WAUSAU, Wis. – The Rochester Grizzlies received goals from seven different players and Shane Soderwall picked up a shutout as they defeated the Wausau RiverWolves 8-0 on the road. Saturday’s win complete the season sweep for Rochester over Wausau, as it won all eight meetings.
The Grizzlies piled up the shots throughout the first period, with RiverWolves goalie Tyler Klatt shutting them down to start the game. Hunter Wilmes broke the scoreless contest at 14:17 of the first with his 11th goal of the season. Wilmes’ goal came on the power play with Michael Heitkamp and Jesper Hofling picking up the assists. Rochester went on to outshoot Wausau 20-7 in the first period.
The game started to break out in the second period, with the Grizzlies scoring just 3:05 into the period. Bryar Flanders scored his first of the season as Matt DeRosa and Peyton Hart provided assists. Just about two and a half minutes later, Cody Reagle scored his sixth of the season, making it 3-0 Grizzlies. Joey Fodstad tacked on his 24th goal of the season at the 10:29 mark of the second. Fodstad’s goal gives him two more than second place on the team (Lucas Newman).
Reagle’s second of the game came just 54 seconds into the third period to give Rochester a 5-0 lead. Noel Parker, the St. Olaf commit, scored his eighth of the season at 4:16 of the third period. DeRosa would get his 20th of the season at 11:19 of the third period, making him the third Grizzlies player to score 20 goals this season. Devin Hays made it 8-0 at 14:03 of the third. Gavin Gunderson, a Rochester Century High School product, picked up the primary assist. That is Gunderson’s first career NA3HL point in his first game with the Grizzlies since joining the team after Century’s season ended.
The Rochester defense shut the RiverWolves down the entire game, just holding them to 14 shots. Wausau had a combined seven shots in the final two periods, including just two in the second. The Grizzlies, meanwhile, put up 53 shots on net. Soderwall picked up his third shutout of the season.
Rochester is now 33-8-1-1 on the season, good for 68 points. The Grizzlies now have four games remaining in the regular season, with the next one being Sunday at noon at the Coulee Region Chill. That marks the final meeting between the two teams this season. Rochester is now set to face the Peoria Mustangs in the first round of the playoffs, as the Mustangs can go no higher than fourth in the Central Division. Rochester clinched first place in the Central Division last week with a win against Coulee Region.