 5-1 for Danbury. Jon Dukaric started in net for Danbury and made 24 saves on 25 shots. Lukas Fursten started in net for Maine and made 31 saves on 36 shots.

New Hampshire 2 @ Maryland 5 - The Maryland Black Bears hosted the New Hampshire Mountain Kings for their sixth matchup of the season and second of the weekend. The Black Bears won all of their previous matchups, including their last game 8-2. The lone goal of the first period came from New Hampshire forward Jaden Johnson at 14:36. In the second period, Maryland scored a series of goals from forward Brady Anes at 12:48, Brayden Wade on the power play at 7:46 and Wade again, for his second of the game, at 6:04. In the third period, Maryland struck first with a goal from forward Anthony Pellitteri at 8:53. New Hampshire scored again with an effort from defenseman Robert Henderson at 7:05. New Hampshire pulled its netminder in hopes of tying up the game with the extra attacker, however, Maryland’ forward Cole Peters took advantage of the empty net and scored a goal with 26 seconds remaining in the period to end the game 5-2 for the Black Bears.

Johnstown 5 @ Rochester 4 (OT) - The Rochester Jr. Americans hosted the Johnstown Tomahawks for their sixth matchup of the season and second of the weekend. Rochester won their previous game in overtime. The first period saw a lot of back and forth, with Johnstown striking first with an unassisted goal from forward William Stewart at 16:55. Rochester tied up the game with a powerplay goal from forward Cameron Doran at 13:38. Rochester proceeded to take the lead with a goal from forward Konner Powell at 9:01 before Johnstown tied up the game with a goal from forward Nick Jarmain at 7:23 on the power play. In the second period, Doran scored his second of the game for Rochester at 11:39. Jarmain proceeded to score his second of the game for Johnstown at 4:48 on the power play before his teammate, forward Sean Leetch, scored to take the lead for the Tomahawks at 1:19. In the third period, Rochester forward Leo Mantenuto scored with two minutes remaining to send the game into overtime. In overtime, Johnstown came out on top with a goal from forward Charlie Zetterkvist at 1:16. Zack Ferris started in net for Johnstown and made 43 saves on 47 shots while Florian Wade started in net for Rochester and made 21 saves on 26 shots.

Minnesota 4 @ Springfield 1 - The Springfield Jr. Blues hosted the Minnesota Wilderness for their fourth matchup of the season and second of the weekend. Minnesota won their previous game 3-2. The first period was uneventful, with neither team able to score. In the second period, Minnesota got on the board first with a goal from forward Talan Blanck on the power play at 17:18. Springfield was able to tie up the game two minutes later with a goal from forward Owen Lowe on the power play at 15:47. In the third period, Minnesota forward Zachary Homer recorded a natural hat trick with a goal on the power play at 8:37, an even-strength goal at 4:09, and an empty-netter with 20 seconds remaining in the period to win the game 4-1. Valdemar Andersen started in net for the Wilderness and made 31 saves on 32 shots, while Nicolas Rempel started in net for the Jr. Blues and made 32 saves on 35 shots.

St. Cloud 4 @ Watertown 2 - The St. Cloud Norsemen bounced back from their Friday night loss on Saturday, taking down the Watertown Shamrocks by a final score of 4-2 to earn a home-and-home series split. Nolan Smith and Sam Crane led the way offensively for the Norsemen, each recording two points. St. Cloud goaltender Beck Liden was also stellar, making 38 saves on 40 shots. The seventh-place Norsemen gained two points of ground in the Central Division on Minot with the win and snapped their brief two-game losing streak. The Shamrocks’ winning streak ends at five with the loss, but remain three points ahead of fifth-place North Iowa. The teams were nearly even in the first period, with St. Cloud holding the narrow edge in shots at 12-11. Neither team found the back of the net in the opening frame. Kellen Matushak (first) finally broke the ice early in the second period, followed by Mate Tardi’s sixth goal of the season just 1:27 later to give the Norsemen a 2-0 lead. It took until 2:10 left in the middle frame for Watertown to get on the board. Zach Boren (24th) beat Liden with a power-play goal to send the game to the third period with a 2-1 score. The Norsemen were not fazed by the late Watertown goal, as they came out of the gate hot for the third period. Gabe Gallivan notched his fight goal of the year just 46 seconds into the frame to restore St. Cloud’s two-goal advantage. Nolan Smith (eighth) added the insurance with just under three ticks to play in the game with an empty-net goal. Boren (25th) added one more for Watertown late via the power play, but the Norsemen ran out the clock to secure the 4-2 win.

Lone Star 6 @ Oklahoma 2 - The Lone Star Brahmas used a big second period to secure a dominant 6-2 win over the Oklahoma Warriors Saturday, earning them a weekend-series sweep. Maddox Tulacro was the set-up man for his teammates all game, posting four assists. Dylan McFadden was also heavily involved in the offense with two goals on the night. Lone Star retains the top spot in the South Division – now up to 67 points with the win. The Warriors fall into a fifth-place tie with Shreveport with the loss by 50 points. It was the Warriors who started strong in Saturday’s contest as Jakub Galnor (14th) scored just past the midway mark of the opening period to give Oklahoma a 1-0 lead. Liam O’Keefe (first) found the equalizer for the Brahmas with 4:30 remaining in the opening period to send the teams to the break knotted up at one goal apiece. The Brahmas pulled away in the second period, posting four goals in the 20-minute span. McFadden (seventh), Samuel Lussier (ninth), Vladimir Saibel (11th), and Denver Dampenhousse (eighth) all found the back of the net for Lone Star in the middle frame. Galnor (15th) notched a power-play goal in the middle of the Brahmas’ outburst, but the damage was done as Lone Star led 5-2 after 40 minutes. The third period saw a complete shut-down defensive effort from Lone Star stifle the Warriors to just six shots in the entire third period. McFadden (eighth) added his second goal of the night with just over eight minutes to go to seal the comfortable 6-2 win and series sweep for the Brahmas.

Aberdeen 1 @ Austin 3 - After dropping a tightly-contested matchup Friday, the Austin Bruins bounced back with a 3-1 win over the Aberdeen Wings to earn a weekend-series split. The Bruins controlled the pace in Saturday’s game, outshooting the Wings in all three periods. EJ Paddington and Michael Coleman led the way offensively for Austin, each posting a goal and an assist on the night. Austin remains two points ahead of second-place Bismarck in the Central Division with the win, with 70 points – the third team in the NAHL to hit the 70-point mark this season. Aberdeen falls seven points behind Bismarck in the third slot of the Central, but still leads fourth-place Watertown by nine points. The Bruins got off to a strong start, finding the back of the net just over a minute in. Coleman’s 16th tally of the year got the Bruins off to an early 1-0 lead. Paddington (29th) put another puck in the back of the net late in the opening frame to double the Bruins’ lead heading to the second period. The score remained 2-0 until late in the second period when Matsvei Marshchanok extended the lead to three with his 23rd marker of the campaign. His goal sent the game to the final frame with Austin ahead 3-0. The Wings desperately searched for a goal to spark the comeback and finally got it via the power play off the stick of Cooper Anderson (11th) with 8:23 left. Anderson’s goal was too little, too late for Aberdeen, as the Bruins' defense held off the remaining Wings’ attack to secure the 3-1 victory.

Corpus Christi 1 @ Shreveport 4 - After falling in a shootout in Friday’s contest, the Shreveport Mudbugs got their revenge Saturday by taking down the Corpus Christi IceRays by a final score of 4-1 to earn a weekend-series split. The Mudbugs got plenty of depth scoring in the win, with four different players finding the back of the net. Shreveport goaltender Ethan Phillips was stellar between the pipes, turning away 28 of the 29 shots he faced. The Mudbugs close the gap on the IceRays in the South Division with the win, sitting in fifth place – five points behind Corpus Christi for fourth place. It took until after the midway point of the period to get the icebreaker as Shreveport’s Ryan Baert’s fifth goal of the year got the Mudbugs out to a 1-0 lead. His goal stood as the lone tally of the period. The IceRays found their response in the form of Cooper Anderson’s first goal of the campaign to even the game up at 1-1. The Mudbugs’ answer came just 31 seconds later off the stick of Liam Wolf-Taulbee. His seventh marker of the season restored the Shreveport lead with 8:15 to go in the middle frame. Jeremiah Roberts (sixth) potted a huge insurance marker with just 1:21 to go in the second period to double the Mudbugs’ lead heading to the final 20 minutes. Corpus Christi sent seven shots on Phillips in the third period in search of a spark, but Phillips and the rest of the Mudbugs’ defense held off the IceRays. Remy Pusateri (third) added another goal for Shreveport with nine seconds left to seal the 4-1 win.

New Mexico 5 @ Amarillo 3 - New Mexico picked up a 5-3 win over Amarillo on Saturday. Amarillo got off to a strong start with first-period goals from Jake Boulanger, Caden Hegarty, and Cru Smith with assists from Daniel Rassega and Mason Lupo to take a 3-1 lead. Anton Malyshev scored for New Mexico, assisted by Tyler Hess and Sloan Farmer, to keep it close after one. New Mexico took over in the second period, scoring four straight goals. Andy Earl, assisted by Damon Bickler, started the comeback, followed by Oskar Edberg, assisted by Andy Earl and Jace Erickson. Jeremy Sprung, with help from Noah Teng, added another, and Malyshev scored his second of the game, with assists from Sloan Farmer and Sean Smith, to give New Mexico the lead. The third period saw no scoring as New Mexico held on for the win.

Minnesota M 2 @ Bismarck 6 - Bismarck earned a 6-2 win over Minnesota on Saturday. Bismarck came out strong in the first period with goals from Oscar Jonsson, assisted by Patch Cronin, and Noah Ziskie, with assists from Mark Evans and Theodore Richardson. Talan Del Signore got Minnesota on the board, assisted by Bryce Witala and Ty Gordon, but Bismarck responded with a goal from Mark Evans, with assists from Theodore Richardson and Jimmy Dodig, to take a 3-1 lead after one. Bismarck added to its lead in the second period with back-to-back power play goals from Camden Alemond, both assisted by Eddie Revenig and Royce Pietila. In the third, Alex Lunski scored on the power play, assisted by Mark Evans and Theodore Richardson. Ryan Lucarelli found the back of the net for Minnesota, with assists from Bryce Witala and Carson Steinhoff, but Bismarck closed it out for the win.

Janesville 1 @ Wisconsin 5 - Wisconsin picked up a 5-1 win over Janesville on Saturday. Janesville struck first in the opening period with a power play goal from Joseph Hyten, assisted by Murray Marvin-Cordes and Ty Bashaw, to take a 1-0 lead. Wisconsin responded in the second period, starting with a power-play goal from Peyton Mithmuangneua, with assists from Alexios Georgaklis and Jackson Ernst. Hunter Friedrich followed with a goal, assisted by Mithmuangneua and Liam Grant, giving Wisconsin a 2-1 lead after two. Wisconsin pulled away in the third period with three more goals. Jackson Ernst scored on the power play, assisted by Alexios Georgaklis and Joshua Sardo. Liam Grant added another, with assists from AJ Bongiorno and Ryan Mottau, and McCarthy Richardson closed it out, assisted by Liam Grant and Jacob Miller.

North Iowa 5 @ Minot 1 - North Iowa picked up a 5-1 win over Minot on Saturday. North Iowa opened the scoring in the first period with a goal from Carter Davis, assisted by Denis Hodas and Ivan Berčík. Philip Wiklund answered for Minot, with assists from Dane Ramirez and Mackley Morelli, but North Iowa regained the lead on a goal from Niko Russ, assisted by Michael Malatino and Denis Kuzmenkov, to make it 2-1 after one. The second period saw no scoring. North Iowa pulled away in the third period, starting with a power play goal from Vitaliy Korolyuk, assisted by Ivan Berčík and Carter Davis. Marat Mikhin added another power play goal, and Michael Malatino closed it out with a goal, assisted by Brayden Hughes and Denis Kuzmenkov.

Odessa 4 @ El Paso 2 - Odessa earned a 4-2 win over El Paso on Saturday. Odessa got off to a strong start in the first period with goals from Nicholas Arrington, assisted by Jeremy Jacobs and Padraic Whited, and Adam Matar, with assists from Padraic Whited and Hunter Toms, to take a 2-0 lead. Odessa added another in the second period with a goal from Daniel Kuczkowski, assisted by Jeremy Jacobs and Hunter Toms. Alexi Gregoire got El Paso on the board, with assists from Jackson Porco and Brendan Murray, making it 3-1 after two. In the third, Troy Hunka scored for El Paso, assisted by Brendan Murray and Ethan Woolcott, to cut the lead to one. Odessa answered late with an empty-net goal from Caden Ghiossi, assisted by Luke McPherson and Hunter Toms, to seal the win.

Chippewa 2 @ Anchorage 4 - In a thrilling showdown at Sullivan Arena, the Anchorage Wolverines triumphed over the Chippewa Steel with a final score of 4-2. The Wolverines set the pace early with Caleb Mahar scoring the opening goal just seven seconds into the first period, assisted by Kai Weigel. Midway through the first, Chippewa's Matteo Bertrand leveled the score with an unassisted goal at 09:17. The Wolverines surged ahead in the second period with Jack McKenna finding the net at 05:05, thanks to assists from Balint Lobenwein and Caleb Mahar. Just under two minutes later, Sam Evert extended the lead with a strike at 03:21, assisted by Rylan and Luc Bydal. The third period saw a glimmer of hope for the Steel as Boone Kindseth narrowed the gap to 3-2 at 00:23. However, Sam Evert sealed the victory for the Wolverines with a short-handed goal at 15:45, set up by Duke Gentzler. Anchorage's goaltender Kai Weigel was steady between the pipes, stopping 5 of 6 shots, while Chippewa's Zach Stahl faced a barrage of 30 shots, saving 26. Sam Evert's two-goal performance earned him the first star, while Jack McKenna and Hudson Bjornson rounded out the three stars of the night. The Wolverines' win streak now stands at three, much to the delight of the 3,503 fans in attendance.

Fairbanks 3 @ Kenai River 1 - In a spirited clash at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex, the Fairbanks Ice Dogs triumphed over the Kenai River Brown Bears with a final score of 3-1. The action kicked off with the Ice Dogs' Gage Leonard drawing first blood at 11:01 of the first period, assisted by Harrison Kaszubowski and Sami Johnson. Just a minute later, Michal Tkac retaliated for the Brown Bears, leveling the score at 12:14, thanks to assists from Benjamin Tauscher and Koen Burkholder. The second period saw the Ice Dogs pulling ahead. Mack Diggins netted the game-winning goal at 16:56, orchestrated by Kyle Rohrer and Matthew Volkman. Earlier in the period, Thomas Gunderson had already extended the lead at 8:41, with help from Mason Noble and Sami Johnson. Miles Roberts stood tall in the Ice Dogs' net, facing 15 shots and conceding just one goal, showcasing his impressive 0.933 GAA for the game. Meanwhile, the Brown Bears' Andrew McLouth, despite his valiant 13 saves, couldn't fend off the Ice Dogs' relentless offense. Despite power play opportunities for both teams, neither managed to capitalize, highlighting robust penalty-killing units on both sides. The Ice Dogs' victory solidified their dominance in the Midwest Division, leaving the Brown Bears with much to ponder as they look to rebound in future matchups.