Playoff Recaps
Shooting Blanks Force Game 3 of B League Finals
The B League Finals are going the distance. Shooting Blanks battled back from an early deficit to defeat Sweater Puppies 8–7, forcing a deciding Game 3 for the championship.
The Puppies came out flying, jumping to a 5–2 lead in the first behind two goals from Logan Buch and two from Shane Wilson. But Shooting Blanks refused to go away, with Jordan Brown scoring twice late in the period to cut the deficit to 5–4.
Buch struck again in the second to make it 6–4, but Blanks continued clawing back. Andrew Walter cut it to one, and then Travis Weaver tied the game at 6–6 with a goal at the buzzer, setting up a huge final period.
Wilson completed his hat trick early in the third to put the Puppies back ahead, but Christian Wenger answered with two goals, including the go-ahead goal with just 5:16 remaining. Shooting Blanks held on from there to secure the 8–7 comeback win.
After splitting the first two games of the championship series, everything now comes down to Game 3. 🏆
Diddy Party Take Game 1 of the Finals
Diddy Party came out firing in Game 1 of the SAHL Finals, building a commanding early lead before holding off a furious Outlaws comeback to secure a 12–8 victory and take the opening game of the championship series.
The Outlaws started strong, with Andrew Walter and Braxton Jester scoring early to jump ahead 2–0. But Diddy Party answered in a big way, exploding for six goals in the first period. Steven Groff, Devin Unger, Anthony Weitzel, and Daymond Hiester led the charge, turning the early deficit into a 6–2 advantage heading into the second.
The Outlaws weren’t going down without a fight. Jester, Noah Westermann, and Walter found the net as the Outlaws poured in four goals in the second period. Jester completed his hat trick with just five seconds left in the period, cutting Diddy Party’s lead to 7–6 and setting up a dramatic finish.
But Diddy Party slammed the door in the third. Groff scored twice, while Hiester added two goals of his own as Diddy Party pulled away. The Outlaws managed two more goals, including one from Talon Sallade in the final 30 seconds, but the deficit proved too much to overcome.
Unger and Groff each finished with three goals, while Hiester added three of his own to power Diddy Party’s offensive attack. After surrendering most of their early lead, Diddy Party responded with a huge final period to take Game 1 by a score of 12–8.
The Outlaws battled back from a four-goal deficit to make it a one-goal game, but Diddy Party delivered when it mattered most. Diddy Party takes a 1–0 lead in the SAHL Finals. 🏆
Outlaws Advance to the Finals
The Outlaws punched their ticket to the SAHL Finals with an explosive 11–7 victory over Team SuperLytes.
The Outlaws came out flying in the first, scoring six goals and jumping out to a 6–1 lead. Braxton Jester was unstoppable early, scoring three times, while Andrew Walter added two of his own.
SuperLytes refused to fold, putting together a strong second period and cutting into the deficit. Bryce Witman scored three times during the game, while Cody Rotiske also found the net, but the Outlaws continued answering every push and carried a 9–5 lead into the third.
The final period saw more back-and-forth scoring, but the Outlaws never let the comeback get close. Jester added two more goals, finishing with an incredible five-goal performance, and the Outlaws closed out the 11–7 win.
With the victory, the Outlaws officially advance to the SAHL Finals, putting themselves just one series away from a championship. 🏆
Sweater Puppies Take Game 1 of B League Championship
The B League Championship Series got off to an absolute wild start, with Sweater Puppies storming back from a 5–4 deficit in the third period to score five unanswered goals and take down Shooting Blanks 9–5 in Game 1.
The Puppies controlled the opening period from the start. Logan Buch opened the scoring, and Brendan Fergusfollowed with two goals of his own to give Sweater Puppies a commanding 3–0 lead heading into the second.
Then everything changed.
Shooting Blanks came roaring back in the second period, scoring three unanswered goals in just over a minute. Andrew Walter got them on the board before Christian Wenger scored twice to erase the entire three-goal deficit and tie the game at 3–3. The comeback looked complete, but Haden People restored the Puppies' lead late in the period, sending them into the third up 4–3.
The third period turned into complete chaos. Walter scored again to tie the game at 4–4, and Jay Rivera then gave Shooting Blanks their first lead of the night at 5–4.
But the Puppies weren't done.
Just 14 seconds after Rivera's goal, Buch tied the game at 5–5. Only 16 seconds later, Haden People struck again to put Sweater Puppies back on top. From there, the floodgates opened. Chris Claycomb made it 7–5, Buch completed his hat trick to push the lead to 8–5, and Fergus finished off his own hat trick with just 1:25 remaining.
Five third-period goals. Five unanswered.
What looked like Shooting Blanks' comeback victory suddenly became a 9–5 Sweater Puppies win. The Puppies take a 1–0 series lead in the B League Championship after an unbelievable third-period turnaround.