Friday Frenzy: How the Action Unfolded

Photo Credit: Kodie Booth

Maine 2 @ Buzz 7 - The Buzz hosted the Maine Nordiques for their second matchup of the season. In their previous matchup, the Nordiques won 3-2 against the Buzz. The first period was quiet, with neither team being able to open the score. In the second period, the Buzz opened the scoring with forward Mantas Lisauskas scoring an unassisted goal at 17:56. His teammate, forward Theo Fritz, scored another goal for Buzz at 11:59. The Nordiques managed to get on the board with a goal from forward Brody Edmond at 11:40. The Buzz, however, were able to extend their lead to two again with a goal from Lisauskas for his second of the game at 9:21. In the third period, the Nordiques were able to narrow down Buzz’s lead to one goal with a goal from forward Carter Walls at 17:57. The Buzz extended their lead to two again with a goal from forward Blake Camomile at 14:32. The Buzz proceeded to score three more times in the period with two goals from forward Andrew Jazwin at 11:27 and 2:24, and a power play goal from forward Jaylen Nurse at 1:05 to end the game in a 7-2 win. Dalton Elliott started in net for the Buzz and made 35 saves on 37 shots. Tyler Miller started in net for the Nordiques and made 30 saves on 36 shots before Josef Simon closed out the game with 3 saves on 4 shots. 

Atlanta 1 @ Louisiana 11 - The Louisiana Drillers hosted the Atlanta Capitals for their fourth matchup of the season. Louisiana had won their previous three games against Atlanta. In the first period, Louisiana forwards Carter Gnau, Emerson Laroche, and Dayton Ruppel each scored a goal at 18:59, 9:03, and 2:33 respectively to end the first period 3-0 for the Drillers. In the second period, the Drillers continued to dominate the game with two power play goals from forwards Braden Pelcl and Skyler Tompkins at 17:30 and 8:57 to extend their lead to 5-0. In the third period, Drillers forward Carter Tymchak scored two goals at 15:56 and 10:18. The Capitals were able to get on the board with a goal from forward Gavin Koehler at 9:53. Louisiana proceeded to score four more times with goals from forwards Isaac Erickson on the power play at 7:31, Draydin Johnson at 5:40, Lucas Dyer at 4:41, and Brody Neish at 2:54 to end the game in a 11-1 win. Owen Huisman started in net for the Drillers and made 5 saves on 6 shots. Maxwel Pelton started in net for the Capitals and made 43 saves on 54 shots. 

Wisconsin 4 @ Rochester 10 - The Rochester Grizzlies hosted the Wisconsin Woodsmen for their eighth matchup of the season. Rochester had won five of their seven previous games. Rochester opened the scoring in the first period with a goal from forward Mason Decker at 18:35. Wisconsin were able to rally back immediately by capitalizing on their power play with an unassisted goal from forward Parker Holloway at 17:15. Wisconsin forward Jack Dahl scored at 15:00 to end the first period with a 2-1 lead against Rochester. The Grizzlies were able to completely dominate the second period. Decker scored his second of the game at 18:17 to tie up the score. Wisconsin forward Felix Wadstromer scored at 17:51, forward Cooper Johnson scored at 15:28, forward Brett Ludvigsen scored at 6:58, and forward Easton Talbot scored at 5:48 for his first of the season. Woodsmen forward Ty Paulios scored at 3:36 on the power play, and the period ended with a three goal lead for the Grizzlies. Rochester continued to take control over the game with Johnson scoring his second of the game at 18:33, forward Dominic Arndt scored at 4:02, forward Konnor Goclan scored at 3:28, and forward Jesse Varner scored at 3:06 for his first of the season. Paulios was able to get Wisconsin on the board again with a goal at 2:12. Rochester won 10-4 against Wisconsin to extend their overall record 6-2. Cameron Patrick started in net for the Grizzlies and made 26 saves on 30 shots. Lleyton Jaschke started in net for Wisconsin and made 26 saves on 34 shots before Alex Rivolta closed out the game for the Woodsmen. 

St. Louis 6 @ Peoria 3 - The Peoria Mustangs hosted the St. Louis Jr. Blues for their seventh matchup of the season. The Jr. Blues won all six of their previous matchups. In the first period, the Mustangs opened the scoring with forward Breyon Maroney scoring at 11:02. Jr. Blues forward Jace Jordan evened up the score with a goal at 5:57 to end the first period in a tie. In the second period, Maroney scored his second of the game to give Peoria the lead. Blue forward Joseph Lopiccolo was able to tie up the score with a goal at 13:09. The Jr. Blues proceeded to capitalize on two power plays with a goal from forward Chase Kozma at 11:11 and defenseman Eric Denny at 7:40 to end the period 4-2. In the third period, the Jr. Blues continued to extend their lead with a power play goal from forward August Feldker at 12:59. Mustangs forward Anson Zaiser scored an unassisted goal at 11:19 to narrow the gap. The Jr. Blues capped off the game with a power play goal from forward Jack Reuss at 6:57 to end the game 6-3. Aaron Sibert started in net for St. Louis and made 24 saves on 27 shots. Jakub Stary started in net for Peoria and made 45 saves on 51 shots. 

Wausau 1 @ West Bend 3 - The West Bend Power controlled the pace and picked up a 3-1 win over the Wausau Cyclones. In the first period, Armani Fisher opened the scoring with assists from Evan Burchardt and Otis Berge. West Bend added another before the break as Brody Josselyn scored, assisted by Quinn O’Connor and Elias Holan.  Wausau got on the board in the second period with a goal from Maksim Salenko, set up by Brayden Ernst and Aaron Nale. West Bend sealed the win with an empty-net goal in the third period from Danny Jurchich, assisted by Mason Wanka and Quinn O’Connor. With this win, this Power continue to dominate at home as they remain undefeated this season at the Kettle Moraine Ice Center.

Willmar 1 @ Minnesota (W) 4 - The Minnesota Wilderness outshot the Willmar Warhawks on the way to a 4-1 victory. Minnesota opened the scoring in the first period with a goal from Wyatt Minehime, assisted by Christian Houser. In the second period, Stratton Maas scored with help from David Kristensson and Brant Tiedeman, followed by a goal from Owen Huneke, assisted by Stratton Maas and David Kristensson. Willmar broke through with a goal from Max Jackson, assisted by Grant Schiable. Minnesota finished the scoring in the third period as Wyatt Minehime netted his second of the game, assisted by Zacary Norberg.

Mason City 2 @ Alexandria 6 - The Alexandria Blizzard scored five unanswered goals to pull away from the Mason City Toros in a dominant home win. Alexandria scored first with a goal from Quinten Friborg, assisted by Adam Rauser and Kaden Roness. Mason City answered early in the second period as Blaze Bauer scored with assists from James Pautsch and Kellen Kantaris. Alexandria quickly took control after that, starting with a shorthanded goal from Tyler Meyer, assisted by Cooper Ness and Ethan Boughton.  Alexandria continued to roll with goals from Blake Breiland (assisted by Kaden Roness and Ethan Boughton) and Zach Benson (assisted by Kaden Roness and Reece Hubmer).  In the third period, Reece Hubmer extended the lead with assists from Dillon Smidt and Grady Stallman. Mason City added a goal from Mason Buchanan, assisted by Grant Harder, but Alexandria closed the scoring with a shorthanded goal by Grady Stallman, assisted by Jayden Serene and Zach Benson. 

West Texas 1 @ New Mexico 4 - The New Mexico Ice Wolves used a big second period and a three-point night from Ryan Hoogsteen to take down the West Texas Wranglers at home. West Texas opened the scoring in the second period when Sven Svensson found the net, assisted by Tyson Jones and Charlie Skinner. New Mexico responded with four unanswered goals. Cade Tilley tied the game with help from Hunter Bauer and Oscar Schneider. On the power play, Tanner Ross scored off assists from Ryan Hoogsteen and Grant Sexton, followed by another power-play goal from Ryan Hoogsteen, assisted by Grant Sexton and Tanner Ross. Hoogsteen capped off his night with an unassisted goal in the third period. 

Great Falls 2 @ Badlands 5 - Special teams came through in a big way for the Badlands Sabres Friday, as it helped them cruise to a big 5-2 victory over Frontier-Division powerhouse Great Falls Americans. The Sabres power play and penalty kill were spectacular in Friday’s contest. The power play accounted for three goals on seven opportunities while the penalty kill units went a perfect 5-for-5. Cole Schneider was the main offensive contributor for Badlands, posting two goals – both via the power play. Badlands get some breathing room in the Frontier Division with the win, now sitting two points ahead of fifth-place Bozeman – who lost Friday. Great Falls drop to third place in the Frontier Division with the loss, as Helena takes over with its win over Yellowstone Friday. Great Falls got off to a fast start. Ethan Miller (22nd) scored just 18 seconds in for the Americans to give them a 1-0 lead. Badlands had a response with just over seven minutes to go in the opening frame. Rhylan Olson netted his 13th of the year to bring the game back even. Schneider took advantage of a late-period power play, scoring his third of the season to give the Sabres a 2-1 lead after the first period. The offense was slow until late in the second period. Ethan Seanor (third) doubled the Badlands lead to 3-1 with 4:39 remaining. His goal stood as the only offense of the period. Jaxen Savage made things interesting late in the third period, tallying his seventh goal of the season with just under eight minutes left to get Great Falls within one goal. A late cross-checking penalty from Great Falls’ Keegan Hanson opened the door for Badlands’ power play to seal the game, and it made no mistake. Carter Kilen (sixth) scored on the man advantage to restore Badlands’ two-goal lead with just 1:42 to go. Schneider (fourth) sealed the deal with an empty-net, power-play goal with 52 seconds left to solidify the Sabres’ 5-2 win. 

Helena 9 @ Yellowstone 1 -  The Helena Bighorns flexed its muscles Friday, cashing in a whopping nine goals in a dominant 9-1 victory over the Yellowstone Quake. Of the multiple offensive standouts, Fischer Nicolet topped the charts with a hat-trick performance. The Bighorns had 13 total skaters register at least one point. Helena controlled nearly all of the play, outshooting Yellowstone 70-15. The Bighorns posted 24 shots in the first period, 27 shots in the middle period and 19 more shots in the final frame. Helena's winning streak extends to six games with the win as they leapfrog Great Falls for second place in the Frontier Division. Yellowstone fell nine points back of sixth-place Gillette in the Frontier Division but remained three points up on last-place Butte. The scoring started early and often for Helena. Clint Isakson got the Bighorns going just under two minutes in with his seventh tally of the year. Cameron Kimmerly (eighth) and Caden Feinstein (14th) followed up Isakson to put the Bighorns ahead 3-0 in the first period. Yellowstone briefly stopped the bleeding with just over two minutes to go in the opening frame. Chance Bryson notched his eighth goal of the season to get his squad within two goals heading to the second period. The second period was all Helena as they potted five goals in the period. Ty Schell (14th), Nicolet (seventh), Blake Chapman (12th), Feinstein’s second of the game (15th) and Nicolet’s second of the game (eighth) were all part of the second-period barrage to put the Bighorns ahead 8-1 after 40 minutes. Nicolet (ninth) wasted little time finishing the hat-trick, scoring just 1:31 into the third period to secure Helena’s massive 9-1 win. 

Butte 1 @ Gillette 8 - It was a goal parade Friday night in Gillette, as the Wild sent the home fans happy with a dominant 8-1 win over the Butte Irish. The Wild got contributions from all over the lineup as 14 of their skaters registered at least one point. Riley Schmidt led the way for Gillette with four assists while Donovan Balek and Ole Svangstu each posted three-point nights. Gillette gained two points of ground on fifth-place Bozeman with the win and Bozeman’s loss to Sheridan Friday. The Irish remain three points deep in last place in the Frontier Division. Butte got off to a strong start, as Tyler Jones netted his sixth of the season just over six minutes in to give the Irish the lead. The fast start did not last long. Goals from Brady McGinn (third), Joshua Sauro (11th) and Leo Eiland (first) throughout the remaining 12 minutes of the period got Gillette ahead 3-1 after 20 minutes. The second-period offense cooled down, as the only offense came from Gillette’s Evan Slama. His first goal of the campaign put the Wild on top by three heading to the third period. The third period showcased Gillette’s offensive prowess, getting goals from Dylan Herold (sixth), Balek (sixth), Slama’s second of the night and his season and Svangstu. Gillette’s dominance was thanks to opportunistic scoring, lighting the lamp eight times despite outshooting Butte only 34-33. Wild goaltender Andrew Knox was perfect after his first-period blemish to allow his offense to shine. Knox made 32 saves on the night. 

Bozeman 2 @ Sheridan 6 - The Sheridan Hawks got back to its winning ways Friday night, taking down the Bozeman Icedogs with a dominant 6-2 win. The Hawks were in control from start to finish in Friday’s contest, outshooting the Icedogs 44-26 in the game. Jeff Slivon and Elijah Farris put the Hawks in their backpacks, as Silvon recorded a four-point night – one goal and three assists – while Farris potted two goals. The win gets Sheridan back on track after dropping three of its last four contests, still sitting tops in the Frontier Division with 51 points – six points ahead of second-place Helena. Bozeman fall to fifth place with the loss, as they were jumped by Badlands for fourth place with its win over Great Falls. Sheridan got the scoring started just under seven minutes in off the stick of Caden Gleason (seventh). Farris followed up Gleason with his first of the night and 14th of the year with just under four minutes left to give the Hawks a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes. Slivon assisted on both goals. Baron Masopust put a temporary stop to Sheridan’s offense with his sixth goal of the year to cut Bozeman’s deficit in half at 2-1. Slivon had an answer six minutes later, potting his 18th of the year to restore Sheridan’s two-goal lead. Vincent Leaf (26th) got in on the goal-scoring just over two minutes after Slivon via the power play to extend the Hawks’ lead to 4-1. The score stayed that way at the second-period buzzer. Ernie Allen (fourth) put any dreams of a Bozeman comeback to bed with a short-handed goal just under a minute into the third period to extend the lead to 5-1. Farris added salt to the wound with his second of the night and 15th of the season just two minutes later. Jace Griffin (ninth) added a feel-good goal for Bozeman with 14 minutes left, but that was all the Icedogs could muster for the rest of the game to finalize the 6-2 score.