In Friday’s games, the Wilderness beat Corpus Christi 2-0 to win their second league game and the Magicians beat Wenatchee 2-1 to post their second league win.

The Wilderness beat the IceRays with a solid defense.  The Cloquet, MN based team are not a finesse team; they come straight at you.  They have size and they used that against the CC’s to dominate stretches of play in the IceRays’ zone.

Dominik Tiffels/Germany scored the opening goal of the game 10 minutes into the first period for the Wilderness.  It came on Wilderness power play.  They set up in the CC’s zone, moved the puck well around the perimeter, and took a shot from the right side.  The rebound dropped in the crease right to Tiffels.  Tiffels lifted the puck over the sliding IceRays’ goalie for the first score.
After a scoreless second period, the Wilderness’ Brett Keikkila scored the insurance goal with 8 minutes left in the game.

Perry Chase/Andover was in the nets for the Wenatchee Wild in their win over the Wilderness.  Chase won both games he started giving up two goals total and stopping 97% of the shots on goal.  Chase ended the Showcase weekend ranked as the #1 NAHL goalie.  The Wilderness’ goalie Kaskisuo ended the weekend ranked #3 in the NAHL.

The Magicians forwards dominated the Wenatchee with their quick puck movement and neat passing game in the first period, outshooting the Warriors 13-8; but the Wild came back in the next two periods outshooting the Magicians 14-4 in the second period and 12-7 in the third.  Still the Magicians won 2-1.

After a scoreless first period, the Wild’s David Powlowski scored halfway through the second top Wenatchee up 1-0 going into the third period.

A shorthanded unassisted goal by the Magicians’ Cody Milligan tied the game four minutes into the third period.  Mario Bianchi/Bloomington, MN got the game winner at the halfway mark of the third period.  Tony Uglem/Moorhead, MN and Eetu Karvinen/Finland got assist.

Saturday, both teams struggled and lost in a similar manner loosing leads with five minutes to go in the game.  The Wilderness led Springfield 3-2 with 5 minutes left in the game, gave up a tying goal, and lost in a shootout.  The Magicians led Odessa 3-2 with 5 minutes left in the game.  They gave up three goals to the Jackalopes in the last 5 minutes and lost 5-3.  It was Odessa’s only win at the Showcase and a bitter loss for the Magicians.  Odessa figured to be their easiest opponent of the four teams they faced at the festival.

The Magicians’ Matt Colford/Champlin, MN and Derick Kuchera/Eagan, MN each scored in the first period.  Will Johnson assisted on Colford’s goal; Colford and Logan Vonruden/Northfield, MN assisted on Kuchera’s goal.

Odessa’s Derek Brown/Glendale, AZ and Razmuz Waxin-Engback/Sweden scored in the second period and in the opening minutes of the third period to tie the game 2-2.

The Magicians’ Colford scored a power play goal at the 12 minute mark to put Minnesota up 3-2.  With just under 5 minutes to go in the third period, Odessa’s Chad Guderian scored to tie the game 3-3.

A Magician kneeing penalty with less than 4 minutes on the clock set up the Odessa game winner.  The Jackalopes’ Lukas Laub/Germany scored the power play goal with just under two minutes on the clock.  Robb Stautz, a 6’2” forward who played for the Roseville Raiders in 2012-2013, scored an empty netter to end the scoring 5-3.

The Midwest Division teams are jammed together in the standings after the Showcase with each team having a winning record.  Fairbanks and Kenai River lead the division, but have played two extra games.  Play gets more serious this weekend when divisional play opens with Fairbanks playing at the Wilderness in Cloquet and Kenai River playing at the Magician’s home rink in Richfield.

Coulee Region steps outside the division to play Janesville at home and  Wenatchee travels to Bismarck.

The Wilderness goaltenders had a good opening for the season giving up 5 goals in the four Showcase games.  Kasimir Kaskisuo/Finland played three games and Frank Oplinger/Sewickley, PA played one.  Both posted impressive save percentages.  Kaskisuo stopped 95% of the shots on goal, Oplinger stopped 96%.  Brett Heikkila and John May lead the Wilderness in scoring after the first four games, but not by much.  The fourteen goals the Wilderness scored in their first four games were spread out over eight players.

The Magicians’ also had balance scoring with their 15 goals spread over 8 players.  Nick Kuchera leads the Magicians in scoring, Matt Colford and Colin Hernon a point behind.  Bryan Nies played three of the four showcase games going 1-1-1 while saving 86% of the shots on net.  Atte Tolvanen won his only start stopping 97% of the shots.

Wenatchee’s Alec Butcher is the top Midwest Division scorer in the young season with 8 points.

The Magicians released TJ Samec/St Thomas Academy and Kalle Moisio/Finland.  They acquired Patrick Pollock in a trade with Topeka and Cody Milligan in a trade with Minot.  Nick Uglem has been placed on the inactive player list.  The Wilderness have made no moves since announcing their roster but currently have 28 active players listed; 24 played at least one game at the Showcase.  Ivan Chukarov (Chicago Mission), Berry Cameron (Sicamous/Canada), Michael Covach (NAHL last season with three teams) and Tanner Holmquist (NAHL Aberdeen Wings) did not play.