Brahmas sweep Brown Bears

  • By Staff Report
  • Friday, March 2, 2018 9:16pm
  • Sports

The visiting Kenai River Brown Bears were swept by the Lone Star (Texas) Brahmas on Friday and Saturday in North American Hockey League play.

The Bears lost 3-1 on Friday and 5-0 on Saturday.

Kenai River ended its last home stand by winning three straight games, but lost all four games on this road trip.

The Bears return home for their final five home games of the season at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. That series starts Friday and Saturday with 7:30 p.m. games against the Janesville (Wisconsin) Jets.

Petrich said his squad has been home for only 30 of the last 97 days. The Bears are 5-3 in their last eight at home but are struggling on the road.

“The road is starting to wear on us,” Petrich said.

The Brahmas moved to 26-12-5-4 and are in second place in the South Division. The Bears are 15-32-1-2 and in last in the Midwest Division, officially out of the playoffs because they are 21 points out of the division’s final playoff spot with 10 games left to play.

The Bears’ losses on the trip have come to the top two teams in the South.

“This road trip we’ve played two really good teams and the style of play down here is different,” Petrich said.

The coach said getting in a player’s lane is allowed more in the South, but that is not something with which the coach has a problem.

“It makes us a more physical team and harder to play against,” he said.

Special teams were the story of Friday’s game, but not the whole story. The Brahmas got all their goals on the power play, finishing 3 for 5, while Kenai River was 0 for 4.

But they were different kinds of power plays. With a scoreless game and 13:18 left in the second period, Eagle River’s Zach Krajnik drew a five-minute major for boarding.

Petrich didn’t have a problem with what Krajnik did and also said the officiating was fine in the game.

“Zach has really developed, since main camp and training camp, into a guy that completes his checks,” Petrich said. “He did what he’s been doing and the guy turned at the last second.”

Ture Linden got the first goal a little over a minute into the power play, then Linden scored again on the five-on-three after Markuss Komuls was booked for cross-checking.

After Justin Addamo made it 3-0 Lone Star with 14:10 left in the game, Petrich said the Bears started to gain momentum, with Filip Karlsson scoring on assists from Komuls and Eagle River’s Cameron McDonald with 9:46 left. Kenai River won the shot count 11-5 in the third.

Harrison Feeney stopped 19 for the Brahmas, while Gavin Enright had 21 saves for the Bears.

Saturday, Petrich said his squad did not show up for the first two periods. The Bears were outshot 25-8 in the first two periods and went down 5-0 on the scoreboard.

“I think the frustrating thing is we have the ability to do it,” Petrich said. “We showed up in the third period. Now we have to dive in and figure out why we didn’t show up in the first two.”

Petrich pulled goalie Kevin Lake after Lake stopped 20 of 25 shots in the first two periods. The coach said Lake was making great saves and didn’t deserve the abuse he was taking. Petrich said the bright spot was Enright stepping in and saving all 12 shots in the third period. Feeney had 15 saves for the shutout for the Brahmas.

Friday

Brahmas 3, Brown Bears 1

Kenai River 0 0 1 — 1

Lone Star 0 2 1 — 3

First period — none. Penalties — Lone Star 1 for 2:00.

Second period — 1. Lone Star, Linden (Ipri, Sirota), pp, 7:50; 2. Lone Star, Linden (Hallbauer, Sirota), pp, 10:30. Penalties — Kenai River 3 for 27:00; Lone Star 1 for 2:00.

Third period — 3. Lone Star, Addamo (Spellacy, Lennon), pp, 5:50; 4. Kenai River, Karlsson (Komuls, C. McDonald), 10:14. Penalties — Kenai River 2 for 4:00; Lone Star 2 for 4:00.

Shots on goal — Kenai River 7-2-11—20; Lone Star 6-13-5—24.

Goalies — Kenai River, Enright (24 shots, 21 saves); Lone Star, Feeney (20 shots, 19 saves).

Power plays — Kenai River 0 for 4; Lone Star 3 for 5.

Saturday

Brahmas 5, Brown Bears 1

Kenai River 0 0 0 — 0

Lone Star 2 3 0 — 5

First period — 1. Lone Star, Bentley (Pletzke, Sirota), 4:05; 2. Lone Star, Linden (Russell, Trazzera), 6:16. Penalties — Kenai River 1 for 2:00; Lone Star 2 for 4:00.

Second period — 3. Lone Star, Ipri (Hallbauer, Linden), pp, 0:29; 4. Lone Star, Farris (un.), 6:57; 5. Lone Star, Sirota (Linden), 19:45. Penalties — Kenai River 2 for 4:00; Lone Star 1 for 2:00.

Third period — none. Penalties — Kenai River 4 for 19:00; Lone Star 4 for 19:00.

Shots on goal — Kenai River 5-3-7—15; Lone Star 13-12-12—37.

Goalies — Kenai River, Lake (25 shots, 20 saves), Enright (12 shots, 12 saves); Lone Star, Feeney (15 shots, 15 saves).

Power plays — Kenai River 0 for 5, Lone Star 1 for 5.

More in Sports

Cook Inlet Academy sophomore Ian McGarry battles for a rebound against Birchwood Christian on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023, at Cook Inlet Academy just outside of Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
CIA’s Ian McGarry gets 1A boys Player of Year

Cook Inlet Academy sophomore Ian McGarry was named the Class 1A boys… Continue reading

The Kenai Central cheerleading team. Back row, left to right: Caitlyn Martin, Sylvia McGraw, Ayla Tallent, Sarah Baisden, Genesis Trevino, Malena Grieme, Maya Montague, Taya Swick and Cali Holmes. Front row, left to right: Ella Romero, Brooklynn Reed and Makenize Harden. (Photo provided)
Kenai cheerleaders win 3rd straight state title

The Kenai Central cheerleading squad won its third straight Division II March… Continue reading

Kenai River Brown Bears goalie Nils Wallstrom celebrates winning a shootout over the Fairbanks Ice Dogs on Saturday, March 25, 2023, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Brown Bears sweep Ice Dogs, move into 3rd place

The Kenai River Brown Bears earned a two-game sweep over the Fairbanks… Continue reading

tease
Bears top Dogs, move into 4th place

The Kenai River Brown Bears defeated the Fairbanks Ice Dogs 4-3 on… Continue reading

tease
Kenai girls take 4th, Kenai boys take 6th at state

The Kenai Central girls basketball team took fourth place and the Kardinals… Continue reading

Chad Anderson of Kasilof and Allie Ostrander guide Everett Anderson, 3, to the finish line Wednesday, July 19, 2017, at the Salmon Run Series at Tsalteshi Trails. Getting the free ride on Chad’s shoulders is Ben Anderson, 2. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Ostrander, Gemmell make Alaska High School Hall of Fame

Allie Ostrander, a 2015 graduate of Kenai Central High School, and Joshua… Continue reading

Kenai Central High School esports players participate in a practice match of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate ahead of a scheduled game at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska, on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Esports Week 6: Nikiski is 1st local team to earn playoff spot

Each of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s esports teams had a… Continue reading

tease
Kenai girls, boys move to 4th-place games

The Kenai girls and boys basketball teams both notched victories Friday at… Continue reading

tease
Bears host Ice Dogs, renew fight for playoff spot

The Kenai River Brown Bears begin a two-game series with the Fairbanks… Continue reading

Most Read