Rock Ridge Roars with Grit, Hands Cathedral First Loss in a 5-3 Penalty-Filled Thriller
The Rock Ridge Wolverines, clad in resilience and capitalizing on power plays, clawed their way to a 5-3 victory over the previously undefeated St. Cloud Cathedral Crusaders, handing them their first loss of the season in a penalty-filled battle.
Rock Ridge struck first with Brant Tiedeman and Sam Troutwine finding the net early, but John Hirschfeld’s two goals, one even strength and one shorthanded, kept the Crusaders within reach. The second period saw Troutwine double down on his power-play prowess with another goal, while Hirschfeld kept the Cathedral faithful hopeful with his opportunistic shorthanded tally.
The third period erupted in a whirlwind of penalties and emotions. St. Cloud Cathedral, their aggressiveness bordering on recklessness, amassed a staggering 50 minutes in minor penalties, including two game misconducts for Ben Petroske and Landon Swenson. Rock Ridge, smelling blood, pounced on their opponent’s indiscipline. Grady Dimberio and Caz Carlson, both on the power play, delivered the knockout blows, putting the game out of reach despite Cole Hwang’s late consolation goal for the Crusaders.
The Buffalo Bandits edged out the Bemidji Lumberjacks in a nail-biting 6-5 victory. Eli Tiernan, a Buffalo forward, dominated the ice with four goals, two in each period. Bemidji’s Benjamin O’Leary countered with two goals of his own, but Buffalo’s superior shot count (34-22) and penalty kill prowess ultimately sealed the win. Despite committing more penalties (10 to 4), Buffalo shut down all but two of Bemidji’s power plays, capitalizing on their own opportunities to secure the victory. The win was a testament to Buffalo’s resilience and Tiernan’s offensive firepower, proving their mettle against a competitive Bemidji squad.
The Grand Rapids Thunderhawks soared over the Eden Prairie Eagles in a thrilling 4-3 victory. They capitalized on their power play prowess, converting all three opportunities while Eden Prairie managed to score just one of their two. Despite facing more than twice the amount of shots (35 to 12), Grand Rapids’ strong defense and clutch goals from Jacob Garski, who netted two on the power play, secured the win. Eden Prairie fought back with goals from John Kleis and Dylan Vornwald, but ultimately Grand Rapids’ offensive efficiency and penalty kill dominance proved too much to overcome. This win solidifies Grand Rapids’ position as a force to be reckoned with, leaving Eden Prairie looking for answers after a hard-fought battle.
In a thrilling overtime battle, the Stillwater Ponies edged out the Roseville Raiders 5-4 after trailing by two goals late in the third period.
The game started off with Stillwater striking first in the first period, courtesy of Blake Vanek. Roseville responded early in the second with a goal from Jake Boss, but Jonas Kohn put Stillwater back ahead just a few minutes later. The third period saw a flurry of goals, with Roseville taking the lead on tallies from Jacob Villella and Prentiss Maier. However, Stillwater refused to surrender, tying the game with two late goals from Jonas Kohn and Wyatt Carroll.
The excitement continued in overtime, where Trey Fredenberg netted the game-winning goal for Stillwater just 2:45 into the extra frame. Both teams played a clean game with no penalties recorded.
This victory is a testament to Stillwater’s resilience and their ability to come back from a deficit. Roseville put up a valiant effort, but ultimately fell short in a tightly contested game. Both teams showcased their offensive firepower and defensive grit, making for a truly entertaining overtime thriller.
