The Juneau Capitals 18U hockey team scored three unanswered goals to defeat the Alaska Heat 5-3 Sunday in the Alaska State Hockey Association Tier A state championship game.
Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé seniors Bill Bosse, Dalton Hoy and Kyler Alderfer all scored in the win over the Heat, a team made up of players from rural outposts like Tok, Healy, Kenny Lake and Utqiagvik. Goaltender Cody Mitchell stopped 12 shots. The tournament took place over three days at the Big Dipper Ice Arena in Fairbanks.
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“It was a sweet, sweet victory for everybody,” Capitals coach Ian Leary said. “These guys have battled year after year after year to win a championship and finally they get one.”
Jeremiah Serino put the Heat up 2-1 late in the first period, but Hoy, Bosse and Chance Turinsky put three straight pucks past the opposing netminder to give the Capitals a two-goal cushion for most of the second and third periods.
Still, it was hardly a cozy lead for Juneau, who had won its previous four tournament games by an average of five goals. Bosse entered the championship game with 11 goals by himself.
“Nobody felt comfortable that Juneau was going to win until about 45 seconds left,” Leary said.
A separate Juneau Capitals team played in the the ASHA Tier B state tournament in Fairbanks. Led by goaltender Dawson Hickok, the team reached the semifinals before losing to the Jr. Avalanche 6-0.
“He was the MVP of the team for sure, he was unbelievable,” Leary said of Hickok.
Jacob Thayer was the assistant coach of both teams.
• Contact sports reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 523-2272 or nainsworth@juneauempire.com.
