Three goal third lifts Mustangs past Bulldogs

Playing on home ice, the Peoria Mustangs rallied back from a 3-2 deficict with three unanswered third period goals, including two in the final three minutes, to pull out a 5-3 win in its NAHL home opener at the Owens Rec Center, Saturday (Sept. 12) night.

The game was one of six league contests — all involving Midwest based NA3HL teams.

In the other games: West Michigan doubled the host Southern Tier Express 4-2, Metro Jets downed the Pittsburgh Vengeance 5-2, St. Louis Junior Blues downed the visiting Nashville Jr. Predators 7-5, defending champion Granite City Lumberjacks opened with a 6-2 win against the Minnesota Flying Aces and the host Toledo Cherokee doubled the Wooster Oilers 6-3 in the first half of a home and away set.

Mustangs 5 Bulldogs 3 

The Bulldogs led by a goal after both the first (2-1) and second (3-2) periods before the Mustangs rallied back for the win.

Leading the offensive charge for the Mustangs was Jason Hoehn, a ’95 from Port Byron, IL with a hat trick and Aaron Siegrist, a ’96 from Texas with a goal and a helper. The other Mustangs goal came from Chance Homerin, a ’96 from Pekin, IL while Nic Piech, a ’96 from Des Plaines, IL stopped 24 of 27 Bulldogs’ shots to nail down the win in goal.

Scott Coash Jr., a ’96 from Plainfield, IL; Jake Borth, a ’98 from Braidwood, IL and Timothy Hoffenkamp, a ’96 from Bridgeview, IL notched the Bulldogs goals and Jimmy Smith, a ’96 from Texas stopped 36 of 40 shots before skating to the bench in favor of an extra attacker with 35 seconds to play.

Wolves 4 Express 2 

Teams were even in the first and final periods, both scoring once, but the Wolves put up a pair of unanswered middle period markers that made the difference in this one to even the weekend set at one win apiece at Jamestown, NY.

Nathan Rieman, a ’97 from Bay City, MI and William Bonser, a ’96 from Jackson, MI put up a goal and assist each with the other Wolves’ goals scored by Kyle Nikles, a ’96 from Memphis, MI and Ryan Price, a ’96 from NJ. Samuel Woznicki, a ’97 from Walled Lake, MI stopped 25 of 27 Express shots to pick up the win in goal.

Joseph Gerace, a ’98 from New York and Matins Ingus, a ’98 from Latvia both scored for the Express while Cody Gibson, a ’96 from Livonia, MI and Steele MIllard, a ’97 from Madison Heights, MI combined to stop 38 of 41 Wolves’ shots, the final one sunk into an empty cage.

The Express will make its first road trip of the season Friday (Sept. 18) playing at Wooster while West Michigan makes the trip to the Detroit area to face the Metro Jets on Saturday (Sept. 19).

Jets 5 at Vengeance 2

Two goals 30-seconds apart inside of the first two minutes of the final period broke open a 2-2 draw for the Jets and another before the halfway mark gave the team insurance as it knocked off the 2-0 Vengeance at the Alpha Ice Complex near Pittsburgh.

Michael Tratar, a ’95 from Madison Heights, MI collected two goals in the win and Mark Vansaw, a ’97 from Grand Blanc, MI set up a pair.

Jacob Drinkard, a ’96 from Lapeer, MI; Spencer Graham, a ’95 from Cadillac, MI and Chas Distelrath, a ’96 from Hartland, MI scored the other Jets goals while Kameron Limburg, a ’95 from Howell, MI stopped 21 of 23 to collect the win in goal.

Adam Schaffer, a ’96 from Defiance, OH scored both Vengeance goals while Jacob Stack, a ’95 from Cedar Rapids, IA handled 38 of 43 shots in goal for the Vengeance.

The same two teams are scheduled to square off again Sunday (Sept. 13)

Jr. Predators 5 at Jr. Blues 7

Early in the second period the Jr. Preds held a 3-1 margin, but teams were even at 4-4 by the end of the period and 5-5 early in the third before the host Jr. Blues put it away with two goals through the game’s final nine minutes.

Frankie Cardinale, a ’98 from St. Louis paced the Blues with a couple of goals and two assists with Frankie Melton, a ’97 from St. Louis adding a goal and two helpers.

Sam Maddox, a ’97 from St. Louis also scored twice, Zach Mitchell, a ’96 from Chicago adding a goal and assist and the other Blues goal was scored by Eduard Rumyantsev, a ’98 from Russia.

Dylan Schmidt, a ’96 from Sterling Heights, MI led the Jr. Preds with a goal and a couple of assists while Kyle Van Wyk, a ’95 from KY collected a goal and assist.

Other Preds goals came from Logan Orem, a ’97 from TN; Trent Kulczyk, a ’96 from Kalamazoo, MI and Andrew Kluge, a ’96 from FL.

The Preds and Blues will be back on the ice at the Affton Ice Arena Sunday (Sept. 13

Lumberjacks 6 Flying Aces 2 

After scoring the lone goal of the opening period, the host Granite City Lumberjacks opened up a 3-1 cushion in the second and widened the margin to 6-1 before the Aces wrapped up the scoring with a late one at the Armadillo Deck Arena.

Michael Piehler, a ’96 from Texas paced the Lumberjack attack with a goal and two assists and Casey Esselman, a ’96 from Wisconsin Rapids, WI scored a pair for the winners.

Lucas Carroll, a ’97 from St. Francis, MN picked up a goal and assist and Tommy Giller, a ’96 from White Bear Lake, MN set up a pair. Mack Stevens, a ’96 from St. Paul, MN and Adam Marty, a ’95 from Somerset, WI notched the other Lumberjack goals.

Robbie Goor, a ’96 from Anoka, MN handled 22 of 24 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Lumberjacks.

The Lumberjacks will play host to the Breezy Point North Stars Friday (Sept. 18) and the Flying Aces will also make the trip to Breezy Point on Saturday (Sept. 19)

Oilers 3 at Cherokee 6

The host Toledo Cherokee dominated the first two periods on the scoreboard, up 3-0 after a frame and 6-1 heading to the third. The Oilers notched a pair of unanswered third period goals but it was way too little and far too late at Team Toledo Ice House.

Tristin Snyder, a ’97 from Oregon, OH scored twice and added three assists for the Cherokee while Ricky Kwapich, a ’96 from Toledo picked up two of each and Austin Turner, a ’95 from Temperance, MI had four set ups.

David Bogart, a ’95 from Northwood, OH collected a goal and assist, Tyler Zalecki, a ’95 also from Northwood picked up two assists and the other goal came from Alec, a ’97 from Chesterfield, MI.

Glen Bates, a ’95 from Ida, MI stopped 20 of 23 to pick up the win for Cherokee.

Rubin Chavarria, a ’95 from North Carolina was in on all three Oilers markers, scoring two and setting up Tyler Crites, a ’96 from Alsip, Il on the other.