FERGUS FALLS -- Willmar scored at the wire to force overtime but the extra-period was won by Fergus Falls in the Otters' new arena on Thursday.
With one second left in regulation, Hunter Schneider popped the puck into the lower corner after a desperation back-hand feed from Preston Peterson from behind the goal line.
That tied it 4-4. Gavin Johnson scored with 2:56 left in the 8-minute overtime to end it 5-4 for the Otters (4-1, 6-6).
The Cardinals had led by as much as 3-0 on goals by Zech Streed, Chris Odens and Graham Dahl, with Schneider a helper on all three. Fergus answered with four straight markers to claim the lead, the last coming with 5:43 to play.
Fergus outshot the visitors 42-27. Derek Baker made 37 stops guarding the Willmar cage.
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The Cardinals are without three front-line players in captains Trey Tollefson and Cam Swenson plus Matt Eddy. Coach Dan Tollefson expects all three to miss one more game but could return from injury by Jan. 19-20 when the Cardinals play Alexandria and Wadena/Deer Creek back-to-back.
Willmar (2-4, 5-9) 2 1 1 0 -- 4
Fergus Falls (4-1, 6-6) 0 2 2 1 -- 5
FIRST PERIOD - Wil: Zech Streed (Hunter Schneider, Chris Odens) pp, 9:09 ... Wil: Odens (Schneider, Hunter Mottinger) 6:12
SECOND PERIOD - Wil: Graham Dahl (Schneider, Joey Lee) 9:37 ... FF: Jake Algren (Casey Ward, Peter Gaustad) 8:05 ... FF: Cody Ward (Bill Rodning, Gavin Johnson) 2:32
THIRD PERIOD - FF: Cody Ward (Mike Styve, Sam Rausch) 16:30 .... FF: Brady Wahlgren (Jake Algren, Casey Ward) 5:43 .... Wil: Schneider (Preston Peterson, Mottinger) :01
OVERTIME - FF: Johnson (Casey Ward, Styve) 2:56
GOALIE SAVES - Willmar: Derek Baker 37 ... Fergus Falls: Cory Anderson 23
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Brainerd 7,
River Lakes 1
(At Richmond) -- It was all Brainerd after Dylan Berg scored midway through the first period on a powerplay for River Lakes (3-4, 7-5).
The conference front-running Warriors (6-0, 12-2) scored seven unanswered goals, including four in the third period.
Brainerd (6-0, 12-2)..............1 2 4 -- 7
River Lakes (3-4, 7-5)..........1 0 0 -- 1
FIRST PERIOD - RL: Dylan Berg (Mitch Ejnik) 8:34, pp ... Brn: Aaron Rich (Gaven Motschenbacher) 16:37
SECOND PERIOD - Brn: Mitchell McLain (unassisted) 6:25 ... Brn: Matt Pohlkamp (McLain) 10:54, pp
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THIRD PERIOD - Brn: Motschenbacher (unassisted) 6:07, pp ... Brn: Rich (McLain, Reno Fussy) 9:15 ... Brn: Rich (Jed Rusk) 13:38, sh ... Brn: Cole Smith (Pohlkamp) 15:03
GOALIE SAVES - not available
Non-Conference
New Ulm 7, LDC 2
Ryan Tormanen scored 4:38 into the second period to get Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato (5-5) within one at 2-1, which would stay that way through two periods of play, but New Ulm (8-7) scored four goals in a span of nine minutes in the third period to take control.
Litchfield/DC (5-5)...............0 1 1 -- 2
New Ulm (8-7)......................1 1 5 -- 7
FIRST PERIOD - NU: Brody Peterson (Dylan Schreckenberg, Jeff Banal) 4:05, pp
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SECOND PERIOD - NU: Connor Stark (B. Peterson) 4:12, pp ... LDC: Ryan Tormanen (Garrett Impola) 4:38
THIRD PERIOD - NU: Schreckenbeg (B. Peterson, Judd Davis) 2:33 ... NU: Wyatt Peterson (Timmy Kehren) 3:13 ... NU: Aaron DuChene (Brandon Helget, Banal) 7:40 ... NU: Banal (unassisted) 11:29 ... LDC: Joe Lundin (unassisted) 12:58 ... NU: Ian Melville (Kehren) 14:50
GOALIE SAVES - Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato: Braeden Wahl 9-14-7-30 ... New Ulm: Brach Kraus 5-9-5-19
