The Kenai River Brown Bears ended their first season in the North American Hockey League on Saturday on a positive note, defeating the Fairbanks Ice Dogs 4-3 in a shootout at the Big Dipper Ice Arena before just under 2,000 fans.
Kenai River had lost to the Ice Dogs 6-1 on Friday night in front of almost 2,000 fans.
The Brown Bears finished their season at 12-38-8 „ the worst record in the league. Fairbanks is at 37-15-4, good for 78 points and a tie for second in the South Division with Wichita Falls.
With Fairbanks trailing division-leading Topeka by four points, the shootout loss was potentially costly for the Ice Dogs. Fairbanks hosts the Alaska Avalanche of Wasilla next weekend in its final games of the regular season.
In beating the Ice Dogs, Kenai River did two things which have been troublesome all season: winning on the road and winning close games. The Brown Bears finished with a 3-21-4 record away from the Soldotna Sports Center, the worst road mark in the league.
The Brown Bears also have struggled in shootouts, losing eight.
Kenai River broke both of those trends by beating Fairbanks for the first time in 12 tries on Saturday.
Soldotna's Dan Christianson was one of the heroes of the game, scoring the game's first goal and coming up with the winning tally in the shootout.
After Christianson's goal, Fairbanks came back to tie before the end of the first period. In the second, Kenai River outshot the Ice Dogs 19-13 and took a 3-1 lead. Nick Simson scored a power-play goal on assists from Jake Musselman and Tony McDonald, while Adam Krefski scored on Simson and Brett Englebright assists.
After Fairbanks stormed back to tie the game in the third period and a scoreless overtime, Englebright started the shootout with a goal. After Austin Block scored for Fairbanks, Christianson scored for Kenai River, then Matt Wichorek stopped Fairbanks' last three shooters.
Wichorek had 55 saves on 58 shots for the Brown Bears.
On Friday, Kenai River fell into a 3-0 hole entering the third period. McDonald started the period with a goal, but Fairbanks would rip off the game's final three goals for the victory.
Steven Madej had 46 saves on 52 shots for the Brown Bears.
Friday
ICE DOGS 6, BROWN BEARS 1
Kenai River 0 0 1 „1
Fairbanks 1 2 3 „6
First period „ 1. Fairbanks, Guran (Stonacek, Santana), 7:38. Penalties „ Kenai River 2 for 4:00; Fairbanks 1 for 2:00.
Second period „ 2. Fairbanks, Guran (Horien, Kavaya), 8:25; 3. Fairbanks, Kirtland (Bidwill, Reichard), 14:40. Penalties „ Kenai River 3 for 14:00; Fairbanks 3 for 6:00.
Third period „ 4. Kenai River, McDonald (McGlasson, Simson), 7:57; 5. Fairbanks, Lennartson (Bidwill, Bennis), 8:48; 6. Fairbanks, Kayfes (Lennartson, Santana), 10:53; 7. Waggoner (Bidwill, Carlson), sh, 15:34. Penalties „ Kenai River 3 for 6:00; Fairbanks 3 for 6:00.
Shots on goal „ Kenai River 16-4-27„47; Fairbanks 17-7-28„52.
Goalies „ Kenai River, Madej (52 shots, 46 saves); Fairbanks, Reichard (47 shots, 46 saves).
Power plays „ Kenai River 0 for 5; Fairbanks 0 for 5.
Saturday
BROWN BEARS 4, ICE DOGS 3, SO
Kenai River 1 2 0 0 1 „4
Fairbanks 1 0 2 0 0 „3
First period „ 1. Kenai River, Christianson (Englebright, Krefski), 10:04; 2. Fairbanks, Kirtland (Lennartson, Block), 13:29. Penalties „ Kenai River 2 for 4:00; Fairbanks 1 for 2:00.
Second period „ 3. Kenai River, Simson (Musselman, McDonald), pp, 4:29; 4. Kenai River, Krefski (Simson), 15:32. Penalties „ Kenai River 2 for 4:00; Fairbanks 3 for 6:00.
Third period „ 5. Fairbanks, McRae (Lennartson), 9:21; 6. Fairbanks, McCabe (un), 13:26. Penalties „ Kenai River 1 for 2:00, Fairbanks 1 for 2:00.
Overtime „ no scoring. Penalties „ Kenai River 1 for 2:00.
Shootout „ Kenai River 2 (Englebright G, Krefski NG, Christianson G, Simson NG, McDonald NG); Fairbanks 1 (Guran NG, Block G, Bidwill NG, Kraft NG, McCabe NG).
Shots on goal „ Kenai River 17-19-15-3„54; Fairbanks 19-13-21-5„58.
Goalies „ Kenai River, Wichorek (58 shots, 55 saves); Fairbanks, Reichard (54 shots, 51 saves).
Power plays „ Kenai River 1 for 5, Fairbanks 0 for 6.
High School Sports