Friday Finals: The Moose are on the Loose and are Now Featuring a Seven-Game Win Streak

Photo Credit: Britt Hart

Atlanta 1 @ Bayou State 8 - The Bayou State Rougarou were in full control at home Friday afternoon against the Atlanta Capitols, cruising to an 8–1 victory. Ethan Tierman dominated from the opening puck drop, putting on one of the most impressive offensive performances of the season. Tierman scored the first two goals for Bayou State to take an early lead, with Peyton Essex and Landen Crall each collecting a pair of assists on the tallies. Atlanta cut the deficit to one when Braden Grant found the back of the net off feeds from Josiah Castaneda and Hatcher Horton. But Tierman responded quickly, completing a first-period hat trick and restoring the Rougarou’s two-goal cushion, once again assisted by Essex and Crall. Bayou State added to their lead early in the second period, with Crall scoring off passes from Donovan Dunbar and Nathan Daniels. Tierman then netted his fourth goal of the game moments later, with Crall and Dunbar each grabbing another assist. A few shifts after that, Tierman struck again for his fifth, continuing his incredible pace while Crall and Essex added to their growing assist totals. Tierman capped off his historic outing with two more goals, finishing the day with an unfathomable seven. Lukas Kolka, Daniels, Crall, and Essex each chipped in one more assist as Bayou State closed out the win. For Atlanta, Maxwell Pelton made 35 saves in a tough outing against a relentless Rougarou attack. At the other end, Bayou State’s Jared Lang stopped 35 shots to help secure the team’s second victory of the season. Atlanta, still searching for its first win, couldn’t find a breakthrough on what proved to be a long Friday afternoon.

Maine 3 @ Buzz 2 - The Maine Nordiques were able to pull out a late win on the road Friday afternoon against the Buzz, earning a 3–2 victory in a game defined entirely by special teams. Every goal scored came either on the power play or shorthanded, adding tension to a tightly contested matchup. Neither team could break through in the first period, despite trading quality chances throughout the opening frame. In the second, Maine finally opened the scoring when Peyton Dyer capitalized on a power play, giving the Nordiques a 1–0 lead off assists from Gavin Gleghorn and Jaxson Sardinha. That advantage held as the teams headed into the third. The Buzz wasted little time finding the equalizer, tying the game early in the final period with a power-play marker from Tannan Nenninger, set up by Brady Ishu. But Maine answered back in a big way, this time shorthanded, as Jaxson Sardinha buried a chance off a feed from Dyer, restoring the Nordiques’ lead. The Buzz continued the special-teams battle minutes later. Yaromir Chicherin struck on the power play, converting off a pass from Andrew Jazwin to even the score at 2–2. With the game winding down, the Nordiques turned once again to their power play, and Dyer delivered. He netted his second man-advantage goal of the afternoon with less than two minutes remaining, giving Maine the late 3–2 edge. Gleghorn and Brady Emond picked up assists on the game-winner, sealing Maine’s eighth victory of the season. In goal, Riley Burnett backstopped the Nordiques with 15 saves, securing the win. On the other side, Dalton Elliott battled hard for the Buzz, making 13 saves, but the Buzz ultimately came up just short. The Buzz fell to 11–7–1 on the year and will look to bounce back next week.

Texas R 0 @ Louisiana 9 - The Louisiana Drillers put on a show Friday night at home, overwhelming the Texas RoadRunners in a commanding 9–0 win. Led by standout performances from Brody Neish and Zachary Marsell, the Drillers once again proved why they remain undefeated this season. Neish opened the scoring midway through the first period, giving Louisiana the early edge with assists from Brayden Pelcl and Dayton Ruppel. Brody Haas extended the lead soon after, finishing off a setup from Matthew Killen and Kadyn Garcia. Before the period closed, Neish struck again, his second of the night, off feeds from Pelcl and Braden Bates, sending the Drillers into intermission up 3–0. Louisiana kept rolling in the second. Pelcl added a shorthanded goal with help from Killen and Garcia, pushing the lead to four. Moments later, Marsell found the back of the net for his first of the game, with Haas and Bates contributing assists. Neish then completed his hat trick on a power play, assisted by Emerson LaRoche and Pelcl, making it 6–0 through two periods. The scoring parade continued in the final frame. LaRoche joined in with a goal of his own, with Neish and Pelcl each earning another assist. Neish was not done yet; he netted his fourth of the contest on another power play, set up by Ruppel and LaRoche. Marsell capped off the dominant display with his second goal of the night, assisted by Pelcl and Jack Slotka, completing the 9–0 rout. Despite facing a relentless Drillers attack, Texas goaltender Calum Hartner stood tall with 42 saves in a valiant effort. For Louisiana, Cole Schmidt turned aside all 16 shots he faced, securing the shutout and the Drillers’ 18th win of the season. Texas will look to reset and move forward, still holding an impressive 24–2–0 record despite the tough outing.

New Hampshire 1 @ Long Beach 2 - The Long Beach Sharks squeaked out a tight victory Friday night, defeating the New Hampshire Jr. Mountain Kings 2–1 in a game dominated by strong defensive play and limited scoring chances. With both teams generating few opportunities, special teams became the deciding factor. New Hampshire struck first early in the opening period when Kyle Bouvier converted on the power play, burying a setup from Tobias Guryca. The Jr. Mountain Kings carried that 1–0 advantage into the first intermission as both defenses held firm. Long Beach answered back in the second period. Jace Tourtillott delivered the equalizer on the power play, knotting the game at 1–1 with assists from Wyatt Strahan and Spencer Nicoloff. Later in the frame, Eli McCarthy scored what would stand as the game-winning goal, also on the power play, with James Steinberg and Sean Bailey helping set up the tally. The Sharks held their 2–1 lead through a tense third period, weathering a late push from New Hampshire that saw the Jr. Mountain Kings fire 11 shots on goal. Will Zinnen stood tall for Long Beach, making 18 saves to secure the victory. On the other end, New Hampshire’s Risdon Baynard-Fernhall stopped 11 shots in a strong effort that ultimately fell just short in this low-scoring matchup.

Wisconsin 4 @ Rochester  3 (OT) - The Wisconsin Woodsmen battled their way to a thrilling 4–3 overtime victory over the Rochester Grizzlies, shutting down a dramatic comeback in a special-teams showcase on Friday night. After a scoreless first period, Wisconsin broke things open in the second. Brodie Mich capitalized on a power play with help from Tyler Osborne, and just minutes later, the Woodsmen doubled their lead when Ty Paulios buried his ninth of the season, assisted by Mich and Nolan Mix. Wisconsin carried a 2–0 advantage and strong momentum into the third. The Woodsmen extended their lead early in the final frame. Less than a minute into the period, Josh Kauppinen struck on the power play off a setup from Paulios, pushing the game to 3–0. But Rochester stormed back. The Grizzlies’ offense ignited in the clutch, beginning with a power-play goal from Mason Decker halfway through the third, assisted by Trenton Fore and Brett Ludvigsen. Decker was not done; just a few minutes later, he scored again to tie the game off feeds from Sawyer Zaruba and Andrew Bastian. Rochester completed the comeback when Ole Fevold buried a power-play goal late in the period, with Fore and Ludvigsen each earning their second assists of the frame, forcing overtime. In the extra frame, it was Wisconsin who delivered the final blow. With 1:52 remaining in OT, Brandon Slasor lifted the Woodsmen to victory with a power-play game-winner, assisted by Parker Holloway and Maxim Lazo, sealing a hard-earned 4–3 win. Despite Rochester’s late-game heroics and Kyle Lappi’s outstanding 44-save performance, it wasn’t enough to secure the home victory. For Wisconsin, Alex Rivolta matched that effort with a masterful 44-save outing of his own, shutting down key chances and helping the Woodsmen escape with the road win.

Wausau 4 @ Peoria 7 - The Peoria Mustangs and the Wausau Cyclones delivered a high-octane showdown Friday night, but it was Peoria who controlled the pace and powered their way to a decisive 7–4 victory, fueled by a dominant offensive surge in the second and third periods. After a quiet, scoreless first period, the Mustangs struck early in the second. Brendon Miller got things started, finishing off a setup from Owen Gruden. Wausau responded quickly when Jackson Schroeder tied the game at 1–1, assisted by Brady Knutsen and Elijah Von Gunten. Peoria regained control moments later as Owen Gruden scored off feeds from Miller and RJ Alvarado, making it 2–1. Later in the period, the Mustangs extended their lead when Breyon Maroney added his first of the night, assisted by Hayden Gray, pushing the advantage to 3–1. Wausau clawed back before the period ended, with Eiji Hofmann scoring off a feed from Joel Anderson, leaving Peoria up 3–2 entering the third. Early in the final period, Wausau tied the game at 3–3 as Davis Polifka converted on a setup from Brandon Piwko. But Peoria quickly reasserted control. Maroney reclaimed the lead with his second goal of the night, then completed a hat trick with another tally assisted by Wyatt Duke, giving Peoria a 5–3 cushion. Wausau cut the lead to one when Brady Knutsen scored late, assisted by Frank Goodman and Schroeder. However, Peoria immediately responded: just 17 seconds later, Wyatt Duke scored, assisted by Maroney, and Maroney added a fourth goal to cap off a monster night, sealing a 7–4 victory. The Mustangs’ relentless attack was highlighted by Maroney’s four-goal explosion and multi-point contributions from Duke, Gruden, and Miller. In net, Brady Faille stopped 27 shots for Wausau, while Jakub Stary turned aside 44 for Peoria to secure the Mustangs’ second win of the season. Wausau now moves to 9–6–0, looking ahead to tomorrow night’s game.

Willmar 6 @ Minnesota W 2 - The WarHawks and Wilderness squared off tonight in what would shape up to be an exciting matchup in the West Division. Wilmar would start off the scoring with Gabe Adams scoring at the 8:43 mark to give the WarHawks an early lead in the first period. Less than a minute later, Walker McGillis would add a second goal, bringing the WarHawks' lead to 2-0. Willmar would not be done quite yet, with just under two minutes remaining in the period. Hayden Stensrud added another tally, giving Wilmar the 3-0 lead going into the second period. The two teams would trade chances in the second period, with the WarHawks getting an early power play, but the Wilderness were able to kill off the penalty, bringing them some momentum. Parker Lycke of the WarHawks would add another goal, bringing the lead to 4-0 for the WarHawks just halfway through the second. Wilmar would be quick to add another goal with Lycke scoring his second of the game to bring the lead to 5-0. Wyatt Mineheine of the Wilderness would score the first goal of the game for the team with just one minute remaining in the second. The Wilderness would keep the momentum going into the third period, but Jacob Brumm stood tall, turning away 60 of 62 shots in the game. Mineheine would add his second of the game at the halfway point of the period to give the Wilderness some life with just over half the period left. With the score being 5-2, both teams battled for the next goal, but both goalies had a strong period, turning away chance after chance. Parker Lycke would finally score his hat-trick goal with just seven seconds remaining, giving the Warhawks the 6-2 victory and improving their record to 6-9-0 on the season. Wilmar will be back in action tomorrow to face off against the Blizzard.

Minnesota M 4 @ Mason City 1 - The Moose and Toros met for an exciting West Division matchup in the Mason City Arena. The Moose would be the first team to break the ice with Mitchell Gawel scoring his 3rd of the season just three minutes into the game. The first period would go back and forth with chances, but the score would remain 1-0 for the Moose going into the second period. The second would continue with both teams getting back and forth chances, but no goals to show for it. Stone Resch of the Toros would score the equalizer with just 3 minutes remaining in the second. Gabe Otis of the Moose and Anton Widas would both stand tall for the rest of the period to set up for a 1-1 third period. The Moose would come out of intermission with a mission, scoring the go-ahead goal at the 15:27 mark by Caleb Schwark. The Moose would add another tally just 20 seconds later with Will Burnevik scoring his eighth of the season. With just under two minutes left in the third, George Ericson would add the insurance marker to bring the game to 4-1, giving the Moose the decisive victory and improving their record to (13-4-0). The Moose will be in action against the Lumberjacks tomorrow.

Granite City @ Alexandria - The undefeated Lumberjacks traveled to Runestone Community Center to take on the Blizzard in a West Division matchup. The Blizzard would be the first on the scoreboard with Caleb Waller scoring his 11th of the season, giving the Blizzard an early lead. Kaden Roness would add a second tally for the Blizzard, increasing the lead to 2-0. The Lumberjacks were not out of the fight, with Alexander Zelazowski scoring his first of the season at the 3:13 mark to cut the Blizzard’s lead in half at 2-1. Both teams would trade chances and power plays in the second period, but Eli Tiernan of the Lumberjacks would score the tying goal, bringing the 2nd period to a close tie at 2-2. The Blizzard would be quick to regain the lead with Tyler Meyer scoring his third of the season just three minutes into the period. The Lumberjacks would attempt to even the score, but Jayden Serene would stand tall, turning away all 10 shots in the third. Ethan Boughton would add the late insurance marker shorthanded to bring the game to a final of 4-2 for the Blizzard, handing the Lumberjacks their first loss of the season. Both teams will be in action tomorrow night against new opponents, so check back for exciting news and gameplay.

St. Louis 2 @ West Bend 6 - The Blues traveled to the Kettle Moraine Ice Center to take on their Central Division rivals, the West Bend Power. The Power would be quick to start the scoring, just 17 seconds into the game, with Brody Josselyn scoring his sixth of the season. The Blues, however, were quick to answer with a goal of their own, scored by Chase Kozma. Both teams would battle for the rest of the period, but the Power would end up scoring two goals by Andrew Sparacino and Michael Maillette, bringing their lead to 3-1 to end the first period. Both teams would trade chances in the second, but the Jr. Blues would score the next goal by Jace Jordan, bringing the game to 3-2. The Power would add a late tally with just 22 seconds remaining to bring their lead to 4-2 going into the third. The Power would remain in control in the third with Michael Maillette scoring his first of the season just under a minute into the third period. Wyatt Emmett would add another goal for the Power to finish the game 6-2, improving the Power’s record to 17-2-0-1. These two teams will face off tomorrow night in what shapes up to be an exciting matchup.

West Texas 1 @ Austin 8 - The Austin Ice Bats took control early, scoring twice in the first five minutes on their way to a dominant win. Mason Manderfield opened the scoring, burying a shot off a setup from Matthieu LeBlanc and Garrett Morris. Ethan Salter followed less than a minute later, taking a pass from Manderfield and sliding the puck past the goalie from the point. Arys Perardi added the final goal of the first period, with Gunnar Hillman collecting the assist, ending the period 3-0. The Ice Bats kept the pressure on in the second. Manderfield struck again, this time off a feed from Liam Cardona. Jake Bamback then caught fire, recording a hat trick in the back half of the period. His first came on a rebound from an Ethan Salter shot in front of the Rangers’ net. He added a second by deflecting a Hillman shot at the back door, and capped the hat trick with six seconds left by burying another rebound in the crease, bringing the score to 6-0. The West Texas Wranglers avoided a shutout midway through the third, when Nathan Zane controlled the puck down low and found Gunnar Vick in the crease for their lone goal. Perardi closed out the scoring for Austin with his second of the night, assisted by Owen Rattray. Garret Lant stopped 42 shots for the Rangers, while Michael Lane made 23 saves to secure the win for the Ice Bats, 8-1.

Texas B 1 @ El Paso 3 - The South Division shaped up for an exciting Friday night matchup between the visiting Texas Brahmas and the home El Paso Rhinos. With both teams being high in the standings, this shaped up to be an exciting game from the start. Both teams traded power plays as both teams were successful on the penalty kill. A costly penalty with just 1:29 remaining in the first proved to be a blessing for the Rhinos as Carter Tuplin would score his 17th of the season short-handed to give El Paso the 1-0 lead with just 48 seconds remaining. The second period would start in the same fashion, with both teams trading chances with no reward as both goalies turned away all chances. Huero Rivera of the Rhinos would break the ice in the second period with a goal at the 11:27 mark, giving the Rhinos a 2-0 lead. Starting in the third Brahmas were not out of the fight quite yet. Just under one minute into the period, Charlie Wilson of the Brahmas would add his 3rd of the season, cutting the lead to 2-1. Texas would continue to battle back, but Brayden Macko would turn away all remaining chances. Akira Shimamoto would add the insurance marker with 7 minutes left in the period, bringing the final score to 3-1 for the Rhinos.

Yellowstone 3 @ Great Falls 7 - The Great Falls Americans controlled the game from the start, dominating the first period. Ethan Miller set up the opening goal with a backward pass to Tallon Caron in the slot, and Caron fired it into the back of the net. Keifer Lundmark closed out the period by collecting the puck at the hashmarks and stepping in to beat the Yellowstone Quake goaltender, giving Great Falls a 2–0 lead. The second period opened with a burst of action. Yellowstone struck first when Nolan Winkler fired a shot from the blue line that bounced right to Carson Joersz, who buried the rebound. The Americans answered quickly with a goal from Miller, assisted by AJ Prioli and Cooper Clouse. The teams continued to trade goals, with Winkler scoring his first of the season for the Quake before Clouse notched the eventual game-winner for Great Falls off a feed from Miller and Prioli. Lundmark added one more for the Americans late in the period, stretching the lead to 5–2. Great Falls kept the pressure on in the third, scoring less than a minute in as Miller found the back of the net again off passes from Clouse and Caron. EJ Sanchez followed shortly after with another goal, pushing the Americans’ lead to 7–2. The Quake tallied one final goal in the closing minutes, but the Americans’ dominant offensive performance sealed the win.

Gillette 1 @ Helena 8 - The Helena Bighorns struck early, opening the scoring less than two minutes in. Cal Kellenberg chipped the puck up to Cameron Kimmerly, who found a wide-open Ty Schell for a finish deep in the zone. Caden Feinstein added to the lead shortly after, scoring off a feed from Kade Pareja. Gillette cut the deficit late in the period. Dylan Peterson battled for the puck in the corner and moved it to Dylan Herold in the high slot. Herold walked it in and found Donovan Balek alone at the far post for a tap-in, sending the game into the first intermission with Helena up 2–1. Helena added the only goal of the second period when Jeffrey Hershberger picked off a turnover at the blue line, skated in alone and buried his own rebound to make it 3–1 Bighorns after two. The Bighorns exploded in the third. Kellenberg opened the period with a clean shot from the slot off a pass from Kimmerly. He struck again less than eight minutes later when a Kimmerly shot deflected off him and into the Wild’s net. Blake Chapman followed immediately after, scoring off a setup from Hershberger to extend the lead to 5–1. Kellenberg completed his hat trick moments later in the final frame, finishing a feed from Braden Davis. Casey Barriteau closed out the scoring, assisted by Clint Isakson and Lincoln Kearney, sealing a dominant third period for Helena.

Butte 2 @ Sheridan 6 - The Sheridan Hawks opened the scoring early in the first period. Elijah White moved the puck to Vincent Leaf along the sideboards, and Leaf found Jameson Clark in the slot for a shot he fired into the back of the net. Butte answered early in the second, when Tyler Jones slipped one past the goaltender off assists from Zach Bucholt and Easton Langemo. Sheridan responded quickly, reclaiming the lead on a goal from Elijah Farris, assisted by Daniel Shelden. The Hawks added another in the final seconds of the period when Keegan Long fired a shot from the point that deflected off Charles Stow to Derrek Laite, who tipped it in for a 3–1 advantage. Sheridan pulled away in the third. Laite scored early in the period, assisted by White and Lucas Paliwodizinski. The Irish got one back when Logan Neufeld recorded his first goal of the season, with Bryce Hodges and Langemo picking up helpers. The Hawks answered immediately as Deagan Watson’s point shot was redirected into the net by Caden Gleason. Vincent Leaf sealed the game with an empty-netter in the final minutes. Mathieu Chernauckas stopped 46 shots for the Butte Irish, while TJ Wonnacot made 23 saves to secure the win for the Sheridan Hawks.

Badlands 3 @ Bozeman 2 - The Bozeman Icedogs opened the scoring late in the first period. Reid Wilkinson and Austin Storberg worked the puck toward the net, where Wilkinson’s shot deflected off Sam Trufant’s stick and ramped in, giving the Icedogs a 1–0 lead at the first intermission. The second period saw both teams trade chances. Bozeman struck first again when Matthew Stamp slipped one past the goaltender off assists from Barrett Becker and Trufant. The Badlands Sabres answered in the final seconds of the period: Oliver Giles collected the puck at the hashmarks and fed Patrick Gosselin, who sent a cross-ice pass to Dayton Niedert for the finish, cutting the deficit to 2–1. The Sabres took control in the third, scoring early as Niedert set up Rhylan Olson for the tying goal. Moments later, Niedert delivered the game-winner, assisted by Olson and Maddox Harn, completing the Sabres’ comeback. Jack Ryan stopped 31 shots for the Bozeman Icedogs, while Parker Kelly made 26 saves to secure the win for the Badlands Sabres.