Soderwall’s Shutout Leads Grizzlies to Fraser Cup Championship

Apr 10, 2021

ROCHESTER, Minn. – “Unfinished business” has been the term used for the Rochester Grizzlies the entire season. Well, they’ll have a chance at that next week from St. Peter’s, MO in the Fraser Cup Championship. Shane Soderwall stopped all 26 Peoria Mustangs shots he saw as the Grizzlies won 5-0 and won the series two games to one.

For the first time on home ice all playoffs, the Grizzlies opened the scoring. Colin Pederson knocked home a rebound off Cole Walter’s pads at 3:42 of the first period. The goal marked Pederson’s first of the playoffs. Just four minutes later, Joey Malugani took advantage of another bad rebound given up by Walter to make it 2-0. Unlike Friday night’s game, the Grizzlies outplayed the Mustangs this time. Rochester would out-shoot the visitors 18-6 in the first period.

The play was a little more even in the second, but the Grizzlies did get an all important third goal. Blake Arneson’s shot took a lucky bounce of a Peoria defender in front of Walter and was redirected into the net. The goal marked Arneson’s second in as many games.

Micah Gernander scored on a breakaway at 10:49 of the third to really put the game out of reach and bring the Grizzlies fans to their feet at the Rochester Recreation Center. The goal also marked Gernander’s first of the playoffs. Teppei Ueno added an empty net goal for good measure to make it 5-0.

Rochester now awaits the results of other series to see what the schedule will look like in the Fraser Cup Championship. The Grizzlies will finish no lower than the two seed and could potentially be the No. 1 seed. For scheduling information on the Fraser Cup Championship, be sure to keep tabs on the Grizzlies’ social media pages throughout the week. The Fraser Cup Championship will run from Thursday Apr. 15 through Monday Apr. 19.