WATERTOWN SHAMROCKS (13-13-0-0) vs. MINNESOTA MALLARDS (7-15-2-1)
PRAIRIE LAKES ICE ARENA | NAHL REGULAR SEASON | GAME #27 AND #28 | JANUARY 2 AND 3, 2026
The Watertown Shamrocks will host the Minnesota Mallards on Friday and Saturday at 7:00 p.m. in Prairie Lakes Ice Arena. It will be the Shamrocks’ twenty-seventh and twenty-eighth regular-season games of the 2025-26 season. This is the third regular-season matchup between these two teams.
Friday night’s game is sponsored by Prairie Lakes Healthcare Systems. We will be giving away thundersticks to the first 500 fans. Doors will open at 6 p.m.
So far this season, the Shamrocks have gone 3-1 against the Mallards in their four games played.
In the first set of games, the Shamrocks swept the Mallards on the road. On Friday, Shamrocks’ Owen Fask struck in the first, and the Mallards tied it in the second period. In the third period, the Shamrocks pull ahead for a 4-2 victory. On Saturday, the Shamrocks went up 1-0 in the first period with a goal from Owen Chartier. In the second, the Mallards took a 2-1 lead. The third period was action-packed, with the Mallards and Shamrocks trading goals back and forth. The Shamrocks ended up on top, 5-4.
In the second set of games, the Shamrocks split the series at home. On Friday, Jake Pietila scored the first goal of the evening. In the second, the Mallards scored first, but the Shamrocks scored three more goals in response. The Mallards then scored their second goal to start the third period, but the Shamrocks stayed on top with two more goals to make the final score 6-2. On Saturday, Watertown dropped their first game to Minnesota this season. 13 seconds in, the Shamrocks found the back of the net, but the Mallards scored two next. Despite the Shamrocks’ best efforts, they scored once in the second and once in the third, but it was not enough to top the Mallards.
WATERTOWN SHAMROCKS:
The Shamrocks will enter this division matchup after the holiday break. Their last matchup was December 19 and 20 against Bismarck, splitting the series at home.
On Friday, Grady Dimberio struck first for the Shamrocks at 5:30 with a top corner snipe, assisted by Vincent Curasi and Jake Pietila. Despite 10 Shamrock shots and 11 Bobcats shots, the second period was scoreless. At 11:12 of the third, Curasi netted a pass from Dimberio and Pietila. A few minutes later, Owen Fask secured a rebound goal, assisted by Noah Sergott and Joe Rice. In the third, Shamrocks’ goalie Mason Gudridge stopped 16 of 17 shots, with the Bobcats’ George Poirier scoring on the power play at 2:43. Zach Boren netted an empty net goal to secure a 4-1 win. On Saturday, it was all Bismarck. Watertown was shut out 4-0, despite 25 shots on net. The Bobcats had two goals in the first and two in the second for their 4-0 win.
The Shamrocks have won one of their last five, and currently sit in fourth place in the Central Division.
MINNESOTA MALLARDS
The Mallards will travel to play the Shamrocks after playing a singular New Year’s Eve game against the Austin Bruins at Riverside Arena.
Despite the Mallards’ best effort, they were shut out 9-0 against the Bruins. They had only 23 shots on goal to the Bruins’ 52 shots, giving them little chance to find the back of the net. The Bruins had three goals in the first, five in the second, and one in the third to secure their victory over the Mallards.
The Mallards have won one in their last five, and currently sit in eighth place in the Central Division.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
SHAMROCKS:
- Zach Boren currently leads the team with 15 goals and 30 points, and is second with 15 assists. He scored a goal last series against Bismarck.
- Erick Comstock currently leads the team with 19 assists on the season and notched an assist last series against Bismarck.
- Grady Dimberio, Vincent Curasi, and Jake Pietila each had two points in the last series against Bismarck
MALLARDS:
- Drew Bowe currently leads the team with nine goals, 19 points, and is tied with 10 assists.
- Mitch Vanderway is currently tied for the team lead with 10 assists, is second with seven goals and 17 points.
- Beckett Hinchsliff is third on the team with six goals, and has eight assists for 14 points.
By Lily Schutzehofer
Photo by Sarah Cooper