Aberdeen comes from behind to take 2-0 series lead, upstart Wichita Falls wins pair on road against Lone Star

If there is one thing the Aberdeen Wings did not dominate in the regular season, it was come from behind wins. 

Of course, that’s mainly because they rarely trailed. The Wings were 43-0-0-0 when leading after two periods and 3-4-0-0 when trailing after two. They were an impressive 5-0-0-1 when tied after two. 

But trailing 2-1 after two is where they found themselves Saturday night in game two of their first round best-of-five series against Minot in the NAHL Robertson Cup playoffs. 

There was no cause for concern. Regular season leading scorer Payton Matsui tied the game a little over three minutes in, then two goals back to back in the final three minutes of the game put the icing on the cake. A late Minot goal made the final 4-3, but Aberdeen leads the series 2-0 headed back to Minot for the next two games. 

In an opening weekend filled with surprises and split opening games, one of the biggest surprises came in the Fort Worth area, where expansion team Wichita Falls won both games at perennial favorite Lone Star. A big reason, especially in game two, was the stellar play of Owen Bartoszkiewicz, who posted a 2.00 goals against and a .933 save percentage over two games. 

NOTES: Heading into Wednesday’s action, the Bismarck Bobcats and Minnesota Magicians (Richfield, Minn.) had both advanced to their division final. The Magicians sweep was especially impressive as all three games were played in Fairbanks. Meanwhile, Bismarck will play the winner of the Aberdeen-Minot series. Division final series will again be best-of-five.