Saturday Scores: Sabres Take Down Bighorns in Helena
by Sydney Cordova, Noah Radomski & Michael Seitz
Jackson Roethler (top) was monumental in their win over Helena while Marcus Fritel (bottom) notched a pair of goals for Mason City
St. Louis 4 @ Mason City 8 - Mason City defeated St. Louis in a high-scoring, 8-4 contest. The Toros got the scoring started just under six minutes into the first period. Teis Larsen found the back of the net for the eighth time this season, giving Mason City the lead. The teams then traded goals just 13 seconds apart. Kellen Kantaris grabbed his 11th while Jack Reuss scored his sixth. The Toros led 2-1 after 20 minutes. Mason City continued to put the pressure on early in the second as Sam Menne pushed the team’s advantage to two. However, the Jr. Blues eventually broke through again. Ryan Hogan scored his first of the season before Brayden Davis tied the game at three with under five to play in the middle frame. The game was not tied for long, though. Dominic Despenas answered St. Louis just 31 seconds later to give Mason City a 4-3 advantage. The third period saw the Toro offense find another level. Mason City rattled off four consecutive goals including Parker McInroy’s 10th, Larsen’s second of the game and a pair from team-leading scorer Marcus Fritel. He now has 22 goals this season. Jack Plager added a fourth goal for St. Louis towards the end of the period, but it would not be enough. Toro goaltender Brooks Currie stopped 45 of the 49 shots he faced in the victory. The win brings Mason City to 34 points on the year as the team sits third in the West Division. The Jr. Blues remain 28 points and fifth in the Central Division.
New Hampshire 1 @ Norwich 5 - Norwich took advantage of undisciplined New Hampshire, defeating the Jr. Mountain Kings 5-1. Connor Gronewald and the Sea Captains opened the scoring with his second of the season 8:49 into the game. Glen Farmer then doubled the lead late in the period with his team-high 13th goal of the season. Norwich led 2-0 after 20 minutes. That lead was extended on one of the team’s 12 power play opportunities just over a minute into the middle frame. Jack Wilkerson grabbed his 14th on the man advantage to make it 3-0. New Hampshire did get one back 3:34 after the power play marker. Jacob Landry cut the Jr. Mountain King deficit back to two with the goal. The score remained 3-1 for more than 22 minutes and into the third period before the Sea Captains added two more power play tallies. Chase Leivian and Louis Allanson were the goal scorers to push the final to 5-1. Evan Johnston made 33 saves in the losing effort for New Hampshire while Presley Patrin stopped 23 of 24 shots he faced for Norwich in the win. The Sea Captains extended their advantage over the Mountain Kings in the standings with the regulation win. Norwich’s 35 points place them third in the East Division, just two points behind co-leaders Northeast and Binghamton. New Hampshire sits in fourth place in the East with 31 points.
Wisconsin 7 @ Peoria 4 - Wisconsin rode a strong, four-goal second period to a 7-4 victory over Peoria. The high-scoring game did not start fast as the first saw each team finding the back of the net only once. Peoria’s Nathan Pleva opened the scoring with his ninth before Joshua Kauppinen responded with his 15th goal of the season. That Kauppinen goal began a streak of five-straight Woodsmen goals, extending through the entirety of the second period. Viktor Budik and Jonny Thrasher each scored in the first six minutes of the middle frame to put Wisconsin ahead 3-1. The Woodsmen then received a pair of power play goals to seemingly blow the game open. Kauppinen found his second of the game before Colton Holzer tallied his third of the season. Wisconsin was firmly in control after two periods. However, Peoria did not go away quietly. The Mustangs rattled off three consecutive goals of their own in the third period. Skyler Thopkins scored his ninth goal of the year, Johnny Switzer his eighth and Wyatt Duke his 10th to slash the Wisconsin lead to one with just over five minutes to play in the game. Wisconsin held the line and pulled away with Tegan O’Brien and Maxin Lazo adding goals within the final two minutes of the third. Steven Kelley made 26 saves for the Woodsmen in the win while Charlie Maquet stopped 40 shots in the loss. Wisconsin collects points 42 and 43 with the win and sits one point behind West Bend for the Central Division lead. Peoria remains in last place in the Central with 16 points after the loss.
Binghamton 5 @ New Jersey 1 - Binghamton dominates New Jersey in a battle of the East’s first and last place teams. The Buzz controlled the game from the jump against the Titans with Andre Heath opening the scoring with his fifth of the year just 2:16 into the game. However, New Jersey answered back less than two minutes later. The equalizing goal was Vladimir Zakharov’s 13th on the campaign. Tyler Hamlin ended the period by finding the back of the net for the 14th time this year. The goal gave Binghamton a 2-1 lead at the first intermission. The Buzz cruised to a victory over the final two periods striking three more times in the final 40 minutes. Trent Midura scored the loan goal of the middle frame before Carson Curry and Cole Brown potted goals in the third period. Buzz goaltender Andrew Peterson stopped 17 of 18 shots he faced in the win. Nicolas Gould made 36 saves for the Titans. Binghamton moves to 37 points on the season and are tied for first in the East with Northeast. The Buzz have played two less games than the Generals as well. New Jersey remains at 20 points and continue to rank last in the division.
Wausau 4 @ Rochester 1 - The Wausau Cyclones capitalize on two power play goals en route to a 4-1 victory over the Rochester Grizzlies. Wausau took charge early and never looked back, as goals from Micah Saxon and Brady Knutsen gave them the advantage after the first. Jack Garrow then lit the lamp to extend the lead by three in the middle frame. Rochester looked to avoid the shutout, as Aiden Emerich scored midway through the third, before Garrow secured the win with an empty netter. Tanner Bonjernoor was outstanding in net for the Cyclones, padding aside 26/27 in the 4-1 win.
Minnesota W 2 @ Alexandria 6 - Coming fresh off of a hattrick, Eli Fletcher continues his dominance, as the Alexandria Blizzard triumph over the Minnesota Wilderness, 6-2. Just 36 second seconds into the game, Anthony Launderville gave Minnesota an early lead. However, it would be Alexandria who scored three straight, courtesy of Caleb Waller, Fletcher, and Blake Breiland. Early in the second, Jeff Slivon slid one past the netminder to cut the lead in half for the Wilderness, however Zach Benson lit the lamp late to extend the Blizzard’s lead. Fletcher and Markus Olsen contributed to a pair of goals in the third, as this would be enough to assert Alexandria’s win.
Willmar 3 @ Granite City 11 - In what was a dominant performance from start to finish, the Granite City Lumberjacks defeated the Willmar WarHawks by a whopping 8-goal margin. 12 different players inserted their names in the stat sheet tonight, as Granite City continues to show their other league members just how serious of a contender they are. The team capitalized on four powerplay goals, while also shooting 54 times on net en route to their monstrous victory.
Austin 5 @ El Paso 2 - Despite a late attempt to come back for their deficit, the Austin Ice Bats secured a 5-2 victory over the El Paso Rhinos Saturday night. Ashton Martin and Paul Wiese got things rolling early to put the Ice Bats up by a pair. Following a scoreless second period, Daniel Sanna and Guhnar Hillman each saw shots hit the back of the net to further Austin’s lead. With just a few minutes remaining in regulation. Jack Bamback and Donovan Bradford lit the lamp just 16 seconds apart to cut the lead in half for El Paso. However, soon after, Thomas Forgrave would seal the deal for Austin with a late goal for good measure. Gorial Yaro stood tall in the crease, saving 26/28 in the win.
Bozeman 3 @ Gillette 6 - In the first period, Gillette’s Dylan Peterson scored with help from Hudson Fisher and Ryan Kirkman. Brady Johnson assisted by Riley Schmidt and Max Arlt increased the Wild’s lead. During the second period, Devin Bruns put Bozeman on the board with help from Spencer Wilkinson and Andrew Kaunas. Arlt increased the lead for the Wild with help from Johnson and Tai Kontrec. Kaunas scored a goal for the Icedogs assisted by Lex Steckelberg and Preston Wight. Steckelberg scored a goal assisted by Bruns and Wight. In the third period, Schmidt scored a goal for the Wild with an assist from Johnson. Kontrec scored with help from Schmidt. Johnson scored a goal with an assist from Schmidt. Brett DeVincent made 38 saves for the Bozeman Icedogs. Tate Cothern made 43 saves for the Gillette Wild.
Badlands 2 @ Helena 1 (SO) - The first period remained scoreless. In the second period, Dawson Wirth with help from Zach Vockler and Charlie Lorbiecki scored a goal for the Sabres. In the third period, Finn Theriault scored a goal for the Bighorns unassisted. No one scored in overtime. In the shootout, Dawson Wirth scored the game winning goal for the Sabres. Jackson Roethler made 36 saves for the Badlands Sabres and Malik Johnson made 32 saves for the Helana Bighorns.
Great Falls 3 @ Yellowstone 2 - In the first period, Owen Cronk scored for the Americans with help from Fisher Hannesson and Kale Witt. During the second period, Aiden Kennedy scored assisted by Ty O’Bey and Chase Hapka to increase the lead. O’Bey scored assisted by John Lang and Kennedy. In the third period, Jordan Murray scored with help from Sam Goulden and Wesley Amos putting the Quake on the board. Goulden scored a goal assisted by Tucker Sarkisian and Amos. Kale Witt made 14 saves for the Great Falls Americans and Chase Ebeyer made 70 saves for the Yellowstone Quake.
Butte 7 @ Sheridan 5 - During the first period, Josh Serino scored a goal for the Hawks assisted by Vincent Leaf and Logan Hume. Easton Langemo scored a goal for the Irish assisted by Weston Villers and Kazden Stineff. Zach Longneck added another goal for the Hawks with help from Hume and Vlad Zubriichuk. Stineff assisted by Langemo tied up the game for the Irish. In the second period, Langemo scored a goal assisted by Toby Kerr and Stineff. Serino with help from Leaf and Elijah White tied up the game. In the third period, Serino scored a goal getting the hat trick assisted by Daniel Ripstein and Daniel Shelden. Langemo scored an unassisted goal. Stineff scored with help from Kerr. Ernest Allen scored a goal for the Hawks assisted by Elijah Farris and Longnecker. Zachary Pilkinton scored a goal for Butte with help from Kerr. Bobby Anselmo added another goal for Butte with help from Villers. Ernest Allen with help from Elijah Farris and Longnecker scored a goal for the Hawks. Manny Pantow made 47 saves for the Butte Irish. John Simon made 27 saves and Jaxon Stiller made 4 saves for the Sheridan Hawks.
