Rangers skate to win on Day 3

The Marquette Rangers picked up their first win of the season with a 6-2 triumph over the Southern Minnesota Express on the third day of the NAHL Showcase Tournament at the Schwan Super Rink in Blaine, Minn.

“It feels good to get our first win under our belt, that’s for sure,” said Rangers head coach Kenny Miller.  “We worked hard tonight and it paid off.  It was a good all-around effort for us.”

Collin Saint-Onge rang up a hat trick in the victory, with James Gallagher connecting for the game-winner.  Goaltender Kevin Kissaw made 28 saves for the Rangers.

“We’re looking forward to finishing the Showcase off strong,” said Miller. “We know we have a lot of work ahead of us, but we’re excited about our team and our potential.”

The Robertson Cup champion St. Louis Bandits picked up their first win of the season with a 2-1 decision over the Wenatchee Wild.  Grant Gorczyca and Brian Sheehan (game-winner) scored the St. Louis goals, and netminder Keith Kincaid made 17 saves.

The Alaska Avalanche upped its record to 2-1 with a 5-2 win over the U.S. Under-17 Team.  Tyler Currier struck for two goals for the Avs, including the game-winner, with Alex Young adding a goal and an assist.   Austin Maginnis turned aside 22 shots between the pipes.

Four different players scored for Alpena as the IceDiggers doubled up the Kenai River Brown Bears, 4-2.  John Fritsche tallied the game-winning marker, while goaltender Nate Pellegrino stopped 18 shots.

The Springfield Jr. Blues improved to 2-1 with a 4-3 shootout win over the Mahoning Valley Phantoms.  Jon Gaffney put home a goal and an assist for Springfield, and netminder Matt Wichorek made 36 saves in regulation and was 4-for-4 in the shootout.

It took a nine-round shootout for the Traverse City North Stars to knock off the Bismarck Bobcats, 3-2.  David Johnstone scored in regulation and in the shootout for Traverse City, with Eric O’Hearn and Tyler Stephens (shootout) connecting for the other TC goals. In net, Brandon Stephenson made 33 saves in regulation and 8-of-9 in the shootout.

Victor Karlsson rang up two goals and two assists and Kyle Delaurell added two goals as the Wichita Falls Wildcats improved to 3-0 with a 6-1 triumph over the Albert Lea Thunder.  Between the pipes, Mike Jarboe turned aside 26 shots.

Lyle Rocker stopped all 22 shots as the Topeka RoadRunners blanked the North Iowa Outlaws, 3-0.  Three different players scored for Topeka, with Colin Smith recording the game-winner.

The Motor City Machine took down the Fairbanks, 3-2.  Kevin Bechard scored the game-tying and game-winning goals for the Machine, with Joseph Phillippi turning back 44 shots between the pipes. 

Brandon Bahnemann rang up a hat trick, including the game-winning marker, as the Alexandria Blizzard downed the U.S. Under-18 Team, 5-2.  Jerry Freismuth added a goal and two assists and goaltender Ryan Leets made 25 saves.