Saturday Scores: The Philadelphia Rebels Power to a Victory Over the Northeast Generals

New Jersey 2 @ New Hampshire 1 (SO) - After late game heroics gave New Hampshire the win Friday night, the tables turned on Saturday as the New Jersey Titans beat New Hampshire 2-1 in shootouts. Jack McDonough got the scoring started for the Titans midway through the first period, The only goal on a combined 26 shots by each team to find the back of the net as both goaltenders put up a strong performance between the pipes. Their strong performance on top of a strong defense by both sides kept both teams off the scoreboard in the second period. It proved to be all Titans in the second as they held the Mountain Kings to just six shots, and found 18 of their own. Yet, without either team able to find an answer New Jersey took their one goal lead into the third period. The third period remained quiet and it appeared that the Titans may win the game on just the one goal that they scored back in the first period. Yet, it was Aidan Petroff who came up big again for the Mountain Kings. After scoring the winning goal in overtime Friday night for the Mountain Kings, Petroff tied the game up with just 3:37 remaining in regulation and sent this one to overtime. It was all New Hampshire in overtime firing six shots to the net and applying the pressure on New Jersey, and holding them to just one shot. Both teams remained confident heading into shootouts, yet they desperately needed a hero to help them find an answer against the strong goaltending performances by Simon Krcmar (44 saves on 45 shots), and Ethan Moser (30 saves on 31 shots). It was Jack McDonough who found the answer first pushing one past Moser, and ultimately it would be Joe Pocrnic who would score the winning goal after Krcmar and Moser traded several saves in the shootout round. Both teams leave the weekend 5-4 on the season after splitting the series with both games needing extra time to get it done. 

Danbury 3 @ Elmira 5 - The Elmira Aviators avenge their Friday night loss with a 5-3 victory over the Danbury Hat Tricks on Saturday night. The contest opened with both teams trading chances, with Elmira outshooting Danbury 18 to 11. In the middle frame, Elmira tallied a trio of goals to give the East Division club the lead into the final frame. Jacob Baratta, Cael Primanti and Lucas Novak found twine in the second period to aid the Aviators’ advantage. The Hat Tricks would find twine as well; however, it would be in power-play fashion by Brent Beswick. In the final period of regulation, Beswick scored a hat trick with two more tallies notched in the contest. Danbury’s leading scorer, Brent Beswick, opened the scoring with a power-play tally with a goal two minutes into the period. Four minutes later, Elmira added to the scoreboard with a goal by Nico Pohjola in man-advantage fashion. 10 minutes later, Beswick secured the hat trick with another power-play goal for the Hat Tricks. The final dagger of the night for Elmira would be scored in empty-netter fashion by Kevin Delaney.

Maryland 6 @ Johnstown 3 - The Maryland Black Bears secure the sweep with a strong second-period push over the Johnstown Tomahawks. The contest opened with Johnstown striking first. Peter Morris lights the lamp 12 seconds into the game, with Conner Maione adding to the lead minutes later on the man advantage. It wouldn’t be long until the Black Bears would strike back to even the score as Tanner Terranova and Brayden Wade found twine a minute and a half apart from one another in the opening frame. As the contest moved into the middle period, Will Schlechtweg gave Maryland their first lead of the night with back-to-back tallies by the newcomer. The first goal by the newest Black Bear was scored in power-play fashion, with his second goal scored midway through the frame to give the reigning champions a 4-2 advantage. Maryland would continue their scoring ways as Tanner Terranova tallied his second of the night to give Maryland another goal on the scoresheet. The Tomahawks would score one more for the night with a goal by Alex Gomes in the final five minutes of the middle period. Following the frame, Johnstown would make a change in net as Dylan Bourque got pulled as Luc Beauparlant came in. The final period of regulation spotlighted Maryland adding one more to the scoreboard as Matthew Shpungin scored his fourth of the year. The Black Bears skate to a weekend sweep and a decisive win on Saturday night.

Philadelphia 3 @ Northeast 2 - In a back-and-forth battle between the East Division clubs, the Philadelphia Rebels come out on top over the Northeast Generals. The matchup opened with both teams trading chances in the first frame. The middle period spotlighted Northeast lighting the lamp first. The Generals’ captain, Logan Poulin, found twine 20 seconds into the period to break the deadlock. A little over 10 minutes later, Timmy Donohue strikes for the Rebels on the power play to even the score. Minutes later, Broxton Ingle etched his name on the scoresheet with his second tally of the season and gave the Rebels the lead heading into the final frame. The third period features Poulin scoring quickly again for Northeast, this time on the man advantage 24 seconds into the frame. Just like last time, the Rebels would respond 10 minutes later, this time by Cam Wilson. The Lindenwood commit lights the lamp in game-winning fashion for the Rebels and secures the win on Saturday night.

Fairbanks 6 @ Springfield 3 - The Fairbanks Ice Dogs defeat the Springfield Jr. Blues 6-3, remaining undefeated in regulation. The Ice Dogs pounced on the Jr. Blues with two early power-plays, including a power-play goal by Dub Eunice III. Vincent Arnone scored quickly after with a second goal. On another power play with four minutes left in the period, Oliver Barna made a cross-ice pass to Harrison Kaszubowski, giving Fairbanks a 3-0 lead going into the second period. The Ice Dogs kept the pressure on, with Arnone’s second goal of the game on a two-on-one rush. The Jr. Blues broke the shutout before the period ended with a goal by Tate Spaulding. Another Jr. Blues goal to start the third period came from forward Cooper Deziel, cutting the deficit to 4-2. However, the Ice Dogs answered back with a goal of their own. Kaszubowski's strong forecheck knocked a defender off the puck, finding Barna in front of the net to restore the Ice Dogs' three-goal lead. Brayden Godon got the Jr. Blues came back within two with a short-side snipe, but the Ice Dogs answered quickly; this time, Arnone, with a hat-trick goal, made it 6-3. The Ice Dogs' strong offense helped complete the weekend sweep of the Jr. Blues and keep them undefeated in regulation. 

Minnesota M 3 @ Wisconsin 6 - This one all came down to the second period as Wisconsin took a 6-3 win over the Minnesota Mallards. The Windigo got the scoring started in the first period on a goal off the stick of Aidan Hickok at the 13:31 mark in the period. Minnesota would hold the lead in shots going into the second period but they were unable to find the answer. That all changed at 10:33 in the second period, when Jack Fang scored his third goal of the season making this a new game with the Mallards and Windigo tied at one. It wouldn't take long for Wisconsin to retake the lead, after Daniel Greenbaum scored a goal just over two minutes later allowing the Windigo to recapture the lead 2-1. The Windigo would go on to score two more goals in the period, first off the stick of Gabriel Braun and then by Kaden Mote, allowing them to take the lead into the third period up by three. After two early goals in the third period for Wisconsin by Olle Sjostedt and Torii Schmidt, it seemed that they had it all wrapped up. However, Minnesota refused to go quietly. Ryan Lucarelly would capture his sixth goal of the season and Carver Hasbargan would grab his second. While they were able to pull their team within three, this is where the offense would end for Minnesota. Wisconsin's win now puts them at 2-5-0 on the season while Minnesota falls to 4-4-0.

Watertown 2 @ Bismarck 4 – Bismarck Bobcats defeated the Watertown Shamrocks in the second game of the series. This win allowed the Bobcats to sweep the Shamrocks. The Bobcats scored first during the first period with a goal from Carson Clukies. This is the seventh consecutive time that the team has scored first in a game. Scoring came late during the second period. With less than three minutes left on the clock, Teddy Richardson scored, giving the Bobcats a 2-0-lead over the Shamrocks. The Bobcats scored again with Clukies’ second goal of the night coming on the man advantage. The Shamrocks struck early in the third period on a one-timer from Jordan Brothers. Boone Chartier brought the Shamrocks within 1 goal after he scored on the power play. The Bobcats responded quickly with a goal on the rebound from Cade Bell. With the Bobcats’ 4-2 victory over the Shamrocks, they continue to stay in first place in the Central Division.

El Paso 1 @ Oklahoma 6  - The Oklahoma Warriors bested the El Paso Rhinos, 6-1, inside Blazers Ice Arena on Saturday. Oliver Laverdiere gave the Warriors a 1-0 lead four minutes into the first period for his third goal of the season. In the second period, Denny Oh doubled the lead finding the back of the net late in the middle frame to give Oklahoma a 2-0 lead. Joey DeRosa gave the Warriors a 3-0 lead before the second intermission.  In the third period, Laverdiere extended the Oklahoma lead to 4-0 to net his second goal of the night. A minute later, Luke Vanderroest lit the lamp to give the Warriors a five goal lead. With six minutes left in regulation, Aidan Bergner got El Paso on the board. Shortly after, Oklahoma extended the lead to 6-1 as Adam Bauer recorded his third goal of the season. In net, El Paso’s Logan Hughes made 19 saves, Luke Brassil turned aside one shot in relief. Oklahoma’s Nathan St-Pierre stood tall with 26 saves to secure the victory.

Anchorage 3 @ Janesville 6 - The Janesville Jets defeated the Anchorage Wolverines, 6-3, inside MercyHealth Arena on Saturday.In the first period, Oliver Morris and Caleb Mahar gave Anchorage a two goal lead six minutes into the first. Sean Truby scored the lone goal for Janesville at the 11 minute mark. Janesville took a 3-2 lead 16 minutes into the second period before Chase Trompeter knotted the contest up at 3-3 for the Jets. Shortly after,  Hans Hedlund gave Janesville a 4-3 lead. In the third period, Janesville’s Carter Oliphant found the empty cage with 1:43 remaining in regulation to make the score 5-3. Seconds later, Ty Bashaw extended the Janesville lead to 6-3. In net, Nathan Mach made 36 saves for Janesville in the win. Anchorage’s Maverick Avent turned aside 26 shots in the loss.

New Mexico 2 @ Shreveport 5 – The New Mexico Ice Wolves were looking to split the series with the Shreveport Mudbugs. The Ice Wolves took an early lead during the first period with a goal from Max Stracar. The Mudbugs tied the game at 1-1 with a goal from Ryan Baert during four-on-four hockey. The second period opened with a Mudbugs goal scored by Evan Hoglund. Just past the midway point, Oskar Edberg scored for the Ice Wolves, tying the game at 2-2. With less than a minute remaining in the second period, Hoglund scored his second goal of the night with a wrist shot during four-on-four hockey. Early in the third period, the Mudbugs scored off a faceoff to take the lead. Hoglund capped the scoring and secured a hat trick with a power-play goal for the Mudbugs. With tonight’s 5-2 victory, the Mudbugs swept the Ice Wolves and kept first place in the South Division.

Odessa 3 @ Amarillo 2 (SO) – A furious third-period rally was not quite enough for the Amarillo Wranglers, as the Odessa Jackalopes withstood the pressure to secure a 3-2 shootout victory, completing a series sweep. The Jackalopes opened the scoring in the first period with a goal by Cameron Grande. During the second period, the Jackalopes extended their lead with a goal scored by Brayden Fuerst. The third period belonged to Harout Arutyunyan on the scoresheet, as the Amarillo forward found the back of the net twice to tie the game at 2-2. After a scoreless overtime, the game moved into a shootout, where Max Pieninkeroinen secured the victory for the Jackalopes in the second round.

Austin 1 @ Aberdeen 3 – The Aberdeen Wings defeated the Austin Bruins at home after a very physical game. The game started off slowly, as neither team scored in the first period. Then, Brody Dustin was the first to score for the Wings with a power-play goal. Soon after, Brett Ludvigsen tied the game, also on the power play, for the Bruins. The third period was very defensive, with no one scoring until two minutes remained. The Bruins went on the power play again, and Caeden Heins found the back of the net to give Aberdeen the lead. With one second left, Jonathan Doucette scored an empty-netter to secure the 3-1 lead for the Bruins.

St. Cloud 0 @ Minot 4 – The Minot Minotauros swept the St. Cloud Norsemen, securing another 4-0 win. The Minotauros started the game off strong with Shawn Swavely scoring three minutes into the game. Then, Thomas Lahtinen scored his first of the season, which was a short-handed goal, making the score 2-0 for Minot. Defense stole the show in the second period, as neither team scored. The Minotauros started the third period hot, with Lahtinen scoring his second of the game on the power play. Finally, with less than a minute left in the game, Dane Ramirez scored for Minot, which secured them the 4-0 lead.

Grand Junction 4 @ Billings 5 (OT) - Billings Cattle Punchers defeated the Grand Junction River Hawks in overtime fashion, 5-4, inside Signal Peak Energy Arena on Saturday. Two minutes into the contest Reid Taylor gave Grand Junction a 1-0 lead. Eight minutes later, both Jack Wideman and Alexander Hjorth gave the River Hawks a 3-0 lead. Luke Walter got Billings on the board to make the score 3-1 after the first period. Bryden Prelvitz extended the lead to 4-0 converting a shorterhanded marker to generate the only offense of the second period. In the final frame, Tibor Nemeth scored the fifth goal of the game for Grand Junction at the 10 minute mark of the period. In the late stages of the third Landon Jamison tied the game up for Billings to force overtime. Joey Fankhanel scored the game-winner for the Cattle  Punchers one minute into overtime. In net, Billings’ netminder Nicolas Rempel made 39 saves, Roman Batih stopped 42 shots in the loss.

Idaho Falls 1 @ Pueblo 4 - The Pueblo Peppers respond to a Friday night overtime loss with a strong second-period push. The opening frame was scoreless, with the Peppers controlling the period. Pueblo outshot Idaho Falls 10 to 3. In the middle frame, Pueblo scored three goals. Blake Graff got the scoring started with a goal 45 seconds into the period. Later on in the period, Jake Spraetz added to the lead with a tally around the seven-minute mark. The final goal in the frame would come from Michael Mathison with 20 seconds on the clock. In the final period of regulation, Idaho Falls scored its first goal of the night when Tyler Atchison found the net midway through the period. The Peppers would score the final dagger of the night with a power-play tally in the last 30 seconds of the game. Jake McIntosh finds the twine to seal the 4-1 victory. In net for Pueblo, Zachary Stahl turned aside 18 out of the 19 shots on net.

Minnesota W 5 @ Kenai River 1 - The Minnesota Wilderness defeat the Kenai River Brown Bears in a Midwest Division matchup. Wilderness forward Frantisek Netusil opened the scoring with a power-play goal after a solo effort, looping around the offensive zone. The Wilderness sustained pressure late in the period, and a strong shift in the offensive zone was rewarded with a goal by Jakeb Lynch for his fifth of the season. After a successful penalty kill, Jackson Knight scored his first goal of the season, extending the Wilderness lead to 3-0 heading into the first intermission. The Brown Bears looked to build momentum in the second period on a five-on-three power play, but goaltender David Rustlie left his net and misplayed the puck right to the slot, gifting it to Robinson Dijan for a shorthanded goal and extending the Wilderness lead to 4-0. With time expiring in the second period, Benjamin Tauscher’s one-timer deflected off a Wilderness defender and trickled by Oliver Kanat for a power-play goal, bringing the Brown Bears within three goals going into the third period. In the final five minutes of regulation, Max Edwards scored on a one-timer, cushioning the Wilderness lead to 5-1. Kanat made 23 saves en route to the Wilderness victory.