The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears took home fourth place after defeating the Delta Junction Huskies 7-2 during the Division II Hockey State championships. The MTA Events Center in Palmer hosted the championship tournament last weekend, which began Feb. 5 and concluded Feb. 7.
JDHS senior captain and defensive player Elliot Welch led the charge for the Crimson Bears, garnering four goals and an assist in the final game. He scored a total of six goals and three assists during the tournament and was named one of the Player of the Games selections.
Junior teammate and goalkeeper Jed Davis, who finished the tournament with a 91% save percentage, was named to the All-State Tournament team along with Welch.
“Every time something bad happened on the other end, he would put the team on his back and go the other way with it,” JDHS head coach Matt Boline said of Welch. “And Jed was exceptional. On the season, he only lost one game between the pipes for us this year.”
The Crimson Bears began the tournament weekend with a 2-1 overtime loss to Soldotna despite sweeping the rival at home 1-0 and 4-0 in the regular season.
“That one stung quite a bit,” Boline said. “Four years ago, we lost to them two to one in the championship game at the state tournament, and over the years it’s kind of gone back and forth.”
The Bears rallied for their semi-finals game against Kodiak, winning 3-1 and regaining confidence for their final game against the Huskies.
“The mood was definitely back up, especially right after that,” Boline said of the Kodiak game. “Delta has, you know, one of the most skilled players in the whole tournament, Gavin Smith, and fortunately he spent a good amount of time in the penalty box, so we were able to capitalize on that.”
After the win, the Crimson Bears were selected to receive the Sportsmanship Award for their attitude over the course of the weekend.
“We want to be the best character kids, the best students and the best hockey players,” Boline said of the team. “The type of players that are good teammates tend to be the type of students that are good people. That’s kind of the way we teach the game.”
The Crimson Bears entered the tournament with a 10-5 regular season record. They came in behind North Pole, Palmer and Houston.
The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears face off against the Delta Junction Huskies during the Division II Hockey State championships in Palmer. Photo courtesy of Rapi Sotoa
