The 2023-24 Minnesota Wilderness season came to an end Saturday night after a 6-2 loss to the Anchorage Wolverines. For Anchorage, the win clinches the Midwest Division semifinal series, allowing the Wolverines to advance to the 2nd round of the Robertson Cup playoffs. Anchorage won the best-of-five series, 3-games-to-1.
Anchorage broke a 2-2 tie shortly after the midway point of the 2nd period, added one more goal before the frame was over, and then deposited two more in the third period to claim the victory.
The Wilderness battled back to tie the game two times over the game’s first 24:58.
After the Wolverines scored to take the first lead 9:31 into the opening period, Minnesota responded with a power play goal from Beau Janzig 1:44 later. Janzig fired in his first tally of the 2024 playoffs from the slot and into the top shelf over the glove of Anchorage netminder Liam Beerman, with assists from Daniel Astapovich and Ren Morque.
The Wolverines regained the lead just 1:53 later, and that allowed it to close out the first period ahead 2-1.
Minnesota began the 2nd period with a surge that led to it generating the frame’s first 10 shots on goal. One of those shots lit the lamp when Nate Murray converted on a backhand centering pass from Kole Altergott for his first playoff goal. Murray’s one-timer 4:58 into the middle stanza evened the score at 2 and was also assisted by Logan Nagle.
Adam Prokop suffered the loss in net, stopping 25 of 30 Anchorage shots.
The Wolverines outshot the Wilderness, 31-29.
Anchorage converted on its only power play of the night, while the Wilderness finished one-for-three.
With the loss, the junior hockey careers of 13 Wilderness players also concluded. The following players either have turned 21 or will later this year, and therefore, become ineligible to play an extra season: Kole Altergott, Nolan Bettens, Nick Blood, Joe Cesario, Nash Jacobsma, Beau Janzig, Adam Johnson, Joe Manning, Ren Morque, Gustavs Ozolins, Peteris Purmalis, Oliver Stümpel, and Hayden Walters.
The rest of the Wilderness roster will be eligible to return for next season.
The Wilderness next begins to prepare to build its roster for the 2024-25 season. Part of that process includes camps designed to identify players the team may select in the 2024 NAHL draft, set to be held in June. Pre-draft camps are scheduled for May 31-June 2 at the Dakotah Ice Center in Prior Lake, and June 7-9 at the America First Center in Henderson, NV. More information on the camps can be found at
https://www.wildernesshockey.com/2024-wilderness-camps/.