Day 1 Down at the NA3HL Showcase

Wisconsin 13 @ Pelham 0 -The Woodsmen and Prowlers would face off at NSC Rink 6 in their first matchups for the Showcase. Wisconsin would waste no time taking control of the game in the first period with 4 goals being scored. Tegan O’Brien would score the first goal of the 13:38 mark and the Woodsmen would not look back. Maxim Lazo would add another goal on the power-play just two minutes later and Josh Kauppinen and Parker Holloway would each add another before the end of the first. Wisconsin would hold onto the 4-0 lead going into the 2nd period. The Woodsmen would start right where they left off with under a minute into the period, Patrick Bowser added another goal for Wisconsin. At the 11:17 mark Lazo would add his 2nd of the game to bring the score to 6-0. Wisconsin would add 3 more goals from Ty Paulios, Tyler Osborne and Preston Flood bringing the game to 9-0 and giving the Prowlers a long road back to get into the game. The Woodsmen would not even give the Prowlers a chance to catch their footing in the 3rd with O’Brien adding another tally just 2 minutes into the period. Alexander Elsner would score for the Woodsmen at the 16:35 mark as well. Parker Holloway would score his 1st of the game bringing the score to 12-0. Brandon Slasor would be the last goal scorer of the game on the powerplay for the Woodsmen bringing the game to 13-0 and giving Wisconsin the dominating Win to start out the Showcase. Prowlers goaltender Oscar Gribauval faced 53 shots and made 40 saves in the game. Alex Rivolta of the Woodsmen would only face 6 shots and turn away all the chances earning himself the Shut-out.

Tulsa 4 @ Maine 5 - The Tulsa Oilers and Maine Nordiques squared off for an exciting high- scoring game to start out the Showcase for both teams. Both teams started off the game slow with both goalies making great saves to get their teams into the flow of the game. Luke Yahola would score the lone goal in the first for the Oilers at the 8:57 mark and give them the 1-0 lead heading into intermission. The Oilers would dominate the 2nd period scoring 3 unanswered goals and giving them a 4-0 lead headed into the 3rd period. The goals would be scored by Ty Brander, Chase Boswell, and Stone Baulch. Jack Salverson would turn away all 36 shots he faced in the first two periods and look to help his team earn the victory. The 3rd began with the Nordiques attempting to get on the board but to no avail. Jaxon Sardinha would break through at the 8:02 mark giving Maine their first goal of the game to bring the score to 4-1. With just 3 minutes left in the game, Maine looked like they would run out of time before they could come back but Gavin Gleghorn would cut the lead in half at the 2:31 mark. Just under 30 seconds later, Brody Emond would score his 14th of the season and bring the Nordiques within 1. Gleghorn would add his 2nd of the game as well as tying the game with just 1:21 remaining, in a game that Maine looked like they were out of. In an interesting turn of events with just 3 seconds remaining in the game, Jaxson Sardinha would score the game winning goal to give Maine their 3rd period comeback win and a statement to begin the Showcase.

Texas (B) 4 @ West Bend 5(OT) - Two powerhouses of their prospective divisions faced off first in the Blaine Showcase with just 1 point separating the two teams in overall standings for the league. The Power would waste no time taking the early lead just 5 minutes into the game with Adam Sexton scoring an even-strength goal assisted by Jace Fitzgerald. Towards the end of the first, the Brahmas would be awarded a powerplay and capitalize on it with Patrick Garvey scoring the equalizer bringing the game to 1-1 going into the 1st intermission. The Brahmas would take an early penalty in the 2nd, but still were able to score a short-handed goal by Peyton Deperno. Jayani Benson of the Brahmas would add another tally at the 4:06 mark to give Texas the 3-1 lead going into the 3rd period. The Brahmas looked like they were running away with the game with James Ingle scoring at the 14:41 mark to give the Brahmas a commanding 4-1 lead. The Power would begin their comeback at the 8:51 mark with Danny Jurcich scoring an unassisted tally. West Bend would go on to score 2 more goals just minutes apart with Jackson Hoem scoring the 3rd goal and Blake Kohnen scoring the tying goal to bring the game to 4-4. Going into OT both teams would only allow 1 shot but Jace Fitzgerald of the West Bend Power would be the difference maker scoring his 2nd of the game and giving the Power the Win in a dramatic comeback to start the Showcase. The Brahmas are back in action tomorrow looking to bounce back against Granite City and the Drillers on Tuesday. West Bend will take on Helena Bighorns and Granite City as well.

Mason City 3 @ New Mexico 5 - The Toros and Ice Wolves were excited to start the 2025 NA3HL Showcase in Blaine Minnesota at the NSC Super Rink. In the next three days, 38 teams will play a total of 57 games. These two teams faced off for the first time this season with the Toros being from the West Division and the Ice Wolves from the South. The 1st period would start with both teams feeling each other out waiting for the first bounce. Mason City would be the first on the board with Christian Plaga scoring at the 7:33 mark assisted by Kellen Kantaris. The first would end in a score 1-0 with the Ice Wolves still looking for their footing in the game. Jacob Wenner would waste no time for the Ice Wolves scoring just 3 minutes into the period. The Wolves would add two more goals in the period with Christopher Mason and Ryan Hoogsteen scoring. The Ice Wolves would dominate the period with 17 shots to the Toros 3. Heading into the 2nd intermission, The Ice Wolves would lead 3-1 and look to hold onto the lead. The 3rd period would start out slow with both teams having chances back and forth. Mason City would take a penalty and Hoogsteen would add his 2nd of the game for the Ice Wolves on the power-play. Less than a minute later, Luke Gustafson would score a shorthanded goal for the Toros cutting down the lead to 4-2. The Toros wouldn’t be done there as Grant Harder would add another short-handed tally bringing the game to 4-3. With under 5 minutes left the Toros battled hard to tie the game at 4 but Tanner Ross would score the empty net with 13 seconds remaining in the game. The Ice Wolves would take down the Toros 5-3 in the first game of the showcase. New Mexico will take on the St, Louis Jr. Blues and the Long Beach Sharks. Mason City takes on The Buzz and Great Falls Americans.

Alexandria 2 @ Badlands 1(SO) - The Alexandria Blizzard and Badlands Sabres squared off in the NA3HL Showcase in Blaine MN. Both teams are in the middle of the standings of their prospective divisions. The game would start out very slow with both teams feeling each other out to see who would give up the first chance. The 1st period would end with no goals from either side and both goalies turning away all 6 shots they each faced. The 2nd period started with both teams trading penalties and each team having plenty of opportunity on the power-play but with no success. As the 2nd period ended the game was still tied at 0-0 and both goalies were playing great games. The Sabres would start the scoring off in the 3rd with Rhylan Olson scoring his 11th of the season and giving Badlands the early lead. Just 5 minutes later, Quinten Friborg of the Blizzard would tie the game at 1. The Sabres would have two opportunities with the man- advantage but fail to capitalize and send the game into OT tied 1-1. Alexandria would control the OT period with 8 shots, but Jackson Roethler would turn away all chances for the Blizzard, sending the game into a shoot-out. Grady Stallman would go first for the Blizzard and capitalize with a beautiful move scoring five-hole. The next 5 shooters for both teams would fail to score, giving the Blizzard the 2-1 win starting off the Showcase on the right foot.

Wausau 6 @ Buzz 0 - The Cyclones had a 6-0 shutout win over Buzz. Wausau broke the ice late in the first period on a power-play goal from Davis Polifka and doubled the lead in the final minute to take a 2-0 advantage into the break. The Cyclones continued to control play in the second, as Joel Anderson scored twice to stretch the lead to four. Wausau never let up in the third, adding goals from Eiji Hofmann and Zachary Pagel to close out the convincing victory.

Gillette 4 @ Minnesota (W) 6 - Minnesota earned a 6-4 win over Gillette in a fast-paced, back-and-forth matchup. The Wilderness leaped out early on a goal from Levi Flatley, but Gillette responded quickly with a goal from Donovan Balek to keep things close. Minnesota closed the first period strong, scoring twice to build a 3-1 lead. Gillette pushed back in the second with goals from Riley Schmidt and Tyler Starich, cutting the deficit to one. In the third, Minnesota regained momentum with two goals to pull away and secure the win despite a late push from the Wild. 

El Paso 7 @ Carolina 3 - El Paso dominated with a 7-3 win over Carolina. The Rhinos struck early with first-period goals from Aldiyar Irik and Kenneth Cadwallader before Carolina answered on the power play. El Paso took control in the second period, scoring twice to extend the lead to 4-1. Carolina found the net twice in the third to stay within reach, but El Paso responded with three goals of its own, including a late tally from Levi Flatley, to put the game away.

New Hampshire 1 @ Granite City 3 - Granite City dominated the game with a commanding 7-1 win over New Hampshire. The Lumberjacks wasted no time, scoring four times in the first period to take control early. Mason Ray led the charge with multiple goals, while Ty Smith and Micah Saxon also found the net. New Hampshire got on the board in the second, but Granite City answered quickly and continued to dictate play. The Lumberjacks added another goal in the third to cap the dominant performance.

Sheridan 4 @ Louisiana 6 - Louisiana rallied for a 6-4 win over Sheridan on Saturday night. The Hawks struck first on a goal from Max Krueger, but the Drillers answered with power-play goals from Dayton Ruppel and Carter Gnau. Krueger scored again later in the period, and Dante Hunziker added a shorthanded goal to give Sheridan a 3-2 lead after one. The teams traded special-teams goals in the second, with Vincent Leaf scoring for Sheridan before Isaac Erickson responded shorthanded and Skyler Tompkins tied the game. Louisiana pulled away early in the third on a goal from Brody Neish and sealed the win with an empty-net goal from Gnau in the final minute.

New Jersey 0 @ Willmar 9 - The Willmar WarHawks earned their first win of the 2025 NA3HL Showcase against the New Jersey Titans. The WarHawks dominated play by outshooting the Titans 58-30 and scoring nine goals. Mikko Brown scored the lone goal of the first period. Mason Wanka opened the scoring in the second, followed by a power-play goal from Carson Wendorff and another tally from Max Jackson to close the second. Logan Woods scored early in the third, Aidan Callaghan added a power-play goal after already recording two assists earlier this game. Dylan Mees scored next before Woods finished off the game with two more goals to complete a hat trick. Sam Moen was in net for the WarHawks, playing a strong game, making 30 saves to earn his first shutout of the season. 

Butte 2 @ Peoria 5 - The Peoria Mustangs took on the Butte Irish on Sunday. While both teams generated a nearly even number of scoring chances, it was Peoria’s defensive effort that earned them their first win of the showcase. Butte's Caiden O'Hara got on the board late in the first before Owen Gruden and Brendon Miller answered back to give the Mustangs a 2-1 lead. Quinn Winkelman scored in the second to extend Peoria's lead. Andrew James added Butte's final goal of the game on a power play to close the second. Gruden scored his second of the match early in the third, and Wyatt Duke capped off scoring to make it 5-2. Albert Ancinec faced 29 shots from the Irish to secure the win for the Mustangs.

Yellowstone 6 @ Atlanta 0 - The Yellowstone Quake earned their first win of the showcase against the Atlanta Capitals. The Capitals gave Yellowstone seven power play opportunities, and the Quake scored on two. Yellowstone’s first goal of the game came from Nolan Winkler late in the first on the power play. Carson Joersz scored with seven seconds left in the middle frame to make it 2-0. Shayne Smith added a short-handed goal in the third period, followed by London Jett with Yellowstone's second power-play goal of the night. Cameron Beaver and Joersz each scored in the final minute to seal the win. Damen Baxter made 17 saves in net to shut out the Capitals.

Helena 2 @ Minnesota 3 - Despite generating plenty of offensive chances, the Helena Bighorns fell to the Minnesota Moose on Sunday. Minnesota has played well and entered this match on a four-game winning streak streak. Carsen Gause scored first for the Moose before Cameron Kimmerly answered on the power play for Helena. Luca Salak added a power-play of his own for Minnesota to close the first. Mitchell Gawel extended Minnesota's lead in the middle frame before Joe Viox scored the final goal of the game for the Bighorns. Gabe Otis was in net for Minnesota, making 43 saves to secure their 3-2 win.

Long Beach 1 @ St. Louis 4 -  The St. Louis Jr. Blues controlled offense and outshot the Long Beach Sharks 41-11 to earn the win. After a quiet first period, St. Louis got on the board first with a goal from Jack Reuss early in the second. Jace Jordan and Rece Sanderson added two more for St. Louis before Sean Bailey, assisted by Jack Baker, scored one for Long Beach to finish off the period. Jordan scored again with only 42 seconds left in the third to seal the win for St. Louis. 

Bozeman 9 @ Norwich 2 - The Bozeman Icedogs dominated the Norwich Sea Captains with a resounding 9-2 victory at NSC Rink 5. The action-packed game saw the Icedogs assert their superiority early on, with Baron Masopust opening the scoring at 13:42 of the first period, assisted by Andrew Kaunas. Just 16 seconds later, Houston Friesen of the Sea Captains responded with a goal at 13:58, but Bozeman's Devin Bruns and Lex Steckelberg each found the net, putting the Icedogs ahead 3-1 by the end of the first. In the second period, a swift shorthanded goal from Matthew Pavlik at 00:08 gave Norwich hope, but Avery Martin and Masopust's second goal extended Bozeman's lead to 5-2. The third period was a Bozeman blitz, with goals from Steckelberg, Bruns, Martin, and Daniel Heath sealing the win. Lex Steckelberg was a standout with two goals, while Andrew Kaunas contributed three assists. Goaltender Jack Ryan made 10 saves for Bozeman, while Peter Alfano faced a barrage of 32 shots, saving 23. Despite Norwich's attempts, including six shots in the first period, Bozeman's defense held firm. Bozeman’s win streak continues, while Norwich faces their fifth consecutive loss.

Texas (R) 1 @ Rochester 12 - In a spectacular display of firepower, the Rochester Grizzlies dominated the Texas RoadRunners with a resounding 12-1 victory at NSC Rink 1. The Grizzlies opened the scoring at 17:58 of the first period when Cooper Johnson, assisted by Trenton Fore and Konnor Goclan, found the back of the net. Just over 10 minutes later, Trenton Fore added to the tally with a power-play goal at 07:35, thanks to assists from Felix Wadstromer and Brett Ludvigsen. Ole Fevold made it 3-0 at 05:58 of the first, with assists from Fore and Mason Decker. The Grizzlies continued their onslaught with Baylor Stebbins scoring at 04:05, followed by Brett Ludvigsen's goal at 00:56, ending the first period with a 5-0 lead. Into the second period, Goclan scored twice, at 17:29 and 14:22, sandwiching another goal by Fevold at 14:40. Alex Arneson added a goal at 04:09, bringing the second period score to 10-0. Stebbins once again lit the lamp at 10:37 of the third, with Tevin Stukel sealing the Grizzlies' domination at 09:39. The RoadRunners' lone goal came at 11:48 of the third from Lucas Dyer, assisted by Joseph Izzo. Grizzlies' goalie Cameron Patrick was rock solid, saving 19 of 20 shots. The Grizzlies outshot the RoadRunners 62-20, demonstrating their offensive prowess. Notably, Goclan and Stebbins stood out, each with multiple goals. The Grizzlies capitalized on their only power play opportunity, and the RoadRunners struggled with penalties, including Vincent Campbell's interference minor. This victory marks a significant win for the Rochester Grizzlies, who continue their season with momentum.

Bayou State 5 @ West Texas 4 (OT) - In a thrilling matchup at NSC Rink 6, the Bayou State Rougarou edged out the West Texas Wranglers with a nail-biting 5-4 overtime victory. The game kicked off with Ethan Tierman of the Rougarou netting the opening goal at 18:43 of the first period, assisted by Denis Portnoy. Just under six minutes later, Kamdyn Smith extended their lead to 2-0. The Wranglers retaliated with William Andegren scoring at 14:12 of the first period, assisted by Caelen Cross, narrowing the gap to 2-1. The second period saw a flurry of activity, starting with Tierman scoring yet again at 19:31, followed by Zachary Polkes tying the game for the Wranglers at 15:39. The final push saw Gavin Brown of the Wranglers capitalize on a power play at 5:50 of the second. In the third, Nathan Zane put the Wranglers ahead, but Denis Portnoy equalized with a power-play goal at 18:24. Portnoy also scored the game-winner in overtime at 1:57. Standout performances include Portnoy’s two-goal game and goalie Jared Lang’s commendable 53 saves on 57 shots for the Rougarou. The Wranglers' Kole Kite faced 36 shots, saving 31. With power plays a key factor, Bayou State capitalized twice from three opportunities, marking a significant turning point in this hard-fought contest.

Austin 3 @ Great Falls 4 - In a thrilling contest at NSC Rink 4, the Great Falls Americans edged out the Austin Ice Bats with a 4-3 victory. The action-packed game kept fans on the edge of their seats, though oddly, none were present as attendance was noted at zero. The opening goal came at 19:44 of the first period when Riley Hattan, assisted by Reid Lezubski, found the back of the net for the Americans. The Ice Bats responded with two goals in the first period; Arys Perardi scored at 5:07, followed by Dylan Jimenez at 14:22, both leaving Kaden Rhyder scrambling in the crease. Ethan Miller equalized for Great Falls at 19:18 of the second period, thanks to Gordon Jennings' assist. In the third period, Jase Troyer put the Americans ahead with a goal at 6:35, assisted by Jaxen Savage. Austin's Owen Rattray scored a power-play goal at 17:30, leveling the scoreline once more. But the drama peaked with just a second left on the clock when Tallon Caron, assisted by Cooper Clouse, scored a stunning short-handed game-winner. Goaltender Kaden Rhyder stood tall with 22 saves out of 25 shots, while Collin Rosenau faced 28 shots, saving 24. Despite power-play opportunities, the Ice Bats capitalized only once, while the Americans didn't convert any of their chances. The Americans' victory marks a promising start to the tournament.