Friday Finals: Sheridan Secures Shutout Victory

Norwich 1 @ Maine 4 - The Maine Nordiques earned a solid 4-1 victory over the Norwich Sea Captains in East Division play. Maine struck first in the opening period, then took full control in the second with three unanswered goals to build a commanding 4-0 lead. Norwich managed to score once in the third but could not overcome the deficit despite firing 52 shots on goal compared to Maine’s 26. The Nordiques’ goaltender was outstanding, turning aside 51 of 52 shots faced. Special teams also played a role, with Maine converting once on five power-play chances, while Norwich went 0-for-6. Both teams remain with more losses than wins, but are looking to even out their record over the next few games.

New Hampshire 4 @ Buzz 2 - The New Hampshire Jr. Mountain Kings powered past the Buzz for a 4-2 road win, leaning on another multi-goal night from forward Talon Schackman and a strong 42-shot offensive showing. Schackman buried the eventual game-winner early in the second period, then added an unassisted insurance goal late in the third to seal the victory. New Hampshire set the tone early, striking twice in the first six minutes as Jacob Landry and Andrew Chandler put the Kings ahead 2-0 before the Buzz could settle in. Keegan Elliott answered for the home side midway through the frame, but it was the only offense the Buzz could muster until the third. The Mountain Kings dictated the pace from start to finish, outshooting the Buzz 42–28, including a commanding 15–8 margin in the opening period. Special teams played a factor in the late stages, with the Buzz converting once on the power play when Ilya Baldin found the net midway through the third, but New Hampshire’s even-strength play was simply too much to handle. Goaltender Risdon Baynard-Fernhall stood tall with 26 saves in the win, while Dalton Elliott stopped 38 in a busy night for the Buzz crease. Anthony Ayala collected two assists, Noah Levesque and Simon Langenegger added helpers, and Landry continued his hot scoring pace with his team-leading 11th of the season. New Hampshire’s deep attack and consistent pressure extended their momentum, while the Buzz will look to regroup after falling behind early and spending most of the night chasing the game.

Bayou State 2 @ Louisiana 14  - The Louisiana Drillers erupted for a dominant 14-2 victory over the Bayou State Rougarou, overwhelming their in-state rivals with a relentless 68-shot assault and a flurry of multi-point performances. Brody Neish and Brayden Pelcl led the offensive avalanche, combining for nine points as the Drillers scored five goals in each of the opening two periods before cruising through the third. The rout began early, with Louisiana lighting the lamp five times in the first 12 minutes — including tallies from Neish, Emerson Laroche, Matthew Killen, and Dylan Crossley. The Drillers showed no signs of slowing down, adding five more in the second frame, highlighted by power-play markers from Carter Tymchak and Neish, who completed a first-period brace and finished with at least three goals on the night. Bayou State broke through midway through the second when Landen Crall netted his first of the season, assisted by Nathan Daniels, and Peyton Essex added an unassisted goal late in the third — but those were small bright spots in an otherwise lopsided contest. The Drillers’ attack stayed hot in the final period with goals from Skyler Tompkins, Zachary Marsell, Pelcl, and Cohen Palmer to cap the scoring. Cole Schmidt earned the win in net with 13 saves, while Rougarou goaltenders Jared Lang and Owen Anderson combined for 54 stops under heavy pressure. Louisiana’s depth was on full display, as Neish, Pelcl, Bates, and Slotka all posted multi-point nights, and the power play clicked twice. The Drillers controlled the game from start to finish, outshooting Bayou State 68–15 and showing why they remain one of the league’s most explosive offensive teams.

Atlanta 2 @ Carolina 16 - The Carolina Rage delivered a staggering offensive showcase on home ice, dismantling the Atlanta Capitals 16-2 behind a seven-goal first period and a jaw-dropping 76–30 shot advantage. Tobin Tuzinsky and Reece Beckwith led the onslaught with five-point performances, while James Parnell fueled the attack with a team-best six assists in the blowout win. Carolina wasted no time setting the tone, lighting the lamp seven times in the opening frame. Beckwith, Gavriel Reyes, Rocco Watson, Roman Brown, and Teagan Gardner all found the back of the net, while Tuzinsky’s first of two goals stood up as the game-winner just five minutes in. Atlanta’s lone first-period highlight came from Jaylen Fluhr, who scored unassisted to briefly cut into the deficit before the Rage poured it on again. The offensive surge continued in the second period as Anderson Cornwell and Brown added to the tally, with Aiden Feeley scoring unassisted for Atlanta’s second and final goal. By the midpoint of the game, Carolina had already reached double digits, showing no mercy as the shots piled up. The Rage kept the pressure on in the third, striking five more times — including two power-play goals from Beckwith and another pair from Tuzinsky to complete his hat trick. Connor Kelly and Parker Greenway also joined in the scoring, capping off a complete team effort that saw nearly every skater record a point. Goaltender Jake Northrop was steady when called upon, turning aside 28 shots for the win, while Atlanta’s Maxwell Pelton faced an unrelenting barrage from start to finish. Carolina’s balanced, high-octane offense overwhelmed Atlanta in every facet of the game, combining lethal puck movement, special teams execution, and relentless pressure to secure one of the season’s most dominant victories.

Pelham 2 @ Texas R 8 - The Texas RoadRunners rolled to an emphatic 8–2 victory over the Pelham Prowlers, powered by another monster outing from Wyatt Mineheine and Lucas Dyer, who combined for seven points in a 53-shot offensive barrage. Mineheine notched a four-point night, while Dyer scored twice—including the power-play game-winner late in the first—to lead the RoadRunners to their fifth straight home win. Texas seized control early despite an opening goal from Pelham’s Marlon Derksen, who scored his 20th of the year midway through the first. The RoadRunners quickly answered with a short-handed goal from Mineheine and another from Vincent Campbell, then added a late power-play strike from Dyer with 14 seconds left to take a 3–1 lead into the break. The second period saw the RoadRunners continue to pour it on, adding three more tallies—highlighted by Mineheine’s second of the game and power-play goals from Joseph Izzo and William Heskett. Derksen briefly provided a spark for Pelham with his second of the night, but the Prowlers never threatened as Texas maintained relentless offensive pressure. Dyer and Mineheine each struck again in the third to seal the rout, with Izzo and Heskett adding assists as the RoadRunners’ top unit continued to dominate both at even strength and on special teams. Calum Hartner turned aside 23 shots for the win, while Pelham’s Garrett Ambrose faced a heavy workload, stopping 45 in the loss. Texas finished 3-for-6 on the power play and added two short-handed goals in a complete team effort. With balanced scoring, airtight puck movement, and a relentless forecheck, the RoadRunners overwhelmed Pelham from start to finish.

Minnesota M 8 @ Minnesota W 2 -  In a battle of the Minnesota teams, the Moose came out on top with a dominant 8-2 win over the Wilderness. The Moose got off to a hot start, outshooting their opponent 18 to 6 in the first period. In that period, they found the back of the net six times, including one on the power play. Shots were almost even in both the second and third, but the Moose were able to take advantage better, coming away with an extra two goals. The Wilderness were never competitive for the full 60 minutes and were outmatched in every aspect of the game. The Moose improve to a 9-4 record, continuing their strong start to the season, while the Wilderness fall to 2-10. They will be looking to bounce back in their next game tomorrow.

West Texas 0 @ Texas B 7 - In the Battle of Texas teams, the Texas Brahmas come out with a huge 7-0 win, remaining undefeated. The Brahmas outshot their opponent in all three periods, scoring seven goals during the game. Caden Michael's performance stood out as he was responsible for two of the goals. Brahmas goaltender Gavin Erickson earned the shutout, stopping all 24 shots he faced. The winners improved to 11-0, maintaining their undefeated status.

Willmar 5 @ Mason City 4 (OT) - The Willmar Warhawks pulled off an exciting 5–4 overtime win against the Mason City Toros. Willmar opened with an early lead in the first and added two more in the second to go up 3–1. The Toros mounted a strong comeback in the third, scoring three times to even the game at 4–4 and force overtime. Despite being outshot 45–39, the Warhawks capitalized when it mattered most, netting the game-winner in OT to secure their second victory of the season. Mason City scored once on two power-play opportunities, while Willmar stayed disciplined with no penalties resulting in power plays. This win was a huge upset for the Warhawks, who look to carry over that success into tomorrow’s game.

Rochester 8 @ Wisconsin 1 - The Rochester Grizzlies dominate the Wisconsin Woodsmen in an 8-1 win. The Grizzlies set the tone early in the first period, erupting for four goals compared to the Woodsmen's single tally. They maintained a strong offensive presence throughout the game, outshooting the home team 37-22. Rochester's balanced attack saw them add two goals in both the second and third periods, while their defense shut out the Woodsmen for the final 40 minutes of play. Special teams were also a factor, with the Grizzlies capitalizing on two of their four power-play opportunities, while the Woodsmen failed to convert on all four of their power plays. This huge win adds to the success of the Grizzlies this season, while the Woodsmen continue to struggle.

Granite City 6 @ Alexandria 3 - The Lumberjacks head to play the Blizzard for the third time this season on Friday night. The contest kicked off with Alexandria’s Caleb Waller finding the back of the net first at the 18:26 minute mark in the first frame. Following shortly behind him, the Lumberjacks responded when Emmet Reiter tallied his first goal of the season. Granite City extended its lead with two more goals in the first period when Easton Sankey found the back of the net twice to give his team a 3-1 lead. However, a minute following Sankey’s goal, Alexandria’s Blake Breiland scored his ninth goal of the season, to tighten up the matchup 3-2 heading into the middle period. Both teams traded chances in the second period; however, Alexandria was able to even the scoreboard when Easton Schmit scored an unassisted goal. The matchup is tied 3-3 heading into the final 20 minutes, and the Lumberjacks had their 10-game win streak on the line. Granite City tallied three goals in the final frame to secure a 6-3 victory. Vince Murn lights up the scoreboard first at the 10:57 minute mark. Two minutes later, Ty Smith adds to the lead with a goal of his own. Finally, with less than two minutes on the clock, Garrett Plaude finds the back of the net and helps secure Granite City's win streak. 

Butte 1 @ Badlands 5 - The first period kicked off with Rhylan Olson finding the back of the net for the Sabres at the 12:42 minute mark. The contest moves into the second frame, and that is where the offensive production was featured. Kicking things off in the middle frame, Justin Reams tallies a goal for Badland at the 11:35 minute mark. Less than four minutes later, the Irish were able to cut the Sabres’ lead in half with a goal by Loghan Weber. However, that would be the only goal of the night for Butte. The Sabres went on to find the back of the net three more times in the final five minutes of the period, thanks to Oliver Giles, Rhyland Olson, and Gaven Marx. The final frame featured both teams trading chances; however, it ended scoreless for the third period. The Sabres secure a 5-1 victory on home ice.

Helena 3 @ Yellowstone 0 - The Bighorns continue their dominance in the Frontier Division on the road against Yellowstone. No scoring took place in the first frame, with both teams trading chances. Heading into the second period, Helena’s Lincoln Kearney tallied the first goal of the contest to give the Bighorns the lead heading into the final 20 minutes. At the 14:26 minute mark in the third, Caden Feinstein doubled the Bighorns' lead with his second goal of the season. In the final four minutes of the contest, Clink Isakson finds the back of the net to give Helena a 3-0 edge over Yellowstone. Between the pipes for the Bighorns, Nathan McAlpine secures his first shutout of the season in a 24-save fashion. 

Great Falls 4 @ Gillette 1 -  The Americans head to Spirit Arena to face off with the Gillette Wild on Friday night. The game initially kicked off scoreless until Gillette’s John Vail tallied a power-play goal at the 39-second mark in the first frame. However, Great Falls takes over the scoresheet from that moment forward. In the second period, AJ Prioli finds the back of the net on the man advantage for Great Falls, and then less than five minutes later, Cooper Clouse extends the Americans' lead to 2-1. Heading into the final frame, Clouse notches his second goal of the night at the 11:38 minute mark. In the final minute of the frame, the Americans scored again, thanks to Jaxen Savage notching a goal with 41 seconds on the clock. Between the pipes for the Americans, Kaden Rhyder stopped 21 out of 22 shots on net.

Bozeman 0 @ Sheridan 3 - The Sheridan Hawks secured a shutout victory over the Bozeman Icedogs at home on Friday night. The matchup kicked off with Logan Sidkauskas finding the back of the net at the 13:33 minute mark in the first frame for the Hawks. Heading into the second period, Jameson Clark tallies his eighth goal of the season when he shows up on the scoresheet at the 13:29 minute mark. Finally, in the third period, Sheridan veteran, Vincent Leaf, tallies his 16th goal of the year, this one on the power play for the Hawks. Sheridan’s netminder, TJ Wonnacott, secures his first shutout of the season with a 23-save performance.