Wadena-Deer Creek 9, Park Rapids Area 7

Final: In a high-scoring shootout, Wadena-Deer Creek overcame an early deficit to defeat Park Rapids Area 9-7.

This game was an offensive showcase, with both teams combining for 16 goals and 71 shots on net. Carson Davis of Wadena-Deer Creek stole the spotlight, registering a hat trick and adding two assists for a five-point night.

Park Rapids came out firing in the first period, jumping to a quick 4-2 lead, powered by Finn Henry’s two goals and a tally from Ethan Torola. However, Wadena-Deer Creek responded with consistent offense across all three periods to claw back and take control.

Key Moments:

• Second Period Turnaround: Wadena-Deer Creek outscored Park Rapids 3-1 in the second period, tying the game at 5-5. Goals from Peyton Mithun, Carson Davis, and Cooper Ness highlighted the comeback effort.
• Special Teams Battle: Both teams converted one power-play opportunity each, but Wadena-Deer Creek’s discipline and execution in the third period proved decisive.
• Third Period Dominance: Wadena-Deer Creek sealed the game with four goals in the final frame, including a power-play goal by Carson Davis and a crucial insurance goal by Milo Rinio.

Key Performers:

• Wadena-Deer Creek:
  • Carson Davis: 3 goals, 2 assists, 5 points.
  • Peyton Mithun: 2 goals, 1 assist.
  • Cooper Ness: 1 goal, 2 assists.
  • Sawyer Ferdon: 1 goal, 1 assist.
• Park Rapids Area:
  • Finn Henry: Hat trick (3 goals).
  • Kale Ravnass: 2 goals, 1 assist.
  • Cooper Brovold: 2 assists.

Goaltending:

• Grayson Meyer of Wadena-Deer Creek faced 28 shots, stopping 21 (.750 SV%).
• Trevor Lobeck of Park Rapids Area made 34 saves on 43 shots (.791 SV%).

Takeaways:

Wadena-Deer Creek showed resilience, overcoming a two-goal deficit with balanced scoring and special teams’ effectiveness. Despite a valiant effort from Park Rapids Area, their defense couldn’t contain Wadena-Deer Creek’s relentless attack.

Prairie Centre Edges Becker/Big Lake 2-1 in Defensive Battle

Final: Prairie Centre relied on a strong first period and standout goaltending to secure a narrow 2-1 victory over Becker/Big Lake.

Prairie Centre set the tone early with two first-period goals, including a power-play tally from Leyton Fuchs and an even-strength goal by Keegan Christians. Despite being outshot 38-32, Prairie Centre’s defensive effort and goaltender Carter Holman’s stellar performance proved decisive.

Game Recap:

• First Period Dominance: Prairie Centre opened the scoring at 10:12 when Leyton Fuchs converted on the power play, assisted by Hagen Brunkhorst. Just two minutes later, Keegan Christians doubled the lead, finishing a feed from Derek Lopez and Jackson Moritz.
• Becker/Big Lake Responds: In the second period, Owen Zahler found the back of the net for Becker/Big Lake, capitalizing on a setup from Ethan Grafnitz to cut the deficit to 2-1.
• Goaltending Duel: The third period saw Becker/Big Lake unleash 37 shots on net, but Carter Holman stood tall, making 37 saves and preserving the lead for Prairie Centre. Meanwhile, Elliott Grafnitz of Becker/Big Lake stopped 30 of 32 shots to keep his team within striking distance.

Key Performers:

• Prairie Centre:
  • Leyton Fuchs: 1 goal, including the game-winning power-play tally.
  • Keegan Christians: 1 goal.
  • Carter Holman: 37 saves, .974 SV%.
• Becker/Big Lake:
  • Owen Zahler: 1 goal.
  • Elliott Grafnitz: 30 saves, .938 SV%.

Takeaways:

Prairie Centre’s ability to capitalize on special teams and their defensive structure made the difference.

Maple Grove Edges Grand Rapids 2-1 in Defensive Showdown

Final: A third-period surge powered Maple Grove to a 2-1 victory over Grand Rapids in a tightly contested game.

Despite outshooting Grand Rapids 35-16, Maple Grove needed late heroics to secure the win. Jaden Roueche and Zach Schindel found the back of the net in the final frame, with the latter scoring the game-winner on the power play.

Game Highlights:

• First Two Periods: Both teams were held scoreless through 40 minutes. Maple Grove applied steady pressure with 21 shots to Grand Rapids’ 10, but Carter Casey stood tall in net for the Thunderhawks.
• Third Period Action:
  • Maple Grove opened the scoring at 8:36 when Jaden Roueche capitalized on a feed from Matthew Johnson.
  • Grand Rapids responded quickly, with Nathan Garski netting the equalizer just over a minute later, assisted by Ander Rajala and Luke Palecek.
  • The Crimson regained the lead at 11:51 when Zach Schindel converted on the power play, assisted by Lane Glende.
• Final Push: Grand Rapids mounted pressure late but couldn’t solve Maple Grove goalie Zach Price, who made 15 saves.

Key Performers:

• Maple Grove:
  • Zach Price: 15 saves, .938 SV%, anchoring the defensive effort.
  • Jaden Roueche: 1 goal, provided the opening tally.
  • Zach Schindel: 1 goal (game-winner, power play).
• Grand Rapids:
  • Carter Casey: 33 saves, .943 SV%, kept his team in the game.
  • Nathan Garski: 1 goal, provided the lone Thunderhawks tally.

Takeaways:

Maple Grove’s depth and persistence ultimately overwhelmed Grand Rapids in a game where special teams proved pivotal.

Mankato East Overcomes Early Deficit to Beat Austin 5-3

Final: Mankato East used a dominant second period and a standout performance from Luke Lebens to rally past Austin for a 5-3 victory.

Game Highlights:

• First Period: Austin struck first with a power-play goal by Gahvin Schaefer, assisted by Cade Overocker, to take a 1-0 lead into intermission despite being outshot 16-8.
• Second Period: Mankato East responded emphatically, scoring four goals in a span of 14 minutes.
  • Braydon Arnoldy opened the scoring for the Cougars just 42 seconds into the period.
  • Austin regained the lead with an even-strength goal by Matthew Phanchan, followed by Overocker converting another power-play opportunity to make it 3-1.
  • Mankato East answered with three consecutive goals:
    • Tyler Rundle cut the deficit to 3-2.
    • Lebens scored twice, including a power-play goal, to give the Cougars a 4-3 lead heading into the third.
• Third Period: Mankato East controlled the final frame, adding an insurance goal from Edward Engen at 2:01. Austin struggled to generate quality scoring chances against Mankato East’s aggressive defense.

Key Performers:

• Mankato East:
  • Luke Lebens: 2 goals, including the game-winner and a power-play goal.
  • Dylan Mees: 2 assists, sparking the offense.
  • Tyler Rundle: 1 goal, 1 assist, providing consistent pressure.
  • Brody Kunst: 20 saves, key stops in the third to preserve the lead.
• Austin:
  • Cade Overocker: 1 goal, 2 assists, involved in all three Austin goals.
  • Gahvin Schaefer: 1 goal, 1 assist, led the early charge.
  • Tait Johnson: 46 saves on 51 shots, a strong effort despite the loss.

Takeaways:

• Mankato East’s offensive depth proved decisive, with contributions from multiple lines.
• Austin capitalized on special teams early but struggled to maintain momentum as the Cougars adjusted.

In a tightly contested game, Orono and East Grand Forks skated to a 2-2 tie through regulation and overtime, showcasing strong defensive efforts and key individual performances at East Grand Forks Civic Center.

Key Highlights:

• Orono jumped out to an early lead in the first period with goals from Talan Reuter at 2:15, assisted by Boston Foster and Ryan DeLange, and Ethan Pagel at 13:26.
• East Grand Forks responded in the second period when Max Bies found the back of the net at 8:58, assisted by Hunter Varnson and Nolan Meulebroeck, cutting Orono’s lead in half.
• In the third period, Tucker Lovejoy scored the game-tying goal for East Grand Forks on the power play at 11:56, with assists from Bies and Varnson.
• Both teams battled hard in overtime but were unable to score, with each side showcasing excellent goaltending and defensive play.

Goalie Performances:

• Evan Schmidt of Orono was stellar in net, stopping 30 of 32 shots for a .938 save percentage.
• Noah Schindele for East Grand Forks turned aside 16 of 18 shots, finishing with an .889 save percentage.

Special Teams:

• East Grand Forks capitalized on the power play, going 1-for-4, while Orono was unable to convert on their two power-play opportunities.
• Both teams displayed discipline, but a few penalties created opportunities for the power-play units to shine.

This closely fought matchup was a testament to the resilience and talent on both sides, with standout performances from players like Reuter, Pagel, Bies, and Lovejoy.

We don’t have any stats on this game yet, but its a huge win for Thief River Falls over a good Northern Lakes hockey team.

Mahtomedi Shuts Out Warroad with Dominant Defensive Effort

Mahtomedi delivered a commanding 4-0 victory over Warroad, fueled by standout performances from Devin O’Donnell and goalie Wes Strub at The Gardens Arena.

O’Donnell led the charge with two goals, including the game-sealing tally in the third period, while Ryker Dunbar and Mac Appert each added goals in the second period to build the lead. Will Seevers contributed two assists, showcasing his playmaking ability.

Strub was perfect in net, stopping all 24 shots he faced to earn the shutout. Despite Warroad’s eight power-play opportunities, Mahtomedi’s penalty kill held firm, frustrating Warroad’s offense throughout the game.

Warroad goalie Patrick Kennedy made 23 saves but couldn’t overcome Mahtomedi’s balanced attack. The Zephyrs’ defensive discipline and opportunistic scoring sealed an impressive win, proving their strength against top-tier class A competition.