The Gillette Wild opened the new year with a split weekend against the Badlands Sabres, earning a road win Friday before dropping a hard-fought game at home Saturday.
Friday Night – Road Win
Gillette wasted no time Friday night at Roosevelt Park Ice Arena. Riley Schmidt scored an unassisted goal right off the opening draw, and Dylan Herold followed minutes later off a feed from Balek. Dylan Peterson added an early second-period goal to push the Wild ahead 3–0.
Badlands responded with two goals to close the gap. After Trieber exited with a knee injury, Matthew Bennett stepped in to finish the game as the Wild held on for a 4–3 victory.
Saturday Night – Home Loss
Saturday’s rematch at Spirit Hall was physical and fast-paced. The teams traded goals in the first period, ending the frame tied 1–1. Gillette faced adversity in the second period but successfully killed a five-minute penalty to keep the game even.
The Sabres scored early in the third to take the lead. Despite multiple late chances and a goalie pull in the final minutes, the Wild couldn’t find the equalizer. Badlands sealed the game with an empty-net goal, taking a 3–1 win.
“We didn’t lose—we ran out of time,” said Coach Johnson.
The Wild look to carry their effort into next weekend as they return on home ice to face the Helena Bighorns at Spirit Hall.