The Kenai River Brown Bears defeated the Fairbanks Ice Dogs 4-1 on Saturday in North American Hockey League action at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex.
The Brown Bears improve to 15-32-4-2 but remain in last place in the Midwest Division. The Ice Dogs are 18-27-1-6 and tied for sixth place.
The Bears did take the lead over the Ice Dogs in the Club 49 Cup. Anchorage leads with 31 points, while the Bears have 16 and the Ice Dogs have 14.
Kenai River stays at home Friday and Saturday to face the Minnesota Wilderness at the sports complex at 7:30 p.m.
Both the Bears and the Ice Dogs are out of the playoff chase, so both have young rosters looking to position themselves well for next season.
Kenai River has seven players on its roster who will age out of junior hockey, while the Fairbanks coach Ryan Theros said he has just one player left on the roster who will age out after this season.
The Brown Bears have gotten younger in recent weeks after fading from the playoff race. Kenai River head coach Taylor Shaw said those new faces played a big role in the win.
Of course, the vets did too. After Kenai River outshot Fairbanks 17-6 in a scoreless first period, Kotaro Tsutsumi, assisted by Blake Norris and Dylan Contreras, got Kenai River on the board just 34 seconds into the second period. Tsutsumi, Norris and Contreras will all age out after this season.
“I thought we got a little lackadaisical after they scored,” Shaw said. “They’re a good hockey club and they pressed us pretty good.
“We turned pucks and got a little lazy defensively.”
With 5:01 left in the second, Fairbanks tied it when Reece Cordray scored on assists from Adam Timm and Kyle Rohrer.
“We just didn’t come to play today, period,” Theros said. “That was probably one of the worst skating games we’ve had. We just didn’t come to put back to back games together.
“And if you don’t do that, right from the first period, then you’re going to be on your heels the rest of the game, and that’s what we were.”
The new faces then came to the fore for Kenai River. Less than a minute later, Samuel Sisik, assisted by Roope Tuomioksa and Joseph Yoon, put the Bears back out front.
Sisik, who has two more years of junior eligibility after this season, was playing in his 14th game for the Bears after being acquired in a trade.
From there, goalie AJ Reyelts would not allow a goal the rest of the game. Reyelts had 21 saves, while Marcus Ouellet stopped 31 for the Ice Dogs.
Reyelts is a tender for the Bears and has three seasons of junior eligibility left. He picked up his first NAHL win Saturday.
He said Sisik’s goal was key.
“To respond like that immediately, it was like, ‘OK, we got this,’” Reyelts said. “I felt like the game was under control from there on out.”
Reyelts said his team did a great job blocking shots and staying out of the penalty box, with only one penalty all night.
The defensemen included new faces Riley Mullen, who was acquired in a trade and has two seasons left; Will Esterbrooks, a tender with two seasons left playing in his second NAHL game; and Luke Lizak, acquired as a free agent and with one season left.
With 10:00 left in the game Brady Engelkes put the Bears up 3-1 on assists from Thomas Gunderson and Esterbrooks.
Engelkes has two seasons left. He was playing in his 14th game for the Bears after being acquired by trade. Gunderson is a tender who has two seasons left.
“I’m not saying we’re the big difference,” Reyelts said of the injection of youth. “I see the older guys putting in a lot of work, and they’re helping us out more than I can say.
“I just think it’s kind of a confidence boost, knowing it’s not the same team that was on that losing streak.”
With 56 second left, Engelkes sealed the victory with an empty-netter assisted by Luke Hause.
Shaw said it is wins like Saturday that set the foundation for next season.
“It’s part of where we’re at right now is trying to turn over a new leaf and get some youth and energy in the room,” he said. “We need to find a way to have success right now so we can grow and build as a unit, because then we can hit the ground running in the fall.”
Theros said he feels a similar sense of urgency.
“They’re here for a reason and that’s to get a Division I scholarship,” he said. “You’ve got to push them no matter what age they are.”
Even with both teams out of the playoffs, the two old rivals drew a nice crowd.
“The community is still out supporting the guys, which is awesome,” Shaw said.
Kenai River Brown Bears forward Kotaro Tsutsumi works behind the Fairbanks Ice Dogs net Saturday, March 16, 2024, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai River Brown Bears defenseman Jacob Margarit and goalie AJ Reyelts scramble to keep the puck out of the net Saturday, March 16, 2024, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
