The Minnesota Magicians rebounded with a 9-0 victory over the host Kenai River Brown Bears on Sunday at the Breezy Point Hockey Center in Minnesota in North American Hockey League action.
The Bears had taken the first two games of the series by a 4-3 count in overtime Friday and a 4-2 score in regulation Saturday. The Magicians avoided a sweep with a dominant effort Sunday on the Bears’ temporary home ice before they return to the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex on April 16.
The Magicians moved into first place in the Midwest with the victory, with a 20-9-2-0 record for 42 points. The Janesville (Wisconsin) Jets are in second with 40 points, Fairbanks is in third with 38 points and the Brown Bears are in fourth at 15-18-1-1 for 32 points. The Chippewa (Wisconsin) Steel trail in the race for the final playoff spot with 20 points.
Sunday, the Magicians led 1-0 after the first period and 3-0 after the second period before running away in the third period.
Andy Beran recorded the shutout for Minnesota with 39 saves. Luc Laylin had two goals and two assists for the Magicians, while Robert Christy also had two goals.
Andrew Rose saved 38 for the Bears.
If the schedule holds, that will be the last time the Bears play in Breezy Point.
Kenai River has Thursday, Friday and Saturday games against the Steel, but those games have been moved from Breezy Point to the Schwan Super Rink in Blaine, Minnesota, to make it easier for the Bears to catch their flight to Alaska.
The Thursday game is at 5:15 p.m. AKDT, while the Friday game is at 4 p.m. and the Saturday game is at 2 p.m.
April 16, the Bears welcome the Ice Dogs to the sports complex at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday
Magicians 9, Brown Bears 0
Minnesota 1 2 6 —9
Kenai River 0 0 0 —0
First period — 1. Minnesota, Christy (K. Falk, Ferrandino), pp, 13:19. Penalties — Minnesota 2 for 7:00; Kenai River 4 for 11:00.
Second period — 2. Minnesota, Longhi (Laylin, Kukkonen), 5:40; 3. Minnesota, Laylin (S. Falk), pp, 13:52. Penalties — Minnesota 4 for 8:00; Kenai River 2 for 4:00.
Third period — 4. Minnesota, Christy (Kanta, K. Falk), 2:09; 5. Minnesota, Kukkonen (Laylin), 3:40; 6. Minnesota, S. Falk (McCabe, Cronin), 8:24; 7. Minnesota, Oberle (Weiss, Schumacher), 8:51; 8. Minnesota, Schumacher (Pohlkamp, Ferrandino), pp, 13:44; 9. Minnesota, Laylin (Longhi, Kukkonen), 16:52. Penalties — Minnesota 1 for 2:00; Kenai River 3 for 6:00.
Shots on goal — Minnesota 9-15-23—47; Kenai River 13-13-13—39.
Goalies — Minnesota, Beran (39 shots, 39 saves); Kenai River, Rose (47 shots, 38 saves).
