T1ER Showcase Day 2

18U: 

Wasatch 2 @ Pittsburgh 8 – The Wasatch Renegades met the Pittsburgh Stars in their first game of the year on Friday. Wasatch started off the scoring with a goal from their own Bruce Adams, but it was just one minute later that Pittsburgh’s Matthias Lezama answered back. Pittsburgh scored once again with 1:18 to go in the first period, but Wasatch was quick to answer back this time with a goal from Ethan Sanchez to even the score going into the second. Lezama came out hot in the second, scoring another goal in under less than a minute to give Pittsburgh the lead. Pittsburgh went on to score three more times in the second, with goals from Carter Meneely, Evan Schmidt, and Mason Cervone. Lezama completed his hat trick at the start of the third, giving the Stars a 7-2 lead. Lezama nailed down the win with his fourth and final goal of the game at the end of the third period, finalizing the 8-2 win for the Stars.

Detroit 2 @ Rocky Mountain 5 – The Detroit Honeybaked took on the Rocky Mountain Roughriders in each team’s second game of the season on Friday. The Roughriders sounded the horn first just seven minutes into the game with a goal from Ryan Trudgeon. Rocky Mountain saw some penalty trouble at the end of the period, giving Honeybaked the advantage with four seconds to go on the clock with a goal from Christopher Khoury. The second period saw a tough battle from both teams, but it was the Roughriders who lit up the board first with a goal from Camden Masterson. Masterson found twine once more just second later with a power play goal, giving Rocky Mountain a 3-1 lead going into the final period. Honeybaked’s Owen Wilk got once past Rocky Mountain’s goalie to secure another goal for the Roughriders to lower the deficit. Seconds later, the Roughriders got their revenge with a goal from Ryan Trudgeon. Trudgeon went on to score once more with 1:28 to go in the game, securing the 5-2 win for Rocky Mountain and keeping their perfect record intact.

Ohio 2 @ Danbury 3 – The Ohio Prospects and Danbury Hat Tricks battled it out for their second game of the season in a tough game on Friday. Both teams played a hard-fought back and forth during the first period, but it was Danbury’s Ethan Moore who sounded the horn first with just 1:12 to go in the period. The second period saw another Danbury goal by Nicholas Boden, but the Prospects found twine with a goal from Alexander Rapport shortly after. The game got chippy with a few penalties and game misconducts, but Danbury pushed through to get another tally on the board in the third period with a goal from Nate Nesbitt. Ohio hit back with 3:36 to go in the game with a goal from Jackson Scott, but it was not enough to even the score, leaving Danbury to secure their second win of the season with a 3-2 victory.

16U: 

Alaska 1 @ Pittsburgh 2 - The Pittsburgh Stars looked to ride their success from day one of their Showcase against Team Alaska. The Stars applied ridiculous pressure in the first frame. This pressure kept Team Alaska from earning a single shot in the first period. Pittsburgh racked up 15 shots in the period, but it wouldn’t be until the second frame that they found the back of the net. Connor Keelan scored a power-play goal midway through the period to give the Stars the lead they were searching for. Pittsburgh built on this momentum as they continued to apply pressure to start the third period. Asan Abdygulov buried an even-strength goal to double the Stars’ lead early in the final frame. A Pittsburgh penalty would give Alaska’s Jaxon Allen a chance to get his team on the board. Allen scored a power-play goal late in the game, but it wasn't enough to keep Pittsburgh from running away with the win. The Stars dominated both sides of possession, outshooting Alaska 33-9. 

New Jersey 3 @ Vegas 0 - The New Jersey Jr. Titans faced the Vegas Jr. Golden Knights after both teams found success on day one of the Showcase. The matchup looked to be a defensive affair in the first period, with New Jersey outshooting the Jr. Golden Knights 6-5. The defensive deadlock was broken when Dominic Poretto scored an even-strength goal with seconds left in the period, putting the Jr. Titans on the board first. The second period saw more offensive opportunities from each team. Owen Hautzinger would add to New Jersey’s lead as he buried an even-strength strike of his own at the start of the frame. The teams then traded off penalties, but it would be the Jr. Titans who would capitalize, courtesy of a power-play goal by Dominic Poretto. This was Poretto’s second goal of the game, and it would extend his team’s lead to three. The Third period saw the Jr. Titans anchor down on defense. New Jersey goaltender Michael Canning had five saves in the final frame, completing his 20-save shutout and securing the win for the New Jersey Jr. Titans. 

15U: 

Philadelphia HC 4 @ North Dakota 2 - The Philadelphia Hockey Club looked to bounce back against Team North Dakota after a frustrating day one of their Showcase. The first period opened up with both teams seeing opportunities in the offensive zone. Each team collected nine shots in the first period, but the frame would end scoreless. Team North Dakota would be the first to get on the board midway through the second period. Cameron Meyer gave his team a 1-0 lead with his even-strength goal. Philadelphia immediately responded as Bryce McCullough buried an even-strength equalizer just six seconds later. Philadelphia carried this momentum, as Greg Watkins found the net minutes later on an even-strength goal. The Philadelphia lead would be short-lived as Brayden Callahan found the net for North Dakota’s second goal of the game. The fast-paced frame would conclude with a go-ahead goal by Blake Boucher, giving Philadelphia the lead back. The third period showed a series of stops by Philadelphia’s defensive line, followed by an empty-net goal by Ryan Fahy, securing his team's 3-0 victory. 

Ohio 0 @ Vegas 3 - The Vegas Jr. Golden Knights hoped to turn things around against the Ohio Prospects after a disappointing day one of their Showcase. Vegas had a dominant first period, holding Ohio to only three shots on goal. The Jr. Knights had a trifecta of penalties in the first frame, but they proved to be persistent as their special teams recorded three straight penalty kills. Rockney Ricafrente would find the net on an even-strength goal with minutes left in the first period, giving Vegas the early lead. The second period saw a more evenly balanced spread of offensive opportunities from both sides, but Vegas would capitalize again with a power-play goal by William Kerr midway through the second frame. Tyler Borrmann would add his name to the score sheet less than a minute later, extending the lead to three. The third period saw a more defensive approach from the Jr. Knights, only putting up four shots in the final frame. Vegas goaltender Bo Toperosky would be the saving grace for the Jr. Knights, recording a 26-save shutout and capturing a dominant victory for his team.