Juneau-Douglas may have been the team with the most scoring opportunities on Saturday night, but it was visiting Monroe Catholic that made the most of its chances.
The Crimson Bears (1-9) fell 3-1 on Saturday on its home ice to the Rams, which remain perfect on the season at 9-0. Monroe Catholic, of Fairbanks, won Friday’s contest 6-4.
Despite the tough loss at Treadwell Arena, the teams were evenly matched for most of the game, with Juneau-Douglas controlling the puck and offensive tempo for most of the first two periods and taking 30 shots compared to 22 by Monroe Catholic.
“We had a better overall effort,” JDHS head coach Luke Adams said. “We had a lot of players who stepped up today and took the role of setting the tone for everybody. That was a big part of it.
“Right now we’re struggling with finding the net, but we’re making adjustments and trying new line combinations,” Adams continued. “It’s tough to score goals. We’re definitely in a rut right now when it comes to goal scoring. The most important thing is getting the goals when you need them. We got one when we needed today but we fell a little short. We had a lot of opportunities but the quality of opportunities is where we’re struggling.”
Monroe Catholic drew first blood Saturday after senior forward Grant Olson found the back of the net with 12:17 remaining in the second period.
Juneau-Douglas evened the score early in the third thanks to a goal by junior forward Quin Gist at the 11:47 mark. Niko Hebert and Ryan Liebolt were credited with the assist.
But the game didn’t stay tied for long.
The Rams fired back with two consecutive goals by senior right wing Dylan Steele and sophomore forward Ryan Michel for the final score of 3-1. Michel also racked up two assists on the night.
“Compared to the game yesterday, we moved our feet,” said first-year Rams head coach Shawn Lundgren. “We competed the entire game. I think Juneau came with a little more today, too. I think it was a better hockey game. For us it was a matter of playing as a team.”
JDHS’s Adams said he’s been pleased with the progress he’s seen from his freshman goalkeeper. Kyle Farley-Robinson had 19 saves; the Ram’s Nathaniel Jankowski had 29.
The Rams registered five penalties compared to three for the Crimson Bears.
Next weekend’s game against Whitehorse has been cancelled, meaning the Crimson Bears won’t have another home game until early January.
Scoring Summary
Monroe Catholic
2nd – 12:17, Steele (Michel and Grahnek assist)
3rd – 7:33, Steele (Coiley and Michel)
3rd – 5:18, Michel (Szumigala)
Juneau-Douglas
3rd – 11:47, Gist (N. Hebert and Liebolt assist)
Monroe Catholic’s Grant Olson, right, trips in front of Juneau-Douglas’ Chase Barnum and goalie Kyle Farley-Robinson at Treadwell Arena on Saturday. Monroe Catholic won 3-1.
Monroe Catholic’s goalie Nathaniel Jankowski, right, stops a point-blank shot from Juneau-Douglas’ Ryan Liebelt at Treadwell Arena on Saturday. Monroe Catholic won 3-1.
