The Minnesota Wilderness defeated the Kenai River Brown Bears 3-1 in the first game of a best-of-five Midwest Division semifinal Friday in North American Hockey League play at Northwoods Credit Union Arena in Cloquet.
The loss means Kenai River is certain to host a game at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in this series.
Game 2 will be in Minnesota today at 4:15 p.m. AKDT.
If Minnesota wins Game 2, Game 3 will be April 28 at the sports complex at 7:30 p.m. Games 4 and 5, if necessary, would be in Soldotna on April 29 and 30.
If the Bears win Game 2, Game 3 will be in Minnesota at 2:15 p.m. AKDT Sunday. Game 4 and, if necessary, Game 5 will be in Soldotna on April 28 and 29.
Kenai River took a 1-0 lead in Friday’s game with 3:44 left in the first period. Ryan Finch scored on assists from Jack Anderson and Bryce Monrean. Kenai River head coach said Anderson did a great job finding Finch on the back seam for the score.
Just 25 seconds later, though, Gunnar Thoreson answered for Minnesota. Thoreson was assisted by Reid Daavettila and Bo Cosman. Shaw said the puck was in the air in front of the net and actually went in off the stick of a Kenai River player.
With 7:51 left in the second period, Daavettila scored the game-winner on the power play. Max Wattvil and Bo Cosman had the assists. Shaw said the goal went in off the pant shell of a Wilderness player.
“It was the second weird bounce for a goal,” Shaw said. “You need a bit of that, too.”
The goal meant Minnesota won the all-important special teams battle, finishing 1 for 4 while the Bears were o for 2.
“We didn’t execute on the power play,” Shaw said. “You have to be able to win the special teams battle to be able to win.”
With 1:07 left, Kevin Marx Noren, assisted by Sawyer Scholl, sealed it with an empty-netter.
Both teams had 23 shots in the game, with Kenai River coming back from a 13-7 deficit in shots after the first period.
“At times, we executed the game plan, and other times I thought it was pretty stale,” Shaw said. “We showed what we were capable of in the last half of the third period in evening up the shots, but we couldn’t get one to break.”
Isak Posch, the Minnesota goalie committed to St. Cloud State University, continued to play well against the Bears, making 22 saves.
Posch, who is from Sweden, has played in all six of Minnesota’s games against Kenai River and has only given up more than one goal once. Shaw said the Bears have to worry about themselves and not Posch.
“Like I said, we came in with a game plan and I don’t think we executed it for 60 minutes,” the coach said.
Nils Wallstrom, another Swede committed to Division I American International College, stopped 20 and allowed the two hard-luck goals.
“He played well,” Shaw said. “He gave us a chance to win.”
Friday
Wilderness 3, Brown Bears 1
Kenai River 1 0 0 —1
Minnesota 1 1 1 —3
First period — 1. Kenai River, Finch (Hanson, Newhouse), 16:16; 2. Minnesota, Thoreson (Daavettila, Cosman), 16:41. Penalties — Kenai River 1 for 2:00; Minnesota 1 for 2:00.
Second period — 3. Minnesota, Daavettila (Wattvil, Cosman), pp, 12:09. Penalties — none.
Shots on goal — Kenai River 7-9-7—23; Minnesota 13-5-5—23.
Goalies — Kenai River, Wallstrom (22 shots, 20 saves); Minnesota, Posch (23 shots, 22 saves).
Power plays — Kenai River 0 for 2; Minnesota 1 for 4.
