The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears celebrated their seniors Friday night at the Treadwell Ice Arena, but the visiting Kenai Kardinals took a 5-4 win.
JDHS senior Dylan Sowa put the Crimson Bears up early with a goal at 12:24, assisted by sophomore Tricen Headings.
Kenai’s Avery Martin scored at 7:47 of the first period unassisted to tie the score and a minute later found the net again, assisted by Logan Mese and Will Howard for a 2-1 Kardinals lead.
Kenai’s Sawyer Vann made it 3-1, assisted by Gavin Liles on a power play with 2:09 left.
JDHS senior Luke Bovitz pulled the Crimson Bears to 3-2 on an unassisted goal with 1:37 left in the first period.
Kenai scored the only second-period goal as Mese found the net assisted by Martin with 5:46 remaining for a 4-2 lead.
JDHS’ Sowa scored on a power play at 12:19 of the third period unassisted to pull the Crimson Bears to 4-3, but Mese scored at 6:42 assisted by Martin for a 5-3 advantage.
JDHS’ Sowa scored in the final seconds assisted by senior Emilio Holbrook to pull to within a goal, 5-4.
JDHS senior Caleb Friend turned back 25 shots and Kenai’s Even Witt 23.
Kenai improves to 7-4 in the Northern Lights Conference (11-9 overall) and JDHS falls back to 6-4 in the NLC (9-7-1).
The two teams take to the ice at 8:30 A.M. Saturday.
Crimson Bears seniors are goalie Caleb Friend (#1); forwards Luke Bovitz (4), Zander Smith (8), Ike Puustinen (16), Matthew Plang (22), Angel Aranda-Jackson (27), Dylan Sowa (35), and Emilio Holbrook (37); and defensemen Carter Miller (6) and Loren Platt (26).