NAHL Division Finals on deck

Eight teams remain in the North American Hockey League post season heading into four Division Championship playoff rounds. Half of those teams, playing in three of the four divisions, come out of the American Midwest

Central Division 

Bismarck Bobcats (37-19-4) vs. Austin Bruins (29-27-4)

At least one Midwest-based team will advance to the Robertson Cup Championship tournament at Edina, MN. May 12-15 as the all-Midwest Central Division championship will come down to a battle between the Bismarck Bobcats and Austin Bruins.

The Bobcats finished on top of the Central Division standings with a total of 76 points, two better than second place Minotauros and comfortably ahead of the third place Bruins who finished with 62. However, the Bruins split the eight-game season series with the Bobcats, taking four. Overall the Bobcats can claim a points edge though as the final two games played at Austin March 11-12 saw the Bruins capture a 1-0 win in overtime followed by a 2-1 edge in shootout. Both teams hosted four games and the home team was triumphant in six of the eight contests.

Both teams captured wins in their respective Best-of-Five Division Semi Finals in four games. The Bruins dropped the opener at Minot 3-1 but bounced back for a 4-1 win in the second game and captured the series win with 6-3 and 3-2 wins on home ice. The Bobcats opened at home and took control of the series with 5-2 and 5-3 win, but the Brookings Blizzard evaded elimination with a 2-1 edge on home ice, the Bobcats finally putting it away with a 3-1 edge in Game four.

Jade Miller, 20, from Minot, ND and headed to the University of Minnesota-Duluth leads not only the Bruins, but the league in playoff scoring with three goals and six assists through the first four games. Willie Brown, 20, from South St. Paul is right behind with two goals and five assists to lead the Bobcats.

Gilbert Gabor, 20, from Sweden and Jacob Paganalli, 19, (Princeton) from New Jersey both have two goals and four assists for the Bruins while Aaron Herdt, 20, from Moorhead, MN has collected three goals and two assists and Alex Strand, 20, from Roseau, MN a goal and four helpers — both for the Bobcats.

In goal, Hunter Shepard, 20, (Minnesota-Duluth) from Cohasset, MN has appeared in all four games so far for the Bobcats, handling 111 of 119 shots for a 2.01 Goals Against Average and a Save Percentage of .933. Kristofer Carlson, 18, from Virginia has also played all four games, for the Bruins, stopping 110 of 119 for a 2.26 GAA and a .933 SP.

Bobcats have home ice advantage in this series which begins on Friday night. Full schedule is listed below

Game 1 — Friday, April 29 at Bismarck VFW Sports Center — 7:15 p.m.

Game 2 — Saturday April 30 at Bismarck VFW Sports Center — 7:15 p.m.

Game 3 — Friday, May 6 at Austin Riverside Arena– 7:05 p.m.

Game 4 (If Necessary) — Saturday, May 7 at Austin Riverside Arena — 7:05 p.m.

Game 5 (If Necessary) — Monday May 9 at Bismarck VFW Sports Center — 7:15 p.m.

(All game times at CST) 

Midwest Division 

Fairbanks Ice Dogs (49-8-3) vs. Minnesota Wilderness (34-18-8)

The Ice Dogs finished atop the league and established a new record with its 101-point total while the defending Robertson Cup Champion Minnesota Wilderness wrapped up second with 76 points.

During the 2015-16 season, the Ice Dogs and Wilderness squared off four times with the Ice Dogs taking wins in the first three — Sept. 18 (6-2) and 19 (5-1) at Cloquet, MN and then the Jan. 22 (8-3) in Fairbanks. The Wilderness avoided the sweep taking a 5-3 win Jan. 23 at Fairbanks.

The Ice Dogs opened the post season against the fourth place Coulee Region Chill. Due to the extreme travel, the Ice Dogs hosted the first three games with Coulee given home ice for the final two.

The Chill confirmed at least one home game, shocking the Ice Dogs with overwhelming 6-1 win in the opening game at Fairbanks Sept. 15. However, after allowing six in the opener, the Ice Dogs surrendered just two more goals the rest of the way. After flipping the table with a 6-1 win the following night, the Ice Dogs wrapped up its three game homestand with a 4-0 win April 17 and then captured the series win with a 4-1 win at La Crosse, WI April 22.

The Wilderness also used a stifling defense to grab control of its series with the Jets. After dropping the first game 5-2 at Janesville, WI, the Wilderness earned a split on the road, taking a 2-1 win the following night. The series shifted back to Cloquet, MN where the Wilderness grabbed a 2-1 in Game 3 April 22 and then wrapped it up with a 3-2 win the following night.

Todd Burgess, a 20-year old RPI commit, led the way for the Ice Dogs through the first, round, putting up a goal and six assists while Casey Gelling, an 18-year-old from Gaylord, MI already committed to Northern Michigan had two goals and four assists to power the Wilderness offense.

Luke Kania, 20, from Chicago played all four games and enters the second round as the league leader in Goals Against Average, the five against giving him a 1.21 and his Save Percentage is also among the best at .932. Gavin Nieto, 20 (Brown) also appeared in all four so far for the Ice Dogs, posting a shutout and a GAA of 1.64 with a SP of .929.

The Ice Dogs will again host the first three games of the set with the Wilderness looking to take at least one of them to get it back to Minnesota.

Full Schedule is listed below:

Game 1 — Friday April 29 at Fairbanks Big Dipper Arena — 7:30 p.m. (AKST)

Game 2 — Saturday April 30 at Fairbanks Big Dipper Arena — 7:30 p.m. (AKST)

Game 3 — Sunday May 1 at Fairbanks Big Dipper Arena — 5 p.m. (AKST)

Game 4 (If Necessary) Friday May 6 at Cloquet Northwoods Credit Union Arena — 7:30 p.m. (CST)

Game 5 (If Necessary) — Saturday May 7 at Cloquet Northwoods Credit Union Arena — 7:30 p.m. (CST)

South Division

Wichita Falls Wildcats (44-11-5) vs. Topeka Roadrunners (34-24-2)

The South Division includes just one team based in the Midwest and the Topeka Roadrunners who ended up third in the division pulled off a first round upset to reach the conference championship round.

The Wichita Falls Wildcats won the division title for the first time with 93 points, six clear of the Lone Star Brahmas who finished second and a comfortable 23 points ahead of the third place Roadrunners.

During the regular season, the Wildcats and Roadrunners squared off eight times with the Wildcats winning a half dozen, the last Topeka win coming aback on Nov. 14, 2015 when it finished off a weekend split with a 5-2 win in Texas. The final four meetings all went to the Wildcats, two at home and two in Kansas.

In the opening round of the post season, the first place Wildcats made quick work of the fourth place finishing Odessa Jackalopes, opening with a 6-3 win on home ice Sept. 15 and adding a 5-0 shutout the following night before wrapping it up with another 6-3 win at Odessa April 22.

The Roadrunners dropped the opener at NYTX Arena 3-1 April 15 but earned a road split with a 2-1 edge the following night, Quinn Preston, 18, from Trenton, MI sinking the game winner 5:52 into overtime.

With the series shifting to Topeka, the host Roadrunners grabbed control with a 5-2 win in Game 3 and then wrapped it up when Ryan O’Connor, 19, sank the overtime game winner for a 5-4 edge in Game 4.

So far in the post season, Austin Albrecht, (3g, 4a), a 19-year-old New Jersey native and Austin Beaulieu (2g, 5a), a 19-year-old Florida native already committed to Alabama-Huntsville have both put up seven points for the Wildcats while Johnny Walker, a 19-year-old native of Arizona (Arizona State) for Topeka and Nick Rosa, 19, from Birmingham, MI of the Wildcats both have a goal and four helpers.

Justin Kapelmaster, 20, from Florida (Ferris State) appeared in all three games for the Wildcats and posted a .942 Save Percentage, stopping 98 of 104, best in the league so far. His GAA is also a solid 2.00. For the Roadrunners, 20-year-old Finnish netminder Juho Niko has posted good numbers as well with a 2.27 GAA and a .919 SP.

The Best of Five series will begin in Texas on  Friday.

Full Schedule is listed below:

Game 1 — Friday, April 29 at Wichita Falls Kay Yeager Arena — 7:05 p.m.

Game 2 — Saturday, April 30 at Wichita Falls Kay Yeager Arena — 7:05 p.m.

Game 3 — Monday, May 2 at Topeka Kansas Expo — 7:05 p.m.

Game 4 (If Necessary) — Tuesday May 3 at Topeka Kansas Expo –7:05 p.m.

Game 5 (If Necessary) — Saturday May 7 at Wichita Falls Kay Yeager Arena — 7:05 p.m.

The East Conference will also hold its conference championship round, a Best-of-Five series between the Johnstown Tomahawks and Aston Rebels. The four division winners will advance to the Robertson Cup Championship tournament at Edina, MN, beginning with Best-of-Trhee Semi-finals May 12-14 and a one game winner-take-all Championship on May 15.