Saturday Scores: West Bend Powers Themselves to the Top of the Central Division Standings

Photo: Elyja Parker

Texas R 11 @ Bayou State 1 - Monroe Civic Center. The RoadRunners wasted no time with Wyatt Mineheine scoring at the 18:53 mark to give Texas the early lead. Bayou State was held to one shot in the period with Lucas Dyer adding a second tally, to give the RoadRunners the 2-0 lead heading into the second. The RoadRunners would waste no time in the second, with Lucas Dyer adding his second of the game at the 17:46 mark. Texas’ Wyatt Mineheine would add his second of the game just minutes later on the power play. The RoadRunners would go on to control the second period with goals scored by William Heskett, Jayden Hitt, and Mineheine. Mineheine secured his hat trick with that tally in the second period. Ethan Tierman of the Rougarou would stop the strong offensive force with a goal of their own to bring the game to 7-1. Michael Garrett of the RoadRunners would add a late tally before the end of the period to finish the frame 8-1. The RoadRunners wasted no time adding to their goal total with Lucas Dyer earning his hat trick with a power-play tally. Less than two minutes later, Michael Garett would score his 15th of the season. To finish the game, Lucas Dyer would score his fourth goal of the game short-handed, giving the RoadRunners a decisive 11-1 victory. 

Long Beach 2 @ Buzz 0 - After a back-and-forth matchup from the night before, the Sharks and Buzz set up for another exciting contest. The first period featured back-and-forth action with  neither team gaining an edge. Will Zinner of the Sharks would turn away nine shots, and Dalton Elliott of the Buzz would turn away nine shots, bringing the game 0-0 headed into the second. The game would continue with back-and-forth chances until Jack Plummer of the Sharks would score on the power play, assisted by Brendan Dalton and James Steinberg. The Sharks would end the period up by one goal, setting up for an exciting third period. The Buzz would fight for a scoring opportunity, but Long Beach’s Will Zinnen would stand tall with just under a minute left in the period. The Sharks’ Jack Plummer would add his second of the game to bring the game to 2-0. Plummer scored both goals in the victory, and Zinnen earned a 27-save shutout.

Louisiana 10 @ Carolina 0 - The undefeated Drillers look to continue their streak against the Rage with their second matchup of the weekend. Less than two minutes into the game, the Drillers and Brayden Pelcl would score to give them the early 1-0 lead. Less than 30 seconds later, Brody Hass would add another to bring the game to 2-0. The Drillers would go on to add four more goals in the period. Carter Gnau, Dayton Ruppel, Brayden Pelcl, and William Dyker would score to bring the end of the first period 6-0. Louisiana’s Cole Schmidt would not have much action, turning away all six shots he faced in the period. Starting the second period, the Rage looked to get on the board early, but Carter Gnau would add his second of the game just 13 seconds into the period. The period would stay 7-0 with the Drillers still controlling play throughout the game. The third period would be no different, with Carter Gnau scoring his hat-trick goal on the power play, assisted by Zachary Marsell and Isaac Erickson. Matthew Killen and Emerson Laroche would add two more goals to the Drillers' total, bringing the final score to 10-0 and continuing the Drillers' streak to 12 wins in a row. Cole Schmidt would also earn the shutout for the Drillers, while Kole Roth and Derek Strong split time for the Rage.

Peoria 5 @ Minnesota W 6 - The Minnesota Wilderness defeated the Peoria Mustangs in their second matchup of the weekend at Hippodrome. Minnesota got on the board first with a goal from Brant Tiedman in the opening frame, but Peoria quickly responded with an unassisted goal by Brendon Miller. Zacary Norberg gave the Wilderness the lead to wrap up the first. Rory Kronick kicked off scoring in the middle frame with his unassisted power-play goal, extending Minnesota’s lead. Nick Martin found the back of the net for Peoria, but Kronick and Norberg each notched another in for the Wilderness to end the second. The Mustangs found more momentum in the final frame as Nathan Pleva, Wyatt Duke, and Miller earned a point apiece in less than three minutes to tie up the contest. Job Carpenter scored the game-winning point for Minnesota with an unassisted goal with less than a minute left in the matchup. It was a productive night in net for both squads, with Peoria’s Charlie Maquet earning 39 saves, and Liam Fish defending Minnesota’s win with 43 saves.

New Jersey 3 @ Norwich 0 - The East Division was set up for another exciting matchup between the fifth-place Norwich Seas Captains and the sixth-place New Jersey Titans. Both teams started off hot, trading chances back and forth. Jackson Dougherty of the Titans would score his sixth goal of the season on the power play to give them the early 1-0 lead. The second period would be a goaltender performance with both goalies turning away all shots. Tony Shaw of the Titans turned away 18 shots in the period, and Brady Davis of the Sea Captains turned away nine shots. Early into the third period, Jackson Dougherty would add another tally while short-handed to give the Titans a 2-0 lead. The Sea Captains attempted to crawl back into the game, but Tony Shaw continued to keep the door shut. Nicholas Carey would score his first goal of the season with just under 30 seconds left in the game, giving the Titans a 3-0 win. 

New Mexico 2 @ Austin 3 (SO) - The Austin Ice Bats entered Saturday night’s matchup looking to earn a home series split. New Mexico struck first as Brock Seeger threaded a pass to Callahan Butler, who broke through the middle and buried the opening goal, giving the Ice Wolves a 1-0 lead to close out the first period. Austin answered early in the second. Georgii Tokarskii put the Ice Bats on the board, finishing a setup from Garrett Morris and Mason Manderfield to tie the game. However, New Mexico regained the lead late in the frame when Callahan Butler tallied his second point of the night, converting on a feed from Tanner Ross and Brock Seeger after a strong cycle at the top of the circle. The Ice Wolves took a 2-1 advantage into the third. Austin battled back to force overtime. Jake Bamback worked the puck down low to Gunnar Hillman, whose shot from a sharp angle created a rebound for Matthieu LeBlanc to bury, knotting the game at 2–2. After a scoreless overtime, the game headed to a shootout. Paul Wiese delivered the decisive goal, securing the 3-2 win and the series split for the Ice Bats. Between the pipes, Joshua Middleton was outstanding for New Mexico, turning aside 52 shots in a strong performance. However, Tyler White stopped 22 shots for Austin to earn the win.

Mason City 6 @ Alexandria 2 - The Mason City Toros entered Saturday night looking to split the weekend series, but it was Alexandria who struck first. Midway through the opening period, Easton Schmit found Blake Breiland at the point, and Breiland fired a shot, followed up his own rebound, and buried it to give the Blizzard a 1-0 lead after one. Mason City responded with a strong second period, netting three goals to take control. T.J. Gibson battled for the puck along the boards and moved it to Jason Williams, who found Christian Plaga in the slot for the wraparound finish to tie the game. Just minutes later, Luke Gustafson scored off a setup from Stone Resch and Carter Bollinger to make it 2-1. The Toros extended the lead before the intermission when Weston Bohlman converted, assisted by Plaga and Mason Buchanan, sending the game into the third up 3-1. The Toros continued to roll in the final frame. Resch opened the scoring in the third with help from Gustafson and Kellen Kantaris. Gibson followed soon after, with Caleb Kallemyn and Plaga picking up the assists to push the lead to 5–1. Alexandria chipped one back when Breiland fired from the blue line, and Landyn Randt tipped it in front to make it 5-2. But Mason City sealed the night as Gustafson added his second of the game, assisted again by Resch and Kantaris. Jayden Seren saved 24 for the Alexandria Blizzard, while Ty Tanton stopped 40 shots to earn the win for the Mason City Toros.

Willmar 3 @ Minnesota M 4 -The first period was full of action. The Willmar WarHawks opened the scoring when Elliot Domagala forced a turnover down low and fired the puck into the Minnesota net. The Moose responded with back-to-back goals. First, Wyatt Hoepfl worked the puck to Brady Johnson behind the net, who quickly found Will Burnevik in the slot for the finish. Moments later, Hoepfl got on the board himself, burying a setup from Hunter Rappel to make it 2-1 Minnesota. Willmar answered before the period ended, as Aidan Callaghan redirected a shot from the point by Owen Amon, tying the game 2-2. But with time winding down in the opening frame, Brady Johnson struck to restore the Moose lead, assisted by Wyatt Hoepfl and Will Burnevik. Minnesota held a 3-2 lead after a wild first twenty minutes. The Moose extended their advantage in the second period when Will Cymbaluk found the back of the net, making it 4-2 heading into the third. The WarHawks made a late push in the final period. Jaiken Mackedanz slid a pass to Carson Wendorff in front, who buried it to pull Willmar within one. However, the comeback fell just short, and the Minnesota Moose held on for a 4-3 win. Sam Moen finished with 37 saves for the Willmar Warhawks, while Easton Lemke stopped 32 shots in the win for the Minnesota Moose.

Rochester 6 @ Wisconsin 4 - The Rochester Grizzlies defeated the Wisconsin Woodsmen 6-4 last night at Tomah Ice Center. The Grizzlies got on the board first with a goal scored by Mason Decker in the opening frame. Ty Paulios responded with a point for the Woodsmen four minutes later, but Rochester’s Briggs Knott found the back of the net to give the Grizzlies the early lead. The Grizzlies extended their lead in the second with Decker notching his second goal at the 15:49 minute mark. A minute and a half later, Rochester strikes again with Baylor Stebbins extending the Grizzlies' lead to 4-1. However, the offensive production did not end there. Decker tallies his third goal of the night, notching his third hat trick this season. Wisconsin’s Ethan Foiles wrapped up the second with a goal to end the period down by three. The Woodsmen tried to come back in the third with Maxim Lazo and Payton Raymond each finding the back of the net, but Ole Fevold secured the victory for Rochester with another point to give them the 6-4 victory. Callum Keating defended the Grizzlies in net with 20 saves for the night, and Wisconsin’s Lleyton Jascke had 17 saves.​

Wausau 0 @ West Bend 4 - The West Bend Power claimed their spot at the top of the Central Division standings with an exciting 4-0 shutout win against the Wausau Cyclones at Kettle Moraine Ice Center. After a quiet opening frame, the Power got on the board to open the second with a goal scored by Grant Schiable. Armani Fisher kicked off a productive third period for West Bend with his goal from a pass by Shiable, and ten seconds later Evan Burchardt found the back of the net to extend their lead. Fisher notched another one in to end the contest with a four-point lead for the Power. Peter Burke was the star of tonight’s matchup, as he defended West Bend with 29 saves in net. Tanner Bonjernoor had a productive night between the pipes with 38 saves for Wausau.

Tulsa 1 @ El Paso 11 - El Paso entered the second game of the weekend series looking to repeat the dominant performance from the night before. The Rhinos came out firing, netting five goals in the opening 20 minutes. Carter Lehmann kicked off the scoring with an unassisted tally. Moments later, Carter Tuplin and Ethan McKnight extended the lead to 3-0. Kenneth Cadwallader added to the onslaught, finishing a play set up by Lehmann and Tuplin, before Mikhail Levaniuk closed out the high-scoring frame with a goal assisted by Andre Valenzuela. El Paso led 5-0 after one. Tulsa got on the board early in the second when Rodion Dubrovin scored the Oilers’ lone goal of the night. The Rhinos quickly answered back as Levaniuk netted his second of the game, and Parker Brinner followed up to send El Paso into the third period with a commanding 7-1 lead. El Paso continued the pressure in the final frame, adding four more goals. Cadwallader struck first, with Brinner and Aldiyar Irik picking up assists. Donovan Bradford joined the scoring shortly after, and Carter Lehmann buried his second of the night. Cadwallader capped off the dominant performance, scoring just before the final horn to secure the 11-1 victory. Jack Salverson and Derek Hetland combined for 39 saves for the Tulsa Oilers, while Nathan Graybill stopped 13 shots to earn the win for the El Paso Rhinos.

Badlands 3 @ Helena 9 - The Helena Bighorns bounced back after their Friday night loss in a dominant win against the Badlands Sabres. The Sabres opened the scoring with a goal from Dayton Niedert, but Helena’s Chase Berg answered quickly. Niedert struck again late in the first to give the Badlands a 2-1 lead. The rest of this game was a battle between special teams and the Bighorns are a team that will absolutely capitalize on a power play. The Sabres extended their lead into the second with a short-handed goal from Rhylan Olson, but Helena responded with six consecutive power-play goals, Austin Uecker being responsible for three of them. The others came from Cal Kellenberg, Ty Schell, and Breck Buettner. Schell added his second of the night in the third before Bryer Lang finished the game for Helena with another power-play goal to make the final score 9-3.

Yellowstone 1 @ Great Falls 7 -The Great Falls Americans got their second win of the weekend against the Yellowstone Quake, who were also coming off a win against the Bozeman Ice Dogs from the night before. The Americans controlled this game from start to finish, outshooting the Quake in every period and finishing with a 52-26 advantage in shots on goal. AJ Prioli got the Americans started with a goal in the first, followed by a goal from Fisher Hannesson. Ethan Miller took over from there, scoring another to finish the period and adding two more in the second frame. Gavin Denis opened the scoring in the third before Miller, hungry for a fourth, capped off the night with a power-play goal. Miller has had an exceptional season with the Americans so far, having tallied 11 points over the course of three games. Shayne Smith, assisted by Carson Joersz, scored Yellowstone’s lone goal of the night with two minutes and 15 seconds remaining. However, it was still Great Falls that came out on top with a strong 7-1 win.

Gillette 6 @ Bozeman 3 - The Gillette Wild got a fiery start with four consecutive goals, two each from Riley Schmidt and Joshua Sauro, to take early control against the Bozeman Ice Dogs. Bozeman got on the board with a goal by Andrew Kaunas before Ole Svangstu scored another for Gillette with eight seconds left in the first. Michael Reich, assisted by Devin Bruns, got the next goal for Bozeman to chip away at the Wild’s lead entering the final 20 minutes. Lex Steckelberg added Bozeman’s third of the night before Schmidt completed his hat trick to seal the win for Gillette. Austin Trieber manned the crease for the Wild, making a total of 42 saves.

Sheridan 5 @ Butte 2 - The Butte Irish hosted the Sheridan Hawks in a lively Saturday night matchup. Andrew James put the Irish on the board early, finding the back of Sheridan’s net less than a minute into the first period. In the second period, Jameson Clark and Jeff Slivon scored for Sheridan before Bryce Hodges netted his first of the season for Butte. Max Krueger restored Sheridan’s lead with two back-to-back goals in the final twenty minutes before Vincent Leaf capped off the night. Both teams generated plenty of scoring chances, the Hawks outshot the Irish 49-40, but it was Sheridan’s strong effort in the third that secured the 5-2 win.