WATERTOWN SHAMROCKS (24-16-1-1) vs. ST. CLOUD NORSEMEN (14-26-4-0)
ST. CLOUD MUNICIPAL ATHLETIC COMPLEX AND PRAIRIE LAKES ICE ARENA | NAHL REGULAR SEASON | GAME #43 AND #44 | FEBRUARY 27 AND 28, 2026
The Watertown Shamrocks will play away and at home against the St. Cloud Norsmen on Friday and Saturday at 7:00 p.m. at St. Cloud Municipal Athletic Complex and in Prairie Lakes Ice Arena. It will be the Shamrocks’ forty-third and forty-fourth regular-season games of the 2025-26 season. This is the second regular-season matchup between these two teams.
THIS SEASON:
So far this season, the Shamrocks have gone 0-2 against the Norsemen in their two games.
In the first set of games, the Shamrocks were defeated by the Norsemen in both rinks. On Friday night, the Shamrocks fell short in a 2-3 shootout loss. The Shamrocks started in front, but the Norsemen tied it up late to force overtime, then a shootout. After Owen Chartier’s lone shootout goal, the Norsemen clinched in their third and fifth tries. On Saturday night, Watertown was bested at home 3-7. The Shamrocks went down early in the first period and were unable to climb back.
WATERTOWN SHAMROCKS:
The Shamrocks will enter this division matchup after sweeping a two-game series against the Minot Minotauros, 5-3 on Friday and 3-2 on Saturday.
On Friday, Kyle Greene started the scoring with a short-handed breakaway goal, while Mason Gudridge saved all 16 Minotauro shots. Another goal in the second period gave the Shamrocks a 2-0 lead, but the Minotauros came back to tie it up early in the third. Three more Shamrock goals gave them the 5-3 victory. On Saturday, the Minotuaros came out early, making it 0-2. The Shamrocks came back to tie it and send the game to overtime. Kyle Greene secured the overtime winner for a 3-2 Shamrocks victory.
The Shamrocks have won four of their last five games and currently sit in fourth place in the Central Division.
CLOUD NORSEMEN
The Norsemen will enter this division matchup after splitting a home-and-away set with the Austin Bruins, 3-2 on Friday and 1-7 on Saturday.
On Friday, the Norsemen went up early in the first period with two goals. The Bruins had a goal in the second period and third period to tie the game and send it into overtime, then the shootout. Four straight saves for St. Cloud, and a goal on their fourth try gave them the 3-2 win. Saturday night was all Austin, with two goals in the first and five goals in the second period. St. Cloud had one goal in the second period to give them a 1-7 loss.
The Norsemen have won one of their last five games and currently sit in seventh place in the Central Division.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
SHAMROCKS:
- Zach Boren currently leads the team with 22 goals and 45 points, and he had three assists and a goal on the weekend.
- Kyle Greene has 27 points this season and had two goals and an assist this weekend.
- Justin Bartley has 26 points on the season and had three assists this weekend.
NORSEMEN:
- Sam Crane leads the team with 16 goals and 16 assists, for 32 points. He had a goal this weekend.
- Billy Biedermann has 21 points this season and scored a goal on Friday night, along with the shootout-winning goal.
- Nolan Smith has 25 points and had an assist Friday night.
By Lily Schutzehofer
Photo by Sarah Cooper