Three Overtimes, Endless Excitement on Friday Night

Photo Credit: Kodie Booth

Pelham 2 @ Bayou State 5 - The Bayou State Rougarou had themselves a blast on home ice, defeating the Pelham Prowlers 5-2 on Friday afternoon. In the first period, the Rougarou opened the score and tallied three on the board. Denis Portnoy lit the lamp first, as he quickly followed up again two minutes later. Then with 21 seconds left on the clock, Ethan Tierman buried one to make it three-nothing heading into the second. From the middle frame, the Prowlers got a late response, as Parker McCown broke ice for the visiting club. Two minutes later, they would put themselves within one, when Marlon Derksen punched in his own goal after setting up McCown from earlier. However, after that, they would go silent. Three minutes after, when the Prowlers thought they had a chance, Portnoy sniped in his second of the game top corner. At 7:55, Kamdyn Smith would return the insurance lead, as he would bury Peyton Essex’ rebound and call it a game. 

Norwich 1 @ New Hampshire 3 - The New Hampshire Jr. Mountain Kings took down the Norwich Sea Captains Friday afternoon. In all three frames, the Mountain Kings scored a goal to slowly keep the game rolling. In the first three minutes of play in the first frame, Evan Yates opened the score for New Hampshire. Then late into the second, Tommy Titone fed Adam Osman to make it two-nothing. Meanwhile, from the third, Tyler Calkin broke ice and put the Sea Captains within one. However, the Mountain Kings responded and called it a night. Talon Schackman responded just a minute after Calkin’s to seal the deal. 

Atlanta 4 @ Carolina 5 - The Carolina Rage secured a tight victory on Friday night as part of the 3-Show slate in Greenville, South Carolina. Ten minutes into the first period, James Parnell opened the scoring on a breakaway. Then at the one-minute mark, Parnell grabbed another, after tucking in an initial play from Roman Brown. Four minutes into the middle frame, the same line went back to work, as Brown sniped one in on the power play with Parnell helping out. Minutes after, Brown found Reece Beckwith to make it four-nothing. However, Avi Goldschmidt responded to cut off the shutout dreams. From the third, Atlanta went right back to work, as Jaylen Fluhr kept it going. But shortly after, Beckwith would bury the response goal for Greenville. Likewise, the Capitals had gas left in the tank and put up two more, pushing the Rage to stand on their toes. Maddox Woulfin would wrist one through the slot unassisted, while Tristin Scheufelle finished off the night with Isaiah Ronson and Dylan Warmath cycling it.

Louisiana 7 @ Texas R 2 - The Louisiana Drillers dominated the home squad Texas Roadrunners Friday night, as the Drillers continue to dominate in the NA3 standings of 34-0-1. From the first period, they opened the score and put two on the board. Logan Woods lit the lamp first, with Dan Vihainen chipping in. Then at the five-minute mark, Kadyn Garcia knocked in one empty-handed. In the middle frame, Woods would grab his second of the night before the buzzer. But in the third, before one could blink, the Drillers kept adding tallies to the score. In the first minute of play, Loghan Weber buried one. Six minutes later, Anthony Riviello ripped one blocker side to draw a goal for Texas. Afterwards, the Drillers returned to the scoring table to keep the momentum going. Emerson Laroche scored off a tick-tack-toe play from Brody Neish, and Brayden Pelcl followed to make it 6-1. Regardless of the score and the deferential, Logan Diskey for the Roadrunners tucked one in. The effort proved another goal for the Drillers, as Riley Schmidt responded and called it a night in Texas. 

Austin 10 @ Tulsa 2 - The Austin Ice Bats put together a dominant road performance Friday night, rolling past the Tulsa Oilers by a 10–2 final behind a relentless offensive attack and strong goaltending. Austin wasted little time setting the tone in the opening frame, striking early and often to seize control of the game. Mason Manderfield opened the scoring for the Ice Bats, finishing a setup from Liam Cardona and Matthieu Leblanc to make it 1–0. Austin continued to pour it on as Jake Bamback doubled the lead with help from Guhnar Hillman, before Ethan Salter added another, converting a feed from Wesley Abron. Tulsa briefly pushed back midway through the period when Chase Boswell found the back of the net off assists from Alexander Elsner and Kiernan Gray. Owen Feinstein added on to make it a one goal game with assists from Dylan Weisman and Tyler Stoesz. Yet, Guhnar Hillman capped a high-scoring first period with a goal set up by Jake Bamback and Arys Perardi to give Austin a commanding lead at the intermission. In the second period, Austin showed no signs of slowing down. Georgii Tokarski extended the advantage with a well-finished tally, the assists coming from Garrett Morris and Sven Svensson, pushing the Ice Bats further out of reach and sending them into the final frame firmly in control. The third period turned into a showcase for Austin’s depth and finishing touch. Owen Rattray got things started early, scoring off a pass from Liam Cardona. Matthieu Leblanc followed soon after, finishing a play set up by Mason Manderfield and Garrett Morris. On the power play, Arys Perardi added his first of the night with assists from Jake Bamback and Guhnar Hillman. Hillman then struck again with Bamback picking up the helper, before Perardi closed out the scoring late with his second of the period, once again assisted by Bamback and Hillman. Despite a tough night on home ice for Tulsa, Austin’s ability to convert chances and maintain pressure throughout all three periods proved to be the difference. 

Peoria 1 @ Rochester 10 - The Rochester Grizzlies dominated on home ice Friday night, cruising to a high-scoring 10-1 victory over the Peoria Mustangs. In a game defined by relentless offensive pressure, the Grizzlies found the back of the net early and often to secure the win. In the first, Peoria struck first at the 14:18 mark with a goal from Brendon Miller, assisted by Owen Gruden and Nathan Pleva. However, Rochester quickly took control. Mason Decker tied it up on a powerplay with assists from Trenton Fore and Felix Wadstromer, followed shortly by Tevin Stukel finding the back of the net off feeds from Ole Fevold and Julian Mollerstrandh to take a 2-1 lead into the break. The second period was all Grizzlies as they broke the game open with four unanswered tallies. Mason Decker notched his second of the night assisted by Brett Ludvigsen and Rylan Schultz. Tevin Stukel followed suit with a powerplay goal, set up by Nik Secen and Dominic Arndt. Late in the frame, Ole Fevold added another powerplay marker with help from Arndt and Mollerstrandh, before Andrew Bastian capped off the period with just one second remaining, assisted by Konnor Goclan and Jesse Varner, to make it 6-1. The onslaught continued in the third as Rochester added four more to their total. Alex Arneson scored early in the frame off assists from Goclan and Cooper Johnson. Mason Decker then completed his hat trick, assisted by Ludvigsen and Fore. Tevin Stukel followed with his own hat-trick-sealing goal, set up by Varner and Arndt. Finally, Rylan Schultz closed out the scoring with a goal assisted by Arneson and Fevold. While the Mustangs struggled to contain the Grizzlies' depth, Rochester’s special teams and distributed scoring proved to be the difference maker. 

Minnesota W 1 @ Wausau 4 - The Wausau Cyclones defended their home ice Saturday night, securing a decisive 4-1 victory over the Minnesota Wilderness. Relying on a strong start and consistent pressure, Wausau built an early lead that the Wilderness simply couldn't overcome. In the first, the Cyclones wasted no time getting on the board. Lucas Mankoff opened the scoring early in the frame, finding the back of the net off assists from Sean Hall and Tucker Gretebeck. Wausau extended the lead later in the period with a powerplay tally from Davis Polifka, set up by Frank Goodman and Truman Zerse, to take a 2-0 advantage into the first intermission. The second period saw the Cyclones continue their offensive push as Sean Hall notched a goal of his own, with assists coming from Mario Savino and Tucker Gretebeck. The Minnesota Wilderness managed to answer back quickly, when Ethan Jacobson scored off feeds from Jace Kampsula and Stratton Maas to cut the deficit. However, Wausau quickly regained their three-goal cushion when Jackson Maddock capitalized on a play set up by Jackson Schroeder and Mario Savino, making it 4-1 heading into the final frame. In the third, both defenses tightened up, resulting in a scoreless final twenty minutes. Despite the Wilderness's efforts to mount a comeback, the Cyclones held firm to earn the win. 

Alexandria 4 @ Minnesota M 5 (OT) - The Minnesota Moose protected home ice in thrilling fashion Saturday night, outlasting the Alexandria Blizzard in an overtime nail-biter. In a back-and-forth battle that required extra time, the Moose relied on late-game heroics to secure the hard-fought victory. In the first, Minnesota jumped out to an early lead. Mark Denoyer got the Moose on the board first, scoring off assists from Luca Salak and George Daravingas. Brady Johnson followed up shortly after with a tally of his own, set up by Will Burnevik and Carsen Gause, to push the lead to 2-0. However, the Blizzard responded late in the frame when Thomas Suckert capitalized on a power play with assists from Job Carpenter and Wyatt Mineheine to make it 2-1 heading into the intermission. The second period saw both teams trade blows. During the middle of the frame, Cullen Murray extended the Moose lead, assisted by Wyatt Hoepfl and Rory Kronick. The Blizzard refused to go away, as Caleb Waller found the back of the net off feeds from Grady Stallman and Christian Crutcher. Late in the period, Thomas Suckert notched his second of the night for Alexandria, assisted by Reece Hubmer and Job Carpenter, to even the score at 3-3. In the third, Alexandria took their first lead of the night during the middle of the period when Thomas Suckert completed his hat trick, set up by Quinten Friborg and Kaden Roness. Facing a late deficit, Minnesota responded in the final minutes of regulation when Mark Denoyer scored his second goal of the night off feeds from Charlie Marchand and Caleb Schwark to force overtime.The extra session didn't last long, as Charlie Marchand buried a power play goal early in overtime to clinch the victory for the Moose. George Ericson and Caleb Schwark provided the assists on the game-winning play.
 

St. Louis 1 @ Wisconsin 2 (OT) - The Wisconsin Woodsmen outlasted the St. Louis Jr. Blues in overtime, grinding out a 2–1 win in a tightly contested matchup. After a scoreless first period that saw Wisconsin control much of the pace, both teams found the net once in the second to head into intermission tied 1–1. The third period was a defensive battle, with neither side able to break through despite steady pressure, sending the game to overtime. Wisconsin capitalized in the extra frame,Ty Paulios netting the game-winner to secure the victory. The Woodsmen held a decisive 36–24 edge in shots on goal, while both teams were held scoreless on the power play. Strong goaltending and sustained pressure ultimately carried Wisconsin to the OT win.

Willmar 1 @ Granite City 6 - The Granite City Lumberjacks delivered a commanding performance from start to finish, overpowering the Willmar WarHawks 6–1. Willmar struck first in the opening period, but Granite City responded quickly with two goals of their own to take a 2–1 lead into the break. The Lumberjacks took full control in the second, pouring in three unanswered goals while limiting Willmar’s opportunities. Granite City added one more in the third to cap off the rout. The Lumberjacks dominated the shot clock 41–18 and capitalized twice on the power play, while Willmar went scoreless on six chances. The Jacks saw five players post multi-point nights, yet Ty Smith stole the spotlight as the only skater with two goals, his ninth multi-goal effort of the season.

Texas B 5 @ New Mexico 1 - The Texas Brahmas took control in the middle frame and never looked back, rolling to a convincing 5–1 win over the New Mexico Ice Wolves. After a scoreless first period, Texas broke through in the second, striking three times to seize full momentum while shutting down New Mexico’s offense. The Ice Wolves managed to get on the board in the third, but the Brahmas quickly answered with two more goals to put the game away. Despite being outshot 36–28, Texas made their chances count and converted once on the power play. New Mexico went 1-for-5 with the man advantage, but Texas’ efficient offense and strong defensive structure sealed the dominant road victory. Benjamin Humphreys and John Scharf set the pace on the scoresheet, both recording two-goal performances.

West Texas 1 @ El Paso 9 - From the opening puck drop, the El Paso Rhinos set the tone and never looked back in a dominant 9–1 victory over the West Texas Wranglers. Carter Lehmann, Parker Brinner, and Mikhail Levaniuk each turned in two-goal performances as the Rhinos controlled play throughout, outshooting West Texas 55–15 on the night. After holding the Wranglers scoreless in the first period, El Paso struck for three goals to take early command. The Rhinos continued to pour it on in the second with four more tallies while West Texas managed just one, then closed out the statement win by adding two additional goals in the third period to put the game well out of reach.

Yellowstone 4 @ Badlands 3 (OT) - The Yellowstone Quake visited the Badlands Sabres for a Friday night matchup. The Quake struck first on a power play goal by Dean Schlarman. Schlarman would score again five minutes later with just under two minutes in the first to take a 2-0 lead into the first intermission. In the second, the Quake would strike again with Carson Joersz finding twine for a 3-0 lead. Fifteen seconds later, the Sabres would strike back on a goal by Rhylan Olson. Olson would score again four minutes later to make it 3-2 for the Sabres. In the third, Gaven Marx would even the score up at 3 for the Sabres on the power play. Sixty minutes wasn’t enough for this one, and the game went to overtime. Despite being outshot 71-26, the Quake snuck away with the win for this one as Schlarman completed the hat trick for the game winner. Quake goaltender, Damen Baxter, saved 68 of 71 shots for an impressive 0.958 save percentage.

Great Falls 3 @ Bozeman 2 - The Great Falls Americans traveled to the Bozeman Icedogs for a Friday night matchup. The first period was a quiet one as neither team found the net. In the second, Andrew Kaunas broke the stalemate on the power play for the Icedogs half way through the period. The Americans would respond with just under two minutes remaining on a goal by Ethan Miller. In the third, three goals would be scored across both teams in the last three minutes to decide the outcome of this one. Miller would find the net once again with 2:44 left in regulation to take a 2-1 lead for the Americans. Kaunas would answer back shortly after, his second of the night, thirty seconds later to tie up the game with 2:11 remaining. Miller would complete the hat trick and prove to be the hero with just twenty seconds remaining in regulation for the Americans. The Americans take this one 3-2 over the Icedogs.

Gillette 1 @ Sheridan 5 - The Gillette Wild traveled to the Sheridan Hawks for a Friday night matchup. Donovan Balek scored the lone goal of the night for the Wild five minutes in. The Hawks would answer back five minutes later with Vincent Leaf finding twine. In the second, Easton Langemo would take the lead for the Hawks on the power play, 2-1. In the third, the Hawks would score three goals by Elijah Ferris, Max Krueger, and Jeff Slivon. A 5–1 win sends the Hawks into the Fraser Cup Playoffs. 

Helena 6 @ Butte 2 - The Helena Big Horns would travel to the Butte Irish for a Friday night matchup. Jacob Avgustovskiy would get the scoring started for the Irish five minutes into the game. In the second, it was all Big Horns as Braden Davis found the net twice and Austin Uecker once for a 3-1 lead. In the third, Uecker would strike again just ten seconds in on the power play. A minute later, Ty Schell would score on the power play for the 5-1 lead. Garrett Lindsey would add another for the Big Horns with 8:24 left in regulation. The Irish would answer back with three minutes left in regulation on a goal by Zach Bucholt, but it would not be enough. The Bighorns take this one 6-2 and officially clinch their spot in the 2026 Fraser Cup Playoffs.