Saturday Scores: New Hampshire Remains On Top of the East

Provided by Brandon Lauchnor

Louisiana 12 @ Bayou State 0 - The Louisiana Drillers defeated the Bayou State Rougarou in a dominant 12-0 victory. The Drillers found the back of the net in all three periods. Adam Polecki of the Drillers recorded the most points during the game, consisting of two goals and three assists. Driller goaltender Reece Hutchinson recorded a shutout. 

Atlanta 3 @ Pelham 5 - The Pelham Prowlers completed a 5-3 victory over the Atlanta Capitals at the Pelham Civic Center. The opening goal came swiftly at 16:56 of the first period, courtesy of William Hartle, setting the tone for Pelham. Before the end of the first, at 00:13, Charles Lemon equalized for Atlanta, assisted by Brayden Hawkins, ending the first period at 1-1. In the second period, Bearic Wolle put Pelham ahead again with a power play goal at 09:22. The Capitals once again found the equalizing goal when Isaiah Ronson found the back of the net early in the third. The Prowlers extended their lead with Colton Edman scoring at 11:49, assisted by Jake Haydon. However, just 46 seconds later, Brayden Hawkins found the net for Atlanta. Isaiah Ronson then tied it at 15:34, assisted by Lemon, in a thrilling exchange. The game-winner came from Lucas Bradley at 05:57 of the third, with an assist from Bryce Croyle. Wolle sealed the deal with his second at 00:37, making it 5-3. 

Rochester 4 @ St. Louis 1 - In a fiercely contested matchup at the Affton Ice Rink, the Rochester Grizzlies triumphed over the St. Louis Jr. Blues with a 4-1 victory. The action kicked off with Jace Jordan of the Grizzlies netting the opening goal at 04:49 of the first period, assisted by Sawyer Zaruba, setting the tone for the evening. St. Louis opened the second period with a goal from Landon Knittle. The Grizzlies responded with Alexander Wainio bringing the score 2-1. In the third period, James Korpi notched a goal at 13:02, assisted by Trenton Impens and Rocco Corl. Jace Jordan sealed the victory with his second goal at 00:51, this time unassisted, adding an empty-netter to cap off the night. 

Wausau 1 @ Peoria 5 – The Mustangs bounced back in a big way after a Friday loss to Wausau, powering their way to a decisive 5-1 victory powered by relentless pressure and a commanding offensive effort that included 41 shots on goal. Wausau’s Joel Anderson opened the scoring with the lone goal of the first period, but Peoria responded in a big way in the second. Arnet Clemen got the Mustangs on the board early, and Breyon Maroney followed shortly after to give Peoria a 2-1 lead heading into the final frame. The Mustangs carried their momentum into the third, with Zach Staelgraeve extending the lead to 3-1. Carter Charron took over late in the period, netting two goals to push Peoria’s advantage to 5-1 and put the game away. Goaltender Noah Sanderdon delivered an impressive performance, stopping 26 shots and allowing Peoria to find their offensive stride and close out a commanding victory. 

New Hampshire 6 @ New Jersey 4 – The Mountain Kings capped off their weekend with a second straight win over the Titans, earning a 6-4 victory behind multi-goal performances and timely scoring. Putting up an impressive 45 shots on goal, the Mountain Kings wasted no time setting the tone during Saturday’s game. Jacob Landry stole the puck on a New Jersey power play, beating the goaltender to open scoring for the Mountain Kings. Kayden Hill followed with another to give New Hampshire a 2-0 lead heading into the second. James Schendorf struck early after intermission, making it 3-0. New Jersey broke through when Andrew Metzger scored to cut the deficit to 3-1, but New Hampshire responded with authority. Both Jacob Landry and James Schendor each found the back of the net for the second time on the night, extending the Mountain Kings’ lead and putting them firmly in control heading into the final frame. Trailing 5-1, the Titans refused to back down, continuing to battle shift after shift. Goals from Miles Lara, Andrew Metzger, and Nate Ashkinazi brought New Jersey within striking distance at 5-4. The Mountain Kings continued to put pressure on the Titans, and Kayden Hill buried his second of the night at 5:14, stretching the lead by two and sealing the weekend sweep. A strong start, clutch responses, and three players with multi-goal nights powered New Hampshire to a 6-4 win. 

Garden State 5 @ Norwich 1 - Garden State closed out their weekend with an impressive 5-1 win over Norwich, controlling the pace and stacking goals in key moments. Radek Tervo opened scoring for the Gamblers, giving them the 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission. Late in the second, the Gamblers were persistent, putting pressure on Norwich goaltender with successive shots on goal. Late in the second period, the Gamblers’ Filip Piatowski won the faceoff, threaded the puck through a Norwich forward’s legs, and fired a shot that slipped under the goaltender’s arm for a highlight-reel finish. Garden State’s Isaac Emmerich then scored from the Gambler’s own zone, making the score 3-0 heading into the final frame. Joseph Foody got the Gamblers going in the third, scoring 40 seconds into the third. Norwich got on the board when Louis Allanson found the back of the net with 9:20 remaining in the third, but Garden State quickly answered as Darius Malecki found the back of the net putting up the fifth goal of the night for the Gamblers. 

Minnesota 2 @ Minnesota 3 - The Vulcans Prevail in a Battle of Minnesota and defeat the Wilderness 3-2 on Saturday night at Fogerty Arena in Blaine, Minnesota. The Vulcans got goals from Rory Kronick, Grady Miller and Nolan Broder, while Marccus Anttila and Ayden Althaus each scored for the Wilderness. The Vulcans got off to a fast start when Kronick scored in the opening minute and a half to give his team a 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission. Both teams would strike in the second period, as Anttila tied the game for the Wilderness before Miller put the Vulcans back on top 2-1. The Vulcans extended their lead to 3-1 when Broder scored, but the Wilderness fought back as Althaus found the back of the net to make it a one-goal game. The Vulcans would fend off the comeback attempt to secure the 3-2 victory. Goaltender Dawson Desjardins stopped 22 of 24 shots for the Vulcans, while Calum Keating stopped 29 of 32 shots for the Wilderness. The Vulcans improve to 2-1-1 on the season, while the Wilderness fall to 0-2-1.

Willmar 4 @ Alexandria 3 - The Willmar Warhawks score two goals in the third to come from behind and defeat the Alexandria Blizzard on Saturday night at the Runestone Community Center in Alexandria, Minnesota. Maddux Domagala led the Warhawks with two goals, while teammate Eliot Domagala added two assists. Tyler Meyer, Wyatt Mineheine and Parker Lycke each scored for the Blizzard in the defeat. Each team found the back of the net in the first period, with the Warhawks striking first thanks to Maddux Domagala. The Blizzard would knot the game up when Wyatt Mineheine got one past the goalie. The second period would start off almost identically, with Maddux Domagala scoring his second of the night and sixth of the season. Tyler Meyer and the Blizzard would tie the game just under three minutes later. The final period brought plenty of action, with the Blizzard taking their first lead of the night when Parker Lycke scored his first goal of the season. The Warhawks would fight back and score twice to secure the comeback win. Tanner Lozano scored an unassisted goal to tie the game, and less than six minutes later, Lucas Thelen scored the game-winner. Willmar goaltender Asher Wold made 47 saves in the win, while Bode Ekblad stopped 28 shots for Alexandria. The Warhawks improve to 2-1 on the season, while the Blizzard fall to 1-3-1.

Wisconsin 4 @  Fox Cities 0 - The Wisconsin Woodsmen score three goals in the third and pitch a shutout in a win over the Fox Cities Forge on Saturday night at the Appleton Family Ice Center in Appleton, Wisconsin. The Woodsmen were led by goalie Dominic Seligman, who stopped all 18 shots he faced in the game, while teammate Bryce Bechen added three assists. Despite the loss, Forge goalie Eli Graf stopped 52 shots on goal. The Woodsmen took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission as Andrei Khomenko scored with 1:53 left on the clock. No goals were scored in the second period despite 26 combined shots, with 18 by the Woodsmen and eight by the Forge. The Woodsmen would pull away in the third, scoring three times, including Jackson Haupt's team-high-tying seventh goal of the season. Paxton Raymond and Ty Paulios also scored in the period, while Bechen added two of his three assists. The Woodsmen improve to 5-3-1 on the season, while the Forge continue to search for their first win, falling to 0-5.

North Iowa 1 @ Granite City 3 - Granite City struck first and never looked back as the Lumberjacks defeated the North Iowa Bulls 4-1 on Saturday night at the Miller Buick GMC Rink in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota. The Lumberjacks got two assists each from Alex Zelazowski, Jackson Engberg and Kaden Larson. The Bulls were led by goaltender Cole Murphy, who made 38 saves in the defeat. Granite City took a quick 2-0 lead into the first intermission thanks to goals from Elijah Fitch, followed by Sam Moore scoring his first of the season. The second period saw two goals from the Lumberjacks and one from the Bulls. Michael Schmidt and Drew Thompson each scored for Granite City, while Zelazowski, Engberg and Larson each recorded their second assists of the game in the period. Wakley Holzer scored for the Bulls with four seconds left in the period. The third period saw no goals, as the Bulls outshot the Lumberjacks 17-6. Granite City goaltender Zach Price finished with 26 saves on 27 shots, while Murphy stopped 38 of 42 shots for the Bulls. Granite City improves to 4-0 on the season, while North Iowa falls to 3-1-1.

Badlands 5 @ Gillette 2 - The Badlands Sabres stormed to a 5-2 victory over the Gillette Wild at Spirit Hall Ice Arena. The action began with Rhylan Olson drawing first blood at 11:31 of the first period, setting the tone for the Sabres. The second period was a Sabres showcase, with Adam Pflugrath-Davis notching a power-play goal at 15:48, followed by Matthew Cordis who scored twice, first at 6:22 and then quick as a flash at 00:50. The Wild's Beau Delich spearheaded a comeback attempt, scoring at 01:07 of the second period, assisted by Maguire Dewees and Reece Clouston. But Justin Reams extinguished their hopes with a goal at 06:43 of the third period. Delich hit back for the Wild at 05:32 in the third. 

Great Falls 7 @ Butte 1 - The Great Falls Americans defeated the Butte Irish 7-1 on Saturday. The Americans started strong, with Xander Troyer netting the opening goal on a power play at 4:29 of the first period, assisted by Parker Jusczak and Jordan Antar. The second period saw Gordon Jennings extend the lead with another power play goal at 12:02, with help from Jase Troyer and Xander Troyer. Just under a minute later, Austin Gibson found the back of the net at 11:21, thanks to assists from Paxon Sacre and Jarrett Parker. The Americans continued their dominance into the third period. Butte opened the third period scoring efforts with a goal from Jack Whitelaw. Keifer Lundmark of Great Falls scored a shorthanded goal at 6:10, proving their penalty kill prowess. Ace McLeslie added another at 4:07, assisted by Cooper Palazzolo and Logan Knowles. Jarrett Parker and Cooper Palazzolo’s goals sealed the deal for Great Falls. 

Helena 3 @ Sheridan 1 - The Helena Bighorns bested the Sheridan Hawks with a final score of 3-1. The action kicked off in the first period, with Helena drawing first blood at 15:19, courtesy of Casey Barriteau, assisted by Cameron Kimmerly. The second period saw a stalemate, with neither team able to convert their opportunities into goals. However, the third period sparked to life with an electrifying power-play goal at 13:37 by Braden Davis, assisted by Alexander Collin and Lincoln Kearney, extending Helena's lead. Just under two minutes later, Caden Gleason brought the Hawks back into contention with a goal assisted by Lucas Paliwodzinski and Cooper Saari. But the Bighorns sealed their victory with an empty-netter at 00:17 of the third period from Jeffrey Hershberger.

Bozeman 5 @ Yellowstone 2 - The Bozeman Icedogs overpowered the Yellowstone Quake with a final score of 5-2. The opening goal came at 14:17 of the first period, when Matthew Stamp of Bozeman capitalized on a power play, assisted by Luke Fowler and Austin Storberg. Just over 14 minutes later, at 00:14, Austin Storberg added to Bozeman's lead with a goal assisted by Matthew Stamp and Luke Fowler again. Bozeman's Oden Fiebelkorn opened the second period with a goal at 10:46, assisted by Ryan McCreary. Yellowstone's Cameron Beaver cut the deficit with a goal at 01:00 of the second period, assisted by Henry Anselmo and Chance Bryson. Matthew Stamp added his second goal at 17:27 in the third, assisted by Lex Steckelberg and Seth Hanson, putting the game out of reach. Chase Foy increased the lead for Bozeman at 14:55, assisted by Jakob Johnson and Luke Fowler. The Quake found a power play goal by Chance Bryson at 10:26 of the third, assisted by Shayne Smith and Carson Joersz.