FALL Finals Day 1: Exciting Openers and Early Standouts

Day One of the FALL League Finals is in the books here in Blaine! The opening slate delivered tight battles, clutch performances, and early statements as teams kicked off championship weekend. Click here for full results and highlights!

18U:

Fairbanks Ice Dogs

Sitting in a tie for second at the 18U level, the Fairbanks Ice Dogs put on an offensive clinic, combining for 15 goals across two games while allowing just four against.

Game one started tight, with a scoreless opening frame. The offense came alive in the second period as the teams combined for five goals, three from Fairbanks and one from Minot , highlighted by a two-goal period from Jackson Donahue. The Ice Dogs sealed it in the third with tallies from Nate Peterson and Owen Lutgen to secure the win.

The momentum carried into game two, where Fairbanks rolled to a commanding 9-2 victory over Janesville. The Ice Dogs erupted for five first-period goals, including two from Nick Downing, before adding another in the second. Fairbanks closed strong in the third, striking three more times, with Downing completing his hat trick, to cap off a dominant day.

Kenai River Brown Bears 

Much like Fairbanks, the Kenai River Brown Bears continued to assert themselves as the team to beat at the 18U level, sweeping the day with wins over the Minnesota Wilderness and Minnesota Mallards. Kenai put up five goals in each contest, and with the league’s best goal differential at +35, the Brown Bears are proving they’ll be a force to be reckoned with as the championship quickly approaches.

Leading the charge was ’09 forward Brody Lockman, the division’s top scorer, who erupted for five goals on the day. His performance was highlighted by a dominant four-goal showing against the Wilderness in game one, marking his best outing of the season so far.

16U:

Minnesota Wilderness

The Minnesota Wilderness delivered a statement on day one, overpowering opponents on both sides of the puck with a dominant 15-goal outburst while surrendering just two. With the sweep, the Wilderness improved to 8-2 on the season, further cementing themselves as a contender as the race toward the championship tightens.

Game one featured a 6-1 win over the Mallards, where depth was the story, six different players found the back of the net, with the Wilderness striking twice in each period to set the tone early. That balanced attack rolled right into game two, as five different players added goals in another convincing effort.

Among the standouts was Chase Klauv, who stole the spotlight with a two-goal performance and an assist, marking his second multi-point outing of the season and helping fuel a complete team effort from the black and green.

Chippewa Steel

The Steel extended their impressive start to the season, improving to 9-1 with a perfect day against the Oklahoma Warriors and Wisconsin Windigo. They opened the day with a nail-biter against the Warriors, edging out a 2-1 victory. George Swanberg got Chippewa on the board first, but the Warriors answered to keep it tied through the second period. The game-winning hero was Ty Haats, who converted on the power play with less than two minutes remaining. Haats continues to heat up, recording points in all but one game this season and scoring in four straight.

In their second matchup, the Steel kept the momentum going against the Windigo. Chippewa struck early with two quick goals before Wisconsin cut the lead on the power play. Caden Magnuson added his second goal of the FALL League season in the second period, and Mason Flannery capped the day with two more goals, including the fifth and final tally. The Steel’s dominant performance made it a day to remember.