The Kenai River Brown Bears lost in a shootout Friday and took a loss Saturday to the Chippewa (Wisconsin) Steel in North American Hockey League play at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex.
Kenai River is now 8-11-1-1 after losing a fifth straight at home.
In the tight Midwest Division, Kenai River is still in the thick of the playoff race with 18 points. The Steel, at 10-7-1-2, are in third with 23 points.
“It’s all in the grind,” Kenai River head coach Taylor Shaw said. “We’d rather go through what we’re going through right now than have to go through it in February or March.”
Kenai River finishes a string of 12 straight home games with 7:30 p.m. games Friday and Saturday, Nov. 15 and 16, against the Fairbanks Ice Dogs. After that series, Kenai River will not play at home until Jan. 10.
This also will be Military Appreciation Weekend.
“We won’t be back on home ice until January, so I think the community is excited,” Shaw said. “We’re going to be out around town these next couple nights, doing an autograph signing on Wednesday and another one on Thursday.
“Hopefully, we continue to get community support for the guys.”
Friday, the Bears came back from a 2-0 deficit only to lose in the shootout.
Chippewa’s Gavin Middendorf scored the lone goal of the first period on a power play, then Ryder McIntosh put the Steel up 2-0 in the second period.
Kenai River began to claw back with 4:10 left in the second period, when Joseph Yoon scored on the power play with help from Dario Lass and Greye Rampton.
With 8:49 left, Brady Engelkes got things square with help from William Esterbrooks and Luke Hause.
In the two-round shootout, Chippewa’s Jackson Lackas had the lone goal.
Jakub Irsak had six saves on six shots in the first period for the Steel before yielding to Devin Shakar, who saved 21 of 23. Owen Zenone stopped 34 for the Bears.
“It was really good to see the group be relentless and work,” Shaw said. “We had chances to win it. Unfortunately, it didn’t go our way.”
Saturday, the Bears fell behind 1-0 after the first period on a power-play goal by Camden Davis.
Just 2:58 into the second period, Carter McCormick, assisted by Yoon and Engelkes, had things tied up. With 13:59 left in the second period, Chippewa took the lead on a Hunter Whisenand goal.
Shakar, who finished with 27 saves, was able to keep a clean sheet the rest of the way for the Steel. Zenone had 26 saves for the Bears.
Kenai River took a five-minute major with 3:33 left in the game. Chippewa also took a two-minute roughing at that time. The Bears pulled the goalie to get a five-on-four power play, but that led to an empty-net goal by Middendorf with 1:24 left.
Shaw said the goal was to get the goals against down Friday and Saturday. The Bears did exactly that.
“Again, the group generated a ton of chances,” Shaw said. “At some point, they’re going to start going in for us.”
The Bears haven’t had more than three goals in a game since Sept. 28. Shaw likes the way the team is responding to the problem.
“We’re just going to continue to work to generate more and more looks,” he said. “I think they’ve adapted well with stuff, whether it’s during the week or during the game.
“When we identify items that we can tweak and tailor, the group’s responded and gotten chances off that.”
Friday
Steel 3, Brown Bears 2, SO
Chi 1 1 0 0 1 —3
Ken 0 1 1 0 0 —2
First period — 1. Chippewa, Middendorf (Percic, Sondreal), pp, 6:53. Penalties — Kenai River 2 for 7:00.
Second period — 2. Chippewa, McIntosh (Percic, LaFrance), 10:26. 3. Kenai River, Yoon (Lass, Rampton), pp, 15:50. Penalties — Chippewa 3 for 6:00; Kenai River 2 for 4:00.
Third period — 4. Kenai River, Engelkes (Esterbrooks, Hause), 11:11. Penalties — Chippewa 1 for 2:00; Kenai River 1 for 2:00.
Overtime — none. Penalties — none.
Shootout — Chippewa 1 (Middendorf NG, Lackas G); Kenai River 0 (Engelkes NG, Rampton NG).
Shots on goal — Chippewa 15-13-8-0—36; Kenai River 6-12-10-1—29.
Goalies — Chippewa, Irsak (6 shots, 6 saves), Shakar (23 shots, 21 saves).
Saturday
Steel 3, Brown Bears 1
Chi 1 1 1 —3
Ken 0 1 0 —1
First period — 1. Chippewa, Davis (Lackas, Ligi), pp, 17:06. Penalties — Chippewa 4 for 8:00; Kenai River 2 for 4:00.
Second period — 2. Kenai River, McCormick (Yoon, Engelkes), 2:58. 3. Chippewa, Whisenand (Sondreal, Davis), 6:01. Penalties — Chippewa 2 for 4:00; Kenai River 1 for 2:00.
Third period — 4. Chippewa, Middendorf (McIntosh, Davis), en/pp, 18:36. Penalties — Chippewa 1 for 2:00; Kenai River 2 for 7:00.
