In Friday’s game, the Magicians let a third period lead slip away on penalties and had to rally with a last minute goal to tie the game.  Four Magicians and four Jets each scored a goal in the 4-4 tie.  The Jets were the beneficiaries of 9 Magician penalties, scoring two power play goals and outshooting the Magicians 44-35 in the game.

In Friday’s game the Magician’s took a 3-2 lead early in the third period on Thomas Delaney’s goal only to give up a power play goal a minute later.  The Magicians’ Eetu Karvinen scored the game tying goal with 30 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime.  No one scored in the overtime, forcing a shootout that the Jets won.

The Magician’s won Saturday’s game 4-2.  Thomas Delaney scored the game winner halfway through the third period; Will Johnson got the empty net insurance goal late in the third period.  The Magician’s backup goalie Brian Nies played in the nets, stopping 28 of the 30 shots on net, for the win.  Kris McKinzie and Joe Kleven scored the Magicians’ other two goals; the Jets’ Drew Callin scored both Jets’ goals.

In Sunday’s game, a Jet’s major penalty for boarding in the opening period led to two Magician power play goals (Delaney and Denis Shevyrin) and a 3-0 Magicians’ lead at the end of the first period.  The Magicians had to survive a rocky second period.

They gave the Jets four, two minute, power plays in the 20 minute period and essentially played half of the second period shorthanded.   Janesville’s Callin scored to cut the lead 3-1 going into the third.  The Jets added a power play goal early in the third period, but the Magicians held on to win the game 3-2.  Atte Tolvanen stopped 29 of the Jets’ 31 shots on net for the win.

The Magicians took 5 of the six available points over the weekend and are now tied with Coulee Region in fourth place.  If the Magicians beat Coulee Region in Thursday’s game , the Magicians will move into a tie with Fairbanks for third place.

Last week’s division leader, Kenai River hosted Austin in a battle of division leaders.  The Central Division Bruins swept the two game series in Soldotna, AK beating the Brown Bears 5-3 Friday and 3-1 Saturday.

The two losses dropped Kenai River out of first place.  The Minnesota Wilderness took over first place last weekend.  The Wilderness traveled to Michigan and beat the Soo Eagles twice 2-0 and 3-0.  The Wilderness defense led by their goaltenders continues to be the strength of their team.  The NAHL’s #2 ranked goalie, Kasimir Kaskisou, was in the nets for the first game; Frank Oplinger played the second game.

The two Wilderness goalies have combined to give up a league leading 1.4 goals a game while stopping 95% of the shots on net.  The Wilderness’ goal tending and defensive play are the reason they lead the Midwest Division this week.

Wenatchee beat Fairbanks twice this weekend 3-2 and 2-1 in games played at the Town Toyota Center in Wenatchee.  Gustaf Johansson was in the nets for both games, Andover’s Chase Perry was the backup.  The two wins were desparately needed by the Wild.  The wins ended a Wenatchee seven game losing streak.

Coulee Region was off last weekend.  They will play the Magicians Thursday at home in one of this weekend’s key games in the Midwest Division.

Alex Butcher/Kenai River managed to score only one point in last weekend’s double loss to Austin; but the single point was enough to keep Butcher in first place in the NAHL scoring.  Austin’s Jay Dickman is #2 in point totals and closed the gap on Butcher in last weekend’s series with the Brown Bears.  The 6’5” Dickman assisted on three of the Bruins’ scores at Soldotna to re-take second place, a point behind the Butcher.

Amarillo’s Tyler Gernhofer scored two goals and added an assist to take the lead in goals scored (12) in the NAHL this week.  Austin’s Guillaume Leclerc (the 96er from Franois, France) scored twice and had one assist in Austin’s 5-3 win over Kenai River to move into second place in goals scored with 11.  Leclerc is sixth overall in scoring.

Wenatchee’s Troy Loggins scored a goal and had two assists in the Wilds double win over the Fairbanks Ice Dogs to move into the top 10 scorers in the league.

At goalie, Amarillo’s Collin Delia remained on top of the goalie standings after shutting down Topeka 4-0.  Delia has given up 4 goals in his last six starts posting an 8-1 record giving up 0.93 goals a game while stopping 97% of the shots on net.

The Wilderness’s goalie Kasimir Kaskisuo posted a 2-0 shutout over the Soo Eagles to keep second place this week. Kaskisuo has a 9-1 record giving up 1.15 goals a game while stopping 95% of the shots on goal.

Austin’s Nicholas Lehr/Roseville, MN moved into fourth place as a result of posting a double win for the Bruins at Kenai River.  Lehr has a 11-2 record giving up 1.57 goals a game while stopping 94% of the shots on net.

Wichita Falls David Zevnik/Lakeville, MN had a tough outing last weekend in losing 4-1 to Rio Grande Valley, but still held on to  the seventh spot.  Adam Carlson/Edina remained in eighth place; Coulee Region had a bye week; Chase Perry/Andover didn’t play but remained in the top 25 goalies in the NAHL this week.

Magician’s goalie, Atte Tolvanen, dropped out of the top 10 to #12 after splitting two games against Janesville.  Odessa’s goalie Yoshihiro Kuroiwa/Hokkoaido, Japan may have helped the Jackalopes turn a corner last week.  Yoshihiro was in the nets for all four games against Corpus Christi and posted a 3-1 record for the week stopping 132 shots out of 138 shots on net for a 97% save average.  The two wins moved Odessa out of the South Division basement.

The division leaders Wilderness continue to play a tough November schedule with three games this week.  They play Central Division leader, Austin, on Wednesday at the Northwood Credit Union Arena in Cloquet and then travel to Aberdeen to play the Central Division #2 Wings in a two game series.

The Wenatchee Wild continues their home stand.  This week the Wild will play Michigan at the Town Toyota Center.  Michigan has split their last three weekend series and the Warriors are in second place in the North Division holding a slight lead over Springfield and Johnstown.  They will be looking to sweep the Wild.

Kenai River travels to Fairbanks to take on the Ice Dogs at the Big Dipper Ice Arena.   Both teams are reeling from double losses last weekend.  Look for the Ice Dogs to bounce back. If they do, that will open the door for the Magicians to move up in the Midwest.

The two Minnesota teams could be on top of the Midwest Division this time next week.  But to get there, the Magicians have to take care of their own business.

Winning 5 or 6 points was a great weekend for the Magic men, now they get to do it all over again playing Coulee Region at the Omni in Onalaska, WI and then returning to the friendly confines of the Richfield Arena for two games against Janesville Friday and Saturday.

Friday’s game starts at 7:30 PM and Saturday’s game starts at 7:05 PM at the Richfield Ice Arena.