September 24, 2026
Blaine, MN
For immediate release
The Minnesota Wilderness extended their season-opening record to 3-0 Wednesday before suffering their first
defeat Thursday at the NAHL Showcase in Blaine, MN.
The Wilderness defeated the Johnstown Tomahawks, 3-1, Wednesday, then dropped a game 2 matchup vs. the
Shreveport Mudbugs, 5-3.
Two goals from Kevin Lysohir sparked the squad in the Wednesday victory, while a pair from Frantisek Netusil was
not enough in Thursday’s loss.
Ryan Gerlich tended Minnesota’s goal in both contests. He took the win Wednesday, making 37 saves on 38 shots,
and suffered the loss Thursday with 17 saves on 21 shots.
After a day off Friday, the Wilderness (3-1-0) returns to Blaine to close the tournament against the St. Cloud
Norsemen, with puck drop at the Super Rink set for 3:45 p.m. CDT.
Wednesday: Wilderness 3, Johnstown 1
Lysohir broke a scoreless tie 6:58 into the opening period on a feed from Netusil directly off a face-off in the left
circle of the offensive zone.
Owen Smith then made it 2-0 with 5:55 left in the opening frame. Smith’s shot was the third attempt in a series of
shots fired at the Johnstown net. A blast from Jack Martens was denied by goaltender Luc Beauparlant, Jakeb
Lynch then attempted a backhander that could not get through before Smith fired in a second rebound for his first
tally of the season. Lysohir’s second of the game came on a second period Wilderness power play. After taking a pass from Cayden Neice at the top of the right circle in the Tomahawk zone, the second year forward dangled his way across the high
slot to the top of the left circle before skating to the bottom of the left circle where he ripped a shot that beat
Beauparlant on the stick side at the 4:13 mark. Neice and Cole Cheeseman assisted on Lysohir’s third of the
campaign.
From there, the Wilderness managed to hang on for the win, despite being outshot in the third period, 16-9.
Gerlich held strong making 15 saves in the final frame, with Evan Kensey posting the only Tomahawk goal with 5:22
left to play.
The Wilderness finished 1-for-4 on the power play, while keeping Johnstown scoreless on three opportunities.
The teams finished tied in shots at 38. Beauparlant suffered the loss making 35 saves.
Thursday: Shreveport 5, Wilderness 3
After scoring three goals in the first period, the Mudbugs appeared to take a stranglehold on the game when they
made it 4-0 with 12:15 left in the middle frame. Goals from Antoine Cormier, William-Alexis Tremblay, Jason
Simons and Robin Israelsson helped Shreveport build its lead.
But the Wilderness insisted the game was not over.
Alfred Carlsson began a comeback effort when he scored on a tremendous individual effort. After Gerlich denied a
Mudbug shot, Carlsson jabbed the puck away from one Mudbug seeking the rebound and then was off to the
races. The veteran from Sweden gained possession at center ice, skated across the Shreveport blue line on the
right side, skated around one defender as he maneuvered toward the slot and then sent the puck between
goaltender Kristers Plepis and the left post to cut the Shreveport lead to 4-1 with 8:26 left.
Minnesota would follow with another goal before the second period ended. Jackson Lackas and Adel Arlan helped
set up Netusil for his first goal of the game and the season. Arlan delivered a centering pass to Netusil who
responded by one-timing a shot in the slot past Beauparlant with 2:35 left in the second stanza.
In the third period, Lynch set up Netusil for another one-timer goal, which came on a power play with 8:40 left that
put the Wilderness within one shot of tying the game. However, the next red-lighter would come from Shreveport,
as Eli Shulman scored an empty-netter with 17 seconds left in the contest. Minnesota outshot the Mudbugs, 36-22, thanks to a 16-1 advantage in the third period. Plepis earned the victory
with 33 saves.
Each team notched one power play goal, with Shreveport getting six chances and Minnesota having eight.