Wilderness wraps up NAHL Central Division semi win against Blizzard

Down 3-2 early in the middle period, the Minnesota Wilderness scored the next four to capture a 6-3 win against the Brookings Blizzard at the Northwood Credit Union Arena and a 3-2 edge in its Best-of-Five North American Hockey League Central Division Semi Final series.

Luke Kania, 21, from Chicago stopped 45 shots including all but one of the 28 he faced in the second and third periods, helping the home team to the win.

Both teams had a turn in front in the opening period but left the opening 20-minutes even at 2-2. Cameron Teamor, 18, from South Bend, IN and John Siebenaler, 19, from Farmington, MN had the Blizzard goals with Zach Mills, 20, from Cottage Grove, MN and Tyler Vold, 20, from Andover, MN responding for the Wilderness.

Brandon Kruse, 18, from Saline, MI had the Blizzard in front again 89 seconds into the middle period but that stood up as the final goal of the season for his team.

Mills fired his second of the contest to tie the score at 8:40 and the Wilderness took the lead for good with a goal by Eric Gotz, 19, from Hermantown, MN 91 seconds from the end of the middle frame.

Ashton Altmann, 18, from Duluth added some insurance with his goal 3:42 into the third period and Jesse Farabee, 20, from New York clinched it with another goal just before the halfway mark of the period.

Josh Boyko, 20, from Ontario stopped 31 shots in goal for the Blizzard.

The Wilderness will now move on to the Central Division Final against the Aberdeen Wings. Winner of that series will move on to the NAHL Championship event at Duluth, MN in mid-May.