Shootout win over Watertown Shamrocks boosts Aberdeen Wings' NAHL playoff chances
Roger Merriam
- The Aberdeen Wings and Watertown Shamrocks, both members of the NAHL's Central Division, are developing a rivalry.
- The Wings are currently in a playoff position and are looking to secure their spot in the remaining games.
- The top four teams in the Central Division will advance to the playoffs, with the division champion moving on to the Robertson Cup Playoffs.
WATERTOWN — The win-loss record and the standings might not show it, but there appears to be the makings of a rivalry brewing between South Dakota's only two junior hockey teams in the North American Hockey League.
At least it appeared that way when the Aberdeen Wings, now playing their 15th season in the NAHL, outlasted the first-year Watertown Shamrocks 4-3 in a shootout on Saturday night in the Prairie Lakes Ice Arena.
The game, which followed Aberdeen's 6-1 home victory over the Shamrocks on Friday, was close througout and featured a number of heated exchanges between the two northeastern South Dakota squads in the NAHL's eight-team Central Division.
It should be noted that Friday's game in the Odde Ice Center in Aberdeen drew 1,923 fans and Saturday's game in Watertown proved to be the second home sellout (1,540 fans) against the Wings this month.
Aberdeen improved to 8-0 against the Shamrocks this season, but each of the final two meetings in Watertown ended in a shootout.
The Shamrocks aren't there yet, but there's no reason to think the club won't keep improving in the coming years.
Getting up to date on the Shamrocks
The Shamrocks are currently in seventh-place in the Central Division with a 17-32-2-4 (17 wins, 32 losses, 4 overtime losses and three shootout losses). Only the top four teams advance to the playoffs.
There's no doubt, the team has improved. Watertown has compiled 4-4 records in both February and March.
Zach Boren scored Watertown's lone goal in Friday's loss. Spencer Sasenbury scored two goals and Joseph Rice the game-tying goal with 15 seconds left in the third period for the Shamrocks. Phileas Lachat recorded 18 saves on Friday and Mason Gudridge added four to along with 25 on Saturday.]
Carter Sproule, a forward out of Grand Forks, N.D. (15 goals, 32 assists) and Cam Markham, a forward out of Houghton, Mich. (21-24) have led the Shamrocks' offensive attack this season. Other key scores are Travis Lefere of Grand Rapids, Mich. (10-21), Ryan Gingher of Dublin, Ohio (11-14), Owen Chartier of Excelsior, Minn. ( 12-13), Dmitrijs Dilveka of Riga, Latvia (6-16), Rice of Prior Lake, Minn. (7-14) and Boren of Devils Lake, N.D. (7-14).
Lachet (who hails from Delemont, Switzerland) is 11-16-1 with a 3.078 goals-against-average in 30 games in the net. Gudridge, from Greenwood Village (Colo.) has appeared in 11 games with a 2.75 GAA and a 4-1-0-3 record.
The Shamrocks have scored 136 goals and allowed 188.
Wings continue playoff hunt
The Wings made the playoffs in 10 of their first 14 NAHL seasons and are currently in position to add to that total with a a 31-22-2-0 record that is currently good enough for fourth place in the division. They're trying to hold on for the final playoff spot.
So it was big Saturday when Jibber Kuhl scored in the shootout to lift the Wings. Kuhl, Niikolai Tishkevich and Gustas Zemaitis each scored in regulation and goalie Willum Braun notched 19 saves.
Tishkevich, Briggs Orr, Nick Comfort, Jack McDonogh, Grant Winkler and Leonid Bulgakov each scored in Friday's win. Kuhl and Bryce Johnson each recorded two assists and Damon Cunningham tallied 31 saves.
Bulgakov of Minsk, Belarus (27 goals, 19 assists), Cade Moxham of Bakersfield, Calif. (19-24), Kuhl of Wayzata, Minn. (13-29), Sebastian Lillsund of Stockholm, Sweden (13-27), Luke Backel of Madison, Ala. (12-28), Johnson of Brier, Wash. (13-23) and Ryder Many Grey Horses of the Siksika Nation (14-18) are among the top scorers for the Wings.
Cunningham (from Sturgeon County, Alberta) is 18-17 with a 2.628 GAA and Braun of Philadelphia 12-5-2-0 with a 3.097 GAA in net.
Aberdeen has outscored its foes by a 174-163 margin so far this season.
What's left in the 2024-25 season
Only four games remain in the inaugural season for the Shamrocks, who will take on the St. Cloud (Minn.) Norsemen on Thursday (away) and Friday (home at 7 p.m.) this week and on Friday, April 11 (home at 7 p.m.) and Saturday, April 12.
The Wings' playoff bid could get boosted by having their final four games at home. They do host the second-place Minot (N.D.) Minotauros, who are 40-14-1-0, on Friday and Saturday before closing the season on Friday and Saturday, April 11-12 by hosting the North Iowa Bulls (19-30-4-2). All four games are slated for 7:15 p.m.
The Bismarck (N.D.) Bobcats are sitting pretty (43-10-1-1) atop the division with 88 points, followed by Minot and the Austin (Minn.) Bruins, now 38-12-3-2, with 81 points. All three teams have clinched playoff spots. The Wings have 64 and may need the Shamrocks' help to hold off St. Cloud (27-21-1-5 with 60 points).
After the regular season ends, playoffs will begin with the division champion (along with the East, South and Midwest division champions) advancing to the Robertson Cup Playoffs and National Championship May 14-20 in Blaine, Minn.
Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com