The Wilderness got some earlier pressure on the Magicians’ goal in the first few minutes of the first period, but an early two minute checking from behind put the Magicians on the power play. The Cloquetans killed the power play, but lost the early initiative. There would not be a repeat of Friday night’s 25 shot barrage by the Wilderness.  The game became a transitional game and for the next six minutes of the first period, both teams attacked the other’s goal.  The game pace was fast. At the 12 minute mark, the Magicians picked up the pressure and starting to hold the Wilderness in Cloquetans’ zone but still could not score. The Wilderness went passive when on the attack, sending only one forward deep into the Magicians’ zone and playing both wings to each of the side boards.  They often left the center open and relied on the single player deep to force the Magicians’ breakout to start with a wide pass.  It worked, but the Wilderness could not gain real pressure if they got control the puck in the Magicians’ zone and usually ended up dumping the puck deep again. The Magicians’ with their constant “cycling style” of attack got pressure on the Wilderness goalie, but they could not beat Kaskisuo. With a minute left in the opening period, a Magician defensive let down led to the Wilderness’ first goal.  Johno May/Mahtomedi led a 2-on-1 rush that developed in the Magicians’ zone at the top of the left face off.  May skated into the lower left face off and scored from a tough angel beating Magicians’ goalie Attie Tolvanen with a shot that just went under the crossbar.  The Wilderness led 1-0.  Jakob Romo/Fullerton, CA got the assist. The first period ended with the Wilderness up 1-0 despite the being outshot by the Magicians 10-7

Twelve seconds into the second period, the Wilderness picked up a roughing penalty and killed it.  After failing on their second power play, the Magicians still carried the play into the Wilderness’ zone.  Once established in the Wilderness zone, the Magicians would get some pressure on the net and some good shots. But their key passes were not connecting, especially those made to the slot area.  The Wilderness defense was constantly upsetting the timing on key plays and sometimes the Magicians forwards were just unable to handle the pass. Five minutes into the period, another Magicians’ defense lapsed on a simple dumping of the puck deep by the Wilderness led to the second goal.  A Wilderness forward ended up with the puck against the end boards behind the Magicians’ goal and he had time.  He hit May in the left crease area for a one-timer past Tolvanen to put the Wilderness up 2-0.  Romo and Brent Bockman/Papillion, NE got the assists. The Wilderness started to get away from the single forward check low as the second period progressed, partly because the Magicians moved the puck faster on the deep “dumps” by the Wilderness keeping the Cloquetans from setting up. The second period ended with the Wilderness up 2-0.

The third period opened with the constant call from the Wilderness bench to get the puck deep.  The Wilderness came out dumping the puck and forcing the play low into the Magicians zone.  They would let the Magicians gain control of the puck and played a three or four man check along the boards on the Magicians breakout.  Wing/Center attacks the puck carrier on the boards, the defense man on that side closes, the opposite defense drops to deep neutral favoring the attack side.

It worked.  For the first half of the third period, slowed by two penalties, the Magicians were stopped in their end of the neutral ice.  At the 10 minute mark, the Magicians started to beat the Wilderness along the sideboards and knock the puck into neutral ice in the gap between the two defense men. There a Magician forward would carry the puck to the Wilderness blue line and draw the last defender to him.  He would knock the puck into the Wilderness zone, but not deep where it would be picked up another forward.

Then the Magicians would go to work, setting up some dramatic plays that often ended up with solo shots on the net.  But the Magicians were attacking one of the top rated goalies in Kaskisuo.  He made some great stops including the penalty shot at the two minute mark. With the clock down to the last minute, the Magicians pulled their goalie and set up in the Wilderness’ zone.  The Magicians’ Tony Uglem scored twice in that last minute of regulation time.  He scored twice from the slot with hard blistering quick one-timers that he buried in the net in the upper right side off of passes from the left boards.  The shots had to be quick had to be to beat Kaskisuo.

Uglem scored the first with 45 seconds left on the clock, the second with 8 seconds left on the clock and the Magicians and the fans went “wild”.  The 11 player shootout quieted the crowd until Milligan scored beating Kaskisuo coming straight down the slot and firing the puck through the 5-hole.  Kaskisuo slowed the puck and the fans cheered as puck slid slowly into the net.  Magicians win 3-2.  It was a great game.

Last weekend finished with all six Midwest Division teams posting winning records for the season.  The Wilderness, Coulee Regiona, Wenatchee, and the Magicians are all above .500 and separated by two points in the standings.  Fairbanks leads the division, Kenai River is in second place. The Magicians and the Wilderness get to do it all over again this weekend.  They play each other in a Friday/Saturday series.  This weekend, the Friday game, is played at Richfield.  The starting time is 7:00 PM. Kenai River beat Coulee Region twice last weekend by identical 3-2 scores.  Coulee Region remains in Alaska traveling to play league leading Fairbanks.  Things will get colder for the Chill. Fairbanks split their weekend series with the Corpus Christi IceRays losing 3-2 on Friday and winning 4-1 Saturday.  Kenai hosts Corpus Christi this weekend as the IceRays travel to Soldotna. Wenatchee beat Minot twice over the weekend, 3-2 and 3-0.  Wenatchee goalie Chase Perry/Andover posted the shutout.  Wenatchee has a tough weekend series playing North Division leader Port Huron on the road.

Alec Butcher/Kenai River and Jay Dickman/Austin remain the top point getters of the early NAHL season.  Eric Purcell/Corpus Christi has tied Dickman for second.  Dickman with 8 goals in 8 games remains the NAHL’s top goal scorer. Chad Catt/Aberdeen is the top goalie based on goals per game.  Catt has posted a 2-1 record.  Kaskisuo/Wilderness is second giving up 1.30 goals per game.  Chase Perry/Andover is ranked fourth in the NAHL going into next weekend’s play.