Final Horn: NA3HL Showcase Comes to a Close

New Jersey 5 @ Bayou State 2 - The New Jersey Titans earned their first win of the showcase against the Bayou State Rougarou. Mikhail Mishin scored first for New Jersey before Trevor Gaul added another while short-handed. Denis Portnoy responded with a power-play goal for Bayou State. The Titans added two more in the second from Yosef Pievsky and Tanner Conant. Bayou State's Kamdyn Smith scored in the second half of the third before Miles Lara added a final for New Jersey, his first of the showcase and second of the season. New Jersey goaltender Syed Nad-e-Ali earned his second win of the season, making 23 saves to secure the 5-2 victory for the Titans.

Pelham 1 @ El Paso 6 - The El Paso Rhinos rebounded from an overtime loss the previous day with a 6-1 win over the Pelham Prowlers to earn their second victory of the showcase. El Paso demonstrated a strong offensive performance, outshooting Pelham 58-24. The Prowlers struck first with Matthew Hunter capitalizing on a power play late in the first. Kenneth Cadwallader answered back for El Paso, netting his third of the showcase. Parker Brinner added a goal for the Rhinos before Carter Lehmann scored on a feed from Carter Tuplin and Cadwallader. Lehmann added another, off the stick of Cadwallader, on the power play to give the Rhinos a 4-1 lead entering the third period. Benjamin Green opened the third period for El Paso, Tuplin added another shortly after to seal the win.

West Texas 3 @ Norwich 2 - The West Texas Wranglers earned their first win of the showcase against the Norwich Sea Captains on Tuesday. It was a tight match, the Sea Captains outshot the Wranglers 27-25 but it was a second period goal that would put the Wranglers on top. Norwich capitalized on special teams, scoring on both of their power-play opportunities. Wranglers' forward Gavin Brown got started early before Logan Niesen answered back for the Sea Captains. Caelen Cross then scored for West Texas before Norwich’s Matthew Pavlik answered back again, leaving these teams tied at the end of the first. Nathan Zane scored the game winner for West Texas with just 23 seconds left in the middle frame. Garret Lant was in net for the Wranglers, making 25 saves to earn the win.

New Hampshire 2 @ Badlands Sabres 10 - The Badlands Sabres earned their first win of the showcase against the New Hampshire Jr. Mountain Kings, who were coming off a win of their own the day before. The Sabres built an early lead by scoring five times on nine shots in the opening period. The first goal came from Dayton Niedert early in the period, followed by another from Matthew Cordis. Maddox Harn and Nicklas Bacskai scored next and Justin Reams capped off the first with a power-play goal. New Hampshire responded early in the second with a goal from Kyle Bouvier. Badlands answered quickly though, Niedert and Reams each scored their second goals of the game. Anthony Ayala scored New Hampshire's other goal of the night on the power play, assisted by Bouvier and Noah Levesque. The Sabres continued to extend their lead, Sawyer Vann scored before Reams added his third of the night with a power-play goal late in the middle. Rhylan Olson scored the final goal of the match for Badlands, sealing the 10-2 victory. 

Austin 7 @ Texas 2 - The Austin Ice Bats faced off with the Texas RoadRunners on Tuesday, skating away with their first win of the showcase. Austin controlled play from the opening faceoff, outshooting Texas 59-24. Guhnar Hillman got Austin on the board in the first minute of play. Austin extended the lead with two short-handed goals from Beau Keller and Jared Breunig. Mason Manderfield scored early in the second period on the power play, and Keller added his second goal of the game shortly after. Joseph Izzo scored the RoadRunners' first of the game with 12 minutes remaining in the second. Lucas Dyer added another for the RoadRunners, earning his sixth of the showcase. Jake Bamback and Liam Cardona added further insurance for Austin to finish off the game. Despite the loss, Colby Lee made 52 saves for Texas. Michael Lane was in goal for Austin, stopping 22 shots to secure the win. 

Louisiana 3 @ Texas B 2 -  The Louisiana Drillers looked to bounce back after suffering their first loss of the season, entering the matchup after an impressive 25–0 start, as they took on the Texas Brahmas in a tightly contested game. Louisiana got off to a strong start in the opening period when Carter Gnau found the back of the net, giving the Drillers a 1–0 lead and restoring confidence early. In the second period, Louisiana continued to control the tempo and capitalized on a power-play opportunity. Skyler Tompkins scored on the man advantage to extend the Drillers’ lead to 2–0 heading into the third period, putting Texas in a must-respond situation. The Brahmas answered in the final frame, as Alex Morris cut the deficit in half to make it a one-goal game. Louisiana responded quickly, regaining a two-goal cushion when Draydin Johnson scored to give the Drillers a 3–1 advantage. Texas refused to go away, however, and with the clock winding down Tyler Conrad scored with just 12 seconds remaining to pull the Brahmas within one. Despite the late push, the Drillers held on in the closing moments, and the final buzzer sounded with Louisiana earning a 3–2 victory as they continued their strong season following their first setback.

Atlanta 3 @ Tulsa 6 - The Atlanta Capitals and Tulsa Oilers met in a fast-paced matchup that featured plenty of special-teams scoring, with Tulsa pulling away in the later stages to secure the win. Tulsa opened the scoring in the first period when John Scown found the back of the net to give the Oilers an early 1–0 lead. Atlanta answered quickly, as Maddox Woulfin evened the game, followed by a momentum-swinging shorthanded goal from Isaiah Ronson that put the Capitals briefly ahead. Tulsa responded on the power play, with Charles Scott tying the game before Kiernan Gray capitalized on another man-advantage opportunity to give the Oilers a 3–2 lead by the end of the opening period. The special-teams battle continued into the second period, as Maddox Woulfin scored his second goal of the night on the power play to knot the game at 3–3. Tulsa regained the lead later in the frame when Chase Boswell converted on the power play, sending the Oilers into the third period up 4–3. In the final period, Tulsa took control and shut the door on any Atlanta comeback. Rodion Dubrovin extended the lead early, and Luke Yahola added an insurance goal to seal the victory. The Oilers’ disciplined third period and timely finishing proved to be the difference. The final horn sounded with Tulsa earning a 6–3 victory over the Atlanta Capitals.

Buzz 11 @ Carolina 5 - The Buzz and Carolina Rage met in a high-energy matchup that featured relentless offense and a flurry of special-teams goals, with the Buzz pulling away for a convincing victory. The scoring opened in the first period when Andrew Jazwin netted a shorthanded goal to give the Buzz an early spark. Chris Lane and Tannan Nenninger followed with goals of their own as the Buzz surged ahead. Carolina answered back with a goal from Roman Brown, but the Buzz closed the period strong when Brady Ishu found the back of the net, sending the game into the first intermission with the Buzz firmly in control. The Buzz kept their foot on the gas in the second period. Jaylen Nurse extended the lead before Andrew Jazwin struck again for his second of the night. Theo Fritz added a power-play goal, while Carolina tried to keep pace with tallies from Rocco Watson and Reece Beckwith. Any momentum the Rage gained was quickly halted as Malachi Clark capitalized on the power play late in the period, giving the Buzz a commanding advantage heading into the third. Carolina continued to battle in the final frame, with Roman Brown scoring his second goal of the game on the power play and Issac Emmerich adding another. However, the Buzz quickly shut the door. Mantas Lisauskas restored momentum before the Buzz showcased their penalty-kill dominance, as Keegan Elliott and Chris Lane each scored shorthanded goals to put the game out of reach. The final buzzer sounded with the Buzz earning an emphatic 11–5 victory, highlighted by balanced scoring, multiple special-teams goals, and an aggressive all-around performance against the Carolina Rage.

St. Louis 3 @ Helena 4 - The St. Louis Jr. Blues and Helena Bighorns squared off in a hard- fought contest that featured momentum swings throughout the whole game. St. Louis would strike first in the opening period, as Lonnie Land scored to give the Jr. Blues an early 1–0 lead and set the tone for a physical first frame. Helena responded in a big way during the second period, flipping the game in their favor with a surge of offense. Austin Uecker tied the game early in the period and then struck again to give the Bighorns their first lead of the night. Helena continued to apply pressure, and Braden Davis capitalized on the power play to extend the lead to 3–1 heading into the third period. The Bighorns added to their advantage in the final period when Austin Uecker completed the hat trick, pushing the score to 4–1. St. Louis refused to go quietly, mounting a late comeback attempt. August Feldker cut into the deficit, and Mitchell Nappier followed with another goal to bring the Jr. Blues within one. Despite the late push, Helena held strong defensively down the stretch. The final buzzer sounded with the Helena Bighorns securing the 4–3 victory after withstanding the Jr. Blues’ rally.

New Mexico 4 @ Long Beach 0 - The New Mexico Ice Wolves delivered a dominant performance against the Long Beach Sharks, jumping out to an early lead and never looking back. New Mexico wasted no time asserting control in the opening period, as Hunzeker Piersimon opened the scoring to give the Ice Wolves a 1–0 advantage. The momentum continued when Jackson Antonelli followed with another goal, and Cade Tilley capped off a strong first period by making it 3–0 in favor of New Mexico heading into the intermission. The Ice Wolves added to their lead in the second period with Brock Seeger finding the back of the net, extending the margin to 4–0. New Mexico continued to dictate the pace of play, limiting Long Beach’s chances and maintaining pressure throughout the middle frame. The third period remained scoreless, with the Ice Wolves locking things down defensively to preserve the shutout. Strong team defense and steady goaltending by Nathan McFall ensured there would be no comeback for the Sharks. The final horn sounded with New Mexico earning a convincing 4–0 victory over Long Beach, and McFall earning the shutout to end the showcase.

Bozeman 0 @ Wisconsin 7 - The Wisconsin Woodsmen delivered a complete performance in a 7-0 shutout of the Bozeman Icedogs. Jack Dahl opened the scoring in the first period. Wisconsin added two power-play goals in the second from Josh Kauppinen and Maxim Lazo to extend the lead. The Woodsmen broke the game open in the third period with goals from Nolan Mix, Tegan O’Brien, Anthony Moorehead, and Ozbej Muzan.

Maine 2 @ Yellowstone 1 (OT) - The Maine Nordiques picked up a 2-1 overtime victory over the Yellowstone Quake in a tight matchup. Brody Emond scored Maine’s lone regulation goal in the second period to give the Nordiques a lead. Yellowstone answered in the third with a goal from Keenan Butzen to force overtime. In the extra frame, Peyton Dyer netted the game-winning goal to lift Maine to the win.

Mason City 4 @ Great Falls 2  - The Mason City Toros earned a 4-2 victory over the Great Falls Americans. Wyatt Hanna opened the scoring for Great Falls before Mason City responded with goals from Cooper Hedin and Stone Resch, including a power-play goal.  Marek Gallenberger added another power-play goal in the second period to extend the Toros’ lead. After Reid Lezubski cut the deficit in the third, Stone Resch sealed the win with his second goal of the game.

Minnesota M 3 @ Sheridan 1  - The Minnesota Moose skated to a 3-1 win over the Sheridan Hawks in a defensive battle. After a scoreless first period, Deagan Watson opened the scoring for Sheridan on the power play. Minnesota responded late in the second with a goal from Brady Johnson to even the game. The Moose took control in the third period with goals from Caleb Schwark and Brady Johnson, who added his second of the night into an empty net.

Peoria 6 @ Gillette 1  - The Peoria Mustangs rolled past the Gillette Wild 6-1. The first period was scoreless and uneventful for both teams. Brendan Miller opened up a quiet game 57 seconds in with a goal for the Mustangs. Nathan Conklin continued with that momentum to extend the lead 2-0 only 5 minutes into the second period. CJ Lang for the Wild cut into the deficit but Jordan Mini scored after. The third period was all Mustangs when Ian Ingles, Wyatt Duke, and Miller put the game away.

Butte 2 @ Minnesota W 9  - The Minnesota Wilderness took on the Butte Irish in a Tuesday afternoon showcase showdown. The Wilderness dominated from the start putting up 30 shots on goal in just the first period and three goals. In the second, the Wilderness scored two power play goals plus two even strength ones to add four more for a 7-0 lead. The Irish would get on the board with just under two minutes remaining in the second. The Wilderness took a 7-1 lead into the third with multiple players on hat trick watch. The Irish would strike again five minutes in making the score 7-2. The Wilderness would tally two more to secure the 9-2 win. Stratton Maas of the Wilderness would complete the hat trick in the third and Levi Flatley would finish the game with two goals and three assists. The Wilderness would total 59 shots on goal compared to the Irish’s 22.

West Bend 4 @ Granite City 2  - The West Bend Power took on the Granite City Lumberjacks on Tuesday afternoon. The first period saw no scoring. In the second the Power broke through with a power play goal two minutes into the period. The Power would tack on two more in the last five minutes for a 3-0 lead into the third. The Lumberjacks would answer half way through the third on a goal by Ty Smith. The Power would add another goal four minutes later for a 4-1 lead. With five minutes remaining the Lumberjacks would add another goal by Smith, but it wasn’t enough as the Power take this one 4-2.

Willmar 3 @ Rochester 4  - The Wilmar Warhawks took on the Rochester Grizzlies on Tuesday afternoon in a tight game. The Grizzlies would strike first with just under five minutes in the first period. The Warhawks would respond a minute later tying up the game at one a piece. In the second, special teams proved to be the difference as the Warhawks added two goals on the power play for a 3-1 lead. The Grizzlies would add another goal with 25 seconds left in the second. The Warhawks took a 3-2 lead into the third. The Grizzlies went to work and scored two goals In three minutes to take the lead. The Warhawks were unable to answer back and the Grizzlies take this one 4-3.

Wausau 1 @ Alexandria 3  - The Wausau Cyclones took on the Alexandria Blizzard in a showdown of elements. The Cyclones would strike first on a goal by Joel Anderson. In the second, the Blizzard would add two goals in four minutes for the 2-1 lead into the third. The Blizzard would add another for good measure by Caleb Waller, his second of the game. The Blizzard take this one 3-1. Blizzard goalie Jayden Serene stopped 11 of 12 shots he faced for a 0.917 save percentage.