FALL League Championship Set: Underdogs, Standouts, and Overtime Thrills Headline Semi-Finals

Day three of the FALL League Finals wraps up in Blaine, and the stage is officially set — champions will be crowned tomorrow. Semifinal matchups brought strong play on both sides, with teams earning their way into tomorrow’s championship games. Take a look below for semifinal recaps and click here for full scores. 

18U:

Odessa Jackalopes

As the eighth seed at the 18U level, Odessa has made an incredible run to the Championship, defeating the Minnesota Wilderness 5–3 to complete a flawless four-win streak heading into tomorrow’s final.

The Jacks came out firing, scoring the first three goals of the game, including an opening power-play tally, before Minnesota got on the board with just over five minutes left in the second period. The third period was action-packed, with four goals total, two from each team. The frame opened with a Wilderness goal from Kellan Obester under two minutes in, tying the game, but Odessa answered with two more, including Hendrix Damrow’s second of the night. Minnesota added a shorthanded goal with under two minutes remaining, but Odessa held strong to secure the win.

Hendrix Damrow has been a standout all weekend, scoring in all four wins for a total of seven goals, proving he will be a force to watch in the Championship game.

Fairbanks Ice Dogs 

The semi-final between the second-place Ice Dogs and third-place Steel was a thriller from start to finish, with Fairbanks ultimately pulling out a 4-3 overtime victory. The first two periods were a defensive stalemate, with neither team able to break the deadlock.

All the action came in the third period. The Ice Dogs exploded out of the gates, scoring three quick goals in just two minutes, two of them on the power play,  to take a 3-0 lead. With 10 minutes left in regulation, the Steel mounted a furious comeback, netting three straight goals of their own, including two on the man advantage. Spencer Bullis scored their third goal with just 13 seconds remaining, sending the game into overtime.

In the extra frame, defenseman Gavin Lafferty struck once again, following up his first goal of the season on Saturday against the Norsemen, securing the win and sending Fairbanks to the Championship. Lafferty finished the day with an impressive three-point performance.

16U:

St. Cloud Norsemen 

The Norsemen punch their ticket to the Championship with an 11-0-0-1 record, sitting atop the 16U level, no surprise to anyone that they’ve battled their way into the FALL Championship game. But today’s matchup against the Minnesota Wilderness was anything but easy, as they edged out a tight 4-3 win.

Each period saw action on the scoreboard, with three goals coming in the opening frame. The Wilderness struck first less than two minutes in, but St. Cloud answered before the buzzer with a pair of goals to take a 2-1 lead after one.

Minnesota controlled the second, scoring twice to flip the script and carry a 3-2 lead into the final period. From there, the Norsemen found their stride, burying back-to-back goals in the third to seal the win and keep their run alive.

Keep an eye on Logan Ylinen,  the offensive driver for St. Cloud, leading the team with 26 points (18 goals, 8 assists) in 12 games, as he looks to stay hot in the championship matchup.

Fairbanks Ice Dogs

As the fifth-place team at the 16U level, the Ice Dogs have punched their way into the Championship game after a commanding 4-0 shutout over the third-place Chippewa Steel. Fairbanks entered with a 7-4 record while Chippewa sat at 9-2, making this a clear upset on paper, and a statement win on the ice.

Four different Ice Dogs hit the scoresheet, with one goal in the first and three more in the third. Their second tally came on the power play, followed by two empty-net goals as Chippewa tried to claw back late.

Between the pipes, Eli Swenson was lights-out, turning aside all 27 shots for his first shutout, building off the momentum from his 3-1 win against the Austin Bruins on Friday.

Offensively, Fairbanks continues to lean on leading scorer Beckett Fredenberg, who sits above a point per game with 18 points (15 goals, 3 assists) in 11 games and has recorded at least one point in five straight contests.