Saturday’s Showdowns: Epic Comebacks and History-Making Moments

Photo Credit: Bulldog Photography

Maine 5 @ New Hampshire 4 (OT) - The Maine Nordiques pulled off a thrilling 5–4 overtime victory over the New Hampshire Jr. Mountain Kings in a back-and-forth contest. Both teams traded goals early, finishing the opening period tied 2–2, but Maine slowly gained momentum as the game progressed. Gavin Gleghorn scored twice for Maine, helping the Nordiques take the lead in the second and carry it into the third. New Hampshire rallied with two goals, including two from Tommy Titone, to briefly surge ahead, but Maine answered late to force overtime. In the extra frame, Jaxson Sardinha delivered the decisive goal to seal the comeback victory. The game featured a physical edge, particularly from New Hampshire, who racked up 43 penalty minutes. Despite being outshot 37–26, the Jr. Mountain Kings’ offensive efforts, led by Titone, weren’t enough to overcome Maine’s resilience and the overtime heroics of Sardinha.

Buzz 4 @ Long Beach 7 - The Long Beach Sharks used a dominant second period to power past the Buzz 7–4, heavily controlling the shot battle 58–36. After the teams traded goals in the first period, Long Beach erupted for four goals in the second to seize control of the game. The Sharks’ offense was led by Eli McCarthy, who recorded two goals and an assist, and Gustav Martinsson, who also tallied two goals, fueling the team’s scoring surge. The Buzz tried to keep pace with three goals across the second and third periods, but Long Beach’s relentless offensive pressure proved too much to overcome. The Sharks capped the win with two more goals in the final frame, securing the high-scoring victory in front of a strong offensive showing that generated nearly 60 shots on goal.

Norwich 3 @ New Jersey 1 - The Norwich Sea Captains delivered a strong road performance, defeating the New Jersey Titans 3–1 while outshooting them 56–43. Norwich set the tone early with a first-period goal and steadily built their lead with another in the second before adding insurance in the third. The Titans managed to break through late, but Norwich goaltender Brady Davis was outstanding, stopping 42 of 43 shots for a stellar .977 save percentage. Despite a strong effort from Titans netminder Landon Bullock, who made 53 saves, the Sea Captains’ relentless offensive pressure and Davis’s steady play between the pipes secured the win.

St. Louis 2 @ Rochester 4 - The Rochester Grizzlies used a balanced offensive effort to defeat the St. Louis Jr. Blues 4–2 while edging them in shots 26–19. Both teams scored in the opening period, but Rochester gained the upper hand in the second with two goals to take the lead. St. Louis cut the deficit with a power-play tally, but the Grizzlies added an insurance goal in the third to secure the win. Andrew Bastian, Julian Mollerstrandh, and Brett Ludvigsen all found the back of the net for Rochester as the Grizzlies capitalized on key chances and held off a late push from the Jr. Blues in a physical, penalty-filled contest.

Louisiana 8 @ Texas R 0 - The Louisiana Drillers delivered a dominant performance, overwhelming the Texas RoadRunners 8–0 while firing an astonishing 72 shots on goal compared to Texas’ 11. Louisiana wasted no time asserting control, scoring three goals in both the first and second periods before adding two more in the third to complete the blowout. Brody Neish and Loghan Weber each scored twice to lead the offensive outburst, while Lucas Dyer also contributed to the scoring effort. The Drillers also capitalized on the power play, going 2-for-3, and their defense completely stifled the RoadRunners’ offense in a one-sided victory that showcased Louisiana’s league-best form.

Carolina 9 @ Pelham 0 - The Carolina Rage continued their win streak over Pelham for the final weekend of the 3-Show’s regular season, picking up a shutout from a 9-0 score. Reece Beckwith delivered a hammer in the first by scoring two goals in six minutes. Seconds later, Anderson Cornwell buried one through the pocket to make it three-nothing. And moments following, Garett Kocon capped off the first with a ripper. Early in the middle frame, Cornwell grabbed another to keep the unaddressed lead going for the Rage. A couple minutes in, Beckwith scored his natural hat-trick to extend the lead to a touchdown of goals of six. At 4:10, Tomas Kobela netted one top frame. In the third, Nik Morrel tucked one in a minute in. Moments later, Kobela grabbed another to call it a night in Pelham. 

Texas B 14 @ Tulsa 3 - In the first period, James Ingle was first to light the lamp for Texas. Shortly after, Tyler Conrad joined in. A single second left on the board, Alek Jelisejevs snuck one by after Ingle bounced the rebound. Now for the second, the Brahmas went on a tear and put six on the board. Jason Fatta got it started, while Titan Horton and Jayani Benson followed. Two minutes after scoring three, Alex Elsner broke ice for Tulsa and put a goal on the scoresheet. Regardless, Charlie Wilson quickly responded for Texas. But a minute later, the Oilers answered right back, as Luke Yahola ripped one blocker side. With three minutes left to play, Conrad fed Josh Reaska. And 49 seconds before the second horn, Jason Fatta grabbed his tenth of the year. Ten seconds in the final frame and right off the draw, Elsner took matters into his own hands to wrist one through and pick up his second of the night. However, quickly following, Benson and Pat Garvey answered to make it 11-3. At 14:37, John Scharf scored a pair 37 seconds apart. Then several minutes after that, Fatta finished the night with a natural hat-trick 

Mason City 2 @ Willmar 6 - The Mason City Toros grabbed the home victory Saturday night over the Willmar Warhawks by a score of 6-2. In a fantastic offensive display, the Warhawks were able to bounce back after a tough loss the previous night. In the first, the scoring surge began as Parker Lycke found the back of the net off a feed from Dylan Mees. Willmar quickly added to their advantage when Kaiden Jackson buried a chance following assists from Max Jackson and Elliot Domagala. The momentum continued to swing in favor of the home team as Tanner Lozano notched a goal set up by Hayden Stensrud. Before the first intermission, Elliot Domagala extended the lead even further, scoring off a pass from Max Jackson. In the second period, the Warhawks showed no signs of slowing down, as Kaiden Jackson struck for his second goal of the night with help from Elliot Domagala and Max Jackson. The Mason City Toros finally found some offensive rhythm, breaking the shutout with a goal from Elias Schutt assisted by Kellen Kantaris and T.J. Gibson. The Toros then managed to narrow the gap further when Connor Pirsig beat the keeper following feeds from Weston Bohlman and Elijah Elmer. However, Willmar regained complete control before the end of the frame, as Gabe Adams fired home a goal off an assist from Dylan Mees to make it a 6-2 game. Following a scoreless third period where both defenses locked down, the Warhawks walked away with a convincing victory. In net for the Warhawks, Sam Moen turned away 44 shots for his team, securing their 18th win for the season.

Minnesota W 2 @ Alexandria 7 - Both Caleb Waller and Jo Carpenter continued their point-making streaks against Minnesota this weekend, as Waller opened the scoring in the first with Carpenter joining the party just minutes later. With the goal, Waller also etched his name into the Blizzard record books, setting the organization’s single-season scoring record and the career goals record. Entering the second, Waller struck again to extend the lead before Antony Eertmoed got Minnesota on the board. But with just seven seconds left before the buzzer, Reece Hubmer capitalized on an offensive-zone turnover while short-handed to cap off the frame. Into the third, the Blizzard kept the momentum rolling as Grady Stallman, Caleb Waller, and Blake Breiland added to the tally. Though with just 42 seconds left in regulation, Cory Backstrom recorded the final goal of the night for the Wilderness.

Peoria 5 @ Wausau 6 - In the first period, Nathan Pleva struck first for the Mustangs, after Brendon Miller delivered a silky-smooth pass. Two minutes later, Brady Babcock followed by scoring his first of the season. 14 seconds after, however, and the Cyclones broke the ice and responded, as Mario Savino was the recipient. Likewise, Pleva answered back just a few minutes later. In the second, however, the Cyclones took control by notching a pair. Maksim Salienko got that started late in the middle frame, as Elijiah Von Gunten joined in shortly after. 18 seconds after the centre ice draw, Jackson Schroeder kept the momentum going for the Cyclones. A couple minutes after that, he put another one in the back of the net. But Owen Gruden responded just a few minutes later to offer the Mustangs some breathing room. However, not even 30 seconds after doing that, Elji Hofmann responded. Likewise, Gruden took no exception and answered right back to put Peoria within one. However, the Cyclones managed to fend off the Mustangs for the rest of the three-minute time frame, and therefore took the game on home turf. 

Granite City 6 @ Minnesota M 3 - Five minutes into the first, Ty Smith opened the scoring for Granite City. Then ten minutes later, the Moose responded to tie the game, when Will Burnevik broke the ice with a tip in from Gavin Jensen initial playmaker. From the second, both teams went head-on with a heated exchange of scoring. Three minutes in, Micah Saxon broke the tie for Granite City. Then the Moose quickly responded, as Charlie Marchand buried the rebound from George Daravingas. A minute later, Mark Denoyer kept the momentum going. But the  Lumberjacks bounced right back to answer, when Baylor Stebbins pocketed one to tie it up. And Granite City broke that tie to take the lead ten minutes after, as that was done by Garret Plaude. The Lumberjacks went right back to work in the final frame, as Stebbins got his second of the night. And to close it off, Tyler Starich snapped one in to call it a night. 

Austin 5 @ West Texas 3 - The Austin Ice Bats flexed their offensive muscle in a thrilling 5-3 road victory over the West Texas Wranglers. It was a back-and-forth affair that kept the crowd on edge until the final buzzer, with both squads trading momentum throughout the night. Jax Edgerton drew first blood for the visitors in the opening frame, capitalizing on setups from Luke Fowler and Mason Manderfield to give the Ice Bats the early lead. The offense stayed hot in the second as Jake Bamback found the back of the net, thanks to precise feeds from Matthieu LeBlanc and Caden Barnhill. West Texas fought back before the middle break when Zachary Polkes converted a chance off assists from William Andegren and Gunnar Vick to keep the deficit at one. The final period turned into a frantic showcase of skill. Nathan Zane brought the Wranglers closer with a goal set up by Gavin Brown and Dustin Woodfin. Not to be outdone, Jake Bamback struck again for Austin, this time aided by Guhnar Hillman and Owen Rattray. While Gavin Brown pulled West Texas back within reach off feeds from Nathan Zane and Dustin Woodfin, Austin’s late-game surge proved insurmountable. Ethan Salter widened the gap with a goal assisted by Owen Rattray, and Jake Bamback put the game on ice with a spectacular unassisted effort to complete his hat trick in the closing minute. Between the pipes, Gavin Morris delivered a steady performance for the Ice Bats, turning away 21 shots to backstop his team to victory.

West Bend 6 @ Wisconsin 2 - The West Bend Power continued their dominant run through the Central Division, cruising to a 6-2 road victory over the Wisconsin Woodsmen to secure an incredible 41st win of the season. West Bend set the tempo immediately in the first period, as Nolan Mix opened the scoring off assists from Mason Wanka and Shaun Paulson. The Power quickly doubled their advantage before the first intermission when Michael Maillette found the back of the net, set up by Evan Burchardt and Tristan Hearley. After a scoreless second period where both defenses stood tall, the floodgates opened in the final frame. The Woodsmen managed a brief push with two quick goals from Josh Kauppinen and Ty Paulios to tie up the score, but West Bend responded with a relentless offensive surge to pull away. Mason Wanka reclaimed the momentum for the Power with a goal assisted by Nathan Antti and Nolan Mix, followed shortly by a shorthanded tally from Mix to push the lead to 4-2. Jackson Hoem and Jace Fitzgerald added two more late goals, with assists coming from Paulson, Antti, Andrew Sparacino, and Blake Kohnen, to finalize the commanding 6-2 scoreline. In net, Sam Ahl provided a steady presence for West Bend, turning away 30 shots to frustrate the Woodsmen's attack throughout the night.

New Mexico 0 @ El Paso 2 - The El Paso Rhinos continued their surge through the South Division on Saturday night, stifling the New Mexico Ice Wolves in a 2-0 shutout victory. In a battle where every inch of ice was contested, prioritizing defense over everything. The Rhinos established an early advantage in the opening frame when Marek Gallenberger found the back of the net, capitalizing on a feed from Huero Rivera to give El Paso a 1-0 lead. Following that early strike, the contest turned into a defensive stalemate as both sides locked down. A scoreless second period saw the Ice Wolves mount several opportunities, but they were unable to find a crack in the net. The tension remained high deep into the final frame until Carter Lehmann iced the game with an empty-net goal, assisted by Aldiyar Irik, to secure the result. The goaltending duel was a highlight of the evening, with El Paso’s Brayden Macko turning away all 31 shots faced to keep the Ice Wolves off the board entirely. New Mexico’s netminder was equally impressive, recording 31 saves in a valiant effort that kept his team within striking distance until the final seconds. With the victory, the El Paso Rhinos notched their 29th win of the year, securing the third seed in the playoffs. They will officially face the Ice Bats in round one, setting up what promises to be an intense opening series.

Badlands 2 @ Gillette 4 - The Wild would try to bounce back against the Badlands Sabres on Saturday after their Friday night loss. The first period was a quiet one as no scoring occurred. In the second, Matthew Cordis would break the stalemate at 16:57 for the Sabres to take a 1-0 lead. The Wild would proceed to answer back with three goals in the last seven minutes of the second. Goals credited to Donovan Balek, Brady Mcginn, and Dylan Crossley. The Wild took a 3-1 lead into the final frame. The Sabres would add another goal by Rhylan Olson to cut the deficit, 3-2. The Wild would seal the win with an empty netter with eleven seconds left, taking the game 4-2.

Butte 0 @ Great Falls 8 - The Americans looked to bounce back from an overtime loss Friday night against the Irish. Great Falls did just that, putting together a dominant performance and outshooting Butte 76–26. Ethan Miller would score the lone goal for the Americans on the powerplay in the first, 1-0. In the second, the Americans would add two more powerplay goals plus an even strength one to take a 4-0 lead into the second intermission. In the third, four more goals were added by the Americans by Colton Bacon, Reid Lezubski, EJ Sanchez, and Jase Troyer. The Americans would skate away with this one 8-0 and avenge their loss the previous night. Great Falls goaltender Kaden Rhyder would be credited with the shutout, his second of the season. 

Bozeman 5 @ Helena 6 - After a big 10–5 win the previous night for the Bighorns, the Icedogs looked to avenge that loss on Saturday. In the first period, Jace Griffin opened the scoring for the Icedogs just four minutes in. The Bighorns responded late in the period with a goal from Ty Schell to even things at 1–1. The Icedogs would strike twice more before the intermission, taking a 3–1 lead into the second. In the middle frame, the Icedogs added two more goals from Avery Martin and Lex Steckelberg to extend their lead to 5–1 heading into the final period. But in front of a sold-out crowd, the Bighorns mounted a stunning comeback. With just six minutes remaining in regulation, they erupted for five unanswered goals, completely flipping the game on its head. The surge culminated with the go-ahead goal with just forty-nine seconds left on the clock, sealing an incredible 6–5 victory. The comeback win completed the weekend sweep for the Bighorns in dramatic fashion.

Yellowstone 1 @ Sheridan 5 - The Hawks looked to add another tally to the win column after defeating the Quake the previous night, and with the victory would secure the #1 seed in the Frontier Division heading into the playoffs. Sheridan got on the board late in the first period as Jameson Clark struck with just six seconds remaining to give the Hawks the early lead. In the second, the Hawks pulled away with two more goals from Dante Hunziker and Ernie Allen, extending the lead to 3–0. The Quake spoiled the shutout just 15 seconds into the third period when Dean Schlarman found the back of the net, making it 3–1. Sheridan quickly regained control, adding two more goals from Jeff Slivon and Clark to seal the 5–1 victory. In net, Otto Reinhart was stellar, stopping 28 of 29 shots for a .966 save percentage.