Friday Finals: West Bend Wins Offensive Slugfest

Photos: Elyja Parker

Louisiana 11 @ Bayou State 0 - The Louisiana Drillers traveled to the Bayou to take on the Bayou State Rougarou. The Drillers look to extend their dominant season, and they start right with a goal five minutes in the game from Brody Neish, Emerson Lorache with the assist. Carter Gnau then scored to make it 2-0, Brady Warrington gets the assist. The scoring stayed hot as Dylan Crossley then scored being assisted by Cohen Palmer. Brayden Pelcl followed being assisted by Braden Bates and Brody Neish. The avalanche of goals would keep coming as Zachary Marsell would score back to back goals, Makhai Santiago, Dayton Ruppel, and Carter Tymchak each picking up an assist. In the final period Zachary Marsell would score again with an unassisted goal to get his hat trick. Just two minutes later Emerson Laroche would score, assisted by Dayton Ruppel. Brayden Pelcl would score his second of the game, Dylan Crossley with the assist. Then Emerson Lorache would get his second as well, Dayton Ruppel on the assist. With just three seconds left Dylan Crossley would get his second goal. The Drillers stay undefeated, beating the Rougarou 11-0.

Norwich 1 @ Buzz 4 - The Norwich Sea Captains traveled to Elmira to take on the Buzz. The scoring would early with a goal from Logan Niesen for the Sea Captains. The Buzz would answer with a goal before the end of the period, scored by Seamus Bihari. The Buzz would score the only goal in the second period, scored by Brady Ishu, assisted by Yaromir Chicherin. To open the final period the Buzz would score again, Yaromir Chicherin would score on the power play with the assist from Brady Ishu. To put the nail in the coffin, Seamus Bihari would score his second goal of the game with just five minutes left. Despite the Sea Captains scoring early, the Buzz answered with four consecutive goals and a big win to improve their record to 8-1. The Buzz beat the Sea Captains 4-1.

Atlanta 1 @ Texas R 13 - The Atlanta Capitals traveled west to Texas to take on the Roadrunners. The Roadrunners would follow suit of their name with how fast they started scoring. Less than two minutes into the game William Heskett scored for the Roadrunners, assisted by Jayden Hitt, and Jacob Brown. Soon after they would score again on the power play, Joseph Izzo gets the goal assisted by Lucas Dyer and Wyatt Mineheine. Lucas Dyer would then score one of his own. Follow by Wyatt Mineheine getting his own as well, assisted by William Heskett and Logan Diskey. Quickly after Kristopher Pope would put one in making the score 5-0. Finally the Capitals would answer with a power play goal from Riley Morton, Gavin Jones and Hatcher Horton with the assist. But before the end of the period Wyatt Mineheine would score again this time on a short handed goal, assisted by William Heskett. To start the second period Wyatt Mineheine would score again for the hat trick. Just 20 seconds later Michael Garrett would score for the Roadrunners, Alex McMillan with the assist. Kristopher Pope would then score his second of the game, Jayden Hitt and Nathan Pickett with the assist. William Heskett would also score again with an assist from Wyatt Mineheine. Wyatt Mineheine would then score again for his fourth of the game. Quinn Mayo would score an unassisted goal before the end of the second period. The only goal scored in the final period was scored by Lucas Dyer, Wyatt Mineheine and Joseph Izzo with the assist. The Roadrunners beat the Capitals 13-1.

Pelham 5 @ Carolina 4 (OT) - The Pelham Prowlers took a trip to take on the Carolina Rage. The Prowlers were on the prowl early scoring the opening goal of the game, Bryce Croyle scoring on the power play, being assisted by Hunter Yurcik. The Rage would answer with a goal from Will Adams, Colton Conlin getting the assist. To start the second period the Rage would score again just 50 seconds into the period. Anderson Cornwell with the unassisted, short handed goal. The Rage would score again with a goal from Tobin Tuzinsky on the power play, assisted by James Parnell. Soon after James Parnell would score a goal of his own. With the Rage on top 4-1 the Prowlers needed to do something, Marlon Derksen would start the comeback with a goal right before the end of the second period. He would then score again to start the final period to make it a one goal game. Bryce Croyle would score his second goal of the game which was also the equalizer. The score would remain the same until the end of regulation. In overtime, the man that started off the comeback, finished it with a game winning goal. Marlon Derksen finishes his hat trick, assisted by Lorenzo Pekarek and Jacob Harrison. The Prowlers complete the comeback defeating the Rage 5-4.

West Bend 7 @ Rochester 6 - A scoring frenzy went the way of the West Bend Power Friday night, who narrowly bested central division foe Rochester Grizzlies with a 7-6, offensive slugfest victory. The game saw 13 goals combined between the two teams, with three different lead changes and six combined goals in the second period alone. The teams kept their scoring touch in check early in the game. West Bend’s Jackson Hoem (third goal of the season) got his squad off and running with an unassisted goal just under eight minutes into the contest. Rochester’s Trenton Fore responded on the power play seven minutes later with his fourth of the year to send the teams to the locker room even at one goal apiece. When the puck dropped for the second period, all defense went out the window. Rochester’s Andrew Bastian’s third of the year and Brett Ludvigsen’s sixth of the year put the Grizzlies ahead 3-1 just under four minutes into the middle frame. After the Grizzlies offensive explosion, it was West Bend’s turn. The Power responded with four unanswered goals throughout the remaining 14 minutes of the period. Elias Holan’s third, Andrew Sparacino’s fourth (power play), Jace Fitzgerald’s 12th (power play) and Holan’s fourth (second of the game) goals of the season put a stamp on a wild second period and a 5-3 lead for West Bend. The teams continued going blow-for-blow into the third period. Ole Fevold’s fourth of the year finally stopped the bleeding for Rochester on the power play just six seconds into the period to get his team within a goal. West Bend answered just over two minutes later on Austin Westergaard’s fourth of the season. Rochester punched back with another power play goal three minutes after Westergaard’s goal, this time off the stick of Mason Decker for his 11th of the season. The Power had an answer just over four minutes after with a power play goal of their own off the stick of Evan Burchardt – his second of the year – to put West Bend ahead 7-5. Fore’s second of the game got Rochester back within a goal once again late, but West Bend held on to secure the 7-6 win.

Texas B 10 @ Tulsa 0 - The Texas Brahmas continued their undefeated streak with a commanding 10–0 victory over the Tulsa Oilers on Friday night at WeStreet Ice Center. Texas wasted no time taking control, netting four goals in the opening period. Benjamin Humphreys, assisted by Jason Fatta and Charlie Wilson, opened the scoring, followed by tallies from Taylor Lewis assisted by Kayden Jones and Colin Keough, Xavier Othon assisted by Joshua Reaska and Jayani Benson, and Tyler Conrad assisted by Taylor Lewis and Elias Schutt. Texas’ relentless offense kept Tulsa on their heels early, outshooting them 15–9 in the first frame. In the second period, Texas added two more to their total. Nicholas Catalano assisted by Elias Schutt and John Scharf extended the lead midway through the frame, and John Scharf assisted by Aleksandrs Jelisejevs and Kayden Jones capitalized minutes later to make it 6–0 heading into the third. Texas kept the momentum rolling in the final period, lighting the lamp four more times. Conrad notched his third goal of the night to complete the hat trick, while Elias Schutt, Joshua Reaska, and Aleksandrs Jelisejevs each added one. Schutt stood out with a goal and three assists, and Lewis also recorded three points. Goaltending and defensive play were sharp all night, holding Tulsa to 22 shots and keeping them off the scoresheet entirely.

New Jersey 5 @ Maine 1 - The New Jersey Titans would take a short trip up north to take on the Maine Nordiques. The Titans would score the opening and only goal of the first period with a goal from Joshua Ehrhardt, Nicholas Carey with the assist. In the second period Yosef Pievsky would score back to back goals, Nicholas Carey assisting on the first and Jackson Dougherty assisting on both. The Nordiques would then get on the board with a goal from Brody Emond, Jaxson Sardinha and Griffin Hardwick get the assist. To start the final period, Yosef Pievsky would finish his hat trick with a goal assisted by Jackson Dougherty. To finish off their win, Jackson Dougherty would score a goal of his own with 46 seconds remaining in the game. The New Jersey Titans pick up their second win of the season with a 5-1 win over the Maine Nordiques.

Mason City 7 @ Minnesota W 6 - The Mason City Toros pulled off a thrilling comeback Friday night, defeating the Minnesota Wilderness 7-6 at the Hippodrome. Minnesota came out firing with three first-period goals from Levi Flatley and Ethan Jacobson, who scored twice. Mason City stayed within reach thanks to tallies from Mason Buchanan and T.J. Gibson, keeping it a one-goal game after the opening frame. Minnesota extended their lead early in the second when Tommy Perkins capitalized on the power play to make it 4-2. The third period started with Mason City scoring five goals in a furious comeback effort. Christian Plaga scored twice, including one just 24 seconds apart—and Stone Resch added a pair of his own. Gibson found the back of the net again midway through the frame, while strong setups from Weston Bohlman, Mason Buchanan, and Jason Williams fueled the surge. Despite late power-play goals from Minnesota’s Kelin Elsner and Neil Elsmore, Mason City held strong to secure the 7–6 win.

Minnesota M 5 @ Willmar 3 - The Minnesota Moose continued its winning ways Friday night, taking down fellow west division rival Willmar Warhawks by a final score of 5-3. The victory was Minnesota's third in a row and fourth in its last five contests. With the loss, Willmar’s losing streak hit four-straight contests and sixth in its first seven games. Minnesota got the scoring started on the power play thanks to Will Burnevik’s second tally of the season early in the opening frame. The Warhawks responded with a goal of their own just three minutes later off the stick of Carson Wendorff, whose tally was his first of the year. Brady Johnson put the Moose back on top late in the period with his second goal of the season to give his team the lead heading to intermission. The game was all Minnesota out of the break. Mark Denoyer’s third goal of the year doubled the Moose lead just over five minutes into the middle frame. Denoyer’s goal stood as the only offense from either side in the period. Early in the final period, Denoyer put a stamp on the game with his fourth goal of the season and second of the night – which ended as the game-winning goal. Charlie Marchand added extra insurance for Minnesota just before the halfway mark of the third period. Willmar pushed back late with goals from Toby Holtz and Gabe Adams, but it was too late as Minnesota cruised to a 5-3 win.

Peoria 2 @ Wausau 6 - The Wausau Cyclones powered past the Peoria Mustangs on Friday night, earning a 6–2 win at Marathon Park. Wausau jumped out to a commanding first-period lead with goals from Brady Knutsen, Lucas Mankoff, and Brandon Piwko, while Peoria’s Skyler Tompkins tallied midway through the frame. In the second period, Owen Gruden cut Wausau’s lead to 3–2 for Peoria, assisted by Brendon Miller and Nathan Pleva. However, Wausau answered quickly with back-to-back goals, Jackson Maddock from Jackson Schroeder and Joel Anderson, followed by Maksim Salienko from Mario Savino, to take a 5–2 advantage. Wausau sealed the win in the third when Eiji Hofmann buried his fourth of the season, assisted by Salienko and Knutsen. Wausau outshot Peoria 39–26 and kept Peoria scoreless on three power-play opportunities. Both teams went without a special-teams goal, with Peoria finishing 0-for-3 and Wausau 0-for-1.

St. Louis 7 @ Wisconsin 2 - It was a goal-scoring party for the St. Louis Jr. Blues Friday night, as they cruised to their central-division best 10th win in a 7-2 smashing of the Wisconsin Woodsmen. The win was St. Louis’ fourth-straight against the Woodsmen and seventh-straight win overall. The game started even, as the teams traded goals early. Jr. Blues’ Mitchell Nappier’s third of the season and Wisconsin’s Ethan Foiles’ second of the year had the teams deadlocked at 1-1 early. The teams again traded goals late in the period, this time thanks to St. Louis’ Nicholas Morgan’s sixth of the season and Wisconsin’s Nolan Mix’s fifth of the campaign. The teams went to intermission knotted at 2-2. St. Louis took the game over in the second period. Chase Kozma’s fourth of the season put St. Louis in front permanently. A short-handed goal from Joseph Lopiccolo – his second of the season – put the Jr. Blues up by a pair heading to the final frame. The third period saw more lamp-lighting for the Jr. Blues. Jace Jordan’s eighth goal of the year just over three minutes in gave his squad a 5-2 lead and took the wind out of Wisconsin’s comeback-effort sails. After Jordan’s dagger, Jack Reuss and Lopiccolo each found the twine again to put a stamp on the dominant win for the Jr. Blues.

Alexandria 2 @ Granite City 3 - The Granite City Lumberjacks remained perfect Friday night, taking down west division foe Alexandria Blizzard in a tightly-contested clash by a final score of 3-2. The Lumberjacks pushed their season-opening winning streak to eight in a row to maintain a perfect 8-0-0 record. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Blizzard. Alexandria started hot by grabbing the early lead on the power play off the stick of Grady Stallman. The goal was Stallman’s 11th of the season and was the only offensive breakthrough for either side in the opening 20 minutes. Granite City found its game just over six minutes into the second period when Jackson Dhein chalked up his first goal of the season to knot the game at 1-1. Just 1:09 after Dhein’s goal, Eli Tiernan gave Granite City the lead with his fourth goal of the season. The quick offensive outburst from the Lumberjacks held as the only offense of the period heading to the third period. Alexandria desperately looked for the equalizer and found it by way of Caleb Walker’s seventh tally of the season just over halfway through the final frame. The teams battled to find the edge through the remaining nine minutes, and the hero emerged on the side of Granite City with just over two minutes remaining. Jake Kusch beat Alexandria goaltender Jayden Serene for the game-winning goal to preserve his team’s eight-game winning streak. The game-winning tally from Kusch was his first of the season.

Austin 2 @ El Paso 6 - The 9-6 Austin Ice Bats went on the road to take on the winless El Paso Rhinos. The scoring would open early with a goal from Carter Tuplin for the Rhinos on the power play, Carter Lehmann and Kenneth Cadwallader picking up the assist. Just 3 minutes later the Rhinos would score again with a goal from Huero Rivera, Nick Nunez with the assist. Less than 30 seconds later the Ice Bats would get on the board with a goal from Arys Perardi, Jake Bamback with the assist. With just 30 seconds left in the opening period, Donovan Bradford would score for the Rhinos to give them a 3-1 lead. The Rhinos would score again to open the second period, Aldiyar Irik scoring, assisted by Mikhail Leveniuk. The Ice Bats would answer with Matthieu Leblanc scoring an unassisted goal. The Rhinos would answer back on the power play, Mikhail Levaniuk scoring, assisted by Parker Brinner and Akira Shimamoto. In the final period Benjamin would score on the power play to finish off the win for the Rhinos. The Rhinos upset the Ice Bats picking up their first win of the season 6-2.

Bozeman 2 @ Gillette 4 - The Gillette Wild skated to a 4–2 victory over the Bozeman Icedogs on Friday night at Spirit Arena, powered by a hat trick from forward Max Arlt. Gillette wasted no time getting on the board, with Beau Delich striking just 19 seconds into the game off assists from Dominic Arndt and Dylan Peterson. In the second period, Lex Steckelberg tied things up for Bozeman, assisted by Andrew Kaunas and Devin Bruns, but Gillette quickly responded less than a minute later as Max Arlt buried his first of the season from Riley Schmidt and Caleb Johannes to regain the lead. Gillette extended their advantage in the third. Sam Trufant pulled Bozeman within one midway through the period, assisted by Reid Wilkinson and Avery Martin, but Arlt completed his hat trick with two more goals—his second assisted by Olli Niemela and Schmidt, and his third set up by Schmidt and Brayden Waters—to seal the 4–2 win. Gillette goaltending held firm despite Bozeman outshooting them 37–35. Neither team capitalized on the power play.

Great Falls 6 @ Badlands 2 - The Great Falls Americans controlled the game from start to finish Friday night, earning a 6–2 road win over the Badlands Sabres at Roosevelt Park Ice Arena. Cooper Clouse opened the scoring less than a minute in, burying one from Ethan Miller and Gavin Denis. Tallon Caron added another midway through the frame, assisted by Jaxen Savage and Bryce Webb. Badlands’ Everett Horrocks cut the deficit late in the period, but Great Falls took a 2–1 lead into the intermission. In the second, Clouse struck again for his second of the night with helpers from Gordon Jennings and Miller. Badlands answered with a goal from Dayton Niedert, but Great Falls regained control before the buzzer when Ethan Miller found the back of the net, his first of the season, off passes from Jennings and Webb. Great Falls closed things out in the third with back-to-back goals from Miller, who completed his hat trick on assists from Clouse and Denis. Great Falls outshot Badlands 39–32 and went 0-for-2 on the power play. Clouse finished with two goals and two assists, while Miller tallied three goals and two helpers in a standout five-point performance.

Helena 1 @ Sheridan 6 - A second-period explosion was all the Sheridan Hawks needed Friday night, as they took down fellow frontier division heavyweight Helena Bighorns with a dominant 6-1 win. The win got Sheridan up to 10 wins, good for 21 points and first place in the frontier division and four points ahead of Helena, who sit in second place with 17 points. The teams took 20 minutes to feel out the pulse of the game, not conceding any offense in the opening frame. Sheridan came flying out of the intermission, tallying a seismic five goals in the middle frame, two goals apiece from Elijah Farris – his sixth and seventh of the season, and Vincent Leaf – his 14th and 15th of the campaign. Deagan Watson joined in on the Hawks’ goal-scoring fun with his fourth of the season late in the second period to send his squad to the second intermission up by a staggering 5-0 score. Helena finally had an answer to Sheridan’s offensive outburst on the power play just under three minutes into the final frame. Austin Tyler’s fourth of the year made the score 5-1 with 17:20 to go. Tyler's goal was too little, too late for Helena. Sheridan’s Dante Hunziker’s 11th of the year put any whispers of a comeback to bed with 9:29 remaining in the game. Sheridan goaltender TJ Wonnacott turned away the remaining Helena attack to seal the 6-1 win for the Hawks.Wonnacott finished with 30 saves on 31 shots faced.

Yellowstone 8 @ Butte 3 - The Yellowstone Quake dominated offensively on Friday night, scoring five third-period goals to secure an 8–3 victory over the Butte Irish at Butte Community Ice Center. Yellowstone got on the board early when Carson Joersz netted his first of the season, followed by a goal from Tucker Sarkisian assisted by Cameron Beaver to make it 2–1 after the first period. Butte’s Easton Langemo provided Butte’s lone goal of the frame. In the second period, London Jett extended Yellowstone’s lead to 3–1 with help from Sarkisian. The third period was all Yellowstone, as Yellowstone erupted for five goals. Shayne Smith scored twice, while Sarkisian added his second of the night. Grady Perry buried a power-play tally midway through the frame, and Carson Joersz and Tagen Stout each chipped in assists. Butte added two late goals, Keegan Adams from Loghan Weber, and another from Langemo assisted by Adams, but it wasn’t enough to slow Yellowstone's momentum. Yellowstone finished 1-for-6 on the power play, while Butte went 0-for-3. Despite being outshot 42–36, Yellowstone controlled the pace and outscored Butte 5–2 in the final period.