Drillers Stay Alive, Brahmas Punch Ticket — Both Advance to Fraser Cup Semis

Louisiana 6 @ Helena 0 - In a must-win game for both teams with a trip to the Fraser Cup semi-finals on the line, the Louisiana Drillers stepped up in a big way, shutting out the Helena Bighorns 6-0 to keep their title defense alive.

The Drillers wasted no time setting the tone, getting goals from Emerson Laroche, Brody Neish, and Logan Woods in the opening frame to take full control early. They kept the pressure on in the second, with Riley Schmidt adding to the lead before Woods buried his second of the night. Skyler Tompkins capped things off in the third to seal the dominant win.

Cole Schmidt was rock solid between the pipes, turning aside all 18 shots he faced for the shutout, while the Drillers’ defense held strong, killing off all five Bighorns power plays.

With the win, the defending champions are moving on to the semi-finals, one step closer to a repeat, powered by a big night from Brody Neish, who led the way offensively.

Long Beach 3 @ Texas B 6 - The Texas Brahmas punched their ticket to the Fraser Cup semi-finals with a 6-3 win over the Long Beach Sharks, using a huge special teams performance to take control of the game.

Long Beach struck first, but the Brahmas answered right back as John Scharf evened things up before Jason Fatta gave Texas the lead less than a minute later to close out the first period.

The game really turned in the second. After the Sharks tied it on the power play, Benjamin Humphreys flipped the momentum with a shorthanded goal — and then did it again not long after. John Scharf followed with another shorthanded tally as Texas took over, scoring three times while down a man.

Joshua Reaska added an insurance marker in the third, and while Long Beach grabbed one back late, it wasn’t enough to slow down Texas.

Jacob Brumm came up solid in net with 21 saves, and the Brahmas’ penalty kill made the difference, capitalizing on chances and shutting the door when it mattered.

With the win, Texas is headed to the semi-finals, looking to build on their championship history from 2019 behind big performances from Benjamin Humphreys and John Scharf.