JDHS hockey team completes sweep of visiting Homer
- Klas Stolpe
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 33 minutes ago
Crimson Bears top Mariners 5-2 at Treadwell Arena on Saturday
By Klas Stolpe
Juneau Independent
The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé hockey team took to the Treadwell Arena ice for their final home and regular season game Saturday and dispatched the Homer Mariners 5-2. The Crimson Bears had defeated the Mariners 8-2 on Friday.
“We played great this weekend,” JDHS senior alternate captain Isaac Phelps said. “Definitely not our best set of games this year but we took care of business regardless. Proud of our team for how for we’ve come. Now it’s time to cap the season off with a run at state!”
When asked what his favorite Treadwell Arena memory was Phelps said, “I don’t think it has been one single event but I would have to say the people. That includes all my teammates over the years and all the fans that come out in support of us. Getting to be a part of that has been a huge blessing!”
On Saturday the Mariners broke the ice first with senior Zane Barth scoring with 10:37 left in the first period, assisted by sophomore Austin Pitzman.
That lead was short-lived as JDHS sophomore Summit Bos found the net with 9:43 left in the stanza, assisted by sophomore Ryker Nelson and senior Zach Prather.
Underclassmen being influenced by the JDHS seniors have been a huge part of the Crimson Bears.
“It has been nice to play with all the seniors these last few games and the season as a whole,” JDHS junior Tricen Headings said. “No matter how the games go we think of it as a whole team contribution so no matter if a person does bad or good we take it in as a team.”
JDHS senior Paxton Mertl gave the Crimson Bears the lead, 2-1, with a goal at 2:59 of the first period, assisted by junior Drew Cadigan-McAdoo and junior Stahly Sheehan.
The Crimson Bears would not relinquish the lead again as senior Hunter Lingle scored his first career varsity goal at the top of the second period, assisted by senior Isaac Phelps and junior Caden Morris.
“The goal really meant a lot to me, and I think it really helped change the momentum of the game,” Lingle said. “I was just in the right place at the right time, getting the rebound of a shot from Isaac. That goal was a good send off for the season, and it meant a lot to score my first varsity goal… I did end up getting to keep the puck. Hockey has been apart of my life since I was younger, and it has meant a lot to me, and it has helped me learn a lot of social skills. The goal felt better than I could have imagined, especially with all the build up leading up to it. It is a big accomplishment and I am very happy it happened.”
The Mariners pulled to 3-2 with a second goal by Barth and second assist by Pitzman with 8:37 left in the stanza.
JDHS senior captain Elliot Welch scored unassisted with 4:55 left in the second period for a 4-2 advantage and the Crimson Bears’ Bos scored his second goal with 12:31 of the final period, assisted by junior Bryden Roberts.
“The team played well,” JDHS’ Welch said. “Today’s game was a good character building game. The team has to stay unselfish in these types of games where we play really good the first night. Unfortunately that’s kind of how we started the game, but we started playing smart hockey and like a team after the first period. The team definitely was very excited that Hunter was able to get his first goal today at home.”
Welch said he has had many career moments at Treadwell Arena but will remember, “Just playing games having fun and making memories over the last four years with all of my teammates.”
JDHS junior goalie Jed Davis stopped 12 of 14 shots Saturday and the Crimson Bears put 38 shots on the icey turf of Homer freshman goalie Rio Waltenbaugh. JDHS’ Davis had stopped seven of nine shots Friday and Kodiak’s Waltenbaugh 28 of 36.
“I think we played pretty well this weekend,” JDHS senior alternate captain Nolan Cruz said. “It was great to see the seniors play in their last games of the season. It was really fun and I will miss playing for the Crimson Bears.”
JDHS defeated Homer on Friday 8-2 after honoring Crimson Bears seniors Welch, Cruz, Phelps, Mertl, Lingle, Prather, Issy Martin, Elias Schane, Jack Barrett, Emerson Newell, and John Melancon and their families.
"I think the game last Friday was one of my favorite moments at treadwell," Cruz said. "I think I played very well and it was fun to play with my fellow seniors. It was a great way to end off the last home game of the season.
JDHS’ Davis had stopped seven of nine shots Friday and Kodiak’s Waltenbaugh 28 of 36. Crimson Bears goals Friday came from Cruz (13:51 1st period, assist Morris), Morris (11:34 1st period, assist Cruz), Mertl (8:39 1st period, assist Headings), Welch (.4 1st period unassisted power play), Morris (13:29 2nd period power play, assist Headings), Mertl (9:53 2nd period, assist Headings), Cruz (1:25 2nd period, assists Welch, Barrett), Mertl (10:01 3rd period, unassisted short handed).
“Great weekend, good way to cap off the regular season,” JDHS coach Matt Boline said. “Lots of players got action and nearly every senior got on the scoresheet. It was really nice to see. Hats off to Homer, they hung in there and battled even when it seemed like they didn’t have much more to give at times.”
JDHS is 8-2 in the Division II Northern Lights Conference and 10-5 overall.
NLC standings: 1. Palmer 9-1 (18-5 overall); 2. JDHS 8-2 (10-5 OA); 3. Kodiak 4-4 (9-9 OA); 4. Soldotna 3-3 (10-8-1 OA); 5. Kenai 1-7 (4-17-1); 6. Homer 0-8 (1-13 OA).
DII Aurora Conference standings: 1. Houston is 5-0 (13-5-1 OA); 2. North Pole 4-1 (16–2-1 OA); 3. Delta Junction 3-4 (6-13-1 OA); 4. Monroe 2-4 (7-5 OA); 5. Tri-Valley 0-5 (1-9 OA).
Both conferences qualify their top three teams. Two at-large teams are selected among the non-qualifying teams across both conferences based on the Ranking Percentage Index (RPI). Seeding for all eight state qualified teams is determined through the same RPI. The RPI is based on a team’s record versus eligible varsity DI and DII games, opponents winning percentage, and opponents’ opponents winning percentage.
The 2026 DII Hockey State Championships are Feb. 5-7 at the Palmer MTA Events Center.
The DI state championships are Feb. 12-14 at Anchorage’s Sullivan Arena.
DI standings:
Cook Inlet - 1. South 10-0-1 (16-0-2); 2. West 7-3-1 (13-4-2); 3. Dimond 6-4-2 (8-7-2); 4. Chugiak 6-5 (9-10); 5. Eagle River 4-7 (5-14); 6. Service 4-8 (7-10); 7. Bartlett 0-10 (2-14).
Railbelt - 1. Wasilla 4-0 (14-5-1); 2. West Valley 3-1 (11-6); 3. Colony 1-3 (7-14); 4. Lathrop 0-4 (1-12).
The top four teams from the CIC and top two from the RBC qualify for DI state, plus two at-large teams.
Saturday also featured the fourth annual #livelikematthewc memorial table. Donations were accepted for the Matthew Peter Campbell Memorial Scholarship Foundation which awards an academic scholarship each year to a JDHS senior based mostly on kindness.
In June of 2019, Matthew Campbell was diagnosed with desmoplastic small round cell tumor sarcoma, a rare childhood cancer, and died a year later at the age of 25.
The Matthew Campbell #LiveLikeMatthewC Award is given annually to two local hockey players for their kindness and sportsmanship. Winners are gifted a hockey stick of their choice at the end of the season. One award is given to a Juneau Douglas Ice Association club member and another is given to a Juneau-Douglas High School:Yadaa.at Kalé hockey athlete.
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@gmail.com.
