The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears hockey team started their season filling and delivering over 3,100 sandbags to homeowners in the Mendenhall Valley after an August record-breaking Mendenhall glacial outburst flooded nearly 300 homes.
That unselfish act was one of the first things mentioned at their season-ending banquet Sunday in the JDHS commons.
“It really showed what this team, this group of players are all about,” JDHS coach Matt Boline said to those in attendance. “Aside from being good hockey players, these are really good people…good citizens.”
The JDHS awards banquet is atypical in the fact that, yes, players of value are noted, but the value of their players are noted for more than just being an individual, they are noted for what they bring to the team as an individual and how that helps the team become one group of players.
As one coach noted, “It is not an individuals award, it’s an award that benefits the whole team based on the character of his or her performance.”
After presenting varsity players their certificates for completing the season, coaches spoke about seniors Angel Aranda-Jackson, Luke Bovitz, Caleb Friend, Emilio Holbrook, Carter Miller, Matthew Plang, Loren Platt, Ike Puustinen, Zander Smith, and Dylan Sowa.
Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé hockey senior Luke Bovitz presents a senior gift to a hockey underclassman during the Crimson Bears hockey banquet Sunday in the JDHS commons. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Three awards were given in the evening.
JDHS senior Luke Bovitz was honored as the first member of the Crimson Bears “Century Club” for players with 100 or more career points. Bovitz had 110 points over his four years playing hockey for the Crimson Bears. His first three points came with a first goal and two assists at the state tournament as a freshman.
Junior Nolan Cruz was presented with the Matthew Campbell #LiveLikeMatthewC Award by Judy and Andrew Campbell, parents of Matthew who passed on April19, 2020 at age 25 from Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor Sarcoma, a rare childhood cancer.
The certificate given to Cruz read, “This award celebrates the legacy of being a kind, hard-working team player, coach, volunteer, good student, and friend. We believe that the values Matthew lived with and shared with others should always be celebrated and rewarded. With this certificate, you are gifted a hockey stick of your choice — with appreciation from the Campbell Family.”
Said coach Matt Boline, “The LLMC award is handed out annually to a player that represents the spirit of Matthew Campbell. Kindness and inclusiveness rank high on that list and Nolan Cruz embodies this everyday for as long as I have known him.”
Senior Ike Puustinen was presented with the Ko’otz Warrior Award. This is the second year the honor has been given out — last year Ian “Muktuk” Moller received the honor.
Coaches noted the Ko’otz Warrior Award is handed out each year to a Native player that exhibits the Warrior spirit on and/or off the ice. Hockey came from Lacrosse and Lacrosse came from the great ball game that has taken place among indigenous cultures across North America for thousands of years.
“The JDHS hockey banquet night reflects the selfless acts of the players,” an attending parent said.
The seniors had their moment of poking respective fun at their junior varsity counter parts and gave each selective gifts such as a framed cheese puff, hair gel, etc., items that the players were associated with during the season.
“We look for those guys that contribute beyond just the scoreboard more importantly,” JV coach Luke Adams said. “It’s good when you have such a strong culture and program like we are fortunate to have in hockey,” Adams said. “We really look for development throughout the ranks and this year, this group, they accepted that role as being development players, and not only did it effectively and respectfully to our school, but they were all working to get better and we had a lot of fun doing it. It was a great season and we really love working with these players all across the program in JDIA (Juneau Douglas Ice Association). It’s good to have a strong program in Juneau.”
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@juneauempire.com.
