Goalies Have Big Weekend in NAHL

Hibbing, Minnesota, native Ryan Ullan stopped 55 of 57 shots in the first two games and the North American Hockey League Central Division-leading Bismarck Bobcats won three straight to extend their winning streak to six games.

The 17-year-old Ullan, formerly at USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program, was not the only NAHL goalie to have a big weekend.

New York native Alex Camarre, a two-time USA Hockey National Player Development Camp participant, had a 36-save shutout for the Odessa Jackalopes in a 3-0 win and made 39 saves in a 4-2 win during a sweep of the Topeka RoadRunners.

Brandon Perrone was busy for the New Jersey Titans, making 42 saves in a 5-2 win over the Northeast Generals and 39 saves in a 3-2 overtime win over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights.

NA3HL STREAKS: Caleb Labrie, from Greene, Maine, had a hat trick Sunday when the Lewiston/Auburn Nordiques posted their fifth straight North American 3 Hockey League win, beating the Roc City Royals, 4-1.

Michael Errico had 25 saves Saturday in a 10-0 shutout of the Royals.

The Pittsburgh Vengeance pushed its winning streak to five Saturday when Nathaniel Schwartz scored twice in a 4-2 win over the Wooster Oilers.

USHL ROUNDUP: The USA Hockey National Team Development Program is the United States Hockey League’s last unbeaten team.

After two other teams suffered their first loss Friday, Team USA improved to 3-0 with Saturday’s 4-1 victory over the Green Bay Gamblers.

Cole Caulfield scored two third-period goals and Spencer Knight made 38 saves for Team USA’s Under-17 squad in Saturday’s game.

The Central Illinois Flying Aces and Lincoln Stars each suffered their first losses Friday.

Verners Egle scored two goals to lead the Madison Capitals past Central Illinois, 5-2, while the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders defeated Lincoln, 4-2.

Minnesotan Blake McLaughlin, who skated with the U.S. Under-18 Men’s Select Team at the 2017 Hlinka Cup, scored his first two USHL goals 14 seconds apart Saturday to help the Chicago Steel to a 7-2 win over Madison. Vegas Golden Knights draft pick Jack Dugan, who has scored in every game this season, added his sixth goal to match Adam Dawe from the Sioux Falls Stampede for the league lead with six.

Dugan had two goals Friday in a 3-2 win over the Dubuque Fighting Saints.

Dawe scored both goals for Sioux Falls in Thursday’s 2-1 win over the Fargo Force, then came back with a goal and an assist Friday when the Stampede lost to the Des Moines Buccaneers, 4-3, in overtime. 

The Tri-City Storm won two weekend games to take over the Western Conference lead at 4-1-0-0. 

Ethan Johnson from the Waterloo Black Hawks had a big weekend with two goals and three assists while going plus-4 in two wins.

RMJHL BALANCE: The Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League is showing better balance early in the season.

The defending champion Pikes Peak Miners have the best record at 5-2-0-0 after winning a pair of games. The Breckenridge Bolts (1-2-0-2) and Colorado Thunderbirds (1-3-1-0) are the only teams below .500.

There appears to be little separation between the top and bottom after Pikes Peak needed overtime in a 5-4 win and a 43-save effort by Jimmy Grosklaus in a 5-2 win in the other game in order to sweep a pair from Breckenridge.

Brett Hawkins had a hat trick in the overtime win while Idaho native Ian Zaleski scored twice in each game for the Miners.

ONE-TIMERS: Cedar Rapids rookie forward Josh Bohlin, who scored 48 points in 24 games last season at Wausau (Wisconsin) High School before competing at USA Hockey’s National Player Development Camp, has announced his commitment to play at the University of Wisconsin … Kyle McDonald had his second hat trick of the season for the Vermont Lumberjacks in a 7-0 EHL shutout of the New England Wolves … Steve Kozikoski had a 49-save shutout Saturday to lift the Oswego Stampede over the Northeast Generals, 1-0, in an NA3HL game.

Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.