The Aberdeen Wings and Watertown Shamrocks opened the 2025 North American Hockey League season with two games against each other.
WATERTOWN — The Aberdeen Wings kicked off another North American Hockey League season (2025-26) with a home-and-road sweep over the league's other South Dakota team, the Watertown Shamrocks.
The Wings posted a 6-1 win on their home ice (Odde Center at Aberdeen) on Sept. 19 and completed the weekend sweep with a 6-3 win over the Shamrocks on Sept. 20 in the Prairie Lakes Ice Arena in Watertown.
A crowd of 1,802 took in the Sept. 19 game at Aberdeen and 1,540 the Sept. 20 game in Watertown.
Both the Wings and Shamrocks are scheduled to compete Sept. 24-27 in the NAHL Showcase at Blaine, Minn.
The NAHL's regular season continues into mid-April, 2026.
Wings 6, Shamrocks 3
WATERTOWN — A four-goal second period erased a 1-0 deficit and carried the Wings to the weekend sweep with a win on Sept. 20.
Owen Pitters and Jibber Kuhl each scored twice for the Wings, who also got goals from Zan Spari-Leban and Sam Scheetz.
Gavin Reed, Scheetz, Herman Berggren, Easton Edwards and Price Grimes each tallied assists for Aberdeen.
Jordan Gudridge scored twice and Junior Podein once for the Shamrocks. Memphis Wilcox, Carter Sproule, Payton Struck and Podein were credited with assists.
Aberdeen out-shot Watertown 26-24. Willum Braun made 21 saves for the Wings and Mason Gudridge 20 for the Shamrocks.
Wings 6, Shamrocks 1
ABERDEEN — In the NAHL season opener for the two South Dakota teams, the Wings rolled to a 6-1 win on Sept. 19.
Jack McDonough scored two goals and Scheetz, Spari-Leban, Jonathan Doucette and Anthony Ciaramitro also scored.
Matthew Martin tallied three assists, Easton Edwards two and Kuhl, Pitters, McDonough, Doucette, Ciaramitro, Herman Berggren, Brody Dustin and Scheetz each one for the Wings, who out-shot the Shamrocks 37-21 and received 20 saves from goalie Adam Dybal.
Noah Sergott scored for the Shamrocks. Owen Chartier and Zach Boren assisted on the tally. Mason Gudridge finished with 31 saves in net.
Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Season-opening games between Watertown, Aberdeen junior hockey teams
Category: General Sports
