Friday Brings the Noise

Photo Credit: Gary Marshall

Maine 1 @ Norwich 2 (SO) - This East Division matchup between the Maine Nordiques and Norwich Sea Captains stayed close until the very end. Norwich kept their scoring chances high, outshooting Maine 39-26. The Nordiques responded with expert goaltending and strong defense. Even though the Sea Captains were given five five powerplay opportunities during this match, the Nordiques had a strong penalty kill and kept the puck out of their net. The game was scoreless until the third period when the Nordiques struck first. Peyton Dyer scored Maine's lone goal, assisted by Brody Emond. Jake Wilkerson responded later in the third for Norwich, scoring with just 01:38 left in the period to keep the Sea Captains in the game. However, this game ultimately came down to a battle between goaltenders in a shootout. Peter Alfano was in net for Norwich. He faced three shots during the shootout, Alfano made two saves while the other shot missed the target. Josef Simon was in goal for Maine, turning away two shots before Henry Pinkerman scored Norwich's game winner. 

New Hampshire 7 @ New Jersey 1 - The New Hampshire Jr. Mountain Kings demonstrated a commanding performance against the New Jersey Jr. Titans on Friday night. The Jr. Mountain Kings controlled play early, outshooting their opponent in the first period and scoring twice. These first period goals came from Simon Langenegger and Anthony Ayala. Andrew Chandler and Jacob Landry continued New Hampshire's scoring streak into the middle frame. Jackson Dougherty then responded for New Jersey, scoring his twenty-first goal of the season. New Hampshire’s Tommy Titone capped off the second with just 01:14 left in the period. Nick Brophy scored early in the final twenty minutes before Ayala added his second tally of the game, New Hampshire’s final goal of the match. Jacob Sorensen was in net for the Jr. Mountain kings, turning away 28 shots to secure his team’s 7-1 victory. With this victory, New Hampshire has officially clinched a spot in the year’s Fraser Cup Playoffs. 

Bayou State 7 @ Atlanta 1 - The Bayou State Rougarou took on their Southeast Division rival, the Atlanta Capitals, on Friday night. Bayou State played a strong game, remaining in control of the match for the full 60 minutes. Brenden Flowers got the Rougarou on the board, scoring his first NAHL goal. Peyton Essex scored next later in the period, assisted by Ethan Tierman. Denis Portnoy capped off scoring for the first, giving Bayou State an early 3-0 lead. Bayou State’s Ethan Tierman scored next in the second, off the stick of Essex. Portnoy then scored his second goal of the night to finish off the second. Portnoy completed his hat trick in the third period with a powerplay goal. Ethan Wolgast scored the Capitals' lone goal, also on a powerplay, assisted by Quin Tyler and Caleb Crouch. Portnoy finished off the night with his fourth goal, sealing Bayou State’s win. This marked his second four-goal performance of the season. Jared Lang was in the crease for Bayou State, earning his ninth win of the season. 

Willmar 7 @ Peoria 1 - The Willmar WarHawks kicked off their weekend with an exciting road matchup against the Peoria Mustangs in a cross-divisional series.The WarHawks outshot their opponents, tallying a total of 50 shots on goal over the course of 60 minutes. Gabe Adams opened the scoring for Willmar with just 01:02 left on the clock in the first. WarHawks' Owen Amon scored next early in the middle, followed by Micah Sieben. Jett Wheeler then extended Willmar’s lead to 4-0 shortly after before Brendon Miller got Peoria on the board with a powerplay goal late in the period. Willmar’s Tanner Lozano opened the third by scoring off the stick of Kaiden Jackson. Wyatt Garvey added another tally for the WarHawks shortly after. Scoring for this match then ended the same way it started, with a goal from Adams. Adams capped off scoring with a powerplay goal, earning his seventeenth goal of the season. Jakub Stary was in net for the Mustangs, turning away 43 of the WarHawks' 50 shots. Sam Moen played between the pipes for Willmar, finishing the game with a .974 save percentage, making 37 saves to help secure this 7-1 win.

West Texas 6 @ Tulsa 2 - West Texas handled business, skating away with a 6–2 win over Tulsa on the road. West Texas wasted no time grabbing control as Caelen Cross got them rolling midway through the first, and just a few minutes later Charis Tonle buried a powerplay chance to double the lead. The Wranglers kept pouring it on in the second. Dustin Woodfin made it 3–0 early, Cross struck again soon after, and suddenly Tulsa was chasing the game. The Oilers showed some fight late in the period with goals from Luke Yahola and a Rodion Dubrovin powerplay marker, but the push didn’t last. West Texas shut the door in the third with goals from William Andegren and Zachary Polkes to seal it. Kole Kite was steady between the pipes, stopping 18 of 20, while Tulsa’s Jack Salverson was busy all night turning aside 29 of 35 shots. The Wranglers controlled the pace with a 35–20 shot advantage and cashed in twice on the powerplay, a strong, all-around effort led by Cross and Tonle.

El Paso 2 @ Texas B 5 - The Texas Brahmas picked up a 5–2 win over the El Paso Rhinos in a game that had plenty of early fireworks. El Paso actually struck first early in the opening frame, but the Brahmas answered almost immediately. John Scharf evened things up, and before the period ended Patrick Garvey flipped the momentum to Texas with the go-ahead goal. From there, the Brahmas kept rolling. Benjamin Humphreys added another in the second, and Xavier Othon stretched it to a three-goal cushion as Texas pulled firmly in control. The Rhinos managed to chip one back in the third, but Charlie Wilson iced it with an empty-netter. Gavin Erickson was sharp in net with 30 saves, while Jayani Benson had a big night setting up four goals. Texas carried the play most of the night, outshooting El Paso 38–32 and never really letting the lead slip once they grabbed it.

West Bend 7 @ Wausau 3 - The West Bend Power had a strong showing on the road, rolling past the Wausau Cyclones 7–3 behind a monster night from Danny Jurcich. Wausau opened the scoring late in the first, but the Power flipped the game on its head in the second period. Blake Kohnen started the surge on the powerplay, Jurcich followed soon after, and Jackson Hoem added another as West Bend suddenly grabbed full control. Elijah Von Gunten tried to keep the Cyclones in it with a pair of goals, but the Power never slowed down. Elias Holan and Quinn O’Connor extended the lead in the third before Jurcich capped off his hat trick to put it away. Sam Ahl was steady in net with 34 saves, while West Bend’s offense kept the pressure on all night, piling up chances and pulling away as the game went on.

Alexandria 5 @ Minnesota M 3 - The Alexandria Blizzard stormed back for a 5–3 win over the Minnesota Moose, and special teams played a massive role in the turnaround. Minnesota carried a 2–0 lead through the first two periods thanks to a pair of powerplay goals, putting Alexandria in a hole heading into the third. Chase Collings finally broke through early in the final frame to get the Blizzard on the board and spark the comeback, and that’s when everything flipped. After the Moose regained the lead, Alexandria erupted for back-to-back shorthanded goals, first from Wyatt Mineheine, then Thomas Foley, completely swinging the momentum. Collings later added an insurance marker to seal it. Between the powerplay goals and the pair of shorthanded daggers, special teams told the story as the Blizzard turned a deficit into a statement win.

Minnesota W 1 @ Granite City 8 - The Granite City Lumberjacks extended their win streak to six games and grabbed the top spot in the West Division with a dominant 8–1 win over the Minnesota Wilderness. Granite City came out flying. Garrett Plaude opened the scoring, and Ty Smith followed with back-to-back goals just over a minute apart to put the game firmly in their hands early. From there, the Lumberjacks never let up. Tyler Starich added a powerplay goal in the second, and the third period turned into a runaway, goals from Micah Saxon, Jackson Engberg, Jackson Bielenberg-Howarth, and another from Plaude piled onto the lead. Zach Price was sharp in net, stopping 24 of 25, while Granite City’s special teams stayed hot with two powerplay goals and a perfect penalty kill. It was a full-team performance and another statement win as the Lumberjacks continue to roll.

Great Falls 4 @ Helena 8 - The Helena Bighorns picked up a huge win at home in front of a packed building, taking down the Great Falls Americans 8–4 in a high-scoring battle. Blake Chapman led the charge with a hat trick, striking twice in the first, including a shorthanded opener, as Helena jumped out to control early. Ty Schell added another before the period ended to cap a strong start. Great Falls pushed back in the second with multiple goals to keep it interesting, but every time they got close the Bighorns answered. Chapman completed the hat trick and Mason Smith followed to keep the momentum on Helena’s side. The third period sealed it. Austin Tyler scored on the power play, Chase Berg added another, and an empty-netter from Braden Davis put the game away. Branson Appelman made 35 saves to anchor the win as Helena fed off the energy of the home crowd.

Badlands 4 @ Yellowstone 3 - The Badlands Sabres held off the Yellowstone Quake for a 4–3 win in front of a lively crowd. Carter Kilen opened the scoring for Badlands, but Yellowstone’s Shayne Smith quickly responded to make it 1–1. Rhylan Olson gave the Sabres the lead again, and they carried that 2–1 edge out of the first period. The back-and-forth continued in the second, with Carson Joersz and a powerplay goal from Wyatt Pink keeping the game tight. In the third, Dean Schlarman tied it once more, but Kilen’s second goal proved to be the game-winner, sending the Sabres home with a hard-fought victory.

Gillette 2 @ Butte 1 - The Gillette Wild pulled out a tight 2–1 win over the Butte Irish in a tense, back-and-forth matchup. Butte got on the board first with Jacob Avgustovskiy scoring in the opening period, giving the home fans an early boost. Gillette responded in the second when CJ Lang tied it up, setting the stage for a dramatic finish. The game-winner came in the third on a powerplay goal by Beau Delich, assisted by Brady McGinn, which proved to be the difference. Anton Widas was stellar in net for Gillette with 33 saves, while Dillon Zimmerman faced a heavy workload for Butte, stopping 36 shots. Special teams were key as Gillette capitalized when it mattered, while Butte couldn’t convert on four power-play chances. Avgustovskiy’s performance stood out for the Irish, but disciplined play and timely scoring carried the Wild to victory.

Carolina 5 @ Pelham 4 - The Carolina Rage pulled out a wild 5–4 win over the Pelham Prowlers in a thrilling back-and-forth matchup. After a scoreless first period, the second opened the floodgates. Tomas Kobela got the Rage on the board, and Carolina added two more to take a 3–0 lead before Marlon Derksen finally got Pelham on the board, making it 3–1 heading into the third. The third period was a rollercoaster. Pelham erupted with three goals to take a 4–3 lead with about 10 minutes left, putting the Rage in a tense spot. But Dawson Anderson stepped up, scoring back-to-back goals, including the game-winner with under three minutes remaining,  to snatch the victory for Carolina.