West Bend, WI – The West Bend Power are setting up for the Central Division Finals against the Wausau Cyclones. The Power are on the road for Game One on Friday, March 15 starting at 7:10pm CST. West Bend hosts Wausau on Saturday March 16, at 7:30pm CST. If necessary, a winner take all Game Three will be Sunday, March 17 at 6:10pm CST in Wausau. The Central Division Finals are sponsored by West Bend Area Chamber of Commerce’s All Around the Bend Showcase, JUGS Hitching Post and Richards Insurance.
Finishing the First Round
After Oregon tied the series 1-1, West Bend took Game Three in decisive fashion with a 5-1 win to advance to Central Division Finals. Despite the success against the Tradesmen, Head Coach Jason Woods knows the Power must be their best to advance past the Cyclones for the Fraser Cup. “We’re excited for the opportunity to play for the right to represent the Central Division in the Fraser Cup,” Woods said. “Wausau has had a strong year and we will need to be on top of our game to advance.”
Across the Aisle
The Wausau Cyclones took the No. 1 Seed with their 38-10-0-1 record and 77 points. West Bend split the season series against Wausau 4-4. Wausau has rolled through their season in large part to their explosive offense. Their two front men, Connor Dvorak and Ricky Nelson, were both in the top ten leaguewide for points. Dvorak’s NA3HL rookie season has been remarkable. He put up 71 points (27 goals, 44 assists) in 48 games, sixth among all skaters and leading his team in both categories. In his second season, Nelson has lit up the net with 63 points (24 goals, 39 assists) in 44 games. All three numbers are career highs for the Edina, MN native. Dvorak and Nelson were instrumental in Wausau’s league leading 30.1% power play throughout the season.
Goaltending duo Collin Lemanski and Tanner Bonjernoor have manned the blue paint for Wausau doing a stellar job. Lemanski took over the started 28 of the Cyclones’ 47 regular season games with a 20-7-1 record, 0.936 save percentage and 2.29 goals allowed average. Rookie netminder Bonjernoor has progressed well throughout this year. After beginning the season 0-2, Bonjernoor has won 10 straight starts. This streak has earned the Muskegon native his 10-2 record with a 0.918 save percentage and 2.53 goals allowed average.
Broadcast Information
Frank Zawrazky has the call for March 16’s home game at 7:30pm CST against Wausau. All games, including the two potential road games are streaming on NAHL TV. For those unable to stream, Frank is running his Instagram Live Face Cam Broadcast, which starts at March 16 at 7:30pm on Instagram @Frank.Zawrazky.
