The JDIA Juneau Capitals 12U Minor Tier I hockey team tied for third in the 2025 Alaska State 12U Minors Hockey Tournament at Fairbanks’ Big Dipper Ice Arena and the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Patty Center Feb. 28-March 2.

“This 12U team is the second team ever from Juneau to play in the minor state comp division,” Capitals coach Randy Host said. “The coaching staff was confident that this team could compete with any of the teams in the tournament. We surprised a lot of teams this year, this group of kids exceeded everyone’s expectations. We finished tied for third in the tournament.”

Many on this team won the Alaska State Hockey Tournament House A Division three years in a row and due to that quality of play the Alaska State Hockey Association extended them an invite up a level.

Other teams competing included Alaska Blue Devils of Eagle River, HCF Freeze of Fairbanks, Ice Hawks of Kenai, Alaska All Stars of Palmer, Northstar Bell of Anchorage, Northstar Kullberg of Anchorage, Alaska Oilers of Anchorage and Valley Thunder of Wasilla.

Bracket play went through Friday and Saturday to determine Sunday semifinalists.

In their opening game the sixth-seeded Capitals fell 6-2 to the top-seeded Oilers with Max Hayes and Landon Love scoring in the third period, both goals assisted by Mitch Host. The team performed well despite playing with 10 penalty minutes, meaning they were shorthanded at times.

The Capitals rebounded with a 3-1 win over the Blue Devils behind 23 saves by goalie Oskar Nelson. Jennings Shane, assisted by Franco Gaceta and Porter Love, and M. Host, assisted by Emmy Boghosian, gave the Capitals a 2-0 first-period lead and M. Host scored again at the end of the second period, assisted by P. Love. Nelson and defenseman Rowan Taintor were noted for their performances.

To earn a semifinal berth the Capitals needed to beat Northstar Bell or be eliminated.

Hayes stole a puck and scored unassisted in the first period for a 1-0 lead and repeated the action minutes later for a 2-0 advantage.

Northstar cut the lead to a point with six minutes remaining in the third period, but Mikhail Venechuk scored an empty-net goal with 48 seconds left to play. Defensively Quinton Burick, Sawyer Friend, Landry Kissner and Nelson — who stopped 33 shots — were credited for their work.

The Capitals would face the tournament undefeated Ice Hawks and the first period saw six goals, four by the Kenai squad. Venechuk scored for the Capitals, assisted by M. Host, and Landon Love scored assisted by M. Host again.

The Capitals scored two goals in the second period as M. Host found the net assisted by Venechuk, and Venechuk scored assisted by M. Host and L. Love. This would be M. Host’s team-leading fifth assist. The Ice Hawks also scored twice in the stanza for a 6-4 lead.

The Ice Hawks scored a goal to start the third and final period, but the Capitals started a rally that saw Hayes scoring his team-leading fourth goal, assisted by Gaceta, and L. Love scoring unassisted to pull the Capitals to within 7-6 with three minutes remaining to play. The Ice Hawks would tally the final margin score 10 seconds later and hold on for the win, eliminating the Capitals.

“I think the most impressive thing about the tournament is that these kids never took a shift off,” Capitals coach R. Host said. “They battled the whole time.”

The Oilers would eliminate the Freeze 4-2 and then the Oilers defeated the Ice Hawks 5-4 for the tournament championship.

Added Capitals coach Derek Shane, “I was really impressed with this group of athletes’ work ethic and ability to compete at a high level while facing adversity throughout the tournament.”

The Capitals 12U team were forwards M. Host, Venechuk. L. Love, Kissner, Shane, Gaceta and Hayes and defensemen P. Love, Boghosian, Burick, Taintor and Friend and goalie Nelson.

Coaches for the Capitals 12U Minor team are R. Host, D. Shane and Alec Venechuk. Team travel manager is Molly Hayes.

• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@juneauempire.com.