Soldotna, AK | 10/12/2024 | Jacqueline Hixssen
The Anchorage Wolverines are on a three game heater after taking back-to-back wins this weekend against the Kenai River Brown Bears.
With these past two games being the first between the Alaska teams, the Wolverines lead the Club 49 Cup ranking with an early four points over both the Brown Bears and the Fairbanks Ice Dogs.
It was a multi-point night for four Wolverines: Connor Jalbert, Romulus Riego De Dios, Toby Carlson and Jack Darby.
Kenai River took their first lead of the weekend with an early goal in the third minute of the match.
Danny Bagnole quickly leveled the score three minutes later with a two-on-one back door goal, with the centering pass coming from the rookie from Marblehead, MA, Connor Jalbert.
Carlson gave the Wolverines a one-point lead five minutes later, tipping a pass from Riego De Dios and sliding the puck through the netminders five hole.
Kenai River’s Luke Lizak leveled the score in the second period before being ejected for a major cross check in the third frame.
Jackson Stimple danced through three Brown Bear players when he centered the puck to Riego De Dios who brought the lead back to the Wolverines with just over six minutes left in the second period.
A cross-ice pass from Carlson allowed Jalbert to skate through a single defensemen, back-handing his third goal of the season and putting the Wolverines up by two with 10:34 left in the game.
With the Brown Bears entire team guarding Taisetsu Ushio in the near side corner, the puck was sent between the dots where Brody Dietz sat unmanned, one-timing his first NAHL goal.
The Brown Bears managed one more goal before the final buzzer went off.
The Wolverines out shot the Brown Bears 41-27, with Leo Henriquez between the pipes for his fourth NAHL start with the Wolverines.
The team will return to Anchorage tonight before traveling north to face off against their other in-state rival, the Fairbanks Ice Dogs for a two game series played in the Dipper Ice Arena.
Anchorage Wolverines vs. Kenai River Brown Bears Final Score
