Friday Finals: Moose Run Win Streak to Five
Sam Knight (top) and the Minnesota Moose have won five straight while Eli Fletcher (bottom) notched a hat trick in Alexandria's win
Maine 1 @ Northeast 2 - Northeast defeated Maine 2-1 despite the effort of goaltender Riley Burnett. The Generals opened the scoring late in the first period. Michael McLaughlin potted his 13th goal of the season to put Northeast on top. The Nordiques responded with a power play midway through the second period to tie the game. It was Brody Emond finding his team-leading 11th goal of the year. However, the Generals responded just 34 seconds later with Ruslan Tuchyn finding the back of the net. The goal proved to be the winner with the final remaining at that 2-1 score. Burnett stopped 44 of 46 shots for Maine in the losing effort while Northeast’s Jascha Grossenbacher made 32 saves in his fantastic winning effort. The Generals improve to 37 points with the win and sit first place in the East Division. Maine remains at 21 points and sit sixth in the East.
Norwich 1 @ New Hampshire 2 (SO) - New Hampshire topped Norwich 2-1 in a shootout. Goaltenders Peter Alfano and Charlie Donoghue put on a show, carrying a scoreless tie through the first two periods. The dualling shutouts ended 44 seconds into the final frame with Bryce Yates scoring for the Jr. Mountain Kings. Norwich then equalized at the 8:03 mark in the third. Andrew Hill scored on the powerplay to knot things at one. Alfano made 23 saves in 24 tries while Donoghue made 41 stops in42 attempts across 65 minutes of play. The teams could not be separated in open play as required a shootout. After four rounds of being tied at two, New Hampshire’s Jayson Audet provided the back-breaking blow to give the Mountain Kings the win and extra point. New Hampshire gains a point on Norwich, improving to 31 points on the year, but still sit in fourth in the East Division. The Sea Captains increase to 33 points and sit third in the East.
Wisconsin 5 @ Peoria 6 (OT) - Peoria outlasts Wisconsin, wins 6-5 in overtime. The Mustangs opened the scoring on home ice with a pair of first-period goals. Nathan Pleva broke the ice with his eighth 6:49 into the frame before Rex Rhodes got his sixth roughly 3.5-minutes later. Peoria took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission. That lead grew when Wyatt Duke potted his eighth of the year early in the middle period. Wisconsin then exploded with four consecutive goals. Maxim Lazo’s 14th of the year put the Woodsmen on the board just 26 seconds after Duke’s tally. Colton Holzer was next to score to cut his team’s deficit to one. Wisconsin then tied the game before taking the lead within three minutes to play in the second. Vincent Greene’s seventh and Tyler Osborne’s sixth gave Wisconsin a 4-3 lead after 40 minutes. However, Peoria was not denied. Duke scored his second of the game and ninth of the year nearly 12 minutes into the third period to tie the game at four. Breyon Maroney then gave the Mustangs the lead with five minutes to play. Wisconsin, again, did not go away. Charles Murray tied the game with under two minutes to play with his sixth of the season. The game went to the extra frame tied a five apiece. It did not take long for the barnburner to come to an end in overtime. Peoria’s Jordan Mini potted his eighth of the season 42 seconds into the frame to give the Mustangs the win. The win brings Peoria’s point-total to 16 points, yet still sit last in the Central Division. Wisconsin grabs a point to improve to 41 points and sits second in the Central.
Wausau 3 @ Rochester 6 - Rochester rode a strong opening and closing frame to a 6-3 victory over Wausau. The Grizzlies opened the scoring in the first period with a pair of goals just 1:29 apart. Gavin Black opened the scoring at 8:04 before Mason Decker scored his team-leading 11th goal. Wausau responded just over three minutes later to slash the deficit in half but was answered by Noah Joyce late in the frame. The Grizzlies took a 3-1 lead into the break. The teams traded goals in the second period. Jack Garrow’s team-best 21st goal tightened the Rochester lead to one early in the frame before Black’s second of the game reestablished the two-goal advantage. The Grizzlies added a fifth goal at 8:52 in the third period. It was Lennard Habeck first of the season. Micah Saxon brought one back for the Cyclones midway through the final 20 minutes but again was answered by Decker. He improved his team-lead to 12 goals on the season with his second goal of the game. Dereck Namlick stopped 39 of 45 shots he faced in the loss while Adnrew Dubin made 21 saves in the win. Rochester overtook Wausau in the Central Division standings with the regulation win. The Grizzlies picked up their 40 point of the season and now sit third in the Central while the Cyclones remain at 39 points but now drop to fourth place.
Minnesota W 4 @ Alexandria 8 - The Alexandria Blizzard’s 5-goal third period helped them to propel to an 8-4 victory Friday night. Jack Carter and Eli Fletcher got the game rolling early in the opening period, as a pair of goals gave Alexandia a two-goal lead. Jordan Fanti looked to cut the lead in half for Minnesota, and did just that, as his goal put the Wilderness within one. Ethan Boughton then lit the lamp to give the Blizzard some security heading into the final frame. From there, Fletcher, Gaborik Olsen, Boughton, and Caleb Waller hit the back of the night all within a five-minute span to further Alexandria’s now commanding lead. Tyler Starich tacked one on for Minnesota, before Fletcher slid one past the goaltender to record a natural hattrick. Jordan Fanti and Jake Hodd-Chlebeck each netted one late, but it was too late, as Alexandria took this one in dominant fashion, 8-4.
St. Louis 1 @ Mason City 6 - St. Louis hit the back of the net first, but from there it was all Mason City, as the Toros triumphed over the Jr. Blues Friday night 6-1. Mason Andrew netted on early to give St. Louis the advantage, before Marcus Fritel and TJ Gibson quickly put Mason City up by a pair. Fritel, Parker McInroy, and Teis Larsen each tacked on a goal in the second period to extend the Toros lead. After a back-and-forth third, Mason City sealed the deal late, courtesy of Stone Resch. In the dominant 6-1 victory, netminder Drew Blake was outstanding, padding aside 28/29 shots.
Minnesota M 5 @ Willmar 2 - The Minnesota Moose pounced on the Willmar WarHawks 5-2 Friday night. Timothy Vaculik opened the scoring late in the first, giving Willmar the advantage. However, halfway through the second Xavier Tholl lit the lamp, as his first of the season evened the score. Adian Callaghan then scored for the WarHawks, before Will Biggar, Sam Knight, and Owen Meyer quickly put the Moose back up. Eason Simpson sealed the deal late in the third, as Minnesota held on for the 5-2 win. Goaltender Dyan Posch stood tall, saving 30/32.
Austin 4 @ El Paso 2 - In a back-and-forth game, the Austin Ice Bats took charge in the final period to edge out the El Paso Rhinos 4-2. Donovan Bradford opened the game with a goal to put El Paso in front, before Ethan Salter scored just 27 seconds into the middle frame to even the score for the Ice Bats. There, Joseph Gutierrez regained the lead for the Rhinos, however from then on out it was all Austin. Connor Edlund and Guhnar Hillman took over to give Austin their first lead of the game. Thomas Forgrave then sealed the deal with an empty netter late to give the Ice Bats the 4-2 victory.
Bozeman 6 @ Gillette 3 - The Bozeman Icedogs doubled up the Gillette Wild on Friday night by a score of 6-3. Devin Bruns and Spencer Wilkinson led the Icedogs with a goal and an assist each. Reid Wilkinson, Baron Masopust, Barrett Becker and Andrew Kaunas all lit the lamp as well for Bozeman. Max Arlt had two goals for the Wild and Chase Borene also chipped in a goal. Brett DeVincent made 34 save in goal to grab the win while Austin Trieber and Wylen Cambensy combined to make 31 stops for Gillette.
Badlands 4 @ Helena 5 - The Badlands Sabres comeback fell just short as they fell to the Helena Bighorns 5-4. The Bighorns raced out to a 5-1 lead early in the second period but Badlands cut it to one with just over eight minutes to play in the third. That was when Branson Appelman and the Helena defense locked in to preserve the victory. Chase Berg had two goals and an assist for Helena while Jason Hammett notched a goal and two helpers. Finn Theriault had a goal and an assist while Austin Uecker also lit the lamp for the Bighorns. For the Sabres, Laurence Lundberg and Charlie Lorbiecki had two points while Carter Kilen and Matthew Cordis each had a goal as well. Appleman finished with 28 saves for the Bighorns while Lochlin Jackson stopped 36 of 41 shots for Badlands.
Great Falls 9 @ Yellowstone 3 - Ty O’Bey had a hat trick and four points as the Great Falls Americans beat the Yellowstone Quake 9-3. John Lang notched a goal and three helpers while Aiden Kennedy also score twice. Cooper Clouse had a goal and two assists while Zac Orwig and Darren Narvaez each had a goal and an assist. Jordan Murray had a hat trick of his own for the Quake. Karanveer Kooner picked up the win in the blue paint with 23 saves. Matthew Neeser was busy all night as he finished with 66 saves.
Butte 3 @ Sheridan 12 - The Sheridan Hawks power play was clicking all night long as they notched five power play goals on 10 opportunities as they routed the Butte Irish 12-3. Vincent Leaf and Josh Serino led all skater with six points as Leaf tallied four goals in the win. Zach Longnecker had a five point night of his own and Logan Hume had three helpers. Sean Harris, Vlad Zubriichuk, Logan Sidlauskas, Elijah Farris, Ernest Allen and Gavin Elliot each had a goal and an assist for Sheridan. Loghan Weber had a three point night for Butte as Kazen Stineff and Toby Kerr also scored. TJ Wonnacott earned the victory with 22 saves while Manny Pantow and Tim Nanson teamed up to make 50 saves.
