Nash Jacobsma scored twice while Peteris Purmalis and Ashton Dahms both posted a goal and assist Saturday night to lead the Minnesota Wilderness to a 4-3 win over the Chippewa Steel. In addition, goaltender Adam Prokop made 30 saves to earn his second victory of the season.
Minnesota has now won eight consecutive games, and has earned at least one point in its last nine. It’s the longest winning streak for the franchise since it won 10 straight in 2013-14.
Saturday’s game was characterized by both teams taking advantage of momentum swings. After Purmalis’ goal early in the 2nd gave Minnesota a 3-1 lead, Chippewa managed to tie the contest with one goal later in the frame, and another early in the third. The Wilderness then rallied with Ashton Dahms scoring the game-winner with 13:39 left in the final period.
Special teams again paid dividends for Minnesota, as the Wilderness converted on two of four chances and scored once on a four-on-four situation. The penalty kill held off Chippewa on two of its three opportunities.
The Wilderness jumped out in front early, when Jacobsma deposited his first tally of the game just 1:11 into the contest. Joe Cesario set up the goal with a no look pass from the right circle that found Jacobsma directly in front. The forward from Brookings, SD, then beat Carter Wishart on the glove side to make it 1-0.
An unfortunate equipment malfunction then helped the Steel tie the contest. Prokop had a blade dislodge from a skate, and had to leave the game to get it reinstalled. Ben Dardis entered in relief, and Chippewa took advantage of a cold goaltender, scoring just 36 seconds later when Jacob Ligi knocked in a rebound with 4:58 remaining in the period. Prokop then re-entered and stayed in the game until its conclusion.
It did not take long for the Wilderness to bounce back. Jacobsma scored his second of the night and third of the campaign on the power play thanks to some swift puck movement by Oliver Stümpel and Beau Janzig. From the left point, Stümpel fed the puck to Janzig in the high slot who moved forward and caught Jacobsma in the right circle who stretched twine with a wrist shot that beat Wishart on the stick side.
Minnesota applied similar puck movement on its second power play goal of the contest. This time, it was Dahms along the left boards who fed the puck to Ozolins in the middle of the blue line. Ozolins then relayed the puck to his fellow Latvian Purmalis in the right circle. Purmalis then teed up a shot that whistled between Wishart’s glove side and the left post with 4:59 remaining in the middle frame. Purmalis’ fifth of the season gave the Wilderness its two-goal lead of the game at 3-1.
The Steel then responded with a power play goal from Aidan Willis less than two minutes later to make it 3-2, and Gavin Middendorf scoring to tie the game at three 2:06 into the third.
That was followed by the four-on-four tally that put the Wilderness in front for good. The play started when Brandt Dubey forced a turnover in the defensive zone and followed with pass to Purmalis along the left boards. Purmalis carried the puck through neutral ice and into Steel territory where he found Dahms breaking toward the Chippewa goal through the left circle. Dahms followed by threading a shot just between Wishart’s stick side and the left post.
Dahms now leads the Wilderness with 10 goals and 16 points in only nine games.
Chippewa outshot Minnesota 34-26.
The same two squads will tangle again next weekend in another home/home series. The Steel (8-5) will play host on Friday night (Oct. 27) with puck drop set for 7:00 p.m. The Wilderness (9-3-2) will be the home team the following night with a special game at the Iron Trail Motors Event Center in Virginia, MN, at 7:15 p.m.