Crimson Bears faster than Huskies in state hockey fourth-place game
- Klas Stolpe
- 9 hours ago
- 10 min read
JDHS’ Welch scores four goals, one assist in 7-2 win over Delta Junction
By Klas Stolpe
Juneau Independent
The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears finished their season in style Saturday with a dominating 7-2 performance over the Delta Junction Huskies to win fourth place during the ASAA/First National Bank Alaska Division II Hockey State championships at the MTA Events Center in Palmer.
JDHS senior captain Elliot Welch tallied four goals and an assist for the Crimson Bears in his final high school game.
“That was a great game to end on,” Welch said. “The team worked together to make it happen and without them I wouldn’t have gotten the goals. Like I have said before, every goal is a team goal. This was one of the most connected group of players that I have played with and I hope they take that to next year.”
Said JDHS coach Matt Boline, “That was a great way to end it. Led by Elliot with four goals. He has started games for four years, he has been a character leader all four years, excellent student. Elliot Welch will go down as a prime example of what it means to be a Crimson Bear hockey player. I hope that all of the youth players in Juneau have been taking notes.”
JDHS looked to be on point from the start as Welch and freshman Paxton Willoughby both had shots on goal in the first two minutes of action, and sophomore Summit Bos stopped a Delta three-on-one attack on the other end.
JDHS senior Dylan Miller was whistled for a head contact penalty that gave Delta a man advantage, but the Crimson Bears would skate most of that time in the Huskies’ zone as JDHS’ junior goalie Jed Davis kept his den clean and freshman Manu Adams joined the shooting gallery against opposing senior net minder Anthony White.
The Huskies’ bark was worse than their bite as they had the first meaningful goal, but then were shackled on the ice by the free-skating Crimson Bears’ attack.
Delta all-state senior Gavin Smith was fed along the boards by senior Brady Bevard and found a space top shelf from distance past JDHS’ Davis for a 1-0 lead with 9:55 left in the first stanza.
The score ignited the Crimson Bears and Davis came out of net to chase a loose puck, tipping it to Welch for a shot on the other end. Bos and senior Isaac Phelps had attempts as well.
“Just what a game!” JDHS’ Phelps said after the match. “I am so proud of this team and how far we have come. I am so thankful to end the season on a win and to do it with this group of guys… One word describes it perfectly: family. Every minute of the time we have spent together has grown all of us closer together, and it has been one of the hardest things I have experienced to part ways with it. From the freshmen to the other seniors there is so much love and care within this group of guys.”
JDHS’ Welch would spin around for a scoring shot, assisted by senior Nolan Cruz and junior Caden Morris to tie the score at 1-1 with 5:54 left in the stanza.
JDHS’ Davis kept his pipes clean with a glove save, and the Crimson Bears would see shots by Adams and junior Tricen Headings go off the net. Seniors Paxton Mertl and Jack Barrett and junior Bryden Roberts all had shots in the stanza as well.
With 3:07 left in the first period, Morris put his stick on a shot by Cruz to score in dirty work at the net for a 2-1 lead.
Delta’s Smith would put a hard shot against JDHS’ Davis, who deflected the puck out and Mertl took the puck from a Huskies forward, skated the length of the ice, and put the Crimson Bears up 3-1 with 1:38 left in the first period.
In the second period, JDHS’ Davis was tested hard early and stopped two shots before Delta’s Smith hit a slow backhand that seemed too shy for the bright lights of the white ice and snuck into the Crimson Bears' net to close to 3-2 with 14:03 left in the stanza.
JDHS’ Davis stopped two more shots before Welch had enough of the Huskies’ nonsense and put a hard slap shot unassisted past Delta’s White for a 4-2 advantage with 12:14 left in the period.
With 9:20 remaining in the second period, Welch skated the puck with force to the center of Delta’s crease and shoveled the rubber off to Mertl, who tucked it in for a 5-2 advantage.
JDHS’ Welch would score a hat trick as he powered a slap shot over Delta goalie White’s glove for a 6-2 lead at 5:52, assisted by junior Drew Cadigan-McAdoo.
The Crimson Bears spent most of the remaining time making the Huskies fetch the puck until the Zamboni came out to clear the ice for the final 15 minutes of action.
Two goal scorers — Paxton Mertl of JDHS and Gavin Smith of Delta — took the puck drop to start the final period of their seasons.
JDHS would be awarded a five-on-three power play just seconds into the action as two Huskies misbehaved with unsportsmanlike conduct and cross-checking called on Smith, and an unsportsmanlike penalty on a bench player. The accumulation resulted in a JDHS two-minute power play, followed by a two-minute, five-on-four power play advantage for the Crimson Bears.
Delta skated their best of the match to kill both penalties, but Smith would earn another chastising for cross-checking and with 9:49 to play gave JDHS another five-on-four advantage.
JDHS’ Mertl was knocked out of the game with 9:20 left as Delta’s frustration led to a potentially harmful check.
JDHS’ Miller would come to his teammate’s defense and be whistled for cross-checking, leading to a Delta man advantage for 30 seconds.
The statement of the match may have come with 6:44 left in the third period as Delta’s star forward Smith skated powerfully toward JDHS’ star goalie Davis. The puck flew back and forth on Smith’s deft handle and he blasted the rubber to the pipes, but Davis stopped it easily.
“Even though we did not reach our ultimate goal I am still proud of our team’s performance overall,” Davis said. “It was an emotional weekend for all of us and everyone poured their heart out on the ice. Our game today got a little rough at the end, but we held it together and tried to stay clean. This team has meant everything to me for the last couple months, and I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of it.”
JDHS would earn a penalty on Cadigan-McAdoo for roughing and give Delta a man advantage with five minutes left. Seconds later, Phelps joined his teammate in the box for interference and left a five-on-three advantage for Delta.
Delta junior Clara Creviston had two shots on goal before the Huskies’ Bevard was whistled for roughing, turning the advantage into a four-on-three. The ice then became four-on-four with 3:22 to play, and would soon be a JDHS man advantage.
JDHS’ Miller put a shot on goal with 3:12 left and Delta’s Smith answered with two shots that the Crimson Bears’ Davis handled.
Both teams would attempt the final 2:29 at full strength but Delta’s Smith earned his fourth penalty, the 10th penalty of the third period, for cross-checking, and JDHS’s Welch would hit the first power play goal of the game for the Crimson Bears for a 7-2 lead with 1:01 left in his senior season. Phelps earned the assist.
JDHS’ Davis stopped 14 shots against Delta and Delta’s White faced 52 JDHS shots.
The Crimson Bears earned the win and fourth place in Alaska’s Division II state hockey world.
Welch and Delta junior Clara Creviston were named the Players of the Game. JDHS’ Davis earned the honor against Soldotna on Thursday and Mertl earned it against Kodiak on Friday.
The tournament’s team Sportsmanship Award was won by the Crimson Bears and North Pole won the Academic Award with a 3.69 GPA.
North Pole defeated Houston 2-1 in the DII state championship game Saturday and Palmer defeated Soldotna 3-1 in the third/fifth place game.
JDHS’ Welch and Davis were named to the All-State Tournament team along with North Pole seniors Cavan Malone and Carter Borkovec and junior Kieran Olson, Houston seniors Owen Hunter and Trenton Huber, Palmer seniors Zander Anderson and Chase Ringler, Soldotna sophomore Keegan Myrick, Delta Junction senior Gavin Smith and Monroe senior Daegon MacMillan.
After the tournament JDHS coach Boline spoke to the various lines the Crimson Bears play.
He said the line of Paxton Mertl, Tricen Headings and Drew Cadigan-McAdoo, “Were great when we needed them to be. They lead the scoring for the tournament and had a majority of the puck possession in all three games. They are also our top power play unit, which at times was completely dominant in each game as well. Senior Paxton Mertl was exceptional. His speed and ability to score puts him ahead of most. He has not been able to play a full season in his career yet until this year and we could not be happier for him.”
Boline noted the play from the line of junior Caden Morris, senior Nolan Cruz, and senior Emerson Newell.
“These guys are absolute workhorses,” he said. “Caden gives them some offensive flair while Nolan and Emerson carry their lunch pails with them each and every day. Nolan blossomed into an incredible leader. He is quiet off the ice but players follow his high character and work ethic. Nolan and Emerson forecheck the way we want everyone to all the time. Emerson made the move from defense to forward this year to help us out with his speed and tenacity.”
Boline talked of the line of sophomores Summit Bos and Ryker Nelson, and freshman Paxton Willoughby.
“Summit was the leading scorer for the regular season,” he said. “Ryker has the defensive mindset that I hope all players would have, the same commitment to defense as he does while also adding to the offense the way that he can. Paxton has the size and strength that strikes fear in every opponent. They are a really young line of two sophomores and a freshman and all of them have a really bright future.”
Added Boline, “And Brandon Cruz (Jr.), Ole Gifford (Jr.) and Zach Prather (Sr.) were able to contribute every time they were called on - like Leatherman’s!”
Boline noted the importance of senior Isaac Phelps, junior Bryden Roberts, senior Elias Schane, freshman Manu Adams, sophomore Dylan Miller, and senior Jack Barrett who, “Along with Welchy (Welch) make up our defensive core. They have been the backbone of our back end. Combined with our goaltenders Jed (Davis) and Taylor (Petrie, a Jr.). Combined they are the reason that we made it to the tournament and finished the way we did. Defense and goalies usually don’t get the accolades that the forwards get, but without a strong backend you cannot play the game.”
Boline also credited the unsung play of senior Issy Martin, senior Hunter Lingle, junior Stahly Sheehan, sophomore Austin Roberts and freshman Santiago Hoff.
“They made up our ‘black aces’ for the tournament,” Boline said. “While they did not get in any tournament games they were all a part of our success this year on and off the ice and deserve to be recognized for their contributions.”
Earlier in the week Welch was selected to the Northern Lights All-Conference team with the third most votes. Paxton Mertl, Jed Davis, Summit Bos and Ryker Nelson were honorable mention winners and JDHS head coach Matt Boline was selected as the NLC Coach of the Year.
“I would put a lot of that on the kids,” Boline said of his award. “They make it easy to coach and the coaching staff around me should also be recognized for that as well. Every one of the other coaches brings something to the table that only they can bring.”
Thursday quarterfinal scores:
Friday scores:
Semifinal -#3 Houston 7, #2 Palmer 1
Saturday scores:
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@gmail.com.
