Mudbugs prevail again in Robertson Cup replay

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Midwesthockey.info

The second day of play at the NAHL Showcase weekend at the National Sports Center Super Rinks in Blaine, Minnesota featured a rematch of last season’s Robertson Cup Championship game.

Thanks to a 25-save shutout from Devon Bobak (‘01/Northwood, OH) it was the Shreveport Mudbugs prevailing once again at the season evening event, this time by a narrow 1-0 margin.

That effort overshadowed an almost equal response from Kyle Kozma (‘01/Vaughan, ON) who was beaten just once on 23 shots, but that ended up being enough for the defending champs.

As a result of this game, both teams entered day three at the Showcase with matching 1-1 records on the weekend.

Listed below are summaries of nine other games that involved Midwest-based NAHL teams, in the order they were played.

Minot Minotauros 5 Corpus Christi IceRays 2

The Minotauros collected its first win of the season, piling up a 4-0 cushion with two unanswered goals in each of the first two periods, then adding a clincher in the game’s final minute.

Colby Joseph (‘02/Brandon, MB) fired a pair in the win for Minot with Dean Schwenninger (‘01/Zurich, Switzerland) adding a goal and two assists. Cole Mickel (‘02/Whiteridge, CO) and Jaksen Panzer (’04/East Grand Forkds, ND) both collected a goal and assist and Thomas Kiesewetter (‘05/Plymouth, MA) picked up the win in goal with 17 saves.

Springfield Jr. Blues 3 Odessa Jackalopes 1

The Blues continued its impressive run in its return to the NAHL after sitting out the 2020-21 campaign, picking up its fourth straight win with a 3-1 edge against Odessa.

The Blues scored once in each period and Ethan Robertson (‘02/Courtice, ON) stopped all but one shot, near the middle of the second period.

Joey Dosan (‘01/Bloomington, MN); Connor Smith (‘03/Detroit, MI) and Noah Holt (‘02/Brookville, OH) scored the Springfield goals.

Maine Nordiques 5 Bismarck Bobcats 2

The Cats dropped its second game of the weekend but did a decent job of fighting back from a 4-0 first period deficit.

Eddie Shepler (‘03/Livonia, MI) and Drew Holt (‘02/Eden Prairie, MN) scored the Bismarck goals in a fast past game that saw 35 shots on goal for both teams.

El Paso Rhinos 4 Janesville Jets 1

With an odd number of teams (29), one team has a day off on each day of the Showcase tournament.

After sitting Wednesday, the Jets entered the fray Thursday and dropped its third game of the season – all three by 4-1 scores.

El Paso scored two unanswered first period and the other three all came in the middle frame.

Cy LeClerc (‘02/Brentwood, NH) scored the lone Jets goal after Rhinos built a 4-0 cushion.

Jamestown Rebels 4 North Iowa Bulls

After starting its Tier 2 history with a win on Wednesday, the Bulls managed just one in this one, Ryan Coughlin (‘01/Charlotte, NC) hitting the mesh in the sixth minute of the final period with the Bulls already trailing 4-1.

New Jersey Titans 5 Chippewa Steel 2

After starting the regular season with a pair of wins against Kenai River at home on the weekend, the Steel finds itself at .500 after absorbing its second straight loss at the Showcase event.

After a scoreless first period, the Steel scored twice in the opening five minutes of the second period, but the rest of the contest belonged to the Titans who led 3-2 by the start of the third period.

Tyler Ryder (‘01/Byron Center, MI) and Jack Brown (‘01/Woodbury, MN) scored the Steel goals.

Austin Bruins 5 Fairbanks Ice Dogs 2

The Bruins stayed perfect with its second win at the Showcase, jumping into a commanding 4-1 first period lead and adding the fifth with 7:04 to play in the contest.

Nick Catalano (‘01/Pewaukee, WI) scored twice for the Bruins, Carson Riddle (‘01/Holly, MI) adding a goal and assist. Liam Whitehouse (‘01/Mount Kisco, NY) and Jens Richards (‘02/Callaway, MN) scored the other Bruins’ goals.

Amarillo Wranglers 5 Minnesota Wilderness 4 (ot)

A pair of third period goals helped the Wilderness rally back from a 4-2 deficit against the Wranglers who responded to a 2-0 Wilderness lead with four straight second period goals.

Matthew McQuade (‘01/Stittsville, ON) scored the goal that sent the game to OT after setting up two others, William Persson (‘01/Bjorklinge, Sweden) also collecting a goal and two assists for the Wilderness.

Cole Crusberg-Roseen (‘02/Stratham, NH) and Bryce Howard (‘03/Celina, MN) scored the other Wilderness goals.

Lone Star Brahmas 3 Minnesota Magicians 2

Brahmas scored once in each period to collect the win while the Magicians produced two middle period markers scored by Cam Boche (‘02/Lakeville, MN) and Lucas Kanta (‘01/Grand Forks, ND).

The St. Cloud Norsemen were out of action on Thursday.