Division Lead Reclaimed After Sweep of Fairbanks
NAHL Minnesota Wilderness

Division Lead Reclaimed After Sweep of Fairbanks

Published on December 7, 2025 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Minnesota Wilderness News Release


The Minnesota Wilderness returned to the top spot in the NAHL's Midwest Division thanks to a weekend sweep of the Fairbanks Ice Dogs.

In front of capacity crowds at the Red Baron Arena, the Wilderness (16-6-2) used clutch goaltending and timely scoring to spoil the Ice Dogs (14-10-2) annual visit to Fairbanks' sister city. Valdemar Andersen earned the win Friday (Dec. 5) making 38 saves in a 5-2 victory, while Ryan Gerlich secured the goalmouth Saturday (Dec. 6) with 30 saves in a 3-2 triumph.

Minnesota has now won three consecutive games and holds first place in the Midwest Division, one point ahead of the Springfield Jr. Blues and Wisconsin Windigo who are tied for second.

The Wilderness next travel to Chippewa Falls, WI, for a 2-game series vs. the Chippewa Steel Dec. 12-13.

Friday: Wilderness 5, Fairbanks 2

Avery Anderson scored twice, Owen Smith assisted on two goals and Talan Blanck posted a goal and an assist in a game where the Wilderness never trailed.

Smith, playing his first game with Minnesota this season after starting the year with the USHL's Omaha Lancers, helped set up the game's first goal, which came just 22 seconds after the opening puck drop.

Smith earned the secondary assist on Kevin Lysohir's seventh of the season. Nate Murray set up the play by passing to Lysohir in the right circle of the Ice Dogs' zone. The rookie then fired a shot through Fairbanks goalie Mason McElroy's pads, putting Minnesota ahead 1-0.

Anderson added to the lead when he posted his first goal of the contest. The veteran from Orono, MN, knocked in a rebound at the 10:39 mark of the first period, with assists going to Blanck and Andrei Gudin.

Blanck then padded the lead further with a short-handed tally in the first frame's final moments. The play started in Minnesota's defensive end as Fairbanks attacked on the power play. Deegan Hoffbauer blocked an Ice Dog shot, which deflected the puck toward Smith, who then fed it to Blanck all alone at center ice, who cruised in on a breakaway that led to his 10 th marker of 2025-26 with 1:37 left.

After replacing McElroy with Miles Roberts in goal, the Ice Dogs managed to get on the board twice in the second period. Gabe Ruiz and Matthew Volkman posted individual markers to cut Minnesota's lead to 3-2.

Anderson re-built the 2-goal lead midway through the third period. With 9:44 left, Anderson notched his second of the game with a shot from the slot that beat Roberts with 9:44 left to play. Lucas Ryen assisted on the goal, which gave Anderson five on the season.

River Freeman closed out the scoring with an empty-net goal with 2:32 remaining.

Minnesota's penalty kill also played a key role in the contest, when it held Fairbanks scoreless on five power play chances.

The Wilderness also failed to score on both of its opportunities with the man-advantage.

The Ice Dogs outshot Minnesota, 40-19.

McElroy took the loss in the Fairbanks net making two saves on five shots over 20 minutes.

In relief, Roberts made 13 saves on 14 shots over 38:35.

The victory improved Valdemar Andersen's regular season record to 11-2-1.

Saturday: Wilderness 3, Fairbanks 2

Andrei Gudin's goal early in the third period Saturday broke a 2-2 tie, and Minnesota held on to complete the weekend sweep.

Zach Homer set up the winning tally when he raced into Fairbanks territory to retrieve a puck that Olle Karlsson fired in. Homer collected the loose puck and dished a centering pass to Gudin as he was alone in the slot. Gudin then roofed the puck for his fourth of the season 2:28 into the final frame.

Logan Nagle led Minnesota with two assists.

Nagle's first helper came when, for the second straight night, Kevin Lysohir scored the game's opening goal. Lysohir found the back of the net when he registered his eighth of the season with 29 seconds left in the first period with Lucas Ryen also gaining an assist.

The Ice Dogs answered by scoring twice early in the second period to give them their first lead of the weekend. Mason Noble (on the power play) and Kyle Rohrer deposited the puck 2:52 apart to put Fairbanks up, 2-1.

Minnesota then re-tied the game on newcomer Theo Kiss' first goal in his second game in a Wilderness uniform. Nagle earned his second assist of the game when he dug the puck out from a scrum along the left wing wall in the offensive zone to find Kiss in position in front of the Ice Dogs net. Kiss cashed in when he blistered a shot past netminder Miles Roberts with 3:39 remaining in the opening period.

The Wilderness penalty kill again had a strong night, allowing one goal on five Fairbanks chances. Minnesota again failed to convert on the power play, going 0-for-3.

For the second straight contest, the Ice Dogs outshot the Wilderness, this time by a 32-25 margin.

Roberts suffered the loss in goal making 22 saves. Gerlich improved his record to 5-3-1 and earned his first victory since Nov. 1.

Check out the Minnesota Wilderness Statistics

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North American Hockey League Stories from December 7, 2025


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