Wilderness Seeks to Build on Showcase Momentum in 4-Game Set vs. Springfield

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NAHL Minnesota Wilderness

Wilderness Seeks to Build on Showcase Momentum in 4-Game Set vs. Springfield

October 3, 2024 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Minnesota Wilderness News Release


The Minnesota Wilderness kick off the month of October with four straight vs. the Springfield Jr. Blues. The Wilderness hosts Springfield for a pair of games at Northwoods Credit Union Arena Oct. 4-5. The two teams will then switch venues and meet at Springfield's Nelson Center on Oct. 11-12.

These games will mark the first meetings of the season between the Midwest Division rivals. They are scheduled for four more contests later in the season

The Wilderness and Jr. Blues are both coming off victories in their final games played at last weekend's NAHL Showcase in Blaine, MN.

Springfield capped off its 3-game schedule with a 3-0 victory over the Minot Minotaurous. The Jr. Blues finished the weekend with a 2-1 record and come into this weekend's series in Cloquet with a 3-2 mark.

The Wilderness went 1-1-1 in Blaine, earning its lone victory in its finale on Sept., 28. In that game, the Wilderness defeated the U.S. National Team Development Program U-17 squad, 4-1, in the first Showcase meeting ever between the two programs. That win evened Minnesota's overall 2024-25 record to 3-3-1.

The Jr. Blues have 13 players returning from its 23-24 season, yet it's a newcomer that deserves much of the credit for the team's early success. Frank Murphy is a veteran goaltender who has posted some outstanding numbers through his firs four games. Murphy has 1.31 GAA and has stopped 96% of the shots he has faced to earn a 2-1 record.

Not to be outdone, Murphy's partner, Matt Schoephoerster, backstopped the team to the 3-0 shutout victory it earned over Minot to conclude the Showcase with a 32-save performance.

The Wilderness have been paced lately by two players from eastern Europe. Frantisek Netusil, from Czechia, leads all scorers with 7 points over 7 games, while Lucas Jendek, from Slovakia, has generated six points in only five games played. Jendek helped pace the team to victory over the USNTDP by finishing with a 3-point night.

Both games this weekend are at Northwoods Credit Union Arena in Cloquet and begin at 7:15 p.m. both nights.

Midwest Division standings:

Place Team Games played Points This weekend's opponent(s)

1 Wisconsin 7 12 Vs. Anchorage (Friday only)

2 Fairbanks 7 11 Idle

3 Kenai River 7 9 Vs. Janesville (3 games, Fri., Sat., Sun.)

4 Anchorage 5 7 @ Wisconsin, @ Chippewa

4 Chippewa 7 7 Vs. Anchorage (Saturday only)

4 Minnesota 7 7 Vs. Springfield

7 Springfield 5 6 @ Minnesota

8 Janesville 7 5 @ Kenai River (3 games, Fri., Sat., Sun.)

Check out the Minnesota Wilderness Statistics

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North American Hockey League Stories from October 3, 2024


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