Uberti shutout leads Wilderness to first NAHL win at Showcase tourney

By Jim den Hollander  

Editor/Publisher 

Midwesthockey.info 

Loris Uberti (‘04/Martigny, Switzerland) stopped all 23 shots he faced to help the Minnesota Wilderness snap a three-game season opening losing streak with a 1-0 win against the Maryland Black Bears at the NAHL Showcase Tournament Friday at the National Sports Center Super Rinks in Blaine, MN. 

Harper Searles (‘05/Blaine, MN) scored the lone goal in his hometown rink. onal

In other games involving Midwest Division teams on Friday, the Wisconsin Windigo collected a 2-1 edge against the Lone Star Brahmas, the Janesville Jets shrugged off a two-game slide doubling the Danbury Hat Tricks, the Springfield Jr. Blues fell to 0-3 with a 6-2 loss against the Maine Nordiques and the Chippewa Steel fell just short 2-1 against the St. Cloud Norsemen. 

Wisconsin Windigo 2 Lone Star Brahmas 1 

Logan Rose (‘05/Chicago, IL) was beaten just once on 47 shots backstopping the Windigo to its second win of the season. Luke Baker (‘04/Dana Point, CA) and Drew Fisher (‘03/Woodbury, MN) scored the goals, both in the second period.  

Brahmas’ lone goal came nine seconds into the final period. 

Janesville Jets 4 Danbury Hat Tricks 2  

The Jets got back into the win column Friday, grabbing a 2-0 first period cushion and widening it to 4-1 in the middle frame. 

Conner Brown (‘03/Maplewood, MN) scored twice for the Jets, James Taylor (‘04/Ottawa, ON) and Haden Kruse (‘03/Nisswa, MN) adding the others. Matthew Alberti (‘04/Hamburg, NY) stopped 31 of 33 to collect the win in goal. 

Springfield Jr. Blues 2 Maine Nordiques 6 

The Blues stayed with the Nords through a period, both teams even at 1-1 but by the start of the final frame the Maine crew held a 5-2 edge and rolled to the win. 

Logan Sutton (‘05/Erie, PA) and Jack Patterson (‘03/Rosemount, MN), scored for the Blues, Patterson also collecting an assist. In goal, JJ Cataldo (‘03/Stuart, FL) played the first and final periods, stopping 15 of 17, Cade Chapman (‘04/Rogers, MN) taking the loss with seven stops in the second period. 

Chippewa Steel 1 St. Cloud Norsemen 2  

Talan Blanck kept the Steel close, firing a goal in the second period to keep them within one, but a scoreless final period lifted the Norsemen to the narrow win. 

Ajay White (‘06/Bryn Maw, MI) stopped 25 of 27 in goal for the Steel. 

The Alaska-based squads saw mixed results on the day, Kenai River Brown Bears grabbing a 3-0 shutout against the Odessa Jackalopes while the Anchorage Wolverines dropped a 5-3 decision to the New Hampshire Mountain Kings. The Fairbanks Ice Dogs dropped its fifth game to open the season but grabbed its first point with a 3-2 loss in Shootout against the Colorado Grit. 

Midwest Division teams will wrap up play at the Showcase Saturday in Blaine.