Monday Overtime Upset: New Hampshire Knocks Off Louisiana

Tulsa 5 @ Pelham 4 -The Tulsa Oilers edged the Pelham Prowlers 5-4 in a tight matchup. Tulsa struck twice in the first period to take an early lead. The Oilers extended their advantage with a pair of third-period tallies, but Pelham responded with three goals in the final frame to keep the game close. Special-teams play proved pivotal, as Tulsa capitalized on key power-play opportunities. Pelham pushed late but was unable to find the equalizer. Tulsa held on to secure the one-goal win.

Buzz 11 @ Mason City 11 - The Mason City Toros dominated in an 11-0 shutout victory over the Buzz. Mason City jumped out quickly, scoring three times in the first period to set the tone. The Toros continued to apply pressure in the second, adding four more goals while holding the Buzz to just three shots. Mason City showed no signs of slowing down in the third, scoring four additional times to complete the game. The Toros finished with a commanding 43-8 advantage in shots on goal. Strong goaltending and sustained offensive-zone time fueled the lopsided win.

Badlands 2 @ Wausau 4 - The Wausau Cyclones picked up a 4-2 win over the Badlands Sabres behind steady scoring and late-game control. Jackson Maddock opened the scoring with a power-play goal late in the first period to give Wausau an early advantage. Badlands responded with two goals in the second to briefly take the lead, but Joel Anderson answered midway through the frame to swing momentum back to the Cyclones. Wausau tightened defensively in the third period and added two more goals to create separation. An empty-net goal sealed the victory.

Minnesota (W) 9 @ New Jersey 0 - The Minnesota Wilderness cruised to a 9-0 shutout over the New Jersey Titans with a dominant offensive performance. Minnesota scored twice in the first period and followed with two more in the second to build a commanding lead. The Wilderness broke the game open in the third period, netting five goals in a span of under 15 minutes. Minnesota consistently controlled possession and overwhelmed New Jersey with sustained pressure. 

Louisiana 2 @ New Hampshire 3 (OT) - The New Hampshire Jr. Mountain Kings rallied to earn a 3-2 overtime win against the Louisiana Drillers. Louisiana struck first with goals in both the first and second periods, building a two-goal advantage. New Hampshire responded in the third period, as Tobias Guryca and Nick Brophy scored to force overtime. Despite being outshot, the Kings stayed composed and capitalized on their chances. Just over two minutes into overtime, Tommy Titone scored the game-winner to complete the comeback. The win showcased New Hampshire’s resilience and timely finishing.

Wisconsin 5 @ Maine 1 - After a strong win the day before, the Wisconsin Woodsmen were prepared for their second matchup of the showcase against the Maine Nordiques, who also entered off a win. The Woodsmen found early control of the game, Nolan Mix scored in the first five minutes of play. Patrick Bowser followed with his third goal of the showcase to make the score 2-0 at the end of the first. The Woodsmen extended their lead further in the second with three consecutive goals from Jack Dahl, Brandon Slasor, and Parker Holloway on the power play. Ronan Howard, assisted by Keaton Bremer, scored the Nordiques’ lone goal in the third to make the final score 5-1 in favor of the Woodsmen. Despite the loss, goaltender Riley Burnett played a solid game for the Nordiques making 54 saves. However, Wisconsin controlled play throughout, goaltender Lleyton Jaschke only allowed a single goal and earned a 23-save win. The Woodsmen remain undefeated going into their next game of the showcase. 

Peoria 13 @ Atlanta 0 -The Atlanta Capitals suffered another shutout loss against the Peoria Mustangs. Peoria played an aggressive offensive game, outshooting Atlanta 65-21. Nathan Pleva opened the scoring before Owen Gruden scored a power-play goal with 30 seconds left in the first period. Wyatt Duke opened the second, followed by Gruden adding another. Duke then added a second tally on the power play. Jordan Mini scored his first of the showcase before Pleva added his second of the match to cap off the period. The third was another fiery period for Peoria, scoring six more goals. Brendon Miller scored two in the first half of the final twenty, followed by goals from Cody Thomas and Hayden Gray. Miller added a third later in the period to complete his hat trick. Brady Babcock scored the final of the game short-handed, with just six seconds left on the clock. Charlie Maquet was in the crease for the Mustangs, earning a 21-save shutout win. Despite the loss, Capitals goaltender Maxwell Pelton made a solid 52 saves to finish the game.

Granite City 3 @ Texas (B) 2  - The Granite City Lumberjacks earned their second win of the showcase against the Texas Brahmas, who are still searching for their first. It was a close game, with Granite City outshooting Texas 25-10, most of the action came from the middle frame. Easton Sankey scored a power-play goal in the first to get the Lumberjacks on the board. Sankey scored his second of the match in the second period before Caden Michael, assisted by James Ingle, responded for the Brahmas. Mason Ray capped off second period scoring, adding a third for Granite City. Ingle added a goal of his own in the final twenty minutes to make the score 3-2. This is Granite City goaltender Nathan Mach's third win of the season, with four games played. Mach made 8 saves to seal the win for the Lumberjacks. 

West Texas 1 @ Willmar 2 - The Wranglers and Warhawks squared off for Day 2 of the NA3HL Showcase in Blaine Minnesota. Both teams started the 1st period slowly but Wilmar was able to score the game's first goal at the 7:10 mark from Gabe Adams. The 1st period would end with the Warhawks leading 1-0 and the Wranglers looking to even the game up. Starting the 2nd period, Wilmar would take a costly penalty giving the Wranglers an early power-play. Caelen Cross would score with the man advantage to tie the game up at 1. Wilmar would get a power-play of their own later in the period allowing Elliot Domagala to score a goal of his own to give his team the lead, 2-1. Wilmar continued the pressure with 65 total shots in the game but Garret Lant of the Wranglers was able to turn away 63 of 65 shots. With the final buzzer sounding, Wilmar would earn the victory 2-1 but with Lant’s play in the 3rd period kept his team in the game until the end. Both teams will play their 3rd and final game tomorrow.

New Mexico 2 @ St. Louis 4 - The St. Louis Jr. Blues found their second win of the showcase against the New Mexico Ice Wolves on Monday. After a quiet first period, Lonnie Land opened the scoring for St. Louis followed by a second Jr. Blues goal from Rece Sanderson. Hunzeker Piersimoni answered for the Ice Wolves to make the score 2-1 at the end of the second. Ryan Hogan and Nicholas Morgan would score two more for St. Louis in the third before Calahan Butler finished the night with a short-handed goal for New Mexico. However, the response was not enough and St. Louis skated off with the 4-2 victory. St. Louis goaltender Aaron Sibert made 25 saves on 27 shots in the win.

El Paso 2 @ Gillette 3 (OT) - The El Paso Rhinos and Gillette Wild faced off in an exciting matchup that came down to the final moments in overtime. Gillette would get on the board first, as Donovan Balek opened the scoring to give the Wild an early 1–0 lead. The period would end with Gillette holding onto the 1-0 lead. To begin the 2nd period, Beau Delich would score for the Wild bringing the game to 2-0. El Paso responded with urgency, battling hard to shift the momentum. Their effort paid off when Carter Lehmann scored to cut the deficit in half and spark the Rhinos’ comeback. El Paso continued to press, and later in the period Nick Nunez tied the game at 2–2, evening the score and setting up a tense final stretch. Both teams traded chances in the 3rd period, but strong defensive play and timely saves kept the game deadlocked, forcing overtime. In the extra frame, Gillette found the decisive moment as Dylan Peterson scored the game-winning goal, sealing a 3–2 overtime victory for the Wild. The final horn sounded with Gillette earning the hard-fought OT win, while El Paso came away with a point after a resilient comeback effort. Gillette will take on Peoria in their final game of the showcase, with El Paso facing off against the Pelham Prowlers.

West Bend 7 @ Helena 1 - The West Bend Power and Helena Bighorns faced off on Day 2 of the NA3HL showcase. The Power look to continue their success after an exciting OT win yesterday. The Power would waste no time scoring the first goal of the game from Adam Sexton at the halfway point of the 1st period. The Power were not done quite yet with Evan Burchardt adding two goals of his own before the end of the first. The Power would lead 3-0 heading into the 2nd period looking for another victory in the Showcase. At the 17:41 mark, Jackson Hoem would add another goal for the Power on the power-play giving them a 4-0 lead. Just a minute later, on another power-play, Andrew Sparacino would add a goal of his own to give the Power a commanding 5-0 lead early in the 2nd period. The period would end with neither team adding any more goals to the scoreboard, and the Bighorns looked to find their scoring touch in the 3rd period. At the 10:29 mark of the 3rd period Helena’s Warren Ryser would score the first goal of the game for the Bighorns cutting into the Power’s lead 5-1. The Power were quick to shut down any attempt at a comeback with Hoem scoring his 2nd of the game just a minute later. At the 4:15 mark, Hoem would score his 3rd goal of the game giving him the Hat-Trick as well as his team the 7-1 victory improving to 2-0 in the Showcase. The Power look to complete the clean sweep in the Showcase tomorrow against the Granite City Lumberjacks. Helena will take on the St. Louis Jr. Blues in their final game.

Bayou State 1 @ Yellowstone 6 - The Bayou State Rougarou and Yellowstone Quake met in a one-sided matchup that showcased Yellowstone’s offensive depth and strong goaltending. Bayou State struck first in the opening period when Ethan Tierman found the back of the net to give the Rougarou an early 1–0 lead. Yellowstone quickly answered, however, with Julian Merschdorf scoring to even the game. The Quake would take their first lead of the night shortly after, as Shayne Smith netted his first goal of the game to make it 2–1 Yellowstone at the end of the first period. The Quake continued to build momentum in the second period, controlling play and outshooting Bayou State. Their pressure paid off when Lawson Hewitt extended the lead with a goal that made it 3–1 heading into the final period of regulation. Yellowstone pulled away in the third period, putting the game out of reach with a flurry of goals. Keenan Butzen opened the scoring in the period, followed by Shayne Smith tallying his second goal of the night. Carson Joersz added the final goal to cap off a dominant offensive performance, sealing a 6–1 victory for the Quake. In net, Damien Baxter was steady for Yellowstone, turning aside 16 of 17 shots to earn the win. Despite the loss, Bayou State goaltender Jared Lang was busy all night, making an impressive 50 saves on 56 shots. The final buzzer sounded with Yellowstone securing the convincing victory.

Norwich 1 @ Texas (RR) 7  - The Texas Roadrunners put on a dominant performance Monday night against the Norwich Sea Captains, pulling away for a 7-1 victory. Lucas Dyer led the charge with a four-goal performance, fueling the Roadrunners’ high-powered offense. Texas’s Jayden Hitt kicked off the scoring, putting home the only goal of the first period. Memphis Palmer Gunner and Michael Garrett each assisted on the play, giving the Roadrunners an early 1-0 lead. In the second, Dyer added to the cushion by finding the back of the net off a pass from Joseph Izzo. The two-goal lead did not last long, however, as Norwich’s Jaden Mills struck back off feeds from Henry Pinkerman and Kolin Krizan to close the gap. Dyer wasn’t finished for the period, scoring on the power play late in the frame with Garrett and Vincent Campbell assisting. Early in the third, Dyer struck again on the power play to stretch the lead to three. Kristopher Pope then added a power play goal of his own to join the scoring as Texas took firm control of the contest. Joseph Izzo and Dyer each added late goals to secure the blowout, with William Heskett assisting on both tallies. In net, Brenden Patterson turned away 16 shots to help Texas walk away with the win. It was a commanding performance overall for the Roadrunners as they notched their 25th victory of the year. Meanwhile, Norwich will look to respond after suffering their 15th loss of the season.

Carolina 1 @ Butte 3  - The Butte Irish escaped Monday night with a closely fought victory at the Showcase against the Carolina Rage, coming away with a 3-1 win. Behind strong defense and excellent goaltending, Butte notched a much-needed victory for their season. In the first period, Easton Langemo got the Irish on the board first, finding the back of the net off assists from Jack Whitelaw and Loghan Weber. Andrew James added to the Butte lead in the second with a powerplay goal, with Whitelaw and Alexander Wainio assisting on the play. A few minutes later, Langemo grabbed his second of the day on a feed from Tyler Jones, extending the lead to three. Rocco Watson struck back for Carolina in the third to close the gap to two, following passes from Garrett Kocon and James Parnell. However, the Rage were shut down offensively for the rest of the game, unable to complete the comeback. In net, Matheiu Chernaukas stopped 34 shots for Butte, helping secure the victory for his squad. On the other side, Mason Orr turned away 41 shots in a valiant effort for the Rage. With the win, Butte moves to 8-15-1 on the year in what they hope is a big momentum swing for the rest of the season. Meanwhile, Carolina will look to bounce back tomorrow after suffering their 13th loss of the year.

Rochester 5 @ Bozeman 2 - The Central and Frontier divisions met tonight with the Grizzlies taking on the IceDogs in an exciting Day 2 matchup. Rochester would waste no time scoring the first goal of the game at 19:18 of the 1st period from Jesse Varner. The Grizzlies were quick to add another goal from Baylor Stebbins giving them an early 2-0 lead in the game. Bozeman would cut the lead in half with a goal of their own at the 4:29 mark with Sam Trufant scoring unassisted. The 1st period would end with Rochester leading 2-1 and hoping to continue their success. A 5 minute penalty would bleed over into the 2nd period giving Bozeman the man- advantage for an extended power-play. Andrew Kaunas would capitalize on the power-play at the 17:08 mark. With the game tied 2-2, both teams would battle for the rest of the period looking to get the go-ahead goal. Julian Mollerstrandh would score for the Grizzlies on the power-play with just two minutes remaining in the period giving his team the 3-2 lead headed into the last period of play. With the Icedogs attempting to come back Kyle Lappi would shut the door and not allow another goal in the game. Mason Decker of the Grizzlies would add another tally on the power-play giving them the 4-2 lead with just under 9 minutes remaining in the game. Penalty trouble would hurt the Icedogs chances with Alex Arneson scoring another goal on the power-play to put the game out of reach for Bozeman. The final buzzer would sound with Rochester earning the victory 5-2 and looking to add another win against the Wilmar Warhawks. Bozeman will take on the Wisconsin Woodsmen.

Great Falls 1 @ Alexandria 4  - The Alexandria Blizzard ran away with a victory Monday night at the Showcase, beating the Great Falls Americans by a score of 4-1. Behind a defensive display that limited the Americans' offensive chances and an ability to capitalize on scoring opportunities, Alexandria managed the game from start to finish. It was Caleb Waller who got the scoring started late in the first period, with Grady Stallman assisting on the play to give the Blizzard a 1-0 lead. In the second, Blake Breiland netted a pair of goals to stretch the advantage to three for Alexandria. Jack Johnson and Adan Rauser each recorded an assist on the tallies, giving the Blizzard a healthy lead going into the third. The Americans struck back early in the final frame, cutting it to a two-goal game via a goal from Cooper Clouse with an assist from Ethan Miller. However, Great Falls couldn’t find the net again for the remainder of the period. Instead, Jack Johnson secured the win for Alexandria with an empty-netter. In net, Cole Murphy stopped 24 shots for the Americans in the loss, while Jayden Serene turned away 18 shots to earn the victory for the Blizzard. Great Falls will look to bounce back after moving to 9 losses on the season, while Alexandria celebrates their 14th win and looks to build on the momentum.

Long Beach 5 @ Sheridan 6 (SO)  - The Sheridan Hawks edged out the Long Beach Sharks in a back-and-forth thriller at the Showcase, eventually securing a 6-5 victory in a shootout. In a game defined by shifting momentum and special teams, Sheridan’s resilience in the final frames allowed them to overcome an early deficit and claim the win. The first period was a high scoring affair that saw the Sharks jump out to an early lead. Sean Bailey opened the scoring just 56 seconds into the game, assisted by Brendan Dalton. Sheridan responded minutes later when Elijah Farris found the back of the net with help from Caden Gleason and Deagan Watson. However, Long Beach reclaimed control with back-to-back goals from Alec Dahlvang and a power-play marker from Jack Plummer. Sheridan then turned to Jameson Clark, who was able to score two power-play goals in the final three minutes of the period, including a literal last-second strike with just three seconds remaining, to knot the game at 3-3. Sheridan carried that momentum into the second period, where Caden Gleason scored late into the second period, assisted by Jack Welde, to give the Hawks their first lead of the night. The defensive units tightened up for the remainder of the frame, leaving Sheridan with a narrow 4-3 advantage heading into the third. The final regulation period saw both teams trading blows. Dean Schlarman extended Sheridan's lead to 5-3 early in the frame off an assist from Andrew Bushbaum. Refusing to go away, the Sharks mounted a late comeback; Jace Tourtillott brought Long Beach within one, and Jack Plummer netted his second of the night with just 24 seconds remaining in regulation to force the game beyond sixty minutes. After a scoreless overtime, Sheridan ultimately proved superior in the shootout behind the clinching goal for Max Krueger to walk away with the two points. In net, Nicklas Walker stopped 67 shots in the loss, putting up a fantastic effort. The Hawks will look to build on this gritty performance as they continue their Showcase schedule, while the Sharks will take the point for the overtime loss and look to tighten up defensively in their next outing.

Minnesota (M) 3 @ Austin 2 (OT)  - In a thrilling overtime clash at NSC Rink 2, the Minnesota Moose edged out the Austin Ice Bats with a 3-2 victory, delighting the 850 fans in attendance. The opening goal came at 09:50 of the first period when Jake Bamback of Austin, assisted by Guhnar Hillman, put one past Moose's goalie Easton Lemke. The action heated up in the second period with Carsen Gause equalizing for Minnesota at 08:35, thanks to assists from Brady Johnson and Will Burnevik. Just when the Ice Bats thought they had regained control, Matthieu Leblanc responded at 18:08 with a power-play goal, assisted by Liam Cardona, putting Austin ahead again. However, the Moose were not to be outdone. Will Burnevik leveled the score at 15:54 of the third period with a power-play goal, assisted by George Ericson and Carsen Gause. In the nail-biting overtime, it was Luca Salak who emerged as the hero, scoring the game-winner at 02:44 with assists from Charlie Marchand and Gavin Jensen. Austin’s goalie, Tyler White, stood tall with 26 saves from 29 shots, while Easton Lemke of Minnesota stopped 14 of 16.