Game 1: St. Cloud Norsemen vs Shreveport Mudbugs
The Saint Cloud Norsemen opened up the 2023 campaign against the Shreveport Mudbugs as they took part in the NAHL Showcase.
STC drew first blood as Wes Berg (Fort. Myers, Fla.) scored the first goal of the contest from Gavin Gunderson (Roseau, Minn.) at the 2:42 mark into the second period. Twelve minutes later Shreveport knotted the game up after Hayden Nichol put a shot past Norsemen Goaltender Max Weilandt (Northbrook, Ill.) to knot the game up at one. The score remained tied as both teams went into the locker room.
Shreveport came out flying in the third period and kept up second period momentum when Logan Heroux gave the Mudbugs the lead. Hayden Nichol registered his second point of the game when he tallied the second assist. Game one was a very physical contest from the get-go as there were four penalties given to each team in the first and second periods.
The third period was a back-and-forth battle that got very chippy. Both teams were whistled for another four penalties a piece. This game stayed a one goal game the rest of the period.
The Norsemen fell by a 2-1 score after pulling Weilandt to take advantage of an extra-attacker late in the third period.
STC Goaltender Weilandt stopped 22/24 shots after 60:00 of play. Shreveport back-stop Carson Dorfman turned away 28 Norseman shots.
Saint Cloud will face the Northeast Generals tomorrow at 1:45 p.m. for game two of the NAHL Showcase in Blaine, Minn.
Dain Solberg, Freelance Writer
