GAME REPORT - NA3HL ROCHESTER GRIZZLIES VS NORTH IOWA BULLS
12.5.20 - NA3HL Rochester Grizzlies (5) vs. North Iowa Bulls (4) OT
12.5.20 - NA3HL Rochester Grizzlies (5) vs North Iowa Bulls (4) OT
After having their weekend series against the Wausua River Wolves canceled due to COVID-19 protocols, the Rochester Grizzlies traveled to North Iowa on Saturday night to take on the Bulls in exhibition play. As two of the top teams in the NA3HL this contest was bound to be a good one, and fans in attendance were treated to a seesaw battle between two clubs who came into the game with a lifetime series record of 6-6-1.
Both teams came out of the gate quickly in the first period, but Rochester held a noticeable advantage in shots and quality scoring chances in the early minutes of the contest. North Iowa however managed to weather the storm and took an early 1-0 lead on a rebound goal in front by forward Garrett Freeman. Rochester answered back a few shifts later when the Grizzlies top line got on the board as forward Justin Wright redirected a one-timer off the stick of Peyton Hart, to notch the game at 1.
Coming out of intermission Rochester took their first and only lead of regulation when Hunter Wilmes tracked down a flip pass from his D and buried a breakaway to give the Grizzlies a 2-1 lead. Less than three minutes later however North Iowa answered back, when forward Sota Isogai capitalized on a bad defensive pinch by finishing off a 2-on-1 play in tight. Then in the final minute of the period, North Iowa struck again, this time on a 5-on-3 powerplay as forward Jack Campion buried a rebound to give the Bulls a 3-2 lead heading into intermission.
Building off their momentum from the 2nd period, North Iowa came out strong in the 3rd and controlled play early. Rochester’s top line however answered the bell again, this time with forward Matthew DeRosa finishing a play in tight to tie the game at 3. As was the case all night, the Bulls answered right back in the following shift, when defenseman Cal Nauss wired a shot from the top of the circles to give the Bulls the 4-3 lead. With 3 minutes left in regulation, it again was the Grizzlies top line doing damage, when DeRosa buried a puck off a broken 2-on-1 play to send the game into overtime.
The Bulls began the overtime period needing to kill off the back-half of a penalty for too-many-men on the ice, but before they could get back to even strength, Rochester forward (and recent Augsburg University commit) Dylan Schneider, sniped a shot from the face-off dot to give the Grizzlies the 5-4 overtime victory.
Team Breakdowns
Rochester Grizzlies
Rochester is a strong team that can beat opponents in a lot of different ways. They like to play with pace, and they generate a lot of chances off the rush. Their D are skilled and mobile and quickly transition pucks to their forwards, and their top line is a constant scoring threat when they are on the ice. They showed a lot of grit today in battling back over the course of the game, and they should continue to be one of the top teams in the league this season.
North Iowa Bulls
While certainly disappointed in the outcome of the game, Coach Sanden should be pleased with the character his team showed against a tough opponent. The Bulls don’t have the pure offensive firepower that Rochester shows, so they had to work to manufacture goals all night. While they don’t have elite forwards, they are balanced up front and all of their lines play honest, opportunistic hockey and make teams pay for mistakes. They have a balance of speed and grit that allows them to play run-and-gun in transition or to manufacture hard-fought goals down low. Coupled with some size and offensive firepower from their D-core and good goaltending, North Iowa should find themselves back up near the top of the league this season.
Scouting Notes
Peyton Hart – ‘01 Forward – Rochester Grizzlies
Hart has a great frame and solid skill which makes him difficult to defend at this level. His skating could be a bit more fluid, but he has a long powerful stride and uses his body to get inside position and drive hard through lanes to support the play. He uses his reach to protect pucks in transition and he gets himself into shooting lanes in tight. He has a heavy shot, but he doesn’t just wire pucks, rather he’s patient and calculating in his shot selection and shows some emerging goal scoring ability. Given his size and offensive production, Hart should have some upside at the next level, especially if he can pick up some more dynamics in his skating.
Matthew DeRosa – ‘01 Forward – Rochester Grizzlies
DeRosa is a work horse that seems to always be around the play making something happen. He’s a fluid skater with a good turnover which allows him to get in hard as F1 and disrupt the defense. He has a strong frame and likes to play physical which allows him to win 50/50 battles down low. He’s not overly dynamic with the puck off the rush, but he uses his grit to drive through hits and get pucks to the net. He has good hands in tight and shows the ability to finish plays around the crease. He’s in a top-line role at this level getting both PP and PK time, but moving forward he has upside as the grit on a support-scoring line or as a good 2-way checking-line forward who can be effective on the PK.
Justin Wright – ‘01 Forward - Rochester Grizzlies
Wright is a two-way playmaking forward with strong upside. He has a good frame and should be able to add strength as he continues to fill out. He has a quick turnover and a long, powerful stride that allows him to easily get up and down the ice in transition. He uses his reach to effectively steer the play on the forecheck and he has the hockey sense to quickly capitalize on turnovers and create offensive chances. He has the puck-skills and patience to generate offense off the rush and showed that he can vary he skating speed coming over the line and find passing lanes between defensive layers. He has the vision to make plays at top speed offensively but also works hard to get back and support the play in his D-zone.
Sam Williams – ‘02 Defenseman – Rochester Grizzlies
Williams is a skilled puck moving defenseman. As a younger D he has a very good frame and should be able to add strength as he matures. He shows a strong and balanced technical skillset and is very fluid both with and without the puck. He has good 4-way mobility but needs to keep adding lower body strength to increase the overall explosiveness in his stride. For a younger D, he plays with a lot of poise and confidence with the puck and is able to use his skillset to evade the forecheck and find open lanes to transition pucks up to his forwards. Defensively he is good off the rush where he can use his feet to keep the play in front of him, but he still needs to play with more grit and presence in front of his net. Overall, Williams has a very good base upon which to build, and with plenty of time to round out his game, he upside as he matures.
Tyler Huffer – ‘02 Defenseman – Rochester Grizzlies
Huffer is a young, 2-way defenseman. His game is still raw having only previously played 1 season at the AAA level, but he shows some good instincts and is able to make plays at both ends of the ice. His stride mechanics could use some work, but he has good footwork and mobility in transition. He is smart with the puck, can read pressure and does a good job finding lanes to push the pace of play up ice. He is heavy clearing pucks in the defensive zone and shows good situational awareness in knowing when to keep things simple. He still makes rookie mistakes defensively, so he will need to clean up some of his positional play, but he brings some intangibles that are hard to teach (including a willingness to drop the gloves when needed)
Caleb Mayer – ‘01 Goaltender – North Iowa Bulls
Mayer’s play deserved a win tonight, even though the game didn’t turn out that way. His performance was certainly better than his state line as he repeatedly showed that he could make timely save in order to give his team a chance to win. He’s an athletic goalie who moves well laterally and doesn’t quit on pucks. He made some big saves in tight tonight and his strong rebound control limits second chance opportunities. With only a 6ft frame, his positional play needs to be strong in order to eliminate the top half of the net, but he showed a lot of promise in his play tonight.
Cal Nauss – ‘00 Defenseman – North Iowa Bulls
Nauss is a mature, puck-moving D with great size. He looks to be able to add even more strength to his frame, but even as he stands now, he’s very difficult to play against. He has a very long reach and good footwork for his frame. His stride mechanics are a bit stiff, but his edge control is good and he’s easily able to contain players off the rush. He plays with a lot of poise and looks to initiate the breakout whenever he can. His stride and reach allow him to evade the forecheck, but at times he can overhandle pucks while trying to make the perfect outlet pass, resulting in him skating himself out of room. He makes crisp, accurate passes and typically plays a heavy controlled game in all 3 zones. He’s typically a pass-first guy, but as he showed tonight, he has a rocket from the blueline when he lets it go, and he should keep looking for chances to activate and support the play.
Carson Jones – ‘01 Forward – North Iowa Bulls
Jones is a hard-working, 2-way forward who shows strong hockey sense at both ends of the ice. He recently tendered with the Springfield Blues of the NAHL (where he played last season) and his experience in the NAHL is evident in his play. He plays a heavy, polished style in all 3 zones and even though he doesn’t jump out as dynamic, he’s a cerebral player who knows where the puck is going to be before it gets there. He’s strong off the cycle and below the dots, and he moves pucks quickly in tight. He doesn’t shy off of physical play and he’s a player who is willing to crash though dirty areas in order to create opportunity. He’s getting a lot of experience at this level playing strong minutes on both the PK and PP, and these games should help to elevate his performance when he gets back to the NAHL.