The visiting Kenai River Brown Bears dropped two games to the Chippewa (Wisconsin) Steel on Friday and Saturday in North American Hockey League play.
The Bears lost 1-0 in a shootout Friday and 3-1 on Saturday. Kenai River has lost four straight, and has seen nine of its last 12 contests decided by one goal. Chippewa improves to 8-20-1-1 and is in last in the Midwest Division, while the Bears (11-16-2-2) earned a point on the weekend to stay one point ahead of the Springfield (Illinois) Jr. Blues for fourth place.
Kenai River goalie Gavin Enright secured a Division I commitment to Bemidji State University this week and went out and stopped all 38 shots he saw in regulation and overtime on Friday. Enright stopped the first two in the shootout, but Killian Kiecker-Olson — the third shooter — scored to end the game.
Trey LeBarge, Alex Klekotka and Andy Walker did not score in the shootout for Kenai, which was 0 for 5 on the power play.
Josh Langford stopped all 36 for Chippewa, which was 0 for 6 with the extra man.
Saturday, the Bears took the lead on a goal midway through the first period by Eagle River’s Zach Krajnik, assisted by Connor Canterbury and Sebastian Frantz. But Chippewa scored once in the first and twice in the second to secure the victory.
Langford made 28 saves, while Enright made 31 saves.
Kenai River now has the holiday break before playing at Janesville at 4:05 AST on Dec. 28.
Friday
Steel 1, Brown Bears 0, SO
Kenai River 0 0 0 0 0 — 0
Chippewa 0 0 0 0 1 — 1
First period — none. Penalties — Kenai River 2 for 4:00; Chippewa 1 for 2:00.
Second period — none. Penalties — Kenai River 2 for 4:00; Chippewa 1 for 2:00.
Third period — none. Penalties — Kenai River 2 for 4:00; Chippewa 2 for 4:00.
Overtime — none. Penalties — Chippewa 1 for 2:00.
Shootout — Kenai River 0 (LeBarge NG, Klekotka NG, A. Walker NG); Chippewa 1 (Szmul NG, Thiesing NG, Olson G).
Shots on goal — Kenai River 4-14-13-5—36; Chippewa 13-12-11-2—38.
Goalies — Kenai River, Enright (38 shots, 38 saves); Chippewa, Langford (36 shots, 36 saves).
Power play — Kenai River 0 for 5, Chippewa 0 for 6.
Saturday
Steel 3, Brown Bears 1
Kenai River 1 0 0 — 1
Chippewa 1 2 0 — 3
First period — 1. Kenai River, Krajnik (Canterbury, Frantz), 10:06; 2. Chippewa, Oyler (Thiesing, Weiss), 16:19. Penalties — Kenai River 1 for 2:00.
Second period — 3. Chippewa, Thiesing (Moulton, Dusek), 0:42; 4. Chippewa, Dirks (un.), 19:55. Penalties — Chippewa 2 for 4:00.
Third period — none. Penalties — Kenai River 2 for 4:00; Chippewa 1 for 2:00.
Shots on goal — Kenai River 9-10-10—29; Chippewa 11-12-11—34.
Goalies — Kenai River, Enright (34 shots, 31 saves); Chippewa, Langford (29 shots, 28 saves).
Power plays — Kenai River 0 for 3; Chippewa 0 for 2.
