ROCHESTER, Minn. — The Rochester Grizzlies picked up a 7–4 win over the St. Louis Jr. Blues in their penultimate game of the regular season, powered by Konnor Goclan’s first career NA3HL hat trick.
The opening five minutes were a feeling-out process, with neither team able to establish sustained pressure in a neutral-zone controlled start.
Rochester struck first when Dominic Arndt threaded a slick pass to Konnor Goclan, who ripped a one-timer past Luke Romney to give the Grizzlies a 1–0 lead.
The Grizzlies doubled their advantage on the power play thanks to a snipe from Felix Wadstromer, who continued his red-hot stretch with his 11th goal in the last nine games.
St. Louis responded on their first power play of the night, as Teagan Lee found the back of the net to cut the deficit to 2–1 heading into the second period.
That’s when the chaos began.
Six total goals were scored in the middle frame, including five in a span of just 2:57, turning a 2–1 game into a frantic 5–4 contest. Both teams struck on the power play during the stretch, highlighted by Mason Decker’s 39th goal of the season in what turned into the wildest period of the year.
The third period settled things down, with neither team recording a shot on goal in the first five minutes.
Rochester faced its biggest test late in regulation when Andrew Bastian was assessed a four-minute double minor for high-sticking. The Grizzlies’ penalty kill answered the call, holding the Jr. Blues to zero shots on goal against Nick Kurtiak, who replaced Kyle Lappi for the final 20 minutes.
Moments later, after Romney misplayed a loose puck, Cooper Johnson found Goclan, who buried the empty-netter to secure the hat trick. Jesse Varner added his third goal of the season shortly after to seal the 7–4 victory.
With the win, the stage is now set for next week’s playoff matchups: Grizzlies vs. Cyclones and West Bend vs. St. Louis.