The Kenai River Brown Bears snapped a seven-game losing streak by defeating the host Minnesota Magicians 5-2 on Saturday in North American Hockey League play.
The Bears had lost all six of their games to the Magicians before Saturday.
Minnesota (13-4-0-0) and the Janesville (Wisconsin) Jets are tied atop the Midwest Division with 26 points, while the Bears (11-12-1-0) are in third with 23 and Fairbanks is in fourth with 22 points.
Eagle River’s Brandon Lajoie scored for the Bears just 1:28 into the game, but Minnesota had things square by the end of the first period.
The Bears then took control with four unanswered goals. Theo Thrun and Peter Morgan scored in the second period, while Morgan Winters and Anchorage’s Max Helgeson scored in the third. Minnesota had the final goal of the game.
Friday, the Brown Bears lost a seventh straight game but did snap a pointless streak at six by losing in overtime 3-2.
Helgeson put the Bears up 1-0 after the first period.
Minnesota came back to lead 2-1 after the second period on a power-play goal by Luke Kron and late tally by Luc Laylin.
With 14:48 left in the game, Jake Veri got his first goal for the Brown Bears and sent the game to overtime.
The Bears were whistled for a penalty 3:12 into overtime and Minnesota’s Hunter Longhi capitalized with the game-winner 41 seconds later.
The Bears continue a busy stretch with a game today against the Minnesota Wilderness at 4:15 p.m. AKST. Kenai River also plays Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday.
Friday
Magicians 3, Brown Bears 2, OT
Minnesota 0 2 0 1 —3
Kenai River 1 0 1 0 —2
First period — 1. Kenai River, Helgeson (Morgan, Poellinger), 4:43. Penalties — Minnesota 1 for 2:00.
Second period — 2. Minnesota, Kron (Novak, Longhi), pp, 8:43; 3. Minnesota, Laylin (Kukkonen, Cronin), 19:18. Penalties — Minnesota 1 for 2:00; Kenai River 3 for 6:00.
Third period — 4. Kenai River, Veri (McCormack, Szubert), 5:12. Penalties — Kenai River 1 for 5:00.
Overtime — 5. Minnesota, Longhi (un.), pp, 3:53. Penalties — Kenai River 1 for 2:00.
Saturday
Brown Bears 5, Magicians 2
Minnesota 1 0 1 —2
Kenai River 1 2 2 —5
First period — 1. Kenai River, Lajoie (Thrun, Szubert), 1:28; 2. Minnesota, Laylin (Cronin, Falk), 6:43. Penalties — Kenai River 1 for 2:00.
Second period — 3. Kenai River, Thrun (Shasby), 17:23; 4. Kenai River, Morgan (Dodge, Winters), 17:35. Penalties — Kenai River 1 for 2:00.
Third period — 5. Kenai River, Winters (Morgan, Shasby), 0:35; 6. Kenai River, Helgeson (Morgan, Szubert), pp, 3:44; 7. Minnesota, Kron (Christy, Seitz), 7:26. Penalties — Minnesota 2 for 4:00; Kenai River 2 for 4:00.
