Soldotna, Alaska | 11/06/21 | Isaac Smoldon
The Wolverines picked up their first points in the Club 49 Cup with a 4-1 win over the Kenai River Brown Bears on Saturday night. Anchorage recorded four unanswered goals in the 2nd and 3rd periods. Raythan Robbins was huge in-between the pipes for the Wolverines, making 31 saves on 32 shots.
The 1st period was a goaltending duel between Kenai goaltender Bryant Marks, and Robbins. Both made several incredible stops to keep the game knotted at zero, but it would be Robbins who broke first, as Kevi Marx Noren tipped a shot from the point for the first goal of the night. Anchorage would be held scoreless by Marks in the 1st who made 11 saves in the frame.
The 2nd period would be a reversal of fortunes for the Wolverines as they scored three unanswered goals to take a 3-1 lead heading into the third. The first goal came from Hunter Schmitz who was able to tip a shot past Marks to tie the game. Talon Sigurdson scored next, capitalizing on a 3 on 2 feed from former Brown Bear Skylar Gutierrez. Finally, Alexander Babich scored with just 6.6 seconds left on the clock to put the Wolverines up by two with 20 minutes left to play.
Both Robbins and the Wolverines were tested defensively in the final period. Robbins came up with 9 saves and the Wolverines’ penalty kill remained perfect, shutting down a five-minute major power play from Kenai. Campbell Cichosz would score his first goal of the season with under five minutes to play, securing the win for Anchorage.
Sigurdson’s goal extends his point streak to nine games, with his last scoreless game taking place in September. Gutierrez’s assist on Cichosz’s goal gave him two points in his former home barn, and Robbins remains unbeaten in regulation, recording his seventh win of the season. The Wolverines return to Anchorage next weekend to play two more games against Kenai. The games will take place on Friday and Saturday, with puck drop at 7:00 PM AKST.
