Saturday Delivers Across the League

Photo Credit: Tony Haas

Carolina 7 @ Pelham 6 - Coming off the win against the Pelham Prowlers the night before, the Carolina Rage came back to the ice ready for another. Both teams brought strong offensive efforts to this match, and the Rage only outshot the Prowlers 32-30. Carolina scored first, Dawson Anderson got the Rage on the board early before Marlon Derksen responded for the Prowlers later in the period. Calorina's Anderson Cornwell did not let these teams stay tied for long, scoring another to give the Rage a 2-1 lead at the end of the period. Pelham's Matthew Hunter opened the scoring in the middle frame, scoring twice before Derksen added his second goal of the night to give the Prowlers the lead entering the final twenty minutes. Carolina's Tomas Kobela scored first in the third, tallying his second goal of the season. Cornwell then notched his second of the night before Kobela added another for the Rage. Derksen then added two more goals, giving himself a total of four for the night, and giving the Prowlers a 6-5 lead. However, the Rage were not finished. Garett Kocon added another tie the match up before Reece Beckwith scored with just four seconds on the clock, securing a win for the Rage.

Maine 1 @ Norwich 3 - The Norwich Sea Captains earned their second win of the weekend in another close match with the Maine Nordiques. After a scoreless first, Tristan Lalonde struck for the Sea Captains to open the middle frame. Jaxson Sardinha answered back late in the period for Maine with a power-play goal. Jake Wilkerson responded on the same penalty, scoring one for Norwich while they were short-handed. Henry Pinkerman added another for the Sea Captains in the third to make the final score 3-1. Peter Alfano was in net again for Norwich on Saturday, earning third star of the game, and making 36 saves for the Sea Captains. 

Minnesota M 3 @ Mason City 1 - The Minnesota Moose picked up a win on the road facing off with the Mason City Toros at Mason City Arena on Saturday night. The Moose got on the board first, Wyatt Hoepfl scored on the first powerplay opportunity of the afternoon. Mason Buchanan then netted one late in the first to tie the score 1-1 at the end of the period. Luca Salak scored the lone goal of the second period, assisted by Brady Johnson. Charlie Marchand then added extra insurance for the Moose in the third. Assisted by Mark Denoyer, Marchand scored his twenty-first goal of the season. Dawson Desjardins was between the pipes for Minnesota, turning away 25 of 26 shots from the Toros. 

New Hampshire 1 @ New Jersey 4 - The New Jersey Titans made a comeback on Saturday when they hosted the New Hampshire Jr. Mountain Kings. After falling to the Mountain Kings the night prior, the Titans were ready to earn a win for the home crowd on Saturday night. New Jersey played a fiery game, outshooting their opponent each period.  New Jersey's Mikhail Mishin scored first, assisted by Yosef Pievsky, earning the lone goal of the opening period. Ivan Korshikov extended New Jersey's lead in the second, scoring an early goal in the middle frame assisted by Mishin and Pievsky. Pievsky, assisted by Mishin, scored his sixteenth goal of the season to start the third period. Ben Carolla got the Jr. Mountain Kings got on the board in the third, scoring his second goal of the season. Dewight Singleton capped off the scoring, tallying New Jersey’s final goal of the evening in the third. Landon Bullock was in the crease for the Titans, making 18 saves to earn his first win in the NA3HL.

West Texas 5 @ Tulsa 2 - The West Texas Wranglers used a strong second period and a dominant finish to defeat the Tulsa Oilers 5–2 on the road in a South Division matchup. Coming into the game, West Texas looked to build momentum in the standings, while Tulsa aimed to snap a lengthy losing streak. Tulsa opened the scoring in the first period as Alexander Elsner netted his 9th goal of the season to give the Oilers a 1–0 lead. In the second period, Morgan Baclift extended the Tulsa lead with his first goal of the season, putting the Oilers up 2–0. However, the Wranglers responded quickly, as Antonio Galliano got West Texas on the board before Dustin Woodfin tied the game later in the period to shift momentum heading into the third. West Texas took full control in the final frame. William Andegren scored his 15th goal of the season to give the Wranglers their first lead of the night. With Tulsa pressing late, West Texas capitalized with two empty-net goals from Gunnar Vick and Zachary Polkes to seal the victory. In goal, Garret Lant was solid for the Wranglers, stopping 22 of 24 shots to secure the win.

Willmar 7 @ Peoria 4 - The Willmar WarHawks used consistent scoring across all three periods to defeat the Peoria Mustangs 7–4 on the road in a cross-divisional matchup. The opening period was fast-paced and high-scoring, featuring four total goals. Dylan Mees got Willmar on the board first, but Peoria responded with a power-play goal from Hayden Gray. Lucas Thelen restored the WarHawks lead with a power-play tally of his own before Nathan Pleva evened the score for the Mustangs, sending the game into the first intermission tied 2–2. Willmar began to pull ahead in the second period. Lucas Thelen netted his second goal of the night to give the WarHawks the lead, but Breyon Maroney answered for Peoria to keep things close. Gabe Adams then scored on the powerplay to give Willmar a 4–3 advantage heading into the third. In the final period, the WarHawks took control. Kaiden Jackson and Micah Sieben added goals to extend the lead, while Maroney scored his second of the game for Peoria to try to keep pace. However, Gabe Adams sealed the win with an empty-net goal, his second tally of the night. 

Bayou State 5 @ Atlanta 2 - The Bayou State Rougarou responded after a slow start with a dominant middle frame to defeat the Atlanta Capitals 5–2 on the road in a Southeast Division matchup. Both teams entered the game near the bottom of the standings, looking to build momentum. Atlanta came out strong in the first period, as Jaylen Fluhr scored twice to give the Capitals an early 2–0 lead and control of the game. However, the momentum quickly shifted in the second period as Bayou State erupted offensively. Ethan Tierman led the charge with a hat trick, including a power-play goal, to tie and then give the Rougarou the lead. Denis Portnoy added another goal in the frame, capping off a four-goal period and giving Bayou a 4–2 advantage heading into the third. In the final period, Peyton Essex added an insurance goal to seal the victory for the Rougarou. In goal, Jared Lang earned the win with a solid performance, stopping 23 of 25 shots. On the other end, Devin Diller was under constant pressure but stood tall, making 50 saves on 55 shots despite the loss. 

El Paso 2 @ Texas B 6 - The Texas Brahmas delivered a dominant performance from start to finish, defeating the El Paso Rhinos 6–2 at home in a South Division showdown. Entering the game as one of the league’s top teams, Texas continued to assert its dominance, while El Paso looked to challenge one of the division’s best. Texas wasted no time taking control in the first period. Patrick Garvey opened the scoring early and later added a power-play goal, giving the Brahmas a quick 2–0 lead. Tyler Conrad followed with another tally to cap off a strong opening frame and put Texas ahead 3–0. The Brahmas extended their lead in the second period with another offensive surge. John Scharf scored his 24th goal of the season before Benjamin Humphreys added his 21st. Scharf struck again late in the period with a shorthanded goal, giving Texas a commanding 6–0 lead heading into the final period. El Paso showed some pushback in the third period, as Carter Lehmann netted his 31st goal of the season and Donovan Bradford added another, but the deficit proved too large to overcome. In goal, Gavin Erickson was solid for Texas, making 26 saves to secure the win. The game’s three stars were Erickson (3rd star, 26 saves), Patrick Garvey (2nd star, 2 goals), and John Scharf (1st star, 2 goals). The victory strengthens Texas’s position atop the South Division, while El Paso looks to regroup after being overpowered on the road.

Minnesota W 3 @ Granite City 8 - The Granite City Lumberjacks put on an offensive clinic, cruising to a 8–3 victory over the Minnesota Wilderness in a West Division matchup. Entering the game as one of the division’s top teams, Granite City reinforced its dominance, while Minnesota continued to battle through a difficult stretch. Granite City came out firing in the first period, overwhelming Minnesota with four unanswered goals. Baylor Stebbins opened the scoring and later added another in the frame, while Garrett Plaude scored both a power-play and a shorthanded goal to give the Lumberjacks a commanding 4–0 lead after one. In the second period, Ethan Glimme got Minnesota on the board, but Granite City quickly responded. Stebbins completed his hat trick, and Ty Smith added another goal to extend the lead to 6–1 heading into the third. The Lumberjacks kept the pressure on in the final period. Jackson Engberg scored early in the frame, and Jackson Bielenberg-Howarth added another later on. Minnesota showed some fight with goals from Anthony Eertmoed on the power play and a second tally from Glimme, but the outcome was never in doubt. Granite City’s top players led the way in a dominant performance. The three stars of the game were Jackson Engberg (3rd star, 1 goal and 3 assists), Ty Smith (2nd star, 1 goal and 4 assists), and Baylor Stebbins (1st star, 3 goals and 1 assist). The win strengthens Granite City’s hold near the top of the West Division, while Minnesota continues to search for consistency.

Rochester 4 @ St. Louis 1 - The Rochester Grizzlies picked up a strong road win Sunday, defeating the St. Louis Jr. Blues by a final score of 4–1. The Grizzlies opened the scoring late in the first period with the lone goal of the period. Trenton Fore capitalized on a clean defense-to-defense pass at the blue line from Mason Decker and fired the puck into the back of the net to give Rochester a 1–0 lead heading into the second. The Grizzlies carried that momentum into the middle period, striking early as Decker found the back of the net off assists from Ludvigsen and Andrew Bastian to extend the lead to 2–0. The St. Louis Jr. Blues responded when Eric Denny created an opportunity that led to Rece Sanderson finishing the play, cutting the deficit to 2–1. Rochester answered later in the period, however, as Fore netted his second goal of the night with helpers from Arneson and Felix Wadstromer, sending the game into the third with a 3–1 Grizzlies advantage. In the final seconds, Ole Fevold sealed the win with an empty-net goal assisted by Tevin Stukel.

Wausau 0 @ West Bend 4 - The first period featured fast-paced, back-and-forth action as both teams generated scoring chances, but neither side was able to capitalize, sending the game into the second period scoreless. West Bend broke through midway through the second period when Nathan Antti set up Mason Wanka, who quickly moved the puck to Michael Maillette. Maillette buried the shot deep in the Cyclones’ net to open the scoring. Jace Fitzgerald added to the momentum later in the period, finishing off a strong offensive push with a goal assisted by Danny Jurcich and Blake Kohnen to give the Power a 2–0 lead heading into the third. The Power carried that energy into the final frame. Kohnen found the back of the net with assists from Andrew Sparacino and Quinn O’Connor, extending the lead to 3–0. In the final seconds, Jackson Hoem capped off the night with a power-play goal, assisted by Shaun Paulson and Nolan Mix, sealing a 4–0 victory for West Bend.

Badlands 6 @ Yellowstone 2 - The Badlands Sabres opened the scoring when Dayton Niedert found the back of the net off assists from Oliver Giles and Ethan Seanor. Cole Schneider followed with another goal, extending the lead to 2–0 with Kyyaan Jahner earning the helper. The Yellowstone Quake responded before the end of the period as Shayne Smith scored with assists from Cameron Beaver and Dean Schlarman, sending the game into the second period with Badlands ahead 2–1. The Sabres took control in the second period. Rhylan Olson netted the game-winning goal, with Maddox Harn and Gaven Marx picking up assists. Just under a minute later, Nicklas Bacskai extended the lead to 4–1, again with Jahner contributing on the helper. Yellowstone struck early in the third period as Chance Bryson scored, assisted by Schlarman and Carson Joersz, but Badlands quickly responded. Matthew Cordis restored the three-goal cushion midway through the frame with help from Carter Kilen. Niedert then capped the night with his second goal, finishing a setup from Kilen and Harn.

Gillette 6 @ Butte 3 - The Gillette Wild jumped out to an early lead in the first period when Levi Ness finished a setup from Beau Delich to make it 1–0. Elijah Gilbertson quickly followed with another tally, assisted by Joshua Sauro, sending Gillette into the second period with a 2–0 advantage. Butte got on the board early in the middle frame as Jack Whitelaw scored off assists from Keegan Adams and Bryce Hodges. The Wild responded soon after, with Sauro finding the back of the net on a feed from Rocco Corl to restore the two-goal cushion. The teams continued to trade chances, and Whitelaw added his second of the night with an unassisted effort. Gillette answered once more as Aiden Schake scored with helpers from CJ Lang and Caden Graham to make it 4–2. Brady McGinn capped off the period with an unassisted goal, giving the Wild a 5–2 lead heading into the third. In the final period, the Irish struck early as Andrew James scored with an assist from Bryce Hodges. The Wild sealed the game in the closing minutes when Dylan Crossley scored into an empty net from the far side of the ice, securing a 6–3 victory for Gillette.