Updated May 15, 2023

By Scott Lowe – MYHokeyRankings.com

This document will be updated with results throughout the Robertson Cup Playoffs.

It’s been a long grind, but after 60 regular-season games and more than seven months, 16 teams qualified for the North American Hockey League (NAHL) Robertson Cup Playoffs. Playoff action got underway on Friday, April 21, with the best-of-five division semifinals, which continued through May 1 thanks to an epic battle between Shreveport and Lone Star that needed five games, with three going to overtime and the deciding contest ending 1-0, to determine a winner. 

The top-four teams from each of the NAHL’s four divisions – Central, East, Midwest and South – faced off in the division semis for the right to advance to the division championship series. The top seed from each division played the No. 4 seed, while the second and third seeds also played each other, with the winners advancing to compete in a best-of-five division championship series. 

Winners of the four divisional championship series qualified to compete in the Robertson Cup Championship May 19-23 in Blaine, Minn. All NAHL playoff games can be seen on HockeyTV.

The divisional finals are now complete, and the four teams that will compete for the Robertson Cup in Blaine, Minn., are set.

Congratulations to the four Division Champions:

 

Robertson Cup Championship Qualifiers

East Division: Maryland Black Bears

The Black Bears swept the Northeast Generals in three games before knocking out the Maine Nordiques in four to claim the East crown and advance to the Robertson Cup Championship. Maryland's Brandon Piku leads all playoff scorers with 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in seven games, while Gabriel Westling has added 4-4-8 and defenseman Sean Kilcullen has contributed 2-6-8. Goalie William Hakansson is 6-1 with a 2.34 GAA and .907 save percentage. 

 

Central Division: Austin Bruins

The Bruins swept Minot in the first round then won the Central Finals, 3-1, against St. Cloud. Goaltender Trent Wiemken has been outstanding for Austin, going 6-1 with a 1.65 GAA an .932 save percentage. Walter Zacher ranks third overall in playoff scoring with 6-3-9. Austin Salani has contributed 5-3-8, and Gavin Morrissey has 1-7-8.

 

Midwest Division: Minnesota Wilderness

The second-seeded Wilderness swept Kenai River in the division semifinals and needed four games to eliminate top-seeded Wisconsin and capture the Midwest Division championship. Kevin Marx Nortin is tied for fourth in NAHL postseason scoring with 5-3-8 along with Michael Quinn, who has 3-5-8. Sawyer Scholl is right behind them at 4-3-7, and Isak Posch has been outstanding between the pipes with a 6-0-1 record, 1.42 GAA and .952 save percentage. 

 

South Division: Oklahoma Warriors

The only team to sweep its way to the Robertson Cup Championship, the Warriors have continued their fairytale first year in the NAHL by eliminating Amarillo and Shreveport to capture the South Division championship. Daniel Duris has been a wall in net, going 4-0 with a 0.73 GAA and .969 save percentage. Not to be outdone, Dylan Johnson is 2-0 with a 2.95 GAA and .877 save percentage. Despite playing fewer games than every other team, Oklahoma's Drew Sutton ranks second in playoff scoring with 5-6-11 and Joey Delgreco is tied for fourth with 4-4-8. Brendan Williams has added 4-3-7, and William Lawson-Body has 2-5-7 for the Warriors.

 

CLICK HERE for Robertson Cup Championship Schedule

 

East Division Finals

#3 Maine Nordiques vs. #1 Maryland Black Bears

The Black Bears swept the Northeast Generals in the Division Semifinals, and are 43-20-0 overall this season. Maine swept the defending-chamipion New Jersey Titans to improve to 36-27-0. These teams met eight times in an evenly matched regular-season series. Each team won four of those games, with four requiring overtime. The Nordiques captured three of the final four matchups after Maryland won three of the first four. The overall goal differential for the series was 28-26 in favor of Maryland. The Black Bears were led in the opening round by Brad McNeil, who finished with a goal and four assists and potted an OT game winner. The got 1-4-5 from Branden Piku and four points each from Sam Stitz, Sean Kilcullen and Brayden Stannard. William Hakansson was strong in goal, posting a .925 save percentage and a 1.53 goals-against average. Four Nordiques players led a balanced offensive first-round attack with five points apiece in their sweep: Brendan Gibbons, Henrick Hallberg, Aidan Coupe and Filip Wiberg. Thomas Heaney went 3-0 in goal with a 1.92 GAA and .946 save percentage. 

 

Maryland Regular Season Leaders

Christian Catalano - 59 GP, 30-27-57

Brad McNeil - 59 GP, 17-38-55

Sean Kilcullen - 55 GP, 8-35-43

Dmitry Kebreau - 50 GP, 25-16-41

Luke Van Why - 51 GP, 13-28-41

William Hakansson - 40 GP, 26-12-0, 2.18 GAA, .912 SV%

 

Maine Regular Season Leaders

Brendan Gibbons - 60 GP, 17-41-58

Henrik Hallberg - 52 GP, 21-33-54

Filip Wiberg - 60 GP, 17-32-49

Oliver Genest - 58 GP, 20-20-40

Kellen Murphy - 55 GP, 17-23-40

Thomas Heaney - 30 GP 15-15-0 3.48 GAA, .917 SV%

 

 

Central Division Finals

#1 Austin Bruins vs. #3 St. Cloud Norsemen

Austin swept its Division Semifinal series vs. Minot, with one of the games requiring overtime. The Bruins are 37-26-0 overall and have outscroed their opponents, 198-156. Third-seeded St. Cloud recorded a mild first-round upset by sweeping the second-seeded Aberdeen Wings to improve to 31-32-0 overarll. The Norsemen only allowed one goal in their opening-round sweep. These teams met 12 times during the regular season, splitting the matchups 6-6 with five games requiring overtime and one going to a shootout. Each team scored 33 goals in the series. St. Cloud won the first two meetings and the last two, with Austin winning six of eight in between. In the Division Semifinals, three players tied for the Bruins' team scoring lead with five points apiece: Austin Salani, Walter Zacher and Gavin Morrisey. Defenseman Jack Malinski added 1-2-3, while goalie Trent Wiemken permitted just five goals on 88 shots (.940) and posted a 1.63 GAA. Goalie Ethan Dahlmeir was the star for the Norsemen in the first round, recording a pair of shutouts and stopping 72 of the 73 shots he faced (.986) while posting a 0.33 GAA. Carter Bradley and Duke Kiffin led the way offensively with three points apiece, with four other players each contributing two points. 

 

Austin Regular Season Leaders

Gavin Morrissey - 59 GP, 17-44-61

Walter Zacher - 58 GP, 32-23-55

Austin Salani - 52 GP, 15-32-47

Dylan Cook - 59 GP, 18-22-40

Jack Malinski - 51 GP, 4-36-40

Trent Wiemken - 30 GP, 18-11-0, 2.07 GAA, .917 SV%

 

St. Cloud Regular Season Leaders

Kade Peterson - 60 GP, 25-25-50

Blake Perbix - 59 GP, 19-30-49

Andrew Clarke - 48 GP, 16-30-46

Broten Sabo - 51 GP, 10-31-41

Ethan Dahlmeir - 29 GP, 13-13-0, 2.35 GAA, .916 SV%

 

 

Midwest Division Finals

#2 Minnesota Wilderness vs. #1 Wisconsin Windingo

Both teams swept their way to the Division Finals. Wisconsin eliminated the Chippewa Steel, outscoring them, 10-4, with one game requiring overtime, to improve to 42-21-0 overall. Minnesota outscored the Kenai River Brown Bears, 7-2, in its three wins, with one game needing OT. The Wilderness are 38-25-0 overall and have outscored their opponents, 175-149. The Windingo hold a 220-15-1 scoring advantage over their foes. After dropping the first game of these teams' 10-game season series, 4-0, Oct. 7, Wisconsin won the next eight meetings before falling again, 3-2, on April 7. The series was much closer than the 8-2-0 Windingo advantage might suggest, however, with three games requiring overtime and six decided by a single goal. Wisconsin outscored the Wilderness, 31-22, for the series. Seven Wisconsin players recorded multiple points in the opening-round series, led by Everett Pietila and Victor Widlund, who notched two goals and one assist apiece. Maxwell Beckford started all three games in goal, allowing just four goals on 117 shots for a 1.27 GAA and a .966 save percentage. Kevin Marx Noren was Minnesota's offensive leader in the Division Semifinals with three goals and an assist. Reid Daavettila added 2-1-3 and Sawyer School contributed 0-3-3. Isak Posch was a rock in net, posting a 1.00 GAA and a .964 save percentage while starting all three games. 

 

Wisconsin Regular Season Leaders

Victor Widlund - 58 GP, 17-31-48

Max Martin - 56 GP, 16-29-45

Luke Levandowski - 38 GP, 23-19-42

Will Schumacher - 42 GP, 14-28-42

Benjamin Anderson - 57 GP, 16-23-39

Maxwell Beckford - 30 GP, 18-12-0, 2.60 GAA, .923 SV%

 

Minnesota Regular Season Leaders

Kevin Marx Noren - 58 GP, 34-26-60

Gunnar Thoreson - 54 GP, 12-26-38

Michael Quinn - 43 GP, 8-21-29

Isak Posch - 44 GP, 25-19-0, 2.12 GAA, .926 SV%

 

 

South Division Finals

#3 Shreveport Mudbugs vs. #1 Oklahoma Warriors

Shreveport became the third No. 3 seed to advance to the Division Finals after winning an epic five-game series against the second-seeded Lone Star Brahmas in which three games required overtime and the other two were decided by a total of three goals. The series opened with a four-OT thriller and concluded with a 1-0 shutout during which the only goal was scored 17 seconds into the game. Shreveport enters the Division Finals with an overall record of 40-25-0, while Oklahoma is 47-16-0. The first-year Warriors swept the Amarillo Wranglers, outscoring them, 15-7, with the third game going to OT. These two teams met eight times this year. Oklahoma won five of the eight meetings, outscoring the Mudbugs, 29-25. Three contests went to overtime, with the Warriors winning two of those. Shreveport won the two most-recent matchups, 4-3 in OT and 5-2, on March 31 and April 1. Brendan Williams was the offensive leader for Oklahoma in the Division Semifinals with three goals and three assists, followed by Drew Sutton with 3-2-5 and three players with four points apiece: William Ahlrik, Joey Delgreco and Garrett Horsager. Goaltender Dylan Johnson posted a 2.95 GAA and a .860 save percentage. Jaden Goldie led the Mudbugs with two goals and two assists in the opening-round, with eight other players contributing two points apiece. Simon Bucheler was 1-1-1 with a 0.98 GAA and a .957 save percentage. Nikola Gola was 2-0-0 with a 1.52 GAA and .943 save percentage. 

 

Oklahoma Regular Season Leaders

Joey Delgreco - 60 GP, 22-47-69

Drew Sutton - 60 GP, 24-40-64

Hunter Jones - 60 GP, 19-34-53

Brendan Williams - 55 GP, 21-31-52

Daniel Duris - 38 GP, 25-11-0, 2.25 GAA, .911 SV%

 

Shreveport Regular Season Leaders

Drake Morse - 58 GP, 23-28-51

Logan Heroux - 55 GP, 10-30-40

Garrett Steele - 60 GP, 29-18-38

Eric Vitale - 54 GP, 17-20-37

Simon Bucheler - 28-9-0, 1.92 GAA, .922 SV%

 

Here is a look at the updated NAHL Playoff power rankings after the division semifinals based on where each team is ranked according to our MYHockeyRankings algorithm (records, ratings and other information taken from MYHockeyRankings.com):

1. Oklahoma Warriors – 47-16-0 (South #1 seed, 94.21)
2. Wisconsin Windingo – 42-21-0 (Midwest #1, 93.49)
3. Shreveport Mudbugs – 40-25-0 (South #3, 93.17)
4. Austin Bruins – 34-26-0 (Central #1, 93.17)
5. Lone Star Brahmas – 39-26-0 (South #2, 93.95)
6. Minnesota Wilderness – 38-25-0 (Midwest #2, 92.92)
7. Amarillo Wranglers – 34-29-0 (South #4, 92.87)
8. Chippewa Steel – 31-32-0 (Midwest #4, 92.65)
9. Aberdeen Wings – 30-33-0 (Central #2, 92.59)
10. St. Cloud Norseman – 31-32-0 (Central #3, 92.54)
11. Minot Minotauros – 31-32-0 (Central #4, 92.49)
12. Kenai River Brown Bears – 32-31-0 (Midwest #3, 92.19)
13. Maryland Black Bears – 43-20-0 (East #1, 92.03)
14. New Jersey Titans – 38-25-0 (East #2, 91.30)
15. Maine Nordiques – 36-27-0 (East #3, 90.71)
16. Northeast Generals – 30-33-0 (East #4, 90.88)

According to our rankings, the South Division should be the most challenging bracket to navigate, with four of the league’s top-six teams advancing to the postseason from that group. The Midwest Division has four of the top-12 teams still in the hunt, while four of the top 11 come from the Central Division.  

The NAHL is the only USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier 2 junior hockey league in the United States. As a Tier 2 league, players are not charged tuition to play and are only responsible for paying for their living expenses as well as a room-and-board fee.

For the 2022-23 season, the NAHL had 29 teams playing in four divisions across the United States from the Maine Nordiques in the Northeast, south to the Shreveport Mudbugs in Louisiana, west into Texas and New Mexico and then all the way up to North Dakota and Wisconsin in the Midwest. There also are three teams based in Alaska. The league Is expanding into markets such as Rochester, N.Y.; Hooksett, N.H., and Greeley, Colo., for the 2023-24 campaign.

That expansion continues a recent trend in the NAHL as the league has moved into the Northeast and this year had seven teams in its East Division with the recent additions of Maine, the Northeast Generals, the Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks and the Maryland Black Bears not long ago. Last season the North Iowa Bulls were added, giving the league six teams in the Central Division, along with the Anchorage Wolverines in the Midwest Division and the Amarillo Wranglers in the South Division.  The Wichita Falls franchise relocated to Oklahoma for the 2022-23 season and finished first in the challenging eight-team South Division as the Wranglers. 

In 2020-21 the NAHL produced about 280 NCAA Division I commitments, and it is generally assumed that about more than half of the players in the league will go on to play at the D1 level while the others will play for Division II or III programs if they choose to continue playing in college.  In addition to the D1 commits, the NAHL sent about 80 players to the D3 level in 2021. The NAHL also moves players on to the Tier 1 United States Hockey League, the only tuition-free Tier 1 junior circuit sanctioned by USA Hockey. The NAHL has averaged more than 300 NCAA hockey commitments each of the past five years. NAHL teams are allowed to list up to four imports on their rosters at one time.

 

Division Championship Series

The two semifinal series winners from each division compete in a best-of-five series to begin no earlier than Thursday, May 4. Those series will conclude no later than Sunday, May 14. Once again, the higher remaining seed will host three of the five games.

 

Robertson Cup Championship

The four NAHL divisional playoff champions advance to the Robertson Cup Championship to be held May 19-23 in Blaine, Minn. Participating teams will be seeded based on their finish in the NAHL regular-season standings, with the No. 1 seed facing the No. 4 seed and the second and third seeds playing in best of three series. The two series winners will play in the championship game Tuesday, May 23.

 

Overtime

There will be no shootouts in NAHL postseason play. Teams that are tied after 60 minutes of play will proceed to 20-minute sudden-victory overtime periods until a winner is determined. There will be a 15-minute intermission before the first 20-minute extra period and between each subsequent overtime.

 

Central Division Finals

#1 Austin Bruins vs. #3 St. Cloud Norsemen (Austin wins, 3-1)

Game 1: Friday, May 5 @ Austin - St. Cloud 4, Austin 3 OT

Anthony Ruklic scored 2:29 into overtime after the teams battled to a scoreless third period as the Norsemen stole Game 1 on the road. It was Ruklic's second goal of the game as he, Broten Sabo and Hunter Hanson each finished with two points. Sabo and Hanson handed out a pair of assists apiece. Andrew Clarke and Daniels Murnieks also scored for St. Cloud, while Ethan Dahlmeir made 23 saves. Matys Brassard, Walter Zacher and Sam Christiano scored for Austin, with Trent Wiemken stopping 26 shots. 

 

Game 2: Saturday, May 6 - Austin 6, St. Cloud 1

Austin entered Game 2 on a mission and got things started just 56 seconds in when Walter Zacher scored (again), and the Bruins never looked back from there. It was 4-0 into the third period before Tyler Dysart scored for St. Could with 10:09 left in the game. Trent Wiemkan stopped 17 of the 18 shots he faced to earn the win in goal for Austin. James Goffredo and Zacher each had a pair of goals, with Zacher also dishing out an assist. Josh Giuliani added a goal and an assist, and Dylan Cook contributed a pair of helpers. 

 

Game 3: Friday, May 12 - Austin 5, St. Cloud 1

After a scoreless first period, St. Cloud got on the board first 52 seconds into the second, but it was all Bruins from that point on. After Anthony Ruklic broke the ice, Matys Brassard scored twice with Gavin Morrissey also denting the twine to give Austin a 3-1 lead heading into the final 20 minutes. Jack Malinski and Jackson Luther scored third-period goals for the Bruins, and Trent Wiemken made 19 saves to pick up the win in goal. 

 

Game 4: Saturday, May 13 - Austin 2, St. Cloud 1 OT

It took 39 minutes before anyone could score. After Austin's Matthew Desiderio broke the ice with 54 seconds left in the second period, Balke Perbix tied it up 7:53 into the final frame to set up overtime. It was Damon Furuseth who turned out to be the hero, scoring of an assist from Jack Malinski at 10:02 of the extra session to send the Bruins to the Robertson Cup Championship. Trent Wiemken made 24 saves for the winners, while Will Ingemann was the hard-luck loser despite stopping 37 shots. 

Click on result to see box score

 

Central Division Semifinals

#1 Austin Bruins vs. #4 Minot Minotauros (Austin wins, 3-0)

Game 1: Friday, April 21 - Austin 4, Minot 3 (OT)

Game 2: Saturday, April 22 - Austin 4, Minot 2

Game 3: Friday, April 28 - Austin 3, Minot 0

Austin was 34-26-0 during the regular season and outscored its opponents, 187-151. Minot went 31-29-0 and posted a 180-189 goal differential. These teams met 12 times during the regular season, with Austin holding an 8-4 advantage in a season series that required overtime or a shootout three times. Making this matchup more interesting is the fact that the teams played four games to close out the season April 7-15, with Minot winning three of those matchups. Austin won the most recent matchup, 2-0, to break a three-game losing streak vs. the Minotauros. After needing overtime to win Game 1 of this series, Austin proceeded to take control and earn a sweep with 4-2 and 3-0 victories. Three players tied for the Bruins' team scoring lead with five points apiece: Austin Salani, Walter Zacher and Gavin Morrisey. Defenseman Jack Malinski added 1-2-3, while goalie Trent Wiemken permitted just five goals on 88 shots (.940) and posted a 1.63 GAA. 

 

#2 Aberdeen Wings vs. # 3 St. Cloud Norsemen (St. Cloud wins, 3-0)

Game 1: Friday, April 21 - St. Cloud 2, Aberdeen 1

Game 2: Saturday, April - St. Cloud 2, Aberdeen 0

Game 3: Friday, April 28 - St. Cloud 3, Aberdeen 0

Aberdeen was 30-30-0 during the regular season and was outscored, 177-176. St. Cloud was 28-32-0 with a 163-184 goal differential. These teams met eight times during the regular season, including four games to close out the year April 7-15. Aberdeen won all eight meetings, with two contests requiring overtime or a shootout. The Wings outscored the Norsemen, 16-4, in the final two meetings, but prior to that, three contests had been decided by a single goal. Despite the Wings' regular-season dominance in this series, St. Cloud permitted just one goal in the three-game division semifinals to earn the series sweep. Goalie Ethan Dahlmeir was the main culprit for Aberdeen's scoring woes, recording a pair of shutouts and stopping 72 of the 73 shots he faced (.986) while posting a 0.33 GAA. Carter Bradley and Duke Kiffin led the way offensively with three points apiece, with four other players each contributing two points. 

Click on result to see box score

 

East Division FInals

#1 Maryland Black Bears vs. #3 Maine Nordiques (Maryland wins, 3-1)

Game 1: Friday, May 5 @ Maryland - Maryland 4, Maine 2

The Black Bears rallied from a 1-0 deficit after the first period to capture Game 1 at home. Four different players scored for Maryland after Nicholas Bernardo gave the Nordiques a 1-0 lead 5:36 into the contest. Kareem El-Bashir and Brandon Piku scored in the second period, but Brendan Gibbons responded to tie it with 8:09 left in the middle frame. It was all Black Bears from there, though, as Dimitry Kebreau and Gunnar VanDamme scored in the third period to secure the victory. William Hakansson made 20 saves to earn the win in goal. 

 

Game 2: Saturday, May 6 - Maryland 5, Maine 1

The Black Bears led, 3-0, by the game's haflway point and then cruised to a Game 2 victory. Five different Mayrland players scored, and William Hakansson made 28 saves. Gabriel Westling led the way for the Black Bears with a goal and and assist, and he got them on the board 4:32 into the game. Sam Stitz and Sean Kilcullen scored in the second period before Oliver Genest finally broke the shutout with 5:56 left in the middle frame. Adam Schankula and Dimitry Kebreau finished off the scoring in the final period. 

 

Game 3: Friday, May 12 - Maine 5, Maryland 4 

In a spirited game that turned nasty at times, Maryland stormed back from a 4-1 defict to cut the lead to 4-3 in the third period, then made it 5-4 after Maine's Hunter Fetterolf responded, but the Nordiques held on for the Game 3 victory to stay alive. The Black Bears actually led, 1-0, on Gabriel Westling's first-period goal, but Maine scored twice in the final 4:21 of the opening frame in response. Patrick Schmiedlin and Henrik Hallberg tallied for the Nordiques before Brendan Gibbons and Evan Orloff expanded the margin to 4-1 after two. Chrisitan Catalano and Kaleb Tiessen pulled Maryland to within in one 3:46 into the final frame, and Hunter Ramos cut the margin to one again after Fetterolf's goal, but Maine's Kael Depape stood tall in net over the final five minutes to help the Nordiques secure the win. Depape finished with 47 saves. 

 

Game 4: Saturday, May 13 - Maryland 8, Maine 4

A fired-up Blackbear team scored four times in the first period, with three of those goals coming in a five-minute span and the fourth crossing the goal line just one second before the buzzer sounded. Maryland extended the lead to 7-2 at one point before two Nordique goals made the score a little more respectable. Despite all the goals, only Branden Piku scored twice for the Black Bears, while Hunter Ramos, Jesse Horacek, Brad McNeil, Dmitry Kebreau, Christian Catalano, Adam Schankula and Gabe Westling each recorded multiple points. Catalano led the way with three assists. Gunnar VanDamme, Riley Ruh and Kareem El-Bashir each added single goals. Kim Hilmersson and Hunter Fetterolf both had a goal and an assist for Maine. William Hakansson got the win in goal with 27 saves. 

Click on result to see box score

 

East Division Semifinals

#1 Maryland Black Bears vs. #4 Northeast Generals (Maryland wins, 3-0)

Game 1: Friday, April 21 - Maryland 8, Northeast 2

Game 2: Saturday, April 22 - Maryland 3, Northeast 2 (OT)

Game 3: Wednesday, April 26 - Maryland 3, Northeast 1

Maryland was 40-20-0 during the regular season, outscoring its opponents, 215-140. The Generals went 30-30-0 and were outscored, 191-190. These teams met eight times during the regular season, with the Generals winning five times and one game requiring overtime. Northeast won the first three meetings and Maryland won three of the last five, including a 4-1 decision in the most recent game March 25. Only one of the eight contests was decided by more than three goals. The Black Bears swept the Generals in this playoff series, however, getting a team leading 3 goals and 3 assists, including an OT game-winner, from Brad McNeil, 1-4-5 from Branden Piku and four points each from Sam Stitz, Sean Kilcullen and Brayden Stannard. William Hakansson was strong in goal, posting a .925 save percentage and a 1.53 goals-against average. 

 

#2 New Jersey Titans vs. #3 Maine Nordiques (Maine wins, 3-0)

Game 1: Friday, April 21 - Maine 3, New Jersey 0

Game 2: Saturday, April 22 - Maine 6, New Jersey 5 (OT)

Game 3: Thursday, April 27 - Maine 5, New Jersey 1

The defending-champion Titans had another strong regular season, going 38-22-0 and compiling a 212-167 scoring advantage over their opponents. Maine was 33-27-0 and outscored its foes, 208-188. These teams met eight times during the regular season, with New Jersey winning five of those contests and three games requiring overtime. Five of the eight meetings were decided by a single goal. They split a pair of late-season, one-goal games late in the season, with the Titans winning, 2-1, and Maine winning, 5-4, in overtime April 7-8. One of three playoff games required overtime, and who knows what might have happened in the series if Maine hadn't won that one, 6-5? But the Noriques did win and ended up earning a three-game sweep by outscoring the Titans, 8-1, in the other two games. Four Nordiques players lead a balanced offensive attack with five points in the series: Brendan Gibbons, Henrick Hallberg, Aidan Coupe and Filip Wiberg. Thomas Heaney went 3-0 in goal with a 1.92 GAA and .946 save percentage. 

Click on result to see box score

 

 

Midwest Division FInals

#1 Wisconsin Windingo vs. #2 Minnesota Wilderness (Minesota wins 3-1)

Game 1: Friday, May 5 @ Wisconsin - Minnesota 1, Wisconsin 0

Who knew that Beau Janzig's second-period goal would hold up as the game-winner? All that matters now is that Beau knows his Wilderness are up 1-0 in the Midwest Division Finals. Isak Posch stopped all 26 shots he faced, including 10 in the third period, to preserve that one-goal lead and earn the shutout. Reid Daavettila assisted on Janzig's tally. The Wilderness controlled play through 40 minutes, running up a 23-16 shots advantage before being outshot, 10-5 in the final frame. 

 

Game 2: Saturday, May 6 - Wisconsin 3, Minnesota 2 (OT)

Victor Widlund scored just 1:12 into overtime as the Windingo managed to tie the series as it heads to Minnesota for Game 3. Max Martin scored twice in the first period for a Wisconsing team that came out of the locker room with a purpose, but the Wilderness clawed their way back to even on goals by Adam Johnson in the second period and Wax Wattvil with 7:29 left in regulation. Maxwell Beckford earned the win in goal with 24 saves, while Isak Posche stopped 29 shots to take the tough loss. 

 

Game 3: Friday, May 12 - Minnesota 5, Wisconsin 1

Minnesota scored twice in each of the first two periods and never let Wisconsin back in it to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series. Oliver Stumpel and Ashton Dahms tallied in the opening frame, with Michael Quinn and Kevn Marx Noren scoring in the middle stanza and Michael Quinn closing the scoring in the third. Benjamin Anderson had the lone Windingo goal Isak Posch made 29 saves to pick up the win in net. 

 

Game 4: Saturday, May 13 - Minnesota 5, Wisconsin 3

The teams traded goals in the first period, with the opening 20 minutes ending in a 2-2 deadlock, but the Wilderness took control in the seocnd period on goals by Oliver Stumpel and Adam Johnson. Drew Fisher cut the margin to one halfway through the final frame for Wisconson, but Beau Janzig added the insurance goal with 1:36 remaining to send Minnesota to the Robertson Cup Championship. Victor Widlund opened the scoring for the Windingo 9:25 into the opening period, with Frank Jenkins potting one for Wisconsin to tie the game at 2 after one. Kevin Marx Noren had a goal and an assist for the Wilderness in the first period, with Sawyer Scholl scoring the other Minnesota goal. Marx Noren and Stumpel each finished with a goal and two assists, with Reid Daavettila contributing a pair of helpers. Fisher had a goal and an assist for Wisconsin, while Zach Burfoot added a pair of assists. Isak Posch continued his stellar play in goal, stopping 33 shots to earn the win. 

 

Midwest Division Semifinals

#1 Wisconsin Windigo vs. #4 Chippewa Steel (Wisconsin wins, 3-0)

Game 1: Friday, April 21 - Wisconsin 4, Chippewa 1

Game 2: Saturday, April 22 - Wisconsin 2, Chippewa 1 (OT)

Game 3: Friday, April 28 - Wisconsin 4, Chippewa 2 

Wisconsin posted a 39-21-0 record during the regular season and outscored its opponents, 210-147. Chippewa was 31-29-0 with a 186-172 scoring advantage over its foes. These teams met eight times this year, with Chippewa winning the first meeting, 4-3, Nov. 4 and Wisconsin winning the next six contests before the Steel recorded a 5-2 victory March 24. Three of the games were decided by a single goal, with two others resulting in two-goal margins. The Windigo swept this first-round series, with one of the games needing overtime to decide the winner. Seven Wisconsin players recorded multiple points in the series, led by Everett Pietila and Victor Widlund, who notched two goals and one assist apiece. Maxwell Beckford started all three games in goal, allowing just four goals on 117 shots for a 1.27 GAA and a .966 save percentage. 

 

#2 Minnesota Wilderness vs, #3 Kenai River Brown Bears (Minnesota wins, 3-0)

Game 1: Friday, April 21 - Minnesota 3, Kenai River 1

Game 2: Saturday, April 22 - Minnesota 2, Kenai River 1

Game 3: Friday, April 28 - Minnesota 2, Kenai River 1 (OT)

The Wilderness finished the season 10 games over .500 at 35-25-0 and outscored their opponents, 168-146. Kenai was 32-28-0 and was outscored, 170-185. These teams met five times during the regular season, with Minnesota winning four of those contests and two games requiring overtime or a shootout. Three of the meetings were decided by a single goal, but the Wilderness won the other two by identical 4-1 scores. The Brown Bears won, 1-0, in overtime Jan. 7. In an hard-fought, evenly matched series the Wilderness earned a sweep despite winning one game in overtime and outscoring the Brown Bears by four goals over three games. Kevin Marx Noren was Minnesota's offensive leader with three goals and an assist, with Reid Daavettila adding 2-1-3 and Sawyer School contributing 0-3-3. Isak Posch was a rock in net, posting a 1.00 GAA and a .964 save percentage while starting all three games. 

Click on result to see box score

 

 

South Division FInals

#1 Oklahoma Warriors vs. #3 Shreveport Mudbugs (Oklahoma wins, 3-0)

Game 1: Friday, May 5 @ Oklahoma - Oklahoma 4, Shreveport 1

Oklahoma's dream first season continued as the Warriors exploded for three third-period goals to break a 2-2 tie and skate away with the Game 1 victory. Hunter Jones opened the scoring 1:53 into the game and also scored during the deciding third-period spree along with Mikko Liukkonen and William Lawson-Body. Brendan Williams added a pair of assists for the Warriors, and Lawson-Body picked up a pair of helpers in addition to his goal. Daniel Duris was forced to make only 12 saves in recording the victory against Simon Bucheler, who stopped 26 pucks. Logan Gotinsky had the lone tally for the Mudbugs. 

 

Game 2: Saturday, May 6 - Oklahoma 4, Shreveport 1

Hunter Jones scored twice, with one of those goals coming during a three-goal outburst in the third period that broke open a 1-1 tie and carried the Warriors to victory and a 2-0 series lead. Miko Liukkonen and William Lawson-Body also tallied during that deiciding stretch of the final frame, which included a pair of goals in the opening 4:17. Lawson-Body finished with a goal and assist as Oklahoma's other multiple-point producer. Daniel Duris was forced to make just 12 saves for the Warriores. Simon Bucheler stopped 26 pucks for the Mudbugs, and Logan Gotinksy scored their lone goal. 

 

Game 3: Friday, May 12 - Oklahoma 2, Shreveport 1 2OT

Facing elimination, Shreveport got on the board first when Logan Gotinsky scored 8:43 into the first period, and the Mudbugs got the game to overtime, but Oklahoma's Joey Delgreco sent the Warriors to the Robertson Cup Championship with his goal 6:45 into the second extra period. Drew Sutton had the other Oklahoma goal, and Daniel Duris made 27 saves for the Warriors. Simon Bucheler stopped 34 shots for the Mudbugs. 

 Click on result to see box score

 

South Division Semifinals

#1 Oklahoma Warriors vs. #4 Amarillo Wranglers (Oklahoma wins, 3-0)

Game 1: Friday, April 21 - Oklahoma 5, Amarillo 2

Game 2: Saturday, April 22 - Oklahoma 6, Amarillo 2

Game 3: Friday, April 28 - Oklahoma 4, Amarillo 3 (OT)

Oklahoma concluded an amazing inaugural season, winning the South Division regular-season title with a 44-16-0 record while outscoring its opponents, 253-139. Amarillo was 34-26-0 and compiled a 183-154 scoring advantages against its foes. The Warriors won six of the eight meetings between the two teams, outscoring the Wranglers, 28-8, in the victories. Amarillo won the second game of the series, 4-3, in a shootout Nov. 4 and also earned a 6-2 victory in the final meeting March 18. The Warriors cruised to victories in the opening two games of the division semis, outscoring the Bulls, 11-4, in the process. The closeout game is always the toughest, though, and Oklahoma needed overtime before clinching the series with a 4-3 win. Brendan Williams was the offensive leader with three goals and three assists, followed by Drew Sutton with 3-2-5 and three players with four points apiece: William Ahlrik, Joey Delgreco and Garrett Horsager. Goaltender Dylan Johnson posted a 2.95 GAA and a .860 save percentage. 

 

#2 Lone Star Brahmas vs. #3 Shreveport Mudbugs (Shreveport wins, 3-2)

Game 1: Friday, April 21 - Lone Star 2, Shreveport 1 (4 OT)

Game 2: Saturday, April 22 - Shreveport 3, Lone Star 2 (OT)

Game 3: Friday, April 28 - Lone Star 2, Shreveport 0

Game 4: Saturday, April 29 - Shreveport 3, Lone Star 2 (OT)

Game 5: Monday, May 1 - Shreveport 1, Lone Star 0 

Lone Star went 37-23-0 during the regular season and outscored its opponents, 155-16, while the Mudbugs also went 37-23-0 with a 183-135 scoring differential. This series has the potential to be the most exciting of the first round as these teams saw five of their eight meetings this season decided by a single goal, with four requiring overtime. The Mudbugs won five of the eight games, including three of the OT decisions. Lone Star finally broke through in an overtime game, winning by a 1-0 score Feb. 25. This series opened with a classic four-overtime thriller and has done nothing to dissapoint since. The Brahmas hoped to close it out in Game 4 at Shreveport Saturday, but the Mudbugs won the third game of the series to require extra time on Drake Morse's goal with one second left in the first extra session. Game 5 turned out to be another classic, with Logan Gotinsky's goal 17 seconds into the opening period holding up as the eventual game-winner. Simon Bucheler recorded the shutout with 25 saves, while Lone Star's Arthur Smith stopped 21 of the 22 shots he faced. Jaden Goldie led the Mudbugs with two goals and two assists in the opening-round, with eight other players contributing two points apiece. Bucheler was 1-1-1 with a 0.98 GAA and a .957 save percentage. Nikola Gola was 2-0-0 with a 1.52 GAA and .943 save percentage. 

All game times are local to the host rink

Click on result to see box score