Northwest Express Stun Riverkings in Overtime Thriller, Tying the series at 1-1

Wisconsin Rapids, WI – The Northwest Express rallied from an early deficit to secure a dramatic 4-3 overtime victory against the Wisconsin Rapids Riverkings in Game 2 of the second-round playoff series on Saturday night at the South Wood County Recreation Center. With the win, the Express tie the 3 game series at 1-1, moving one step closer to the next round.

First Period: Riverkings Strike Early
The Riverkings wasted no time establishing control, netting two goals in quick succession. Ahlstrand opened the scoring at 9:10 on the power play, capitalizing on a setup from Andersson and Obstfelder. Less than two minutes later, Tutich doubled the lead off a feed from Denti and Raffert at 11:05. The Express struggled to generate offensive pressure in the opening frame, as the Riverkings outshot them 18-13.

Second Period: Express Fight Back
The Express responded in the second period, cutting the deficit in half just 1:32 in when Johnson found the back of the net, assisted by Aguilera. The momentum continued to shift in favor of the visitors, and they tied the game at 11:14 when Wolff buried a shot past Shaw off a feed from Lundbohm. The period was physical, with multiple penalties handed out, but neither team was able to convert with the man advantage. Express goaltender Freshwater stood tall, stopping all 16 shots faced in the period to keep the score level at 2-2.

Third Period: Trading Blows
The Express took their first lead of the night early in the third when Lynch fired a shot past Shaw at 2:25, assisted by Liebold and Alexander. However, the Riverkings answered back at 11:37 when Bryceland evened the score, finishing a pass from Diamond. The remainder of regulation saw intense back-and-forth action, but both goalies held firm, forcing overtime.

Overtime Heroics
The extra frame didn’t last long. At 2:45 of overtime, Dylan Wolf played the hero off a feed from Lundbohm to secure the 4-3 victory for the Express. The goal silenced the crowd of 759 and sent the Express bench into a frenzy as they celebrated their crucial win.

Key Performances & Game Stats

• Northwest Express Goals: Johnson (1), Wolff (1), Lynch (1), Wolf (1)
• Wisconsin Rapids Riverkings Goals: Ahlstrand (1), Tutich (1), Bryceland (1)
• Goaltending: Freshwater (NWE) – 44 shots, 41 saves; Shaw (WRR) – 33 shots, 29 saves
• Shots on Goal: Express 33, Riverkings 44
• Power Play: Express 0/1, Riverkings 1/4

The Northwest Express will look to close out the series in Game 3 at 7:00 PM at the South Wood County Recreation Center in Wisconsin Rapids.