Grizzlies, Lumberjacks capture two-win opening weekends

Rochester Grizzlies and Granite City Lumberjacks celebrated their return to play in the NA3HL with two-win opening weekends.

The Grizzlies headed to Oregon, Wisconsin and handed the host Tradesmen 5-1 and 5-2 defeats in their Central Division opening contests while the Lumberjacks opened with a 5-2 win on the road and a 4-0 goose egg on home ice in a home-and-home set with the Minnesota Loons in West Division action.

The only other Midwest Region game was also out of the West Division, Willmar Warhawks downing the New Ulm Steel 4-1.

Grizzlies 5, 5 Tradesmen 1, 2

Grizzlies owned a 2-1 lead after a period, adding two more in the second and another down the stretch.

Kyle Bauer (’02/Hastings, MN) paced the attack with a two-goal game, others added by Cole Gibson (’01/Eagan, MN); Max Breon (’02/Wayzata, MN) and Kolton Kane (’02/Sioux City, SD) and Zach Wiese (’02/Owatonna, MN) collected the win in goal with 15 saves.

Jason Tenezaca (’01/Niles, IL) scored the lone Tradesmen goal.

The following night, the Tradesmen held early 1-0 and 2-1 leads but the Grizzlies carried a 3-2 lead out of the opening period and added single unanswered goals in the second and third periods.

Jake Laurila (’02/Milwaukee, WI); Ian Vannelli (’03/Apple Valley, MN); Austin Meers (’02/St. Charles, MO); Per Waage (’02/Plymouth, MI) and Bauer fired the Rochester markers and Kaleb Bents (’03/St. Croix Falls, WI) kicked out 32 shots to pick up the win in goal.

Amir Velikhanov (’03/Moskva, Russia) and Henry Slagr (’04/Frankfort, IL) scored the Tradesmen goals.

Lumberjacks 5, 4 Loons 2, 0

Lumberjacks trailed early at Breezy Point Friday, but three goals in 2:02 late in the opening period had them up 3-1 heading to the middle frame. An unanswered goal in the second padded the lead and both teams added one more in the final period.

Hayden Hennen (’02/Hallock, MN) scored a pair for the Lumberjacks with singles for Wilson Dahlheimer (’03/Monticello, MN); Nicholas Reichert (’01/St. Cloud, MN) and Nick Mountain (’02/Maplewood, MN).

Loons goals came from Jamison St. Clair (’03/Aitken, MN) and Kyler Couture (’03/Pequot Lakes, MN) and goaltender Owen Reeve (’03/Robbinsdale, MN) kept his team in the game despite a 58-12 edge in shots for the Lumberjacks.

In the return match, Quentin Sigurdson (’03/Sartell, MN) picked up a 17-save shutout for the Jacks and goals came from Noah Widman (’03/St. Augusta, MN); Hennen; Bjorn Jorgenson (’01/Bemidji, MN) and Tory Lund (’04/Sartell, MN).

Payton West (’01/Lincoln, NE) was the busiest player in the game, stopping 63 of 67 shots in goal for the Loons.

Warhawks 4 Steel 1

After a scoreless opening period, the Warhawks took control with a pair of unanswered middle period markers and held a 2-1 edge in the third, the final one into an empty net.

Jeremiah Konkel (’02/Bloomington, MN) scored a pair to pace the Warhawks with other goals added by Max Cohen (’02/Commerce, MI) and Collin Kerchoff (’01/White Lake, MI). Cooper Olson (’01/Maple Grove, MN) stopped 27 of 28 shots to pick up the win in goal.

Zach Maillette (’03/Eagle River, WI) scored the lone Steel goal and Zach Foster (’01/Warroad, MN) stopped 39 of 42 shots in goal.