In Boys hockey, the Rams delivered a dominant performance Wednesday, cruising past the Lake of the Woods Bears by a final score of 11-1. Jude Wittrock led the offensive charge, scoring four goals as Roseau exploded for seven goals in the first period and took a commanding 7-1 lead into the first break. The Rams continued to pour it on in the second period, adding two more goals to carry a 9-1 advantage into the third. Truitt Gustafson, Boden Hammer, Liam Johnson, Ty Johnson, Anton Klint, Mack Mertens, and Tanner Paulson also scored for Roseau, while Dawson Canfield accounted for the Bears’ lone goal.
Roseau kept control throughout the third period, with Gustafson making it 10-1 on a goal assisted by Wittrock, followed seven minutes later by Ty Johnson’s goal, set up by Ethan Neville, to round out the scoring. The victory gives the Rams five straight wins. Up next, Roseau returns to action Friday, January 2nd, when they face the St. Michael-Albertville Knights at St. Michael-Albertville Ice Arena, while Lake of the Woods will travel to Ely High School on Saturday, January 3rd, to take on Ely/Tower-Soudan.
For the girls, the Rams picked up a strong 5-2 win Wednesday over the Hopkins/Park Royals, powered by a big day from Jasmine Hovda. Hovda scored four goals for Roseau, helping the Rams respond after the Royals struck first when Louisa Beach scored early in the opening period, assisted by Lucy Johnson. Roseau answered later in the first, as Hovda tied the game at 1-1 on a setup from Launa Ullman, before the Rams took control with three goals in the second period to lead 4-1 at the break.
Hopkins/Park pulled closer early in the third period when Sydney Schwartzentruber scored, again assisted by Lucy Johnson, trimming the lead to 4-2. Roseau sealed the win late in the game with a goal from Ella Ketring, assisted by Greta Hedlund. With the victory, the Rams continue their strong stretch of play and will be back on the ice Saturday, January 3rd, when they face the Brainerd/Little Falls Warriors. The Royals return to action Tuesday, January 6th, with a matchup against Wayzata.
In NHL action today, the Minnesota Wild fell to the San Jose Sharks by a 4-3 score in a shootout. San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini was a catalyst, posting a goal and an assist before adding the decisive shootout tally as the Sharks completed the comeback and extended their hot streak. Minnesota opened the scoring early through Vladimir Tarasenko, with Marcus Foligno and Mats Zuccarello also finding the back of the net in regulation, but the Wild couldn’t convert in the shootout to secure the extra point.
Jesper Wallstedt made 25 saves between the pipes for Minnesota as the club battled hard throughout the contest, leaving San Jose with just a narrow edge in the skills competition. The Wild, now late in their road trip, showed competitive spirit with multiple goal scorers and strong goaltending at times, but came up just short in the shootout. Minnesota will look to rebound Friday, Jan. 2, when they head to Anaheim for a clash with the Ducks, followed by a Saturday matchup in Los Angeles against the Kings.
The 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship wrapped up preliminary-round play yesterday in Minneapolis-Saint Paul with several key games setting the stage for the knockout rounds. In Group A, Sweden stayed perfect with a 6-3 win over the United States, as Sweden’s balanced attack proved too much for the U.S. despite a spirited comeback attempt by Team USA. The victory keeps Sweden atop Group A with an unblemished record, while the U.S. will still advance with a strong showing in the standings. Meanwhile Group B saw Canada top Finland 7-4 in a crucial match to claim the Group B lead, as the Canadians’ offensive depth showed through in a high-scoring affair. Elsewhere on the day, Switzerland edged Slovakia 3-2 and Czechia beat Latvia 4-2, completing the final set of preliminary games before Friday’s quarterfinals.
With the preliminary round now finished, all eyes turn to the quarterfinals beginning tomorrow, when the top teams from each group will begin single-elimination play. Sweden earns a favorable path as the top seed out of Group A, and Canada does the same in Group B, while the United States and Czechia are poised for tough matchups of their own. Teams like Finland and Switzerland will also look to make noise in the playoff round as the tournament pushes toward the medal games scheduled for early January.
Last modified: 01/04/2026
