Home Stand Ends with Split Series
Published on September 23, 2025 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Minnesota Wilderness News Release
The Minnesota Wilderness continued its strong start to the 2025-25 season with a 3-point weekend vs. the Anchorage Wolverines.
Both contests in the 2-game series in Cloquet finished in a shootout. The Wilderness (3-0-1) came through with a 5-4 win Friday (Sept. 19), while the Wolverines (1-0-1) were victorious Saturday (Sept. 20), 3-2.
This follows the opening weekend of the 2025-26 season where Minnesota went 2-0 in a home series vs. the Springfield Jr. Blues. With seven points in its first four games, the Wilderness are off to their best four-game start in franchise history.
Next, Minnesota heads to the NAHL Showcase tournament in Blaine, MN. The Wilderness will play three games over four days at the Super Rink for an event that features all 34 NAHL teams. The Wilderness kick off their string of games Wednesday vs. the Minnesota Mallards at 4:45 p.m. On Thursday, the Wilderness take on the Lone Star Brahmas at 12:30 p.m. and will close out the week Saturday afternoon vs. the
Austin Bruins at 3:45. All game times are CDT.
Friday: Wilderness 5, Anchorage 4 (SO)
The Wilderness and Wolverines entertained the Northwoods Credit Union Arena crowd with a back-and-forth battle where a combined eight goals were scored in regulation and five went in during a 5-round shootout.
Lucas Ryen led the Wilderness with a regulation goal and the deciding shootout tally. Others scoring in regulation were Noah Dziver, Michal Liscinsky and Robinson Djian. Djian also lit the lamp in the shootout, along with Nate Murray.
Also contributing offensively was Olle Karlsson, who generated two assists. Single assists came from Zach Howard, Niko Gentilini, Avery Anderson, River Freeman, Logan Nagle and Talan Blanck.
In goal, Valdemar Andersen kept his record perfect at 3-0. Andersen knocked aside 22 of 26 Anchorage shots and made three saves on five shots faced in the shootout.
Minnesota outshot the Wolverines, 37-26.
In special teams, the Wilderness struck three times. Minnesota went 2-for-4 on the power play and generated a short-handed goal.
Anchorage went 1-for-4 on the man-advantage.
The game started with Anchorage getting the upper hand in the first period, thanks to Andrew Karkoc scoring 3:55 into the opening frame.
Minnesota bounced back in the second period with three unanswered goals. Dziver opened it up with a power play marker 42 seconds into the middle frame with his first goal of the season. Liscinsky, a native of Kosice, Slovakia, followed to make it 2-1 with 10:46 left with his first goal in his first game suiting up for the Wilderness.
Ryen then added the home team's second power play marker with 7:54 left.
The Wolverines re-awakened early in the third period with two goals 37 seconds part just 2:31 into the final frame. Luc Bydal posted the first goal at the 1:54 mark, and was followed by Lucas Mann's tally at 2:31 to tie the game at 3-3.
The Wilderness regained the advantage briefly, thanks to Djian scoring a short-handed goal with 11 minutes left. Djian, from Annecy, France, was also playing his first game with the Wilderness.
Anchorage then tied the game on the power play thanks to Michal Tarasenko scoring with 10:34 left.
Bydal and Karkoc also notched shootout goals for Anchorage.
Helping the Wolverine effort was goaltender Liam Ernst, who turned aside 33 of 37 Wilderness shots.
Saturday: Anchorage 3, Wilderness 2 (SO)
The Wilderness earned the point thanks to a dramatic extra-attacker goal from Michal Liscinsky.
With Anchorage leading 2-1 in the late stages of the third period, Minnesota pulled goaltender Ryan Gerlich for a sixth skater. Shortly after a face off to the right of the Anchorage net, Liscinsky fired a wrist shot that snuck just underneath the left leg of Wolverine goaltender Andrew Saxe. That tally was Liscinsky's second of the season and came with 1:41 left in the final period and was assisted by Olle Karlsson and
Robinson Djian.
However, unlike Saturday, this time it was Anchorage that got the upper hand in the shootout. The Wolverines' Andrew Karkoc scored the only goal in the shootout which went the standard 3-rounds.
Minnesota had the game's first lead, thanks to Nate Murray scoring his second of the season 4:23 into the first period. Liscinsky and Djian assisted on that tally, which was followed by Anchorage's Sam Evert scoring with 9:41 left in the first to tie the game at 1-1.
The Wilderness penalty kill then earned its pay in the second period, as Anchorage was awarded four power plays in the middle frame, but could not score once. The Wolverines finally did deposit a goal on the power in the third period, on its fifth opportunity with the man-advantage, on a goal from Luc Bydal.
Anchorage finished 1-for-5 with the extra man, while the Wilderness went scoreless on the power play for the first time this season, going 0-for-5.
In the Wilderness net, Gerlich shined in his first start of the season, stopping 37 of 39 Anchorage shots.
Saxe was also impressive for the Wolverines, with 31 saves on 33 Wilderness shots.
North American Hockey League Stories from September 23, 2025
- Wilderness Carry Momentum into Showcase - Minnesota Wilderness
- Rylan Brady Commits to Ncaa Diii Hockey: Trine University - Janesville Jets
- Black Bears Look to Stay Red Hot in NAHL Showcase - Maryland Black Bears
- IceRays Head to Minnesota for 2026 NAHL Showcase Tripleheader - Corpus Christi IceRays
- Home Stand Ends with Split Series - Minnesota Wilderness
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