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Minnesota Wilderness

Wilderness and Wolverines to Wrap-Up Season Series in Anchorage

March 10, 2023 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Minnesota Wilderness News Release


Who: Minnesota Wilderness vs. Anchorage Wolverines

When: March 10-11; 7:00 p.m. each night (AK time)

Where: Ben Boeke Ice Arena, Anchorage, AK

The lead: The Minnesota Wilderness will close out their final regular season trip to Alaska by visiting Anchorage.

Media: All of the action can be seen on Hockeytv.com.

Records: Anchorage: 23-18-7; Minnesota: 26-15-7

Midwest Division standings

Team Points Games played

1 Wisconsin 63 48

2 Minnesota 59 48

3 Fairbanks 57 50

4 Kenai River 53 50

5 Anchorage 53 48

6 Janesville 51 50

7 Chippewa 50 47

8 Springfield 43 47

Last weekend:

Anchorage hosted in-state rival Fairbanks in a 2-game series. The Wolverines won both contests, 5-3 Friday and 6-3, Saturday, to extend its home winning streak to five games.

The Wilderness swept a road series at Kenai River. Minnesota claimed both games by the score of 4-1, extending a win streak in games played at Soldotna, AK, to 7, and its all-time franchise record on the Kenai Peninsula to 10-2.

Season series: These will be the fifth and sixth meetings of the season between the Wolverines and Wilderness. Minnesota won the previous four contests, with two of the wins coming in overtime. In Cloquet, Sept 30-Oct. 2, the Wilderness swept a 3-game series by scores of 3-2 (OT), 2-1 and 4-3 (OT). In a game played in Anchorage on Nov. 6, Minnesota was victorious, 3-1.

Thoreson Record Watch: Forward Gunnar Thoreson added two assists to his career totals last weekend, giving him 104 career points. The 3-year veteran from Andover, MN, now sits all alone in 2nd place, passing Darian Romanko's mark of 102, and putting him just eight behind Luke Dow's franchise record of 112 points. Thoreson is also the only Wilderness player to trail Dow in career assists - Thoreson now has 70 compared to Dow's 82. In games played in a Wilderness uniform, Thoreson is now up to 153, and sits just five behind the 158 played by Dow.

Posch Joins Exclusive Club: After claiming his second Star of the Week award for his performance last weekend vs. Kenai, Isak Posch became just the third Wilderness goaltender to win two SOWs in the same season. Ryan Fanti and Kasimir Kaskisuo also claimed two weekly awards in one campaign - Fanti winning twice in 2018-19, while Kaskisuo was doubly honored in 2013-14. Posch, from Umeå, Sweden, stopped 62 of 64 Kenai shots last weekend to earn the award.

D-Men Creating O: Minnesota lit the lamp eight times in the two games last weekend vs. the Brown Bears, and in all eight goals, a defenseman got his name on the scoresheet. On Friday, Brian Lonergan and Michael Quinn each posted goals, while Beau Janzig and Gustavs Ozolins registered assists. On Saturday, the blue line contributed with five assists-two from Ozolins, and single helpers from Quinn, Max Wattvil and Evan Pahos.

Rookies Rise: Lonergan was not the only 17-year old to stretch twine Friday night. Forward Reid Daavettila also scored, marking the first time this season that the two youngest players on the Wilderness roster lit the lamp. Lonergan's goal was his first in 32 games, his second of the season and first game-winner in his Jr. career. Daavettila's marker in the 3rd period was his 3rd of the season, and first in 28 games.

Cosman Returns/Reunion with Cesario: The Wilderness and Anchorage will meet for the first time since the two division rivals swapped a pair of forwards. Just before the trade deadline in February, Minnesota received Bo Cosman, while the Wolverines acquired Joe Cesario. Since going to Anchorage, Cesario has averaged just under a point-per-game with 4 points (2 goals/2 assists) in 5 contests.. The Denver, CO, native played 41 games with Minnesota prior to going to Anchorage while also verbally committed to play college hockey at Air Force.

Meanwhile, Cosman is also just under a point-per-game average, with 2 goals and 3 assists in 6 games with the Wilderness. Cosman is a UMass-commit from Milton, GA, native who played 5 games with the Wolverines after beginning the season appearing in 25 with El Paso.

Check out the Minnesota Wilderness Statistics

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