Saturday Scores: St. Louis Takes the Victory in Overtime

Louisiana Drillers 2 @ Texas Roadrunners 0 - The Drillers found success in the first period, scoring both of their goals to win 2-0. Braden Bates kicked off scoring for the Drillers just a few minutes into the first period, firing a slapshot from the right of the goalie straight into the top left corner of the net to give them the 1-0 lead. With just under three minutes to go in the first, Adam Palecki doubled the Drillers advantage. Zachary Marsell had a clean look to Palecki who was positioned right in front of the net, able to tip the puck in to lead 2-0. Neither team could capitalize on opportunities throughout the second and third, as both goaltenders continued to turn shots away. Reece Hutcheson was between the pipes today for the Drillers, securing an 11-save shutout. Despite the loss, the RoadRunners goalie Micah Laird put on an impressive performance, remaining strong in net with 48 saves on 50 shots faced. 

St. Louis 6 @ Wausau 5 (OT) - The St. Louis Jr. Blues completed an electric comeback, overcoming a three-goal deficit to defeat the Cyclones 6-5 in overtime. The Cyclones came out strong in the first period, with Jackson Schroeder opening the scoring just two minutes into the game to give them an early 1-0 lead. The Cyclones continued to build on their momentum, scoring three unanswered goals to take a commanding 3-0 advantage. St. Louis began chipping away at the 3-0 deficit starting with a goal from Devon Hobson in the second, who was later assessed a game misconduct for fighting. Chase Kozam and Charles Salas were then able to find the back of the net in the second period as well, adding two more goals to the Blues’ scoreboard. With just under seven minutes left, Salas cut the Cyclones’ lead to just one. Trailing late in the third period, Salas completed his hat trick with just 48 seconds remaining to tie the game at 5-5 and force overtime. Defenseman Stephen Fonz Craig ultimately sealed the victory for the Blues, finding the back of the net with just under two minutes remaining in overtime. He sped down the ice after the Cyclones lost the puck on their offensive end, finding himself in perfect positioning right in front of the net to tip the puck in. The Blues had previously suffered three overtime losses, making this comeback victory an especially significant one for the team.

Long Beach 2 @ New Hampshire 1 - Anthony Valeriote's impressive two goal performance led the Long Beach Sharks to their 2-1 win over the New Hampshire Jr. Mountain Kings. Valeriote opened scoring for the game with just three minutes remaining in the first, giving the Sharks an early 1-0. The second period was quiet offensively for both teams, with neither team being able to capitalize. Shots on goal throughout the game were even at 29 each, showing how evenly matched the two teams were in the match. Anthony Ayala was able to find the back of the net almost immediately to start the third period, tying the game at 1-1. As overtime was seemingly in sight, Valeriote skated down the left side of the ice creating an opportunity of his own, firing the puck into the bottom right of the goal to secure the 2-1 win.

Minnesota W 3 @ North Iowa 2 - Minnesota’s offensive pressure proved difficult for the North Iowa Bulls to contain, as the Wilderness secured a 3-2 win. Minnesota came out strong, having a 3-0 lead for a majority of the game. Ryder Pisiak opened scoring for the Wilderness in the first period by tipping in a loose puck right past the goalie’s legs. Not too long after, Nick Bogert increased the advantage to two with a short-handed goal. The team's offensive opportunities did not stop there. At the start of the second, Cory Backstrom fired a shot from the left faceoff dot into the top left of the net on the power play. With a 3-0 lead, the Wilderness appeared to be in control. Dominic Pavelkon then got the North Iowa Bulls on the scoreboard with just four minutes left in the second period. Christian Plaga added a goal of his own to open the third period and cut the lead down to one. Despite the Bulls’ late push, they were unable to complete the comeback. Goaltender Hudson Smith for Minnesota accomplished 37 saves on 39 shots to help secure the team's 3-2 victory.

Rochester 5 @ Fox Cities 1 - The Rochester Grizzlies controlled the game offensively, earning a 5-1 victory over the Fox Cities Forge. Rochester came out strong in the first period, with Conrad Edlund opening the scoring off assists from Dominic Arndt and Benjamin O'Leary. Konnor Goclan followed with a goal of his own to put the Grizzlies ahead 2-0. Rochester continued to apply pressure throughout the period, outshooting Fox Cities 21-4. O'Leary added to the Grizzlies' lead early in the second period, making it 3-0. Malachi McCormack eventually got the Forge on the scoreboard, with an assist from Egor Kondratev, cutting Rochester's advantage to two. However, Miles Kennelley answered with an unassisted goal to send the Grizzlies into the third period with a 4-1 lead. Taevon Welle added the final goal of the game with just under four minutes remaining, securing Rochester's 5-1 victory. The Grizzlies continued to control the pace of play, outshooting the Forge 20-9 in the third period. Jared Lang made 19 saves for Rochester, while Filip Kaczmarczyk turned away 56 shots for the Forge.

Garden State 12 @ Norwich 0 - The Garden State Gamblers dominated the Norwich Sea Captains at RoseGarden Ice Arena. Greyson Milton secured the first goal of the night from the left side of the ice. One minute later, Filip Piatowski made a slapshot goal, assisted by Radek Tervo. And a minute after that, Piatowski had his second score of the night, extending the lead to 3-0. With 30 seconds left in the first period, Alex Patsilevas scored–bar down. 24 seconds into the second period, a shot from J. Torres deflected off of Alex Wierbicki’s glove, going into the net and giving the Gamblers a 5-0 lead. After a rebound battle with the netminder, Patsilevas made his second goal of the night, assisted by Milton. Shortly afterwards, he secured his first hat trick in the NA3HL. Piatowski wrapped around Wierbicki and scored, giving the Gamblers their second hat trick of the night. To begin the third period, Patsilevas scored his fourth goal of the night. Following in suit, Piatowski had his fourth goal, making the Gamblers score double digits. Then, Hayden Jones scored the 11th goal of the night. At the very end, Torres scored his second goal in his first NA3HL game. The final score was 12-0, Garden State.

Minnesota V 5 @ Willmar 2 - After a shootout win against the previously undefeated Granite City Lumberjacks, the Minnesota Vulcans were prepared to face the Willmar Warhawks at Willmar Civic Center Arena. During the first period, Franklin Loo scored the first goal. The Vulcans led 1-0 until Maddux Domagala fired a long shot and tied it. Warhawks goalie Noah Germain had two notable saves in the first period. At 11:27 in the second period, Grady Miller brought the Vulcans to a 2-1 lead. Then, Miller made his second goal from the right circle. A few minutes later, Kyler Flanders tapped the puck into the front of the net, making the score 3-2. With seven minutes left in the third period, the Vulcans gained a two-goal advantage. Kody Zuniga scored, assisted by Aidan Diehl on a power play. Mitchell Gawel finished the game with an empty-netter. In the end, the Vulcans won 5-2.

Alexandria 2 @ Granite City 8 - The Granite City Lumberjacks faced the Alexandria Blizzard in a West Division showdown. The Blizzard opened the scoring in the first period with a goal from Blake Breiland. Granite City quickly responded with a goal by Elijah Fitch. Less than 30 seconds later, Granite City scored again, this time with a goal by Jackson Engberg. The Lumberjacks scored the third goal of the period with a shot from Prentiss Maier, giving him his third goal of the season. With less than three minutes remaining in the first period, Cam McCormack scored off the rebound, giving the Lumberjacks a 4-1 lead. Granite City started the scoring of the second period, with Fitch earning his second goal of the night. Less than a minute later, Kaden Larson scored, furthering the Lumberjacks' lead to 6-1. Kaden Decker scored just shy of the midway point, extending the Lumberjacks' lead. With less than two minutes remaining, Charlie Kritzeck scored his first goal of the season and gave the Blizzard their second goal of the night. Brayden Payne scored the final goal of the night in the third period, securing an 8-2 victory for the Granite City Lumberjacks.

Peoria 4 @ Wisconsin 6 - The Peoria Mustangs traveled to face the Wisconsin Woodsmen for a two-game series. Wisconsin opened the scoring of the first frame with a goal by Parker Holloway. Just shy of the midway point, Hayden Gray scored for the Mustangs, effectively tying the game. With less than six minutes remaining in the first period, Jackson Alilovich found the back of the net, giving the Mustangs a 2-1 lead going into the second period. Paxton Raymond opened the scoring in the second period, finding the back of the net and tying the game 2-2 for Wisconsin. Abraham Campbell got his first goal of the season with a power-play goal, giving the Woodsmen a 3-2 lead. Carter Steuck extended the Woodsmen’s lead, earning his first goal of the season. The Mustangs cut the lead to 4-3 after Collin Woods scored on a turnover in the offensive zone. Wisconsin scored first in the third period with a goal by Holloway. The Mustangs responded on the power play with a goal by Breyon Maroney. Ty Paulios sealed the 6-4 victory for the Woodsmen after finding the loose puck and burying the final goal.

Atlanta 1 @ Austin 4 - The Austin Ice Bats earned their second straight win over the Atlanta Capitals on Saturday, following up Friday night’s 7-1 decision. Atlanta opened the scoring in the first period with a goal off the rebound by Julian Merchdorf, earning him his first goal of the season. With less than seven minutes remaining, the Ice Bats tied the game with a wrist shot by Quin Tyler. Jack Pettipas scored off the rebound, giving the Ice Bats their first lead of the night going into the second period. Both goalies stood tall in the nets, only allowing one goal late in the second period. With just under three minutes left in the second period, Matthieu Leblanc found the back of the net, extending the Ice Bats’ lead to 3-1. The final goal of the night came early in the third period. Guhnar Hillman scored on the rebound, ensuring a 4-1 victory for the Ice Bats.

Helena 5 @ Badlands 7 - The Badlands Sabres beat the Helena Bighorns 7-5 at home. The Sabres started strong, scoring three unanswered goals in the first period. Dayton Niedert scored first, followed by Bentley Michalak and then Oliver Giles. Mason Blair scored for the Bighorns with two minutes left in the period, making it 3-1. Kade Pareja opened the second period scoring, finding the back of the net to cut the deficit for the Bighorns. Rhylan Olson scored on the power play soon after to give the Sabres another strong lead. Lincoln Kearney scored for Helena, making the score 4-3. The Sabres took control of the rest of the period as Kento Sanchez-Maruyama and Justin Reams both scored, bringing the score to 6-3 at the end of the second. Olson scored his second of the game, an empty-netter, for the Sabres with two minutes left in the game to secure the 7-3 lead. Jeffrey Hershberger and Chase Berg both scored late in the game for the Bighorns, but the Sabres still came out on top 7-5.

Tulsa 2 @ Phoenix 8 - The Phoenix Inferno defeated the Tulsa Oilers 8-2 at home. The Inferno started hot, with James “JC” Greenwood scoring less than 30 seconds into the game to secure an early lead. Luke Yahola responded soon after with a short-handed goal for the Oilers. The second period was extremely offensive, as Chase Boswell scored on the power play to give the Oilers a 2-1 lead. However, five seconds later, Nicholas Nunez scored for Phoenix to tie the game. Then, the Inferno went on a run, scoring four power-play goals. Stas Ershov scored first, followed by Camden Babin. Then, Nunez and Greenwood scored their second goals. Connor Hallgren scored his first of the season with a minute left in the second period, giving Phoenix a 7-2 lead. Chris Pellatt scored the final goal of the game halfway through the third period to secure the 8-2 win for the Inferno.

Great Falls 2 @ Yellowstone 4 - The Yellowstone Quake defeat the Great Falls Americans 4-2 in a Frontier Division matchup. In the first period, the Americans outshot the Quake 21-14 and scored the opening goal. A Quake turnover landed on the stick of Matthew DiPalma, who scored on the backhand to give the Americans a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes of play. The Quake struggled to generate scoring chances in the second period, but finally broke through. With 12 minutes remaining in the period, defenseman Cameron Beaver made a nice move at the point, allowing him to skate down and score on the glove side to tie the game. But on the next shift, the Americans reclaimed the lead when Xander Troyer powered through the slot to score his 11th goal of the season. However, three minutes later, Shayne Smith scored a power-play goal to tie the game. With the momentum now on their side, the Quake found the back of the net again. This time, Garrett Youngquist found Colby Jensen right off a face-off to give the Quake their first lead of the night. With the Americans looking for the equalizer, Quake goaltender Damen Baxter shut the door, making 12 saves in the third period and 43 on the night. With 1:28 remaining in the third, the Americans pulled their goalie, but couldn’t tie the game. Quake forward Grady Perry added an empty-net goal as an insurance marker, as the Quake defeated the Americans 4-2. 

Texas 4 @ New Mexico 2 - The Texas Brahmas scored three power-play goals, helping defeat the New Mexico Ice Wolves 4-2. Halfway through the first period, New Mexico Ice Wolves’ Dominic Fosco broke the ice with a nice passing play off a face-off, triggering fans to launch teddy bears onto the ice for teddy bear toss night. The Brahmas responded shortly after, with a power-play goal by Dayne Kauffmann to tie the game. With time expiring in a highly contested first period, Brahmas assistant captain Jayani Benson danced down the slot and buried a shot to the glove side, giving the Brahmas the lead going into the second period. Despite being outshot 12-9 with four minutes remaining in the second period, Benson’s second goal of the game on the power play extended the Brahmas' lead to 3-1. The Ice Wolves poured the pressure on in the third period, and Brodie Ososki weaved through the offensive zone and scored from a sharp angle to make it 3-2. But with the Ice Wolves falling into penalty trouble, the Brahmas capitalized on a five-on-three advantage when Robert Palianski scored to give them a two-goal lead. The Brahmas' power play finished three-for-eight on the night. Fending off a six-on-four advantage in the final moments of the game, Brahmas goalie Jacob Brumm made huge saves to protect the lead. Brumm finished with 34 saves, helping the Brahmas secure a 4-2 victory. 

Sheridan 4 @ Bozeman 3 (OT) - Ernie Allen scored two goals to lead the Sheridan Hawks to a 4-3 victory against the Bozeman Ice Dogs in overtime.  Although the Hawks and Ice Dogs combined for 32 shots in the first period, neither team found the back of the net. The best chance came for the Hawks when a shot from Tyler Karchut trickled through Ice Dogs goalie Jack Ryan and sat in the crease; however, the Ice Dogs cleared the puck away. Six minutes into the second period, a quick Ice Dogs transition let Hayes Masopust shoot the puck on net, creating a rebound that Ryan McCreary pounced on to give the Ice Dogs a 1-0 lead. Ryan made 14 saves in the second period to help maintain the lead. With 13 minutes left in the third period, Norton Gamache intercepted a Hawks pass, shot for a rebound, and Dom Cerio was there to clean up the rebound to extend the Ice Dogs' lead to 2-0. But on the next shift, Eli Farris put the Hawks on the board, making it a one-goal game. The Ice Dogs responded just 93 seconds later, when Lex Steckelberg scored in a net-front scrum to regain the Ice Dogs’ two-goal lead, making it 3-1. The scoring continued when Caden Gleason drove the net to score his 14th goal of the season, making it 3-2. Two minutes later, with five minutes remaining in the third period, Ernie Allen’s shot from the point deflected into the net to tie the game. It would take overtime to find a winner at Bottcher Arena. The Hawks possessed the puck for most of overtime, and Allen scored his second goal of the game to defeat the Ice Dogs 4-3.