Day 3 in Minnesota features jam-packed schedule
The NAPHL continued play in the T1ER and FALL Leagues on Day 3 of the event in Minnesota, which is being played in cooperation with the NAHL Showcase.
Day 3 was again highlighted by another busy morning to night schedule at three different locations. So far, the event has experienced record-breaking attendance by fans and over 300 NHL, NCAA, and junior scouts.
The action in the NAPHL has been competitive and close for the most part. One of the best things of bringing everyone together in one location is the ability for teams to play other teams who do not fit their normal geographical footprint. This year's even features teams from Alaska to Maine.
Entering its 13th season in 2021-22, the NAPHL is made up of USA Hockey-sanctioned teams that compete in the 18U, 16U, 15U and 14U levels. NAPHL teams will compete at the NAHL Showcase from September 16-19.
Traditionally, the NAHL Showcase attracts close to 9,000 people in overall attendance, including more than 300 junior, NCAA and professional scouts. Over 300+ scouts checked in on Day 3 of the event, which began on Wednesday.
All games will be broadcast live through HockeyTV, the official broadcast provider of the NAPHL.
Helpful Showcase Links:
Arenas (Super Rink - Fogerty - Plymouth Ice Center)
Important Note: The Fall Showcase September 16th-19th in Blaine, MN is the only NAPHL Event during the season that is ticketed. This is due to the fact that it is held in conjunction with the NAHL Showcase featuring all 29 NAHL teams as well as the US National Development Team. Please be sure to review the ticket prices and policies.
Day 3 recaps
18U Division: Another busy day at the 18U level highlighted Saturday’s NAPHL slate. The Walleye got things started at Plymouth Ice Center with a 6-3 win over Jersey Whalers, as Tri-State topped Colorado Springs 3-2 and the Moose struck twice in the third to knock off Indy 4-2. Des Moines was in fine form to shut down Team Alaska 4-0, joining the Texas Brahmas (3-2 over Gray Ducks) and Northstar (4-1 over Voyageurs) in the win column. Elsewhere, the Green Giants stayed perfect with a 5-3 win over Ontario, while Philadelphia rode Roman Vitolo’s late strike to a 3-2 win over the Reapers and New Jersey ousted Esmark 2-1 in a shootout. The Lakers put on a show in a 6-1 win over West Coast, while Shattuck St. Mary’s needed a more concentrated effort to knock off Biggby Coffee AAA 1-0.
Moving on in the day, the Jersey Whalers picked up a big result as they topped the Gray Ducks 4-1, Carshield left it late but stormed to a 3-0 shutout of Maine with all three goals coming in the final 10 minutes of play, Fairbanks dealt Tahoe Prep a 7-3 loss behind Jayar Leudtke’s hat-trick and Arizona steamrolled the Blue Ox 8-0 after a surprisingly scoreless first period. Drawing Saturday’s action to a close, Northwest’s Colton Bowers powered his team to a 6-0 win with three goals, Janesville held off the Walleye for a 2-1 win, the Magicians’ four-goal second period fueled a 6-3 win over 95 Giants, Madison posted a pair of late tallies for a 3-2 win over the Wilderness and Austin ended the day with quite a bang, ousting East Coast 7-1.
16U Division: The strong play at the 16U division continued on Saturday with another 16 games on the docket. Kicking things off, the Lakers picked up a 7-1 win over Chippewa, while Austin handed West Coast an 8-1 defeat, Esmark slammed the door on Colorado Springs with a 7-0 shutout and New Hampshire escaped with a 2-1 shootout win over Biggby Coffee AAA. Later on, the Moose tallied three in the final 40 minutes to knock off Tri-State 4-1, Philadelphia showed some attacking flair to drop Indy 6-0, Northstar took a 3-2 win over Ontario in a shootout battle and Carshield romped past Tahoe Prep 9-0.
During the afternoon slate, the Blue Ox roared to a 7-2 win over Des Moines while the Reapers shut out New Jersey 3-0, and Alaska defeated its interstate rival Fairbanks 6-1. Vegas turned in a stellar effort of its own, hammering East Coast 7-0 with a barrage of goals in the first two periods. Finally, Arizona showed its mettle with a 6-2 win over the Magicians, the Walleye blitzed Northwest for an 8-0 decision, Janesville slipped past the Green Giants 3-2 in overtime and the Wilderness capped off the day with a frenetic 6-4 win over Madison.
15U Division: Over in 15U play, Madison started well with a balanced effort in a 3-1 win over Philadelphia, while the Walleye toppled Colorado Springs 9-0 and New Jersey rode a Zachary Groves hat-trick to a 5-1 win over Ontario. The Green Giants continued to show up well with a 7-3 win over Janesville and Tri-State picked up a big 5-3 comeback win over the Loons to conclude the early slate.
As the day progressed, the Polars took a tight win, 2-1, over the Indy Jr. Fuel, as the Lakers hammered Des Moines 9-1. The Green Giants and Biggby Coffee AAA played an OT classic, won by Braden Hansberger’s late tally in the extra frame for the Green Giants. Capping things off, Carshield tallied three in the third and another in overtime to knock off the Moose 4-3 and Reapers topped the Blue Ox 2-1 to close things out.
14U Division: Last but not least, the 14U division saw 11 games on Saturday’s schedule. The Loons opened things up with a resounding 6-1 defeat of Madison, followed by the Green Giants’ 6-0 drubbing of Arizona and the Blue Ox romping to an 8-0 win over Northwest. The Lakers found their scoring touch in. A 5-1 win over Colorado Springs, and Biggby Coffee AAA stymied the Gray Ducks for a 3-0 shutout win.
In the later games, Tri-State rode a hot start past Ontario 3-1, the Moose edged out Esmark 3-2 and Indy tallied five in the final 40 minutes for a 5-1 win over the Polars. Putting a bow on the day, the Reapers held off the Voyageurs’ comeback bid for a 4-2 win, the Blue Ox rode a pair of Tyden Bergeson tallies past Carshield 2-1 and New Jersey managed to get past Des Moines for a 3-2 win in the day’s final action.
