Wednesday Wrap-up: Granite City Notches a 5-3 Win

Photo Credit: Jason Soria

Rochester 2 @ Alexandria 1 - The Rochester Grizzlies secured a very tight 2-1 road victory against the home team, Alexandria Blizzard. The Grizzlies dominated the first period, scoring both of their goals early from Tanner Lozano and Konnor Goolan to take a 2-0 lead. After a scoreless second period, the Blizzard finally got on the board in the third with a goal from Chase Collings to cut the deficit to one. Despite the single-goal difference, Rochester maintained significant offensive pressure throughout the night, outshooting the Blizzard 42 to 30 by the final buzzer. The Blizzard pulled their goalie in the final minute but could not even the score against the strong Grizzlies' defense. This hard-fought win confirms the Rochester Grizzlies remain winning and are a top team in the Central Division with an 11-7-1-0 record, while the Alexandria Blizzard struggles to remain over .500.

Willmar 3 @ Granite City 5 - The Granite City Lumberjacks secured a victory at home, defeating the visiting Willmar WarHawks with a final score of 5-3. The game was evenly matched in the first period, with both teams scoring once before Granite City pulled ahead in the second. In the third period, the Lumberjacks netted three goals to Willmar's two to secure the win. The Lumberjacks' offense was efficient, with a strong final frame to close off a dominant performance. Key players for the Lumberjacks included Garrett Plaude with a goal and two assists, and Ty Smith with a goal and an assist. Despite the WarHawks' efforts in the third period, scoring two goals to keep the pressure on, the Lumberjacks maintained their lead. The home team dominated in offensive chances, outshooting the WarHawks 37 to 18 by the final buzzer. This victory confirms that the Granite City Lumberjacks remain winning and are the division's top team with an impressive 17-2-0-0 record, while the Willmar WarHawks struggle to gain ground against their top-tier rivals.

New Mexico 2 @ El Paso 6 - The El Paso Rhinos delivered a strong home performance, decisively defeating the visiting New Mexico Ice Wolves with a final score of 6-2. The Rhinos took an immediate and commanding lead in the first period, scoring four goals to establish a huge early advantage. The domination continued throughout the second period with El Paso netting an additional two goals to extend the lead to 6-1. New Mexico scored the lone goal in the final period, but it was far too late to even the score at that point. El Paso's offense was efficient, scoring six goals on 32 shots, while the Ice Wolves were limited to only 21 shots. Key players for the Rhinos included Parker Brinner, who scored a power-play goal, and Alex Ihling, who also found the back of the net in the first period with what would end up being the game-winner. This impressive victory shows the El Paso Rhinos are improving their performance at home, while the New Mexico Ice Wolves continue struggling to maintain defensive consistency.