Saturday Scores: El Paso Dominates Over Austin

New Hampshire 4 @ Buzz 1 - The New Hampshire Jr. Mountain Kings continued their strong run of form with a convincing 4–1 road win over the Buzz, powered by a pair of first-period strikes and a balanced special teams effort. New Hampshire wasted no time taking control, jumping ahead just 1:22 into the contest when Jacob Landry notched his team-leading 12th of the season off a setup from Noah Levesque. The Kings doubled their lead late in the opening frame as Sedrick Swygert Jr. capitalized on a power play at 15:56, burying his seventh of the year from Anthony Ayala to make it 2–0. The visitors kept their foot on the gas in the second period, adding two more goals to put the game out of reach. Ayala got on the scoresheet himself with a power-play marker just 44 seconds into the frame, assisted by Andrew Chandler, before Matej Dvorsky extended the advantage to 4–0 late in the period, converting a feed from Simon Langenegger. The Buzz finally broke through midway through the third on a power-play tally from Tannan Nenninger, assisted by Andrew Jazwin and Yaromir Chicherin, but that would be their only offense of the night. Goaltender Jacob Sorensen earned the win for New Hampshire with 30 saves on 31 shots, while Dalton Elliott faced a heavy workload at the other end, turning aside 34 of 38 in the loss. The Mountain Kings outshot the Buzz 38–31, including a dominant 15–9 margin in the second period, and their special teams made the difference — converting twice on the power play while holding the Buzz to a single late marker. Ayala led the way with a goal and an assist, while Landry, Dvorsky, and Swygert each found the net in a deep, balanced effort. New Hampshire stayed composed and in control from start to finish, extending their momentum and silencing the Buzz on home ice.

Atlanta 5 @ Carolina 7 - The Carolina Rage outgunned the Atlanta Capitals in a wild, high-scoring affair on the road, skating away with a 7–5 win in a game dominated by offense and relentless shot pressure. Carolina poured on 78 shots to Atlanta’s 30, with standout performances from Tobin Tuzinsky and Reece Beckwith leading the way. The first period set the tone for the night, as both teams traded early blows. Roman Brown and Tuzinsky struck for Carolina, while Jaylen Fluhr got Atlanta on the board midway through the frame. Carolina’s offensive depth showed early, taking a 2–1 lead after 20 minutes and outshooting the Capitals 24–7. The second period turned into a back-and-forth sprint. The Rage extended their lead on goals from Gavriel Reyes, Connor Kelly, and James Parnell, each set up by the dynamic Tuzinsky–Beckwith connection. Atlanta refused to go quietly, answering with goals from Gage Kraus and Cooper Lundberg, both assisted by Hatcher Horton, who had a strong night quarterbacking the offense. Carolina carried a 5–3 lead into the third after continuing to control possession with an 18–16 shot advantage in the middle frame. The third period featured more fireworks as the Capitals rallied again. Fluhr notched his second of the night early in the frame to pull Atlanta within one, but Rocco Watson responded just 19 seconds later with the eventual game-winner, finishing off a crisp passing play from Parnell and Tuzinsky. Carolina added insurance with just seven seconds left as Beckwith buried his second of the game — and sixth point of the night — to seal the 7–5 victory. Carolina’s offense was relentless from start to finish, led by Tuzinsky’s five-point night (1G, 4A) and Beckwith’s six-point explosion (2G, 4A), while Parnell chipped in a goal and two assists. Goaltender Derek Strong earned the win with 25 saves despite limited support at times, and Brayton Levesque battled valiantly in the Atlanta crease, facing an incredible 78 shots. For the Capitals, Fluhr and Horton were bright spots, each posting multi-point nights, but the relentless Carolina attack proved too much. The Rage’s speed and sustained pressure kept Atlanta pinned for much of the night, securing an emphatic road win in a game that showcased both teams’ offensive firepower.

Bayou State 0 @ Louisiana 13 - The Louisiana Drillers put on an offensive masterclass at home, overwhelming the Bayou State Rougarou in a 13–0 rout that showcased total domination from start to finish. The Drillers fired a staggering 80 shots on goal while holding the Rougarou to just four, cruising to one of their most lopsided wins of the season. The tone was set early as Brody Neish continued his red-hot scoring streak, netting a first-period hat trick and setting up another to power Louisiana to a 4–0 lead after one. Neish scored midway through the opening frame and added two more before intermission, with Brayden Pelcl and Jack Slotka each contributing multiple helpers in the opening surge. The onslaught continued in the second period as the Drillers pumped in five more goals from all corners of the lineup. Emerson Laroche struck twice — including one on the power play — while Skyler Tompkins, William Dyker, and Carter Gnau each added tallies of their own. Neish remained at the center of it all, recording his fourth point of the night, while Pelcl and Braden Bates kept the puck moving on an electric Drillers power play that went 3-for-3 in the frame. Louisiana never took its foot off the gas in the third, tacking on four more to complete the rout. Neish opened the period with his fourth goal and sixth point, followed by markers from Slotka, Gnau, and Laroche — his second of the game and third of the night’s multipoint efforts. Goaltender Cole Schmidt faced minimal work but stayed sharp, stopping all four shots he saw to record the shutout. For Bayou State, the night was defined by frustration and a struggle to generate any sustained offense. Louisiana’s 80–4 shot advantage underscored just how one-sided the contest was as the Drillers rolled to a statement win and another commanding divisional performance.

Wausau 2 @ St. Louis 4 - The Cyclones head to the Afton Ice Rink to take on the St. Louis Jr Blues for a Saturday night game. The contest kicked off with Wausau showing up on the scoresheet first, thanks to a tally by Zachary Pagel at the 4:46-minute mark in the first frame. As the matchup moved into the second period, the Cyclones struck again, and this time early into the period. Alec Mellon found the back of the net with a goal at the 17:51 minute mark. However, the Jr. Blues got to work on the offensive side of the puck. Caden Lindley scored a goal two and a half minutes following Mellon’s tally to cut the Cyclones' lead in half. Shortly behind him, Lonnie Land finds the back of the net to even up the contest 2-2. Six minutes later, August Feldker finds the back of the net for the first time this season, to give St. Louis the lead. As the game moves into the final 20 minutes, Feldker scores his second goal of the year to double the Jr. Blues' lead. St. Louis’ netminder, Travis Visvadra, turned away 35 out of 37 shots to secure the win in the blue paint.

Long Beach 2 @ Norwich 1 - The Sharks faced off with the Norwich Sea Captains for a Saturday night tight contest. The matchup kicked off with Long Beach’s Jack Baker tallying a goal at the 9:28 minute mark in the first frame. Before the first period finished, the Sea Captains evened the contest thanks to an unassisted goal by Lukas Sobczak. Moving into the second frame, the Sharks quickly lit the lamp with Gustav Martinsson finding the back of the net at the 18:28 minute mark. The final period was scoreless, securing the Sharks a 2-1 road victory. Will Zinnen secures a win in the blue paint with a 31-save performance for Long Beach.

West Texas 0 @ Texas B 2 - That was a tough night for the West Texas Wranglers as they fell to the dominant Texas Brahmas with a final score of 0-2. The Wranglers were completely shut out, failing to score in any period despite taking 20 shots. The Brahmas' defense held strong, limiting the Wranglers to only eight shots in the final two periods. Texas secured their win with goals in both the second and third periods—the first scored by Kayden Jones and the second by John Scharf. The Wranglers also had disciplinary issues, racking up 12 penalty minutes, including four penalties in the first period, which disrupted their flow and kept them on the defensive. Ultimately, the Brahmas' superior offense, evidenced by their 47 shots on goal, and rock-solid defense proved too much for the West Texas squad.

Minnesota W 5 @ Willmar 7 - That was an action-packed game where the Willmar WarHawks defeated the Minnesota Wilderness in a high-scoring 7-5 final. Both teams were tied 1-1 after the first period, but the WarHawks pulled ahead with three goals in the second period, giving them a lead they would not surrender. Willmar's offense was relentless, posting a total of 42 shots throughout the match, significantly more than Minnesota's 31. The Wilderness mounted a comeback attempt with three goals in the final period, but the WarHawks matched their output with three more goals to maintain the two-goal difference. It was also a very physical contest, characterized by a high volume of penalties, as Willmar ended the night with 27 penalty minutes and Minnesota with 16 penalty minutes.

West Bend 6 @ Wisconsin 1 - The West Bend Power delivered a commanding performance, decisively defeating the home-team Wisconsin Woodsmen with a final score of 6-1. The Power established control early, scoring two goals in the first period while holding the Woodsmen scoreless. They continued to dominate throughout the game, adding a goal in the second and three more in the third period for their six-goal total. West Bend Power was highly efficient on the power play, converting on two of two opportunities. Additionally, the Power outshot the Woodsmen 37 to 32, further illustrating their offensive pressure. This impressive victory moves West Bend Power's record to a strong 12-3.

Alexandria 3 @ Granite City 4 (OT) - The Granite City Lumberjacks secured an overtime victory against the visiting Alexandria Blizzard, prevailing with a final score of 4-3 in overtime. Granite City took an early lead, scoring two goals in the first period to Alexandria's one, and continued to pressure the Blizzard net, accumulating a total of 37 shots. Despite being heavily outshot, the Blizzard's defense held firm, and they managed to force the game into overtime with a goal in the third period. The

Lumberjacks, maintaining their high shot volume in the second and third periods, ultimately found the decisive goal in the extra frame to earn the win. The game was physical, with the Blizzard incurring 19 penalty minutes on four infractions, though neither team capitalized on the power play. This win maintains the Lumberjacks' impressive record, while the Blizzard earned a valuable point by taking the game past regulation.

Austin 1 @ El Paso 4  - The Ice Bats hit the road to take on the Rhinos. El Paso got the scoring started in the first frame with a tally by Andre Valenzuela at the 11:50 minute mark. A little over three minutes later, Austin’s Mason Manderfield evens the contest 1-1. With less than a minute left in the period, El Paso’s Britton Oldham found the back of the net on the penalty kill to give the Rhinos the lead into the intermission. The second frame kicked off with El Paso’s Mikhail Levaniuk tallying a goal on the power play to extend the Rhinos’ lead. Two minutes later, El Paso’s Carter Lehmann tallied his ninth goal of the season to give the Rhinos a 4-1 victory over the Ice Bats. Between the pipes for the Rhinos, Nathan Graybill turned away 33 out of 34 shots on net. 

Great Falls 4 @ Gillette 3 (OT) - The Great Falls Americans played in a tight contest against the Gillette Wild on Saturday night. The matchup kicked off with Gillette’s Dylan Peterson finding the back of the net quickly for the Wild, less than four minutes into the contest. A little over 10 minutes later, Ole Svangstu tallied another goal for the Wild. The offensive production contest less than 30 seconds later when Levi Ness finds the back of the net on the penalty kill for the Wild. However, the Americans would light the lamp 20 seconds later when Cooper Clouse got his 10th tally of the year. The second period featured Great Falls evening up the score thanks to AJ Prioli notching two goals in the frame. The third period was scoreless, with both teams trading chances. As the contest was forced into overtime, Great Falls’ Cooper Clouse came in clutch, scoring the game-winning goal short-handed. The Americans would walk away with a 4-3 come-from-behind victory.

Bozeman 5 @ Yellowstone 2 - Both teams were looking for their first win in a few matchups, hungry to get it done on Saturday night. The matchup kicked off with the Icedogs striking first and quickly. Andrew Kaunas tallied a goal 30 seconds into the contest before his teammate, Devin Bruns, tallied another one 30 seconds later. Bozeman secured a 2-0 lead heading into the second frame. Less than three minutes into the second, Bozeman’s Sam Trufant found the back of the net, extending the Icedogs' lead to 3-0. Ten minutes later in the middle period, Yellowstone shows up on the scoresheet thanks to a tally by Shayne Smith. However, that would not stop the Icedogs’ offensive production. At the 4:23 minute mark, Lex Steckelberg finds the back of the net, extending the Icedogs' lead to 4-1 heading into the final 20 minutes. The final frame featured Bozeman’s Jace Griffin scoring on the penalty kill at the eight-minute mark. A minute later, Yellowstone’s Brady Hipsag finds the back of the net on the power play, helping to tighten up the contest for the Quake. Bozeman eventually earned a 5-2 victory and is walking away with a win under their belt from the weekend.

Butte 2 @ Badlands 6 - The Irish were in the hunt to bounce back from two consecutive losses, while the Sabres were hungry to continue their winning ways against Butte. The Irish strike first, thanks to an unassisted goal in the first by Riley Erickson. The home team would respond by tallying two of their own. Sabres’ Oliver Giles and Dayton Niedert found the back of the net in the opening frame to give their team the lead heading into the middle period. The lamp was lit quickly in the second frame when Maddox Harn found the back of the net at the 18:08 minute mark. The Irish would look to tighten up the score, and they were able to do so thanks to a power-play goal by Bryce Hodges to make the contest 3-2. With 32 seconds on the clock in the second, Patrick Gosselin doubled the Badlands’ lead by securing his third goal of the season. As the matchup moved into the final 20 minutes of play, the Sabres got to work, tallying two more goals in the frame. Carter Kilen strikes first at the 16:59 minute mark, and then Dayton Niedert scores an unassisted goal with less than five minutes on the clock. The Sabres walk away with a weekend against the Irish.

Helena 1 @ Sheridan 4 - Both teams were riding a two-game win streak heading into this matchup and are both in the hunt for the top of the Frontier Division standings. The Hawks showed off their offensive dominance in the first frame thanks to a trio of goals in the last 10 minutes of the first. Ernie Allen finds the back of the net first at the 8:33 minute mark. Following him, Caden Gleason tallies a goal with less than two minutes on the clock to give Sheridan a 2-0 lead. Finally, with 25 seconds on the board, Vincent Leaf shows up on the scoresheet with a goal of his own to give the Hawks a commanding 3-0 lead heading into the second frame. A minute and a half into the middle period, Leaf finds the back of the net again thanks to an assist by Dante Hunziker. The contest eventually moved into the third period, looking like the Bighorns were going to be shut out. However, with 1:21 on the clock, Lincoln Kearney tallied an unassisted power-play goal. The Bighorns would fall to Sheridan 4-1. Between the pipes for Sheridan, TJ Wonnacott turned away 33 out of 34 shots to give him the win in the blue paint.

Pelham 2 @ Texas R 5 - The Texas RoadRunners controlled play from start to finish and rode a dominant 64-shot effort to a 5–2 home victory over the Pelham Prowlers. A balanced attack led by Wyatt Mineheine and Lucas Dyer powered the RoadRunners to their fifth straight win, while goaltender Brenden Patterson backstopped the victory with 26 saves and even picked up an assist. The first period was a whirlwind, featuring four goals and plenty of special-teams action. Joseph Izzo opened the scoring on the power play midway through the frame, burying his 12th of the year to give Texas an early edge. Pelham answered just minutes later when Matthew Hunter converted on the man advantage to even things at one apiece. Dyer quickly restored the RoadRunners’ lead with an unassisted strike, but Hunter Yurcik tied it again in the final second of the period, capitalizing on a defensive lapse to make it 2–2 after 20 minutes. The second period saw Texas tilt the ice heavily in their favor, outshooting Pelham 27–6 and taking the lead for good when Mineheine scored his 43rd of the season off a feed from Dyer at 6:46. Despite several penalties slowing the flow, the RoadRunners maintained full control and carried a 3–2 lead into the third. Texas sealed the win in the final frame with two more tallies. Jayden Hitt extended the lead early in the period, finishing off a sharp passing play from Mineheine and Alex McMillan, before Mineheine struck again on the power play for his second of the night and 44th of the year. Mineheine led the way with two goals and an assist, Dyer added a goal and two helpers, and Izzo contributed a goal and 10 minutes in the box in a gritty performance. Patterson stood tall when needed, while Pelham netminder Oscar Gribauval faced a barrage of 64 shots and kept the score respectable with several key saves. The RoadRunners’ depth and discipline once again proved the difference as they powered to another convincing home win.