Hernborn stars as Rochester Grizzlies extend winning streak to 9 games

ROCHESTER — Stop us if you've heard this one before: The Rochester Grizzlies are stringing together an impressive number of victories early in the season, pushing them further into first place in the North American 3 Hockey League's Central Division.

Rochester's 6-2 victory against Wausau on Saturday at the Rochester Recreation Center gave the Grizzlies their ninth consecutive victory and a sweep of the two-game weekend series.

Rochester won 3-1 at the Rec Center on Friday night.

The Grizzlies are 14-2-0 overall and currently hold an eight-point lead atop the division standings over second-place Oregon (Wis.), where Rochester will play this coming weekend, Friday, Nov. 11, and Saturday, Nov. 12.

Against Wausau on Saturday, the Grizzlies never trailed and scored four of the game's first five goals.

Zach Laurila — his sixth of the season — and suddenly red-hot Ben Tschida — four goals in his past four games — scored 15 seconds apart midway through the first period to stake Rochester to a 2-0 lead.

Lyncoln Bielenberg-Howarth and Erik Hernborn added second-period goals to give the Grizzlies a 4-1 lead

Gage Vierzba pulled the Cyclones within two early in the third period, scoring to cut Rochester's advantage to 4-2.

Tschida struck again six minutes later, though, and newcomer Maksim Lakic scored his first goal as a Grizzly in his second game with the team, 10:48 into third. Lakic — a native of Delafield, Wis., the same hometown as former Grizzlies captain Peyton Hart — joined the Grizzlies this week after starting the season with Johnstown in the NAHL.

Hernborn added two assists for a game-high three points. Bielenberg-Howarth, Owen Van Tassel, Per Waage and Gavin Mears had an assist apiece for the Grizzlies.

Saturday's win extended Rochester's winning streak to nine games.

The Grizzlies have gone on an early season run in every season of existence, dating back to their first year (2018-19), when they won 10 consecutive games after losing their season opener. In 2019-20, Rochester won nine out of 10 games between Sept. 14-Oct. 18.

In 2020-21, the start of the season was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Grizzlies still strung together a nice winning streak, starting the season on a nine-game winning streak. That led to a year ago, when Rochester opened the 2021-22 season with 13 consecutive victories.

NOTES: Saturday was Military Appreciation Night at the Rec Center. All military personnel, active or retired, received free admission to the game. The Grizzlies wore special camouflage jerseys that were auctioned off following the game. ... Bielenberg-Howarth returned to the lineup after missing two games with a minor lower-body injury.

BOX SCORE: Rochester Grizzlies 6, Wausau Cyclones 2