Thursday Thrillers: The Wolverines Skate to Victory Despite Comeback Push From Kenai River

Johnstown 2 @ Danbury 3 - The Johnstown Tomahawks and Danbury Hat Tricks squared off in a tightly contested matchup with strong goaltending and timely scoring. The opening period was a defensive battle, with neither team able to find the back of the net as both goaltenders stood tall and the game remained scoreless heading into the second. Danbury broke the deadlock early in the second period when Matt Dabrowski scored his sixth goal of the season to give the Hat Tricks a 1–0 lead. Johnstown answered back as Nick Jarmain netted his 20th goal of the season, evening the score at 1–1. Before the period came to a close, Danbury regained the lead thanks to Lukas Zimovcak, who scored his second goal of the season to make it 2–1 heading into the third. The Hat Tricks extended their lead in the final frame when Tanner Terranova capitalized on the power play, scoring his ninth goal of the season to give Danbury a 3–1 advantage. Johnstown refused to go quietly, as Kalib Capecci tallied his eighth goal of the season to cut the deficit to 3–2. Despite late pressure from the Tomahawks, Danbury held on to secure the win. Jon Dukaric was a key difference-maker for the Hat Tricks, turning aside 43 of 45 shots to backstop Danbury to the 3–2 victory and earning 2nd star honors. These two teams face off again on Friday in a noon matchup that will surely be another exciting contest.

Kenai River 3 @ Anchorage 4 - The Anchorage Wolverines played host to an in-state rival, the Kenai River Brown Bears, for a tight and exciting Thursday night contest. The matchup started with the Wolverines striking first thanks to a tally by the captain, Cole Frawner. As the game moved into the second period, the captain would score again, this time on a breakaway shorthanded goal. The Brown Bears would cut the Wolverines' lead in half with 1:26 left on the clock in the second. However, with 10 seconds remaining, Anchorage would light the lamp once more in the middle period thanks to Chase Trompete finding twine. The third period spotlighted a comeback for the Brown Bears. First, Samuel Sisik would notch his seventh tally of the season 90 seconds into the third frame. Following that, Braden Hansberger would tie the contest up 3-3 with a goal four minutes later. The comeback would be diminished once Anchorage’s Leon Buzek scored an unassisted tally at the eight-minute mark of the third and final period. The Wolverines would skate away with a 4-3 victory, extending their winning ways against Kenai River to four wins on the season.