JDHS again dominates Delta Junction ice sheet ahead of senior night
- Klas Stolpe
- 2 days ago
- 11 min read
Updated: 10 hours ago
Sunday’s game against Kodiak postponed; senior night tentative now set for Friday
By Klas Stolpe
Juneau Independent
This story has been updated to note Sunday’s senior night game has been postponed due to weather.
A good night's sleep on the road had its benefits for the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears hockey team on Friday as they delivered their own morning ice wake-up call against host Delta Junction with an 11-1 win on the Huskies’ home sheet, Liewer-Olmstead Ice Arena. JDHS won 4-2 on Thursday.
“Scoring goals is hard,” JDHS coach Matt Boline said. “Yesterday was sort of like the first game of the season all over again. Today we focused on scoring — scoring in all the ways that are hard to come by no matter who your opponent is. Once we checked that box we focused on locking down defensively and staying disciplined to stay out of the box.”
The onslaught began with 10:50 remaining in the first period as junior Caden Morris scored unassisted.
A Delta penalty provided JDHS with a man advantage at 10:21, and another penalty at 9:27 gave the Crimson Bears a 5-on-3 advantage, leading to a goal at 9:10 by sophomore Summit Bos that was assisted by senior captain Elliot Welch.
“The most impressive thing was how the team played compared to yesterday,” Welch said. “We did all the little things that we talked about the prior day and it showed on the scoreboard, and hopefully we can take this into our home game this weekend.”
With 8:51 remaining, JDHS went up 3-0 as freshman Paxton Willoughby put a puck through, assisted by sophomore Ryker Nelson. At 5:49, JDHS senior Isaac Phelps scored for a 4-0 lead, assisted by junior Drew Cadigan-McAdoo.
With 3:19 left in the first period, Delta’s Gavin Smith found a spot to put the Huskies on the scoreboard unassisted.
JDHS countered with its fifth goal at 2:57 as senior Paxton Mertl scored, assisted by Cadigan-McAdoo and sophomore Dylan Miller.
The misery continued for Delta as they registered another penalty with 39 seconds remaining that would carry over into the second stanza, meaning the Huskies would start two men down.
Barnstorming was raised to another level as JDHS would score six more goals and lead 11-1 after two periods.
Coach Boline said, “Scoring from in front of the net, within a stick length, is what we could consider ‘the dirty areas.’ It is one of the best places to score from, but one of the hardest physically and mentally because you have to go there prepared to take abuse.”
JDHS would remain calm as Delta picked up 11 penalties on the night while the Crimson Bears were whistled just once.
JDHS’ Bos scored at 12:10 of the second period assisted by Nelson, Cadigan-McAdoo scored at 11:21 assisted by Mertl, Bos scored at 8:54 assisted by Willoughby, Cadigan-McAdoo scored at 7:42 assisted by junior Tricen Headings, Bos scored unassisted at 5:54 and Phelps scored at 1:13 assisted by Headings.
The tally would not change through the final period as the Crimson Bears completed their road sweep.
Once again, junior Jed Davis was stellar in the pipes as was classmate Taylor Petrie, who entered during the third period. The duo stopped 23 shots. JDHS put 29 shots on goal in the first period, 21 on goal in the second and one in the third.
JDHS improves to 6-5 on the season and are 4-2 in the DII Northern Lights Conference, Delta falls to 4-11-1 overall and 1-3 in the DII Aurora Conference.
The Crimson Bears are now preparing for their senior night celebrations at the Treadwell Arena. A game scheduled Sunday against Kodiak was postponed until at least Monday due to weather and senior night is now tentatively scheduled Friday against Homer.
“I am super excited for senior night,” JDHS’ Phelps said. “Getting it cancelled on us earlier in the year just builds up anticipation and excitement if you ask me. Super proud of our team for how we have started this weekend but we do still have senior night and Kodiak to take care of. I love how hard we are back-checking, forechecking, and taking as many shots as we are. If I remember correctly we had 50 shots on goal during our Thursday game against Delta so if we keep that up for the rest of the week and into state we will be in a great spot. I am excited to see what challenges we can keep overcoming!”
The Crimson Bears will honor seniors Elias Schane, Elliot Welch, Jack Barrett, Nolan Cruz, Hunter Lingle, Emerson Newell, Isaac Phelps, Zachary Prather, Issy Martin, Paxton Mertl and John Melancon.
“Excited for senior night,” Boline said. “It has been a long wait.”
JDHS senior hockey profiles
Earlier the seniors had commented on their JDHS hockey careers in quotes given to the Juneau Independent and bios compiled by the team.
Isaac Phelps has been playing hockey for nine years.
“My career playing hockey for Juneau has been nothing short of amazing,” Phelps said. “From citizens donating 10 dollars for a raffle ticket all the way to the coaches who pushed me to be my best every day, it has been everything I could have asked for and more. I hope one day I can also support youth sports in the dramatic way Juneau has for me!”
Nickname: Phelps. Parents: Shawn and Rachel Phelps. Birth Year: 2007. Important Role Model: Jesus. Favorite Class: Metals 2 with Bullick, Woods 2 with Jacoby. Favorite Player/Team: The Crimson Bears. Most Memorable Moment on the Ice: Winning my first tournament and scoring a couple goals in the process. Advice to Younger Players: Listen to your coaches and trust in God. Favorite Food: Dad’s smoked ribs, Costco orange chicken. Future Plans: An apprenticeship in the trades. Favorite Hobbies: Playing guitar, speed solving Rubik’s Cubes, carpentry, welding. Goals for the Season: Become a better player, beat Palmer, STATE! I Would Like to Thank: My mom, dad, and coaches for all they have done for me.
Nolan Cruz has been playing hockey for 10 years.
“My career as a hockey player has meant a lot to me,” Cruz said. “It has been one of my biggest passions since I was a kid. My hockey career has taught me many things and has helped shape the person I am today.”
Nickname: None. Parents: Geraldine and Darrel Cruz. Birth Year: 2008. Important Role Model: My parents. Favorite Class: Culinary Arts. Favorite Player/Team: Quinn Hughes. Most Memorable Moment on the Ice: Getting a hat trick my freshman year. Advice to Younger Players: Work hard and always try to improve yourself. Favorite Food: None. Future Plans: Go to culinary school. Favorite Hobbies: Hockey, cooking, and hanging out with friends. Goals for the Season: Enjoy my senior year. I Would Like to Thank: My parents and family for supporting me through my hockey career.
Hunter Lingle has been playing hockey for 10 years.
“My career as a hockey player in Juneau has meant a lot to me,” Lingle said. “I have learned a lot of skills playing hockey that I can use in my day-to-day life. This sport that I have been playing as a kid has formed the person that I am today.”
Nickname: None. Parents: Michelle Vuille and Bucky Lingle. Birth Year: 2007. Important Role Model: My parents. Favorite Class: Honors Chemistry. Favorite Player/Team: Las Vegas Golden Knights. Most Memorable Moment on the Ice: Scoring against Tri Valley on my first shift on offense. Advice to Younger Players: Don’t skip practice. Favorite Food: BLT. Future Plans: Go to college for either an engineering or a science degree. Favorite Hobbies: Fishing and mushroom picking. Goals for the Season: Score five goals before the season ends. I Would Like to Thank: My grandpa for always taking me to the early morning practice and always supporting me.
Issy Martin has been playing hockey for five years.
“Hockey means everything to me,” Martin said. “I have played for a long time but early on I did take a break and focused on other sports for four years. Coming back to it showed me that I love this sport. Hockey has taught me many things including having resilience through injuries, and how important it is to have a goal to work towards. I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to play such an amazing sport. The lessons I have learned from my coaches and the sport of hockey will be useful for the rest of my life.”
Nickname: Is. Parents: Josh and Tina Martin. Birth Year: 2008. Important Role Model: My parents. Favorite Class: Honors Chemistry. Favorite Player/Team: Connor Bedard. Most Memorable Moment on the Ice: Playing my first varsity game after working hard to get back on the ice after a knee injury. Advice to Younger Players: Do not randomly take up gymnastics in the middle of yoga class when you are not a gymnast. It sometimes does not turn out right for your knees. Favorite Food: Steak and asparagus. Future Plans: Study animal sciences and continue playing hockey in college. Favorite Hobbies: Hunting, fishing, and sports. Goals for the Season: Work hard, have fun. I Would Like to Thank: My parents and coaches for always pushing me to get better and work hard.
Paxton Mertl has been playing hockey for seven years.
“Hockey has given me so much,” Mertl said. “It has given me friendships and memories that I will keep with me forever. I am proud to be a part of a team that not only represents JDHS but also the community we have here in Juneau.”
Nickname: Pmert. Parents: Benthe and Chris Mertl. Birth Year: 2008. Important Role Model: Mom and Dad. Favorite Class: Outdoor Biology with Kovach. Favorite Player/Team: Mitch Marner. Most Memorable Moment on the Ice: All of the 6 a.m. practices! Advice to Younger Players: Do not stay up late with practice in the morning. Favorite Food: Pasta. Future Plans: Go to college. Favorite Hobbies: Hockey, walking my dogs, and driving. Goals for the Season: Play in the state tournament. I Would Like to Thank: My Mom and Dad and all of my coaches.
John Melancon has been playing hockey for seven years.
"My career in hockey in Juneau has meant a lot as it allowed me a wonderful excuse to skate,” Melancon said.
Nickname: The Cheeseball King. Parents: Eva and Daniel Melancon. Birth Year: 2009. Important Role Model: Mom and Dad. Favorite Class: Intro to Chemistry with Ms. Shryock. Favorite Player/Team: None. Most Memorable Moment on the Ice: Senior night! Advice to Younger Players: Focus on your fundamentals; tricks may be flashy, but they do not matter when you cannot skate with the puck. Favorite Food: Tacos. Future Plans: Go into either computer coding or history. Favorite Hobbies: Robotics, playing video games with my family, dog walking. Goals for the Season: learn how to play defense well. I Would Like to Thank: My parents, Casey Jarrett from WV elementary soccer, Celcia Lanham, Suzanne Sauerteig from robotics, Mike Nelson.
Elias Schane has been playing hockey for 12 years.
“For me, a hockey career in Juneau has meant creating close friendships with all my teammates,” Schane said.
Nickname: None. Parents: Demian Schane and Emily Ferry. Birth Year: 2008. Important Role Model: Oliver Ziggmund. Favorite Class: Woods, Calculus, and Physics. Favorite Player/Team: Seattle Kraken. Most Memorable Moment on the Ice: Beating SoHi at home after coming back from a collapsed lung. Advice to Younger Players: Do your homework (and do not get behind). Favorite Food: Qdoba. Future Plans: Pursuing an engineering degree. Favorite Hobbies: Robotics, Model UN, running, exploring outside. Goals for the Season: Sweat more. I Would Like to Thank: My mom, and I guess my dad too.
Zachary Prather has been playing hockey for six years.
“My career of playing hockey in Juneau means a lot to me,” Prather said. “Hockey has helped me make new friends in Juneau and get involved with the community here. It has meant representing the place I am from and working hard for myself and my town.”
Nickname: ZP. Parents: Natasha and Phil Prather. Birth Year: 2008. Important Role Model: My Parents. Favorite Class: Honors Biology. Favorite Player/Team: San Jose Sharks. Most Memorable Moment on the Ice: Scoring for the first time. Advice to Younger Players: Play hard and have fun. Favorite Food: Tacos. Future Plans: Go to College. Favorite Hobbies: Working out, video games, and hockey. Goals for the Season: Have fun. I Would Like to Thank: My parents for waking me up in the mornings, driving me to practice, keeping me healthy, and so much more. And my coaches and teammates, who pushed me to be better.
Emerson Newell has been playing hockey for eight years.
Nickname: Em. Parents: Christy and Mike Newell. Birth Year: 2008. Important Role Model: My Parents. Favorite Class: Any music class. Favorite Player/Team: Tampa Bay Lightning or Seattle Kraken. Most Memorable Moment on the Ice: First goal, assisted by Xavier in sophomore year. Advice to Younger Players: Remember to have fun. Favorite Food: Mac and cheese. Future Plans: Mechanical engineering. Favorite Hobbies: Music and hockey. Goals for the Season: Have fun and win. I Would Like to Thank: My parents, for always being there and helping me.
Jack Barrett has been playing hockey for four years.
Nickname: JB, Jackie Chan. Parents: Joe and Astral Barrett. Birth Year: 2008.
Important Role Model: Dad. Favorite Class: Woods. Favorite Player/Team: None.
Most Memorable Moment on the Ice: Getting steamrolled at my first JV game.
Advice to Younger Players: None. Favorite Food: Steak. Future Plans: Attending the Landing School of Boat Building and Design in Maine and getting a degree in naval architecture. Favorite Hobbies: Boating and fishing. Goals for the Season: Score a goal. I Would Like to Thank: My coaches and parents.
Elliot Welch has been playing hockey for 14 years.
“I have been looking forward to playing on the high school team since I moved to Juneau,” Welch said. “It is the highlight of my hockey career! I love the team and the game. Go Bears!”
Nickname: Welchy. Parents: Dawn and Rob Welch. Birth Year: 2007. Important Role Model: Ethan Welch. Favorite Class: QGIS Mapping. Favorite Player/Team: Las Vegas Golden Knights. Most Memorable Moment on the Ice: Beating Houston at state in the semifinals freshman year. Advice to Younger Players: If the coaches give you the chance, take it, no matter what your parents think. Favorite Food: Crepes. Future Plans: Go wherever life takes me. Favorite Hobbies: Flying sUASes (small unscrewed aerial systems). Goals for the Season: Play hard, have fun, and make memories. I Would Like to Thank: My parents for driving me to practice no matter what time it was at. My sister for occasionally coming to my games. My brother for being a brother and making life hard on me, and resurfacing the ice to perfection. And to everyone else who helped make me who I am today.
•••••
JDHS coach Matt Boline stated earlier in the season, “After the 2025 class left some big shoes to fill, we weren’t really sure how this group would respond. They have responded with a team ethic unlike many before them. The leadership and commitment to community within our team, the broader JDHS and Juneau community that this group has is like no other. We have had some great groups before and many incredible captains so this is not a slight to anyone who came before them. This is an incredibly high character group that continually steps up for one another. This group of seniors has collectively created a team bond that everyone else follows. Everyone is rowing the boat, but the 2026 seniors are the ones who brought the canoe."
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@gmail.com.
