River Lakes Triumphs in Overtime Thriller Against Breckenridge/Wahpeton

The River Lakes Stars secured a 5-4 overtime victory over Breckenridge/Wahpeton in a back-and-forth game.

Game Recap

First Period

Breckenridge/Wahpeton struck first at 13:30, with #12 Jaxson Lopez finding the net, assisted by #2 Josh Hofman. River Lakes had several scoring opportunities but couldn’t convert, ending the period trailing 1-0.

Second Period

The teams exchanged goals early in the second. Breckenridge/Wahpeton extended their lead with a goal by #28 Easton Neppl at 1:11, but River Lakes responded with #42 Evan Jones scoring at 2:40. Breckenridge/Wahpeton regained momentum with a goal by #19 Isaiah Bruechert at 9:05. River Lakes’ #27 Eric Paulson narrowed the gap with a goal at 16:41, making it 3-2 heading into the third.

Third Period

Breckenridge/Wahpeton opened the scoring again, with Neppl netting his second of the night on the power play at 8:21. River Lakes rallied, with #21 Blake Schultz scoring at 12:18 and #10 Jace Griffin tying the game at 15:16, setting up an intense overtime.

Overtime

At 1:59 of the extra period, Griffin delivered the game-winning goal for River Lakes, assisted by #12 Brock Bruntlett, completing the Stars’ comeback victory.

Key Performers

River Lakes (Record: 6-4-2, Section 6A):
- Jace Griffin: 2 goals, including the OT winner
- Blake Schultz: 1 goal, 1 assist
- Eric Paulson: 1 goal, 1 assist
- Goaltending: Devin Swanson made 15 saves on 19 shots
Breckenridge/Wahpeton (Record: 3-7-0, Section 6A):
- Easton Neppl: 2 goals
- Jaxson Lopez: 1 goal, 1 assist
- Isaiah Bruechert: 1 goal
- Goaltending: Cale Gilbertson stopped 27 of 32 shots

Team Statistics

Shots on Goal: River Lakes 32, Breckenridge/Wahpeton 19
Power Plays: River Lakes 0-for-1, Breckenridge/Wahpeton 1-for-1
Penalties: River Lakes 2 minutes on 1 infraction, Breckenridge/Wahpeton 4 minutes on 2 infractions