The Aberdeen Wings were able to clinch a Robertson Cup Playoff spot for the 7th straight season while sweeping the North Iowa Bulls in Mason City.
Friday’s matchup would start slow, only having Hayden Siegel for the Bulls get on the board. Although the Wings were outshooting the Bulls 14-7, the score would be 1-0 in favor of the Bulls heading into the second period.
The second period, however, would be a complete turnaround. Starting at the 3:00 mark, Nikolai Tishkevich would tie the game, assists going to Leonid Bulgakov and Zachary Reim. Then, not even a full minute later, Jibber Kuhl would add to the score getting assists from Isak Holmstrom and Drew Mackie. The scoring for the Wings wouldn’t stop there as Kash Crawford for the Bulls would take a Slashing penalty, and Logan Gravink would extend the Wings lead on the Power Play. Assists for that goal going to Wes Turner and Luke Backel. Heading into the third period, the Wings would have the lead 3-1.
The third period saw a lot of lead extensions by the Wings. Jibber Kuhl would start the period’s scoring at the 9:32 mark, getting assists from Grant Winkler and Isak Holmstrom. Then, Grant Winkler would score himself getting assists from Jibber Kuhl and Isak Holmstrom. Isak Holmstrom would then follow suit extending the lead even further, being fed by Logan Gravink and Wes Turner. To end the period, the Bulls would score one more time, goal by Blake Ulve, but leaving the score 6-2 in favor of the Wings.
The Wings had multiple players with multiple points on the night including Wes Turner (2 assists), Grant Winkler (1 goal, 1 assist), Logan Gravink (1 goal, 1 assist), Isak Holmstrom (1 goal, 3 assists), and Jibber Kuhl (2 goals, 1 assist).
Adam Dybal was in net for the Wings saving 25 of 27.
With the Wings winning, and the Austin Bruins winning their game, the Wings punched their ticket to the Robertson Cup Playoffs for the 7th season in a row! (Not including cancellation due to Covid-19). The Wings and the Bruins would take the last spots remaining for the Central Division.
For Saturday’s matchup, the Wings would add a few newer names to their lineup including Forward Ryan Flaherty and Defenseman Finn Safir.
Just 28 seconds into the first period, Ryan Flaherty would record his first NAHL goal, getting assists from Zachary Reim and Logan Gravink. Then, North Iowa would get their chance to tie the game when Charles Beland found the back of the net. Then, Jibber Kuhl for the Wings would give the Wings the lead before ending the first period, assists going to Seth Wall and Isak Holmstrom. The Wings would lead 2-1 heading into the second period.
The second period scoring would start at the 1:09 mark when Hayden Seigel for North Iowa would tie the game. After quite a few minutes of battling back and forth, the Wings would score, giving them the lead again. This goal was scored by Salvatore Collora, assisted by Zachary Reim and Gavin Reed. The Wings would head into the final period of the regular season with the lead.
After a lot of back and forth battling, and adding to penalties, there would be no additional scoring in the third period, and the Wings would come away with the weekend sweep!
Croix Kochendorfer was in net for the Wings saving 24 of 26.
Due to the Wings win and Austin’s loss, the Wings would end the Regular Season in 3rd place, with 67 points on the season.
The Wings take on the number two in the division, the Bismarck Bobcats, in a best of five series. Games one and two will be played in Bismarck, where games three and four (four if necessary) will be played in Aberdeen, and the if-needed game five would be played in Bismarck.
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