Friday Finals: Willmar takes the Victory in OT

Provided by Kellan George

New Jersey 5 @ New Hampshire 3 - The New Jersey Titans and New Hampshire Jr. Mountain Kings took the ice for an East Division matchup at Delta Dental Arena. New Jersey’s Kane Clark got the afternoon’s scoring started, giving the Titans an early 1-0 lead. The Mountain Kings struck back just half a minute later with a tip-in goal from Kayden Hill. With less than a minute remaining in the opening period, Andrew Metzger picked off the puck while on the penalty kill and took it the length of the ice for a short-handed goal to give the Titans the one goal advantage going into the second period. Metzger struck again, this time on the power play finding the back of the net from a feed by Kayden Hill. But not long after, Jacob Landry brought the Mountain Kings back within one, taking advantage of the two on one opportunity to sneak the puck past the Titans goaltender. The final goal of the period belonged to the Titans’ with Johnny Iwankiw capitalizing on a rebound to give the Titans a 4-2 lead going into the final twenty minutes. The third period began with a Mountain Kings goal, with Talon Schackmann burying the puck from a pass by Joshua Lang. But the game was sealed in favor of the Titans in the final minutes when Dewight Singleton added an empty net goal to give New Jersey the 5-3 victory. 

Long Beach 4 @ Garden State 0 - The Long Beach Sharks shut out the Garden City Gamblers by a score of 4-0 to continue their undefeated season. The Sharks first goal belonged to Peyton Dahlke, who scored off a faceoff win by Eli McCarthy. With 6:05 remaining Ethan Brown found the back of the net with a shot from the blue line to put the Sharks up 2-0 at the end of the first period. The middle frame remained scoreless as the battled back and forth, each being awarded two power play opportunities each. The next goal wouldn’t come until Ethan Brown broke up a pass on the Garden City power play to give Eli McCarthy the shorthanded breakaway opportunity to take the 3-0 lead.  The Sharks added their fourth goal with Tate Cakir finding Peyton Dahlke for the empty net tally and Dahlke’s second goal of the matchup to secure the Long Beach’s 4-0 win. 

Phoenix 5 @ Tulsa 1 - The Phoenix Inferno defeated the Tulsa Oilers by a score of 5-1 in a South Division matchup at WeStreet Ice Center. The opening frame of the contest was scoreless, with the Inferno significantly outshooting the Oilers taking 18 shots compared to Tulsa’s 6. Phoenix got on the scoreboard in the opening minute of second period, when Chase Olson hit the top right corner off a dish from Josh Hyarinen. The Inferno struck again just two minutes later when Nicholas Nunez capitalized on a well-timed pass from Colin Keough to put Phoenix up by two. Kash Benson rounded out Phoenix's second period scoring taking advantage of a rebound near the crease to bring the Inferno lead to 3-0 heading into the final period of play. It didn’t take Phoenix long to add their fourth of the contest. Nunez found the back of the net from a go ahead pass from Hyarinen, and he continued to lead the Inferno offense hammering home power play slap shot from a set-up by James “JC” Greenwood. The Oilers found their first of the night when Owen Scown put it past the goaltender on a breakaway opportunity with 2:23 remaining in the matchup. 

Peoria 1 @ Rochester 8 - The Rochester Grizzlies cruise to a dominant home win against their Central division rival, the Peoria Mustangs. This game started out slower than the score would suggest, with neither team being able to get a lead early in the game. Peoria would score first after defenseman Ryan Waterman scored from a long range point shot that floated over a screened Jared Lang to give the Mustangs a 1-0 lead halfway through the first period. Rochester would counter five minutes later when James Esposito scored his third goal of the season, skating it all around the offensive zone and playing keepaway from the Mustang defenders before turning around and firing the puck past Peoria goaltender Nolan Sanderson. Esposito would score again in the final minute of the period to give the Grizzlies a 2-1 heading into the second period. The second period is where Rochester put the game out of reach, scoring four unanswered goals in the period from four different skaters as well. Dominic Arndt, Jake Kusch (power play goal), Jace Jordan, and Jay Reese would all put the puck in the net for the Grizzlies in what would be a dominant period on both ends of the ice for Rochester. Not only did they get four goals but they also allowed only four shots on goal as the defense clamped down as well. Rochester’s Chayton Sarles would add to the lead early in the third period after picking up a loose puck in the offensive zone, showing off some nice skating ability, and then firing it past Sanderson. They would keep the pressure on and score once more, getting a goal from Benjamin O’Leary to get us to the final score of 8-1. These two teams will get to rematch each other tomorrow as Peoria will look to split the weekend series while Rochester will try to inch closer to first place in the Central division. 

Alexandria 1 @ Minnesota 3 - The Minnesota Wilderness overcame the Alexandria Blizzard 3-1. The Wilderness got things moving quickly when they scored a pair of back-to-back goals in the first period. William Wadlington would score his second goal of the night early in the second. Alexandria would finally make their way on the scoreboard when Blake Breiland scored on a power play. It would be too little, too late however. Minnesota goaltender Hudson Smith only allowed one goal through, securing the win for the Wilderness.

Granite City 7 @ North Iowa 3 - The Granite City Lumberjacks stormed to a 7-3 victory against the North Iowa Bulls at Mason City Arena, maintaining their unbeaten streak this season. The Lumberjacks kicked off the scoring frenzy with Elijah Fitch netting a power play goal at 16:10 of the first period. Prentiss Maier added another at 8:29, and not long after, Vince Murn made it 3-0 at 13:33 of the second period. Just under a minute later, Grant Harder put the Bulls on the board at 11:45. But Granite City quickly responded with two goals from Connor Hanley and Noah Betker at 12:57 and 00:25 respectively. The Bulls’ Christian Plaga narrowed the gap with a power play goal at 3:00 of the second, but Granite City’s Cayden Stasienko and Jackson Engberg extended the lead in the third period. Wakley Holzer scored another for the Bulls at 11:50, but an empty-netter by Engberg sealed the deal.

Minnesota 2 @ Willmar 3 (OT) - In a thrilling overtime clash at the Willmar Civic Center Arena, the Willmar WarHawks edged out the Minnesota Vulcans 3-2. The opening act saw Brooks Skogland of the Vulcans scoring a power-play goal at 17:30 of the first period, setting the stage for a back-and-forth battle. Just over a minute later, Elliot Domagala equalized for the WarHawks at 11:21 with assists from Maddux Domagala and Wyatt Hauer. The momentum shifted as Wyatt Garvey capitalized on a power play, notching the WarHawks' second goal at 10:51 of the first period, assisted by Brodie Goode and Tanner Lozano. The Vulcans' Rory Kronick tied it up again at 18:29 of the second period with help from Aidan Diehl and Jordan Giacomini. It was Jacob Canfield who sealed the deal for the WarHawks in overtime, scoring the game-winner at 03:27. 

Oklahoma City 1 @ West Texas 6 - The Oklahoma City Wranglers secured a 6-1 win over The West Texas Warriors. Both teams entered the rink, ready to battle, and searching to break their losing streaks. Four minutes into the game, The Wranglers started with strong momentum early with two points from Vivaan Sood and Antonio Galliano. After a few unsuccessful shots on goal from The Wranglers, with only five minutes remaining in the first period, Gunnar Vick found the back of the net, extending the lead 3-0. Going into the second period, and building off their success from the first, The Wranglers maintained their lead, continuing to dominate offensively. Only six minutes into the period, Jonas Galvan found the back of the net to give the team a substantial four-goal lead. But with 35 seconds left in the period, The Warriors responded with their first goal of the game from London McDougall, closing the gap to 4-1. Six minutes into the third period, The Wranglers responded again with a goal from Zac Polkes. Mark Schaefer strengthened the lead, and secured the win, with another goal for The Wranglers with less than five minutes remaining in the game, setting the score to 6-1. By the end, The Wranglers accumulated 47 shots on goal, with Tyler Miller from The Warriors saving 41 shots. Antonio Galliano recorded his first goal of the season, and Jonas Galvan obtained his second. Vivaan Sood, Gunnar Vick, Zac Polkes, Mark Schaefer, all recorded their third goals of the season as well. 

Wausau 1 @ Wisconsin 6 - The Wisconsin Woodsmen earned a 6-1 victory over The Wausau Cyclones. After a scoreless opening 18 minutes, The Woodsmen found success in the net with a goal from Andrei Khomenko, with an assist from Jackson Haupt, to obtain a 1-0 lead over The Cyclones. Almost halfway through the second period, a goal from Parker Holloway strengthened the team’s lead 2-0. Stepping into the third period, The Woodsmen secured three goals within 12 minutes. Leading the charge was Jackson Haupt, followed by Bryce Bechen and Paxton Raymond, increasing the score to 5-0. However, The Cyclones did not back down, and instead, only five minutes later, responded with their first goal of the game by Maksim Salienko, setting the score to 5-1, and eliminating the possibility of a shutout. But with only two minutes remaining, Cameron Hovden of The Woodsmen sent one into the net, with an assist from Andrei Khomenko, to further increase their lead to 6-1 and end the game. The Woodsmen recorded 27 shots on goal, while The Cyclones recorded 14. During the game, both Paxton Raymond and Bryce Bechen recorded their second goals of the season, while Maksim Salienko obtained his fifth. 

Fox Cities 0 @ West Bend 8 - The West Bend Power shutout The Fox Cities Forge 8-0. The Power exploded quickly, dominating offensively and taking control of the game immediately from the beginning. Around four minutes into the first period, they put their first points on the board with a goal from Shaun Paulson, followed three minutes later by a goal from Drew Sparacino, to take the lead 2-0. With only three minutes remaining in the first period, Zachary Halling found the back of the net, increasing the score to 3-0 heading into the second period. They maintained their momentum with three goals from Reece Beckwith, Ivan Schmitz, and Adam Sexton, setting the score to 6-0 by the end of the second period. With twelve minutes remaining in the game, The Power continued their dominating offense, and set the final score 8-0 with another goal from Zachary Halling, and the final goal from Adam Sexton. The Power recorded 47 shots on goal, compared to The Forge, who recorded 13 shots on goal. 

Pelham 0 @ Austin 3 - The Austin Bats shutout The Pelham Prowlers 3-0. In the highly anticipated game, both teams were entering the rink off of a four-game win streak. Within the first six minutes of the game, The Ice Bats found early success with a goal from Matthieu Leblanc. They continued to dominate offensively, with several unsuccessful shots on goal, until, with almost four minutes remaining in the period, Alex De Leon found the back of the net, with an assist from Matthieu Leblanc, and set The Ice Bats ahead 2-0. Going into the second period, The Bats maintained momentum with an early goal from Ronan Howard, with another assist from Matthieu Leblanc, and increased their lead 3-0. Pelham Prowlers netminder, Drake England, made several notable saves during the duration of the second and third periods to hold off The Ice Bats. Although The Ice Bats had over 54 shots on goal, Drake England was able to save 51 of these shots, and keep the other team from scoring any additional points in the final period of the game. In the end, The Ice Bats were able to secure the shutout, and dictate the game offensively to obtain the win.

Badlands 2 @ Bozeman 1 - The Badlands Sabres set themselves up for success early in the game to defeat the Bozeman Icedogs. The Sabres crafted their success halfway through the first period with a goal from forward Rhylan Olson, assisted by defenseman Josh Sauro. The goal marked Olson’s 12th goal of the season. The Sabres sustained their offensive push and managed a second goal from forward Bentley Michalak to keep their lead firm. The second period marked a rougher turn for the game with several penalties from both teams. Both teams completed the game with four penalty minutes. Forward Lex Steckelberg put the Icedogs on the board with a power play goal, assisted by forward Seth Hanson. The third period remained unremarkable. Neither team managed a goal in the third period, leaving the Sabres at the top. A scoreless third period meant the Sabres went home with the win.

Helena 4 @ Great Falls 1 - The Helena Bighorns took the victory against the Great Falls Americans despite a rough start to the game. The Bighorns outshot the Americans by 37. The Americans opened the scoring with a goal from forward Xander Troyer that was unassisted. The Bighorns took two penalties for a total of four penalty minutes in the first period. The period ended 1-0 with the Americans in the lead. The Bighorns continued to rack up penalty minutes for a variety of misconducts in the second period, along with the Americans. Forward Chase Berg put the Helena on the board with his eighth goal of the season. The Bighorns found momentum with Berg’s goal and could not be stopped going into the third period. Forward Blake Chapman scored the Bighorns’ second goal of the night to put the team ahead of the Americans. Forward Joey Hemr would make sure the Bighorns stayed in the lead with his 11th goal of the season. Bighorns defenseman Mason Blair scored his first goal of the season and the final goal of the night to make sure the Badlands would take home the win. A Bighorns penalty rounded out the night.

Butte 3 @ Sheridan 1 - The Butte Irish took home the win against the Sheridan Hawks in three goals. Irish forward Bryce Hodges opened the scoring for the game and tallied his fourth point of the season. The Irish took a penalty, but the Hawks could not find a way to capitalize on their one-man advantage. The second period marked misconducts for both teams, but remained uneventful for most of the period. Irish Forward Jacob Avgustovskiy found a way into the net with two minutes left to score the Irish’s second point of the night. A physical third period had the Irish in and out of the penalty box, allowing the Hawks several power plays. Hodges scored the third goal of the game and his second that night before the Irish took another penalty. The Hawks would follow close behind with a slashing penalty of their own and put the teams on even playing field. The 4-on-4 fazed neither team and the Hawks put themselves on the scoreboard with forward Caden Gleason’s tenth goal of the season.

Gillette 3 @ Yellowstone 5 - In a thrilling showdown at Riley Arena, the Yellowstone Quake triumphed over the Gillette Wild with a final score of 5-3. The opening goal came at 12:04 of the first period when Chance Bryson found the back of the net, assisted by Grady Perry and Davin Moeller. The second period saw a flurry of activity. Shayne Smith scored at 16:23, assisted by Carson Joersz and Mason Chapmon. Moments later, at 12:38, Bryson doubled his tally with help from Anthony Moorehead and Cameron Beaver. Dylan Crossley responded for Gillette at 11:04 with a power-play goal, assisted by Maguire Dewees and CJ Lang. In the third period, Bryson completed his hat trick at 04:30, with Perry adding another assist. Just 31 seconds later, Smith notched his second goal of the night, assisted again by Chapmon and Joersz. Gillette tried to rally with Reece Clouston scoring on the power play at 14:25 and Riley Kleven adding another power-play goal at 08:48.