El Paso Rhinos (11-1-0, T-2nd in Midwest Division) @ Dallas Snipers (4-15-2, T-4th in Midwest Division)
Three-game series played in Plano, Texas
The defending champions have quietly gone about their business and the El Paso Rhinos have now run their win streak to eight with a road sweep of the Dallas Snipers.
The Rhinos opened up the series by taking a 5-0 lead on Friday night and the Snipers did well to come back with there of their own in the third but ultimately fell by a score of 5-3.
Sebastian Borg, Jesse Esposito and Vojtech Zemlicka each had two points in the win for El Paso, while Adam Vay stopped 28 of 31 in net.
Alexander Kotzman and Peter Kutlak each had two points for Dallas and the newly acquired Sander Berg stopped 24 of 29 in net.
The two teams went back and forth the next night but the Rhinos converted more of their chances in a 5-2 win.
Borg and Jiri Pestuka each had four points in the win for the Rhinos and Vay again faced 31 shots, this time stopping all but two.
The Snipers goals came via Kotzman and Erik Svensson.
The Rhinos took a 3-0 lead in the finale and held off a couple of Dallas comeback bids as they pulled away for a 9-4 win.
Borg and Pestuka each had four points for El Paso once again and Ryan Buttazzoni stopped 25 of 29 in net.
Three Dallas players had two points on the night, including Kotzman.
Springfield Express (12-4-1, 1st in Midwest Division) @ Tulsa Jr. Oilers (4-9-0, T-5th in Midwest Division)
Three-game series in Tulsa, Oklahoma
After dropping out of first place following a sweep at the hands of the Oklahoma City Jr. Blazers last weekend, the Springfield Express got the top spot in the Midwest Division right back with a sweep of the Tulsa Jr. Oilers.
The Express took a 3-0 lead in Friday’s opener and cruised to a 4-1 victory behind a 24-save effort from veteran goaltender Oliver Eklund.
Forwards Seth Ensor and Quade Hamlin each notched two assists, as the Express received goals from four different players in the win.
Tulsa’s Maksim Chegrintcev notched a hat trick the next night but Springfield’s depth was just too much, as the Express persevered, 6-4.
Linus Dahlberg led the Express with three points on the night, while Logan Coyler, Vito DeVito and Seth Ensor each had two.
Philip Babb stopped 19 of the 23 shots he faced in the win, while Teke Murphy came on in relief and stopped 13 of 15 in the loss for Tulsa.
Finishing out the sweep in a big way on Sunday, the Express won 6-0 behind a 21-save shutout by Eklund.
Hamlin once again led the way with four points, Dahlberg had three and DeVito and Ensor each had two.
Colorado Evolution (2-17-0, 7th in Mountain Division) @ Ogden Mustangs (14-8-1, T-2nd in Mountain Division)
Three-game series in Ogden, Utah ***
The Ogden Mustangs have now won seven of their last eight outings after picking up three victories over their Colorado foes this past weekend.
Ogden opened with a dominant effort against the Evolution on Friday night, outshooting the visitors 67-12 in a 10-0 route.
15 of the 18 Ogden skaters recorded at least a point in the big win, with eight enjoying multi-point nights.
Leading the way was the newly acquired Caleb Pola, who notched a hat trick in his first game with the Stangs, while Andreas Zollner added three points for Ogden.
Troy Turpin stopped all seven shots he faced in two periods of work to earn the win.
Facing a stiffer challenge with the RoughRiders in town the next night, Ogden took a 2-0 lead and held on in the third to win 4-3.
Veteran forward Schuyler Seyfert had a hand in each Ogden goal, notching four points on the night, while Ilya Bobko had two assists.
Andreas Pettersson stopped 20 of the 23 shots he faced in net for Ogden, while Sean Cuscaden stopped 42 of 46 for Colorado.
The Mustangs jumped out to a 5-0 lead with the Evolution back in town on Sunday and cruised to a 6-1 win to cap a great weekend.
David Clements and Corey Iapalucci each had three points to lead the offensive charge and Turpin only had to play 40 minutes again, stopping all five shots he faced to earn the win in net.
Colorado RoughRiders (11-6-0, 4th in Mountain Division) @ Salt Lake City Moose (13-6-3, T-2nd in Mountain Division)
Three-game series in West Valley City, Utah ***
Keeping pace with their in-state rival, the Salt Lake City Moose also won three games to remain tied with Ogden for second in the Mountain Division.
Salt Lake fell behind 1-0 on Friday night, as the RoughRiders took an early lead on a Nick Kukuris goal.
The Moose came storming back to take a 3-1 lead however and continued on to a 7-3 victory.
Forward Dmitry Kuznetsov led the way with four points for the Moose, while Jurijs Moiseicenko added three. Kukuris led Colorado with three.
Brad Robertson stopped 26 of 29 to earn the win in net.
Salt Lake never trailed on Saturday night against the Evolution, as they jumped out to a 3-0 lead and won by a score of 5-1.
Jacob Liljeroos had four points on the evening and Erik Ahlen had three. Ryan Gasparovic stopped 16 of 17 to earn the win in net.
Finishing out the weekend nicely, the Moose scored five times in the third period en route to a 8-1 win over the RoughRiders on Sunday.
Liljeroos and Brett Myer each had four points in the big win, while Robertson stopped all but one of the 25 shots he faced in net.
Idaho Jr. Steelheads (17-0-1, 1st in Northwest Division) @ Lake Tahoe Blue (4-13-1, 7th in Northwest Division)
Three-game series in South Lake Tahoe, California
The Idaho Jr. Steelheads earned a sweep of the Lake Tahoe Blue for the second weekend in a row, beating the team on the opposite end of the standings for the sixth straight time.
Idaho fell behind 1-0 on Friday night but that’s all the Blue would get, as the Jr. Steelheads tallied the last six goals of the game in a 6-1 win.
Victor Carlsson and Phil Fromberger each notched two goals and an assist in the win, while Tyler Hough stopped 16 of 17 in net.
The Blue did well to keep the Idaho offense in check for most of Saturday night’s game but the Steelies outshot them 50-18 in a 3-0 win.
Defenseman Jack York led the way with a goal and an assist for Idaho, while Austin Althaus stopped all 18 shots he faced to earn the shutout in net.
Tied 1-1 after 20 minutes of play on Sunday, Idaho pulled away again to earn a 7-1 win.
Elliot Lorraine added four points to his team-leading total for Idaho, Carlsson notched three and both Kyle Kruenegel and Nikita Zgirskis had two.
Tyler Hough stopped 21 of 22 in net to get the win, while Nick Bretzger stopped 54 of 61 for Lake Tahoe.
Idaho has now allowed one goal or less in each of its last nine games.
Fresno Monsters (17-0-1, 1st in Western Division) @ Las Vegas Storm (8-9-1, 5th in Western Division)
Three-game series in Las Vegas, Nevada
Speaking of win streaks, the top team in the Western Division has now won 16 straight, as the Fresno Monsters went on the road and took three from the Las Vegas Storm.
The Monsters responded to score four straight goals after Richard Prekop gave the Storm an early lead on Thursday night, as the visitors come from behind to win 8-3.
Five Monsters enjoyed multi-point nights, led by Patrick Meier and his three. Nathan Churchill faced just 17 shots and stopped all but three in the win.
Beau Ricketts had two goals to lead the Storm in the loss, while Gernot Wegerer stopped 12 of 20 in net.
Trevin Morgan gave Las Vegas an early lead again on Friday night but the Monsters came right back to notch the game’s next five in a 5-1 win.
Four Monsters had two points, including Kyle Jelinski, who had two goals and Austin Piquette stopped 21 of 22 in goal.
Finishing out the sweep, veteran forward Austin Browning and Mike Nolan each had three points to lead the Monsters to a 6-3 win.
Brantt Heble added two points and Piquette stopped 27 of 30 for Fresno.
Kyle Pacheco had three points for the Storm and Wegerer stopped 44 of 49 in net.
Southern Oregon Spartans (14-4-1, 2nd in Northwest Division) @ Seattle Totems (6-12-1, T-4th in Northwest Division)
Three-game series in Mountlake Terrace, Washington
Bouncing back nicely after a couple of tough losses to the Idaho Jr. Steelheads, the Southern Oregon Spartans swept the Seattle Totems on the road.
The visiting Spartans took a 4-0 lead over their longtime rival in the opener and held on for a 6-3 win.
Mackenzie Wood and Anton Ivehed each had four points to lead Southern Oregon, while the newly acquired Anton Bokull notched a goal in his first game with the team.
Tyler van Vliet stopped 32 of 35 in the win, while Anton Vigre allowed five goals on 40 shots for the Totems, who were led offensively by Erik Danna and his three points.
After a scoreless opening period in game two, the Totems twice took a lead in the second but the Spartans came back each time and carried on to another 6-3 win.
Wood again had four points to lead the charge, while Doug Gutierrez and Billy Saxton each had two.
August Cnattingius notched three points to lead Seattle and Tymen Edelkoort III stopped 36 of the 39 in net for the Spartans.
After a Sonny Grewal goal gave Seattle a 1-0 lead early in the finale, the Spartans came storming back for three in the second en route to a 4-2 win.
Saxton and Wood each had two points to lead the Spartans, while van Vliet stopped 25 of 27 in net.
Angus Campbell did well to stop 48 of the 52 shots he faced in the Seattle crease but was still hit with the loss.
Arizona Redhawks (0-14-0, 8th in Western Division) vs. Phoenix Knights (3-12-2, 7th in Western Division)
Home-at-home series played Friday in Peoria and Saturday in Gilbert, Arizona
The first battle of Arizona of the season went to the Phoenix Knights, as they took both ends of a home-at-home from the Arizona Redhawks.
The Knights laid it on the Redhawks on Friday night, carrying play in an 8-0 win.
Forward Mitch Cobby led the way with six points against his former team, while fellow veteran Jordan Kaspick had four. Luke Stripp stopped all 28 shots he faced in his first shutout of the season.
The Redhawks put up a much better fight the next night but the Knights pulled away in the third for a 5-2 win.
Kaspick and Robert Crisci each had two points for the Knights in the win, while Rett Rook stopped 23 of 25 in net.
The Redhawks were led by Joshua Smith, who assisted on both of their goals. Henrik Liljestrand stopped 45 of 50 in net.
Valencia Flyers (9-3-0, T-3rd in Western Division) vs. Long Beach Bombers (13-4-0, 2nd in Western Division)
Home-at-home series played Friday in Valencia and Saturday in Lakewood, California
The Valencia Flyers and Long Beach bombers split their home-at-home set, with the road team picking up the win each time.
The Flyers actually held a 3-1 lead heading into the third period of the opener but as they have shown the ability to do all season, the Bombers exploded and scored four straight in the third, in a 5-3 win.
Carl Lyden and Michael Sjolin each had four points for Long Beach, while Dennis Tschudi stopped all but three of the 37 shots he faced.
Blake Aguilar had two goals for Valencia and Ole Nilsen stopped 23 of 28 in net.
The Flyers held a 5-1 lead heading into the third period in Lakewood the next night and they weren’t about to let it go, as they carried on to a 9-3 win.
Six different Valencia skaters recorded multiple points in the win, with Jared Waldman’s three leading the way. Silvan Delb picked up the win in net, stopping 28 of 31.
Long Beach’s Johan Beatty notched a goal and an assist, as Tschudi was pulled from the Bombers crease in the loss.
Ontario Avalanche (7-3-4, T-3rd in Western Division) vs. San Diego (7-11-0, 6th in Western Division)
Home-at-home played Friday in Ontario and Saturday in Escondido, California
The Ontario Avalanche picked up their first two victories in over a month, taking both ends of a home-at-home from San Diego.
In a surprisingly docile game on Friday night, the Avalanche took an early lead and pulled away for a 5-3 win.
Nick Anderson, Basil Reynolds and Michael Thomas each had two points in the win, while Daniel Cepila stopped 27 of 30 in net for Ontario.
Sebastian Gruhler’s two assists led San Diego on the night and Joakim Jutras stopped 37 of 41 in net.
Playing in San Diego the next night, the Avs notched a goal in each period and Mitchell Privett stopped all 19 shots he faced in a 3-0 win.
Antoine Maillard led Ontario with two points in a game where the two teams combined for 82 penalty minutes. Friday night’s contest had just two.
Whitefish Wolverines (6-14-1, T-4th in Northwest Division) @ Butte Cobras (5-13-0, 6th in Northwest Division)
Single game played Friday in Butte, Montana
The first-year Butte Cobras are starting to pick up their play and earned a 7-5 win over the in-state rival Whitefish Wolverines on Friday night.
The two teams traded goals three times in the first period and Whitefish opened the scoring in the second to take a 4-3 lead. Butte came firing back with three straight Anton Zimmer goals however and continued on to the victory.
The team’s leading scorer, Zimmer’s three points again led the way, while five other Butte skaters had two.
Whitefish’s top three point producers, Aleksei Garin, Bryan Polmear and Kieffer Helbing, each had two points for the Wolverines in the loss.
Reed Kinsey stopped 33 of 38 in the Cobras crease, while Joakim Hidestrand stopped 34 of 40 for Whitefish.
Casper Coyotes (17-5-0, 1st in Mountain Division) @ Cheyenne Stampede (3-11-1, 6th in Mountain Division)
Single game played Friday in Cheyenne, Wyoming
The first-place Casper Coyotes took the third battle of Wyoming of the season, beating the host Cheyenne Stampede 5-3 on Friday.
The two teams traded single goals three times, once in each period and were tied at three early in the third but the Coyotes pulled away for two straight, including an empty-netter in the victory.
Once again, Kasper Elo led Casper with five points on the night, while Viktor Thim had four. Rikard Landfeldt stopped 23 of the 26 shots he faced in the win.
Cheyenne received goals from three different players and Corey Foster stopped 38 of 42 in net.
Hockey Wolf Three Stars of the Week
1. Mackenzie Wood (Forward, Southern Oregon Spartans)- Renewing an old rivalry, the Southern Oregon Spartans went into Seattle over the weekend and swept the host Totems. The Spartans’ goaltending has been fantastic so far this season but the offense has really come alive behind the play of captain Mackenzie Wood, who added 10 more points to his team-leading total over the three games.
2. Jacob Liljeroos (Forward, Salt Lake City Moose)- The Salt Lake City Moose kept pace with the rival Ogden Mustangs with three big wins over the weekend. Playing just his second weekend with the Moose, forward Jacob Liljeroos had five goals and five assists to lead the offensive charge.
3. Sebastian Borg (Forward, El Paso Rhinos)- The third player on this list to notch 10 points over the weekend, El Paso Rhinos forward Sebastian Borg was a force against the Dallas Snipers. The Swedish sniper is now tied for the team-lead with 25 points on the season.
Honorable Mentions: Quade Hamlin (Springfield Express), Linus Dahlberg (Springfield Express), Schuyler Seyfert (Ogden Mustangs), Brett Myer (Salt Lake City Moose), Victor Carlsson (Idaho Jr. Steelheads), Jiri Pestuka (El Paso Rhinos), Alexander Kotzman (Dallas Snipers), Mike Nolan (Fresno Monsters), Billy Saxton (Southern Oregon Spartans), Mitch Cobby (Phoenix Knights), Jordan Kaspick (Phoenix Knights), Carl Lyden (Long Beach Bombers), Jared Waldman (Valencia Flyers), Antoine Maillard (Ontario Avalanche), Anton Zimmer (Butte Cobras), Kasper Elo (Casper Coyotes)
Brent Maranto
