JDHS hockey team tested on the road
- Klas Stolpe
- 17 hours ago
- 3 min read
Crimson Bears find positives in losses
By Klas Stolpe
Juneau Independent
The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé hockey team played three games in three days at Houston’s Big Lake Lions Classic over the weekend and despite being on the short end of the score the Crimson Bears played well.
“We had a lot of possession and some good looks on our power plays,” JDHS coach Matt Boline said. “We had a few players with their first varsity ice time for the season. Seniors John Melancon, Issy Martin, and Hunter Lingle. They provided some good energy and enthusiasm that was needed.”
The Division II Northern Lights Conference JDHS Crimson Bears would fall to Division I Railbelt Conference Colony Knights 5-1 on Thursday. Crimson Bears senior Paxton Mertl scored the lone goal for JDHS in the second period assisted by junior Tricen Headings and junior Caden Morris. The Crimson Bears fired 26 shots at the Knights goalie, showing that they could control the puck against a top-tier team. JDHS had four penalties to Colony’s three.
On Friday, JDHS fell on a clean sheet by Railbelt Conference goalie Elijah Kelley of the Wasilla Warriors who stopped 18 Crimson Bears shots in an 8-0 Warriors win. The state-ranked Wasilla side put 28 shots against JDHS freshman Murphy Sheehan and junior Taylor Petrie who combined to save 20 shots.
On Saturday, JDHS met the DII Aurora Conference foe Delta Huskies. JDHS trailed 4-2 after one period and 6-2 after two periods. Crimson Bears senior Zach Prather scored his first varsity goal with a shot in the first period assisted by Melancon and junior Bryden Roberts and sophomore Ryker Nelson scored assisted by Morris.
JDHS would play their best period of the season as they scored six goals in the third stanza to Delta’s two goals to force overtime. JDHS senior Elliot Welch scored at 14:41, assisted by Roberts; sophomore Summit Bos scored at 9:51, assisted by freshman Manu Adams; Mertl scored at 9:44, assisted by junior Drew Cadigan-McAdoo; Adams scored at 5:25, assisted by senior Nolan Cruz; Cadigan-McAdoo scored at 3:50, assisted by Mertl and Headings; and Morris scored at 3:27, assisted by senior Isaac Phelps. Delta would get a goal at 2:47 of overtime for the 9-8 win.
“The first two games were against Mat-Su Valley Division 1 teams,” coach Boline said. “We put up a good fight against Colony. We struggled to get things going against Wasilla and we weren’t able to provide much in response. Against the Division 2 Delta Huskies we were slow to wake up on Saturday morning, but managed to show a good fight by forcing overtime. Usually a tie is a tie, but this was a tournament so they had 4v4 OT for six minutes followed by a shootout just like the NHL."
JDHS will next host Kodiak at the Treadwell Arena on Thursday (8:30 p.m.) and Friday (8:15 p.m.).
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 at 7 p.m. Friday, following a JDHS JV vs. JDHS JV game at 5:30 p.m.
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@gmail.com.
