Drillers, Grizzlies, and Bighorns Advance; Lumberjacks Force Game 3

Photo Credit: Gary Marshall

Texas R 0 @ Louisiana 12 - The Drillers rolled past the Texas RoadRunners 12-0 at Planet Ice Arena, punching their ticket to St. Louis for the third straight year. Last year they took home the championship, and this dominant performance shows they’re ready to defend their crown. Lucas Dyer led the charge with a hat-trick, including the opening goal, while Brody Neish, Dante Zaffarano, Trent Laroche, Carter Gnau, and others kept the scoreboard buzzing. Cole Schmidt was untouchable in net, stopping all 13 shots for a shutout as Louisiana peppered Texas with 53 shots. Every part of the team contributed, from flawless penalty killing to relentless offensive pressure. With this win, the Drillers not only claim the division but send a statement: they’re coming back to St. Louis, hungry to repeat as Fraser Cup champions.

Rochester 3 @ West Bend 2 - Rochester flipped the script when it mattered most. After dropping the regular season series 7-1 to West Bend, the Grizzlies came into the Division Finals as the underdogs, but delivered when it counted, skating away with a gritty 3-2 win to claim the Central Division title and punch their ticket to the Fraser Cup. The Grizz struck fast in the second period, with Ole Fevold opening the scoring before Dominic Arndt doubled the lead less than two minutes later. Trenton Fore kept the momentum rolling, burying what would stand as the game-winner during a dominant stretch that put West Bend on its heels. The Power pushed back late with goals from Michael Maillette and Shaun Paulson, but Rochester held firm down the stretch. Goaltender Nick Kurtiak came up clutch with 26 saves, shutting the door when it mattered most. From underdogs to champions, the Grizzlies are headed to the Fraser Cup.

Granite City 4 @ Alexandria 1 - After their loss to the Alexandria Blizzard the night before, the Granite City Lumberjacks came back to Runestone Community Center on Saturday ready for a rematch. The Lumberjacks struck first. Jackson Engberg was quick to get Granite City on the board, scoring in the first two minutes of play. Micah Saxon added another point for Granite City in the second period, assisted by Baylor Stebbins and Ty Smith. Dillan Smidt scored his first of the postseason, and the Blizzard's lone goal, of the match in the middle frame. Smidt was assisted by teammates Jack Johnson and Ole Svangstu. Smith then scored a goal of his own for Granite City on one of four Lumberjacks power plays in this match. Lumberjacks' Drew Thompson made the score 4-1 with a final tally in the third period to end the match. Nathan Mach earned his third win of this Lumberjacks' playoff run, bouncing back from the loss on Friday night. Mach stood tall with 28 saves, slamming the door on the Blizzard and forcing a decisive Game 3 with the West Division title on the line.

Helena 5 @ Sheridan 4 - The Helena Bighorns have claimed the Frontier Division crown after a third straight tight battle with the Sheridan Hawks, punching their ticket to a fifth consecutive Fraser Cup appearance. Just like Friday night’s game, the Hawks really made the Bighorns work for this win. Sheridan maintained consistent offensive pressure against Helena in the first and second period, only being outshot by the Bighorns 35-33. Austin Uecker scored first for Helena in the opening period before Jeff Slivon responded for the Hawks in the second, scoring his third and fourth goals of the postseason. Slivon first struck on the power play, assisted by Vincent Leaf and Dantae Hunziker. Slivon's second goal was scored shortly after, also off the stick of Hunziker. Chase Berg then evened the score for Helena to end the middle frame. Leaf opened the final 20 minutes, returning the lead to Sheridan temporarily before Tyler Parsons would even the score again shortly after. Ty Schell added the Bighorn's fourth tally of the night later in the period before Austin Tyler netted a power-play goal to give the Bighorns some extra insurance. Hunziker finished the match with one last goal for the Hawks, making the final score 5-4. Andrew Blake was between the pipes for the Bighorns, making 29 saves to help secure his team the title of Frontier Division champions.