The Kenai River Brown Bears lost 3-1 on Friday and 4-0 on Saturday to the Wisconsin Windigo in North American Hockey League play at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex.
Kenai River lost for the ninth straight time — the last four in the streak coming to the Windigo.
Wisconsin is headed in the other direction, with 15 of a possible 16 points in the last eight games.
The Bears have fallen to 12-23-2-0 and 26 points, which is last place in the Midwest Division.
The Anchorage Wolverines have the division’s fourth and last playoff slot with 44 points, while the Janesville (Wisconsin) Jets and Windigo are tied for the division lead with 49 points.
Seven of the nine games in Kenai River’s losing streak have come against the Jets or Windigo.
Kenai River hosts the Wolverines on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the sports complex. The teams then play in Anchorage on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Kenai River head coach Taylor Shaw said his team did a lot of little things right Saturday.
“We executed on some things we worked on this morning or talked about this morning, and that’s important,” Shaw said. “At some point, it’s going to fall for us, right? Like if we keep believing in it and building on it.
“The tide has to turn at some point here, hopefully sooner rather than later.”
Kenai River played a solid first period, but only had a 1-0 hole to show for it as Quinn Disher scored for the Windigo.
The Bears created several Grade A chances in the first period, but Wisconsin goalie Linards Lipskis stood tall every time. He had 23 saves for the shutout, while Marks Slavinskis-Repe stopped 26 for the Bears.
Wisconsin coach Blake Hietala said his team did a good job limiting Kenai River’s scoring chances all weekend, then used scoring depth to win the weekend.
Hietala said his squad’s worst period of the weekend was the first period Saturday.
“I didn’t like our start tonight,” Hietala said. “I thought we played a pretty complete game last night, but I did not like our first 20 minutes tonight.
“They had a couple of good looks and Lipper was there, then I thought in the second and third period we turned the game around a little bit.”
In the second period, Kenai River committed six penalties to none for Wisconsin, much to the displeasure of the crowd.
“That’s my comment, whatever the fans said,” Shaw said.
The Windigo took advantage with a couple of power-play goals to go up 3-0. Tyler Grahme and Maxwell Martin had the tallies.
Wisconsin finished 2 for 11 on the power play, while Kenai River was 0 for 5.
“The power play was good for us tonight, and the penalty kill was good,” Hietala said.
Logan Nickolaus finished off the scoring for the Windigo in the third period.
Shaw said his team is continuing to put in the effort.
“You got a group of kids that loves being up here,” Shaw said. “They love the community, they’re coming to the rink to work, and they’re still bought in.”
Friday, the Windigo took a 2-0 led in the second period on goals from Braydon Beahm and Martin.
With 17:07 left in the game, Kenai River cut it to 2-1 when Jackson Ebbott scored a power-play goal on assists from Dylan Contreras and Roope Tuomioksa.
Grahme then scored with no time left on the clock.
Max Beckford made 30 saves for the Windigo, while Slavinskis-Repe stopped 31 for the Bears.
Kenai River did get some good news this week when Contreras, a 5-foot-7, 170-pound forward, committed to Division I University of Alaska Anchorage.
Contreras is tied with Nick Stevens for the team lead with 34 points. Contreras has 11 goals and 23 assists.
“He’s a real dynamic player on the ice and an amazing human being off the ice,” Shaw said. “We’ve been so fortunate to be able to have him as part of the organization, and I know he’s super excited to be able to be in Alaska for the next four years.
“I think it’s a great fit. Kudos to him. He’s the one who put in the work to get the deal done.”
Also this week, Stevens and Contreras were selected for the Top Prospects Tournament from Feb. 5 to 6 in Pittsburgh.
The puck pops in front of Wisconsin Windigo goalie Linards Lipskis as Landon MacDonald of the Kenai River Brown Bears and Erick Comstock of the Windigo look on, on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Nick Stevens of the Kenai River Brown Bears protects the puck from Carter Theissen of the Wisconsin Windigo on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
