ROCHESTER, MN – The Rochester Grizzlies were none too pleased with their performance Friday evening, despite beating the Wausau Cyclones 2-0. Saturday night was a much different story. Rochester, thanks to a hat trick by Lyncoln Bielenberg-Howarth, toppled Wausau in an 8-0 rout on Pink in the Rink Night. Rochester now improves to 33-6-2 on the season sitting at 68 points and first place in the Central Division.
The scoring opened at 11:15 of the first period as Logan Kroyman, in his fourth game back since rejoining the Grizzlies last weekend, beat Wausau goalie Mitch Miscevich high to the glove side to make it 1-0. Just a little over four minutes later, Kyle Brown tipped home a loose puck to make it 2-0 for the home team.
Rochester stormed out for four goals in the second period with Adam Johnson starting the scoring at 3:52 of the second period. Kroyman’s second of the game came at 4:11 of the period, sneaking a shot past Miscevich to make it 4-0 Rochester. Bielenberg-Howarth would rattle off two straight goals for Rochester. The Oronoco, MN native made it 5-0 at 6:07 after finishing off a shorthanded breakaway. His second came at 14:30 of the period, redirecting a Noah Roitman point shot in.
The third goal would come at 1:51 of the third period as Bielenberg-Howarth would knock home a loose puck after a net mouth scrambles to complete his first career NA3HL hat trick. Justin Wright added the second shorthanded goal of the evening for the Grizzlies at 4:05 of the third.
Zach Wiese went on to stop all 24 shots he saw to complete the shutout, his second of the season and first since Dec. 1. Rochester out-shot Wausau 45-24.
The Grizzlies are on the road next weekend for two games against the second-place Peoria Mustangs. Rochester is back home in three weeks for the final home games of the regular season against the Oregon Tradesmen.