Despite earning a first-period lead, a furious second period from Dimond High School’s junior varsity squad lifted the visiting Lynx past the Crimson Bears’ varsity team in Friday’s hockey match at Treadwell Ice Arena.
Dimond scored all their goals in the second period as Juneau-Douglas High School fell 2-4.
“It wasn’t the second period we wanted,” JDHS forward Joseph Monsef said. “I think we kind of deviated from our game plan, which was to keep pressure on them. We let them get to pucks first, we didn’t win the 50-50 puck battles.”
Monsef earned JDHS their only lead after breaking into the scoresheet less than five minutes into the game. The team captain found the puck and the net from the low slot for a 1-0 lead at 4:25.
Monsef’s opener highlighted a cold first period as both teams felt each other out, but Dimond would come out swinging in the second, peppering Crimson Bears goalie Wolf Dostal from the get go as JDHS failed to clear the puck from their defensive zone.
Dimond scored three minutes into the third when captain John Novak recovered a rebound and found the net from the left faceoff circle, tying the game 1-1. The gridlock didn’t last long, as the Lynx added a second goal just eight seconds later when Dimond’s Brandon Morgan found the right side of the net from the high slot.
“It was just a team effort. We felt if we played as a team, we could win,” Novak said of the Lynx’ second-period dominance. “Playing for each other, you have to hit them to get the puck and separate. It’s not all about the self, but about getting the job done.”
Dimond’s Kyle Aldridge added a third goal at 5:43 in the second, slapping the puck from the crease. The Lynx then capitalized on some bad timing as the Crimson Bears attempted a change on the fly at 12:57, leaving their defense empty for a two-on-none rush for the Lynx. Novak pounced on the miscue, notching an easy second goal off a pass from Morgan for the 1-4 lead.
JDHS forward Tim McKenna willed a goal back from the Lynx with just seconds left in the second as he stole the puck from a Lynx defenseman playing loosely in front of his goal. McKenna converted the shorthanded goal with an assist sophomore forward Bill Bosse.
The 2-4 scoreline held in the third as both teams closed up shop defensively. Monsef credited his teammates with rallying after a tough second period.
“I feel like we rallied but just came up a little short,” he said. “Again, we just want to see that intensity throughout the whole game. I still don’t think we’ve seen our best hockey, that’s still ahead of us.”
With Friday’s loss, the Crimson Bears fell to 2-5 on the season. JDHS hockey embarks on a four-game road trip to face conference foe North Pole for games Wednesday and Thursday, then West Valley on Friday and Saturday.
Crimson Bears 2,
Lynx JV 4
Juneau-Douglas 1 1 0 — 2
Dimond 0 4 0 — 4
First period — 1. Juneau-Douglas, Monsef (unassisted), 4:25
Second period — 2. Dimond, John Novak (Morgan), 3:16; 3. Dimond, Brandon Morgan (Novak), 3:24; 4. Dimond, Kyle Aldridge (Christy), 5:43; 5. Dimond, John Novak (Morgan, Stevens), 12:57; 6. Juneau-Douglas, McKenna (Bosse), SHG, 14:34.
Penalties — Juneau-Douglas 2 for 4:00; Dimond 3 for 6:00
Shots on goal — Juneau-Douglas 21; Dimond 25
Goaltenders — Juneau-Douglas, Dostal (25 shots, 21 saves); Dimond, Stevens (21 shots, 19 saves).
Power plays — Juneau-Douglas 3 for 0; Dimond 2 for 0
The hockey puck squeezes by Juneau-Douglas High School goalie Wolf Dostal (30) during a game against Dimon High School’s JV hockey team on Friday at Treadwell Ice Arena.
