Friday Finals: The Billings Cattle Punchers Skate to Shootout Win Over the Ogden Mustangs in 1-0 Fashion

Photo Credit: Thomas Damone

Johnstown 2 @ New Jersey 3 (SO) - The New Jersey Titans powered to a shootout victory over the Johnstown Tomahawks on Friday night. The contest opened with both teams trading chances; however, no one was able to find the back of the net. In the middle period, New Jersey’s Nathan Walsh lit the lamp six minutes into the frame thanks to a feed by Tomas Pribyl. New Jersey and Johnstown traded multiple chances on net, with Johnstown outshooting New Jersey 19 to 18. The final period of regulation showcased the lamp being lit on multiple occasions. Johnstown would get their scoring started with a tally by Conner Maione six minutes into the frame. Seven minutes later, the captain, Jack Genovese, gave the Tomahawks their first lead of the night. That advantage would be short-lived as New Jersey’s Joe Pocrnic scored short-handed for the Titans to even the score to 2-2. After the matchup went to overtime and then an eventual shootout, the Titans won the skills competition. Army commit Nikolas Doumas lit the lamp in the fifth round of the shootout to seal the win for the Titans.

New Hampshire 4 @ Danbury 7 - In a competition between teams spotlighting their offensive prowess, the Danbury Hat Tricks would seal the victory during their home opener. The contest opened with a trio of goals by the Hat Tricks. Deimantas Sulinskas, Gus Rabe, and Simon Wang all find the back of the net in the first frame, with Wang securing his tally on the power play. In the second period, Danbury would strike first with a goal by William Cronberger to extend their lead to 4-0. However, it would not be long until Dylan Podergois from New Hampshire would start to cut the deficit with a tally three minutes later. Following him for the Mountain Kings was Benjamin Short, slashing Danbury’s lead to two goals. The Hat Tricks would quickly respond as Gus Rabe scored his second of the night.  Following suit in having a multi-goal night moments later was New Hampshire’s Benjamin Short, lighting the lamp with 1:18 to spare in the frame. In the final period, New Hampshire would strike early into the third with a goal by Evan Ferraro. However, that would not be enough as Danbury’s Tucker Mears and Tristan Konobelj both etched their names on the scoresheet with tallies themselves. The Hat Tricks skate to a big 7-4 victory.

Elmira 3 @ Maryland 1 - Making a statement on Friday night against the reigning Robertson Cup champs were the Elmira Aviators at the Piney Orchard Ice Arena. The contest opened with two late first-period tallies by the Aviators. Getting the scoring started was Cruz Ferguson on the power play for the New York-based club. 26 seconds later, Liam Mccloy added to the Aviators' lead with a tally himself. That first frame would be the only period in the contest where Elmira had the advantage on the shots on goal, outshooting the Black Bears 15 to 14. The middle frame spotlighted Lucas Salvatore sending the fish flying at the Piney Orchard as he found the net in the first few minutes of the period. The scoring would halt in the period; however, the Black Bears would dominate the frame, outshooting Elmira 26 to 8. In the final period of regulation, Elmira’s Adam Sebastian Kurka would score the final dagger for the Aviators, helping to seal the win in 3-1 fashion. The New York-based club delivered Maryland’s first regulation loss of the season and a big road win in the process. Between the pipes for the Aviators, Conor O’Brien turned aside 58 out of 59 shots on net. His defensive work in the blue paint allowed his club the opportunity to compete and ultimately secure the win against the Black Bears.

Northeast 4 @ Philadelphia 0 - The Northeast Generals get the shutout win against the Philadelphia Rebels in this East Division rival game. A chippy first period saw both teams spending plenty of time in the penalty box, as the Generals and the Rebels had five and four penalties, respectively. That didn’t stop the Generals from scoring, as Camden Tabb would net his first goal of the season early into the period, which would end up being the game-winner. The Generals held the shot advantage of 11 to 7 going into the first intermission. Philadelphia would try to respond in the following period; the Generals’ Nate Porter would also extend the lead late in the period, putting home a rebound past goaltender Jeremy Lowe. The defense of Northeast and the goaltending of netminder Keagin Wilson was too overwhelming at times, as Philadelphia would only be able to get four shots on net through the second period. The third period was an even affair, but the Rebels would be unable to solve the Generals, and Northeast’s Logan Poulin would score his league-leading ninth goal of the season late in the period, followed by Wyatt Exman scoring with 14 seconds left to get us to the final score of 4-0. Wilson was the first Star of the Game, stopping all 18 shots he faced in the game. Tabb and Porter got Second and Third stars respectively, scoring a goal each. These two teams will look forward to facing off again tomorrow for the fourth time in the regular season.

Aberdeen 8 @ St. Cloud 5 - The Aberdeen Wings scored three unanswered goals in the first, helping to kick-start a high-scoring game against the St. Cloud Norsemen. Defense set back in this game as we saw plenty of shots and plenty of goals by both teams. The first period was all Aberdeen as they registered 22 shots against St. Cloud goaltender Carter Gardocki, with Keaton Weis, Braydn Strom, and Payne Riffey all scoring to put the Wings out to a huge lead in the first period. St. Cloud did have nine shots in the first period, but Aberdeen goaltender William Braun stood tall and stopped everything that came his way. The second period was a more even affair as the shot totals went in St. Cloud’s favor 12-10, with Danish defenseman Luis Gerhoffer scoring his first goal of the season. But it was answered twofold by Aberdeen's Filip Henriksson and Melker Hof to give the Wings a comfortable lead going into the third period. Henriksson would score another goal early in the third period to increase the lead. Just when the game was looking out of reach, St. Cloud forward Mate Tardi scored three goals in less than five minutes, two on the power play, to give himself a natural hat trick and give the Norseman some life. But it may have been short-lived, as Aberdeen defenseman Lucas Schaefer would score his first goal of the season exactly halfway through the period, and Riffey would score his second not long after to give Baerdeen their eighth goal of the night. St. Cloud's Blake Duan would score late in the period to cut the lead to three, but they would not get another one past Braun as the Wings picked up the win 8-5. Both teams will play again tomorrow to continue this Central Division rivalry series.

Bismarck 0 @ Watertown 2 - The Watertown Shamrocks defend home ice against the Bismarck Bobcats and pick up the win in regulation thanks to stellar goaltending and timely scoring. The Bismarck Bobcats came into this game most likely the favorites to win it; however, Watertown goaltender Mason Gudridge, along with his Shamrocks teammates, had other plans. While they were being outshot in the first two periods by a total of 23-11, Gudridge was proving that he was more than up to the task. Shutting down the offense of the Bobcats. His counterpart, Linus Vieillard, was also sharp in net, stopping everything he faced through two periods as well, setting us up for a third period that felt more like overtime. It didn’t take long for Watertown to find the one play they were looking for to break through as Owen Chartier would sneak into the high left side slot and would bury a pass from Kyle Green past Vieillard to put the Shamrocks up 1-0, erupting the home crowd. Suddenly, a defense that had had its struggles limiting the shot count in this game was playing with all the momentum, keeping Bismarck pressed to the outside and neutral zone to only allow four shots in the final period. Bismarck would pull their goalie late, but Watertown’s Andrew Smulksty would put home the empty-net goal with 17 seconds left to secure the win.  In hockey, they don’t ask how; they ask how many, and it turns out the answer to that question in this game was two. Gudridge would end up saving 27 shots in the shutout victory and would get the game's First Star of the night for his performance. Both teams play again tomorrow in what could be another high-drama game.

Springfield 1 @ Janesville 5 - The Janesville Jets used a five-goal performance to defeat the Springfield Jr. Blues 5-1 on Friday night. After a scoreless opening period, Grant Dillard broke the deadlock in the second period with an assist from Cooper Avelar and Matthew McGovern before doubling the lead on the power play with help from Hans Hedlund and McGovern. Springfield responded in the third period as Christopher Jones scored a power-play goal with assists from Tate Spaulding and Brady Turner to cut the deficit to one. However, Janesville pulled away as Carter Oliphant restored the two-goal advantage before Daniel Rudman added an empty-net goal. Dillard completed his hat trick with 13 seconds remaining to seal the 5-1 victory. Hedlund and McGovern each recorded four assists, while Janesville goaltender Nathan Mach stopped 17 of 18 shots. The Jets outshot the Jr. Blues 41-18.

Minot 4 @ Austin 3 - The Minot Minotauros held off a third-period comeback from the Austin Bruins to secure a 4-3 victory on Friday night. Austin opened the scoring in the first period as Logan Lambrecht capitalized on the power play with assists from Nolan Newton and Brett Ludvigsen. Minot responded early in the second period with goals just eight seconds apart from Philip Wiklund and Briggs Knott to take a 2-1 lead. Joey Dellacroce extended the advantage with a power-play goal later in the period, giving the Minotauros a 3-1 lead heading into the third. Austin battled back with power-play goals from Viktor Olihn and Brett Ludvigsen just 53 seconds apart to tie the game at three. However, Wiklund scored his second goal of the night with 3:55 remaining to restore Minot's lead and secure the 4-3 victory. Ivan Sidorov recorded three assists, while Minot goaltender Lukas Hoglind stopped 22 of 25 shots. The Minotauros outshot the Bruins 38-25.

Shreveport 8 @ Amarillo 6 - The Shreveport Mudbugs defeated the Amarillo Wranglers 8-6 on Friday night after seven goals were scored in the final six minutes between the teams. Jeremiah Roberts opened the scoring for Shreveport before Leathen Bent tied the game on the power play late in the first period. William-Alexis Tremblay restored the Mudbugs' lead in the second, while Jeremiah Roberts and Duke Ehrhard extended the advantage to 4-1 early in the third. Amarillo responded with goals from Ralfs Veidemanis and Cale Braid to cut the deficit to one, but Jonah Jasser pushed Shreveport ahead 5-3. The Wranglers rallied with three unanswered goals from Eric Lund and Hugo Råsten to tie the game at five before Robin Israelsson and Ehrhard scored empty-net goals to give Shreveport a 7-5 lead. Lund completed his second goal of the night to bring Amarillo within one, but Jasser sealed the victory with 1:11 remaining. Shreveport outshot Amarillo 56-25. Mudbugs goaltender Kristers Plepis made 19 saves, while Amarillo's Adam Frank stopped 47 shots.

New Mexico 2 @ Lone Star 3 (SO) - The New Mexico Ice Wolves made the trip to North Texas to take on the Lone Star Brahmas in a South Division matchup. The Brahmas come into this game with a three-game winning streak. Both offenses found opportunities early. Each team got power-play chances, but neither capitalized. The first frame would end scoreless, with each squad putting up ten shots apiece. The second period started with New Mexico on the attack. Antoine Demers found the net on an even-strength goal early in the frame to give the Ice Wolves a 1-0 lead. The rest of the second frame seemed to be a defensive showcase until Dimitri Tioumentsev buried an even-strength goal to even the score with just seconds left in the period. Both teams appeared to reach a standstill in the third frame. The deadlock ended when Dimitri Tioumentsev scored his second consecutive goal, giving the Brahmas their first lead of the night. Hope looked lost for New Mexico until Anthony Leech scored an equalizer with just 43 seconds left in regulation, sending this game to overtime. The Ice Wolves tried to carry their momentum into the overtime period but could not find the net despite outshooting the Brahmas, forcing a shootout. The Brahmas’ Jake Tavares silenced the hopes for an upset as he scored the only goal of the shootout on its tenth shot. Lone Star extended their winning streak with their shootout victory. The Brahmas hope to use this momentum in game two, while the Ice Wolves will look to make some changes.  

Billings 1 @ Ogden 0 (SO) - The Billings Cattle Punchers looked to extend their four-game winning streak against the Ogden Mustangs. The first frame saw defensive stands from both teams, as the Mustangs outshot the Cattle Punchers 10-7. The teams went into the first intermission after 20 scoreless minutes. The second frame saw a barrage of penalties as both teams would get opportunities on the power play, but again neither would capitalize. Ogden outshot Billings 18-10 in the second period, though the game would remain scoreless heading into the third frame. The third period seemed to be just as defensive as its predecessors. Both teams saw more balanced attacks, but again, both goaltenders showed out. Regulation ended with the game still scoreless, sending the matchup to overtime and guaranteeing a shutout to one of these deserving goaltenders. Neither defense would allow scoring opportunities in the overtime period, sending this affair to a shootout. Billings’ Joey Fankhanel would be the only man to find the net in this game, giving the Cattle Punchers the shootout victory. Ogden’s Jack Foy deserves his flowers for saving 32 shots, but Nicolas Rempel would be the star of the game due to his massive 41-save shutout.  The teams will meet again for game two, with Billings hoping for similar results, while the Mustangs will look for their first goal against the Cattle Punchers.

Pueblo 2 @ Grand Junction 3 (OT)  - The Pueblo Peppers made the trip west for their intrastate matchup with the Grand Junction River Hawks. The first period saw the Peppers come out in full force. Pueblo started hot, but the River Hawks would be first on the board with an even-strength goal courtesy of Brodie Donovan. Pueblo would be quick to respond as Nikolas Gentilini found the net for an even-strength equalizer before the first intermission. The second period consisted of numerous penalties from each team. These penalties led to Cooper Jacobson capitalizing on a 4-on-3 power-play goal for the Peppers. Grand Junction would follow suit by taking advantage of another series of penalties. Alexander Hjorth scored a 5-on-3 power-play goal in the final minutes of the second period. The third frame saw each team shift to a more defensive mindset, with both teams silencing opportunities. The period saw another barrage of penalties, allowing both teams chances on the power play. Each team put up seven shots in the third period, but none would find the back of the net, sending this game to overtime. The overtime period looked to be heading to a shootout, but Isaiah Yates thought otherwise. Yates buried a game-winning goal with just six seconds left in the period. The River Hawks win game one of the divisional matchup, while the Peppers look to turn things around in game two.

Minnesota W 1 @ Anchorage 3 - In a divisional matchup, the Minnesota Wilderness hit the road to take on their northern rivals, the Anchorage Wolverines. With both teams holding similar records, this game was an important opportunity for each side to establish itself within the division. The Wolverines struck first, as defenseman Loic Nasreddine found the back of the net for his first goal of the season. The Wilderness, however, had no intention of backing down and continued to battle throughout the contest. Early in the second period, the Wilderness took two minor penalties, giving Anchorage an opportunity to capitalize on the power play. The Wolverines made them pay, extending their lead to 2-0 with a beautifully executed team goal finished off by Balint Lobenwein. Despite the two-goal deficit, Minnesota continued to show resilience and refused to go away quietly. Early in the third period, Western Michigan commit Ferry Netusil got the Wilderness back within striking distance, collecting his 11th point of the season to cut the deficit to 2-1. As the third period wound down, Minnesota pulled its goaltender in a final push to find the equalizer. However, Anchorage took advantage of the empty net to seal the victory. Caleb Mahar put the game away with his ninth goal in just eight games, securing the Wolverines' third goal of the night. Both goaltenders turned in strong performances, each making more than 30 saves and keeping their teams in the fight throughout the game. A hard-fought divisional battle and a great way to close out the night.

Kenai River 4 @ Fairbanks 5 - In a battle between two in-state foes, the Fairbanks Ice Dogs prevailed with five consecutive goals in their home opener against the Kenai River Brown Bears. The contest opened with back-to-back tallies by the Brown Bears in the first frame. Ryan McPartland found the back of the net with under seven minutes on the clock, unassisted. Five minutes later, McPartland added to the Brown Bears’ score with a power-play tally. Heading into the second period, Kenai River held the 2-0 goal advantage and would look to add to the lead. A little over six minutes into the middle frame, Oliver Pietras lights the lamp on the power play to give his team a three-goal cushion. However, it would not be long following that tally when the Ice Dogs would get to work chipping away at Kenai River’s score. Getting the scoring started midway through the frame was Dane Gatmaitan on the power play for Fairbanks. Three minutes later, Ice Dogs newcomer Conor Stark scored his second goal of the season, helping to cut the deficit to one. In the third and final frame, the Ice Dogs spotlighted their offensive prowess on special teams. Recently named Midwest Division Star of the Week, Oliver Barna, evened the score with a power-play tally in the first few minutes of the period. Minutes later, Vincent Arnone and Maverick Timmons both lit the lamp on the penalty kill in unassisted fashion to give the Ice Dogs a two-goal lead. In the final moments of the game, Kenai River’s Oliver Pietras finds twine on the man advantage for the second time of the night to tighten the score and reduce the deficit to one goal. The Ice Dogs escaped a loss against the Brown Bears thanks to their skill and ability to respond to a deficit and find the net on special teams.