The Kenai River Brown Bears continue to rack-up the miles traveling between Minnesota and Wisconsin with Kenai River again traveling for Midwest Division play.
The Brown Bears battled the Janesville Jets in Janesville, Wisconsin on Friday and Saturday, splitting with the Jets. Kenai River fell 6-3 on Friday and rebounded for a 9-5 victory on Saturday.
Kenai River improves to 4-3 and 8 points: the Janesville Jets lead the Midwest Division at 5-4-2 and 12 points.
Kenai River 3 – Janesville Jets 6 Friday
The Brown Bears and Jets combined for five goals in the first period, then the Jets pulled-away for a 6-3 divisional victory.
Kenai River’s Max Helgeson opened the scoring and Brown Bear Brandon Lajoie added a late goal in the first period. However, the Jets scored three-straight goals in the first and lead 3-2 after one period of hockey.
The Jets added three, unanswered goals in the second period. Kenai River’s Lucas Wahlin closed the scoring with a third-period goal. Final Score: Brown Bears 3, Jets 6.
Kenai River 9 – Janesville Jets 5 Saturday
Max Helgeson and Peter Morgan each recorded three-goal, hat tricks to pushed the Brown Bears to a 9-5 victory on Saturday in Janesville.
Helgeson scored a pair of goals and Jeffery Lee added one goal in the first period as the Brown Bears built a 3-0 lead.
Janesville scored three goals in the second period to tied the game at 3-3 midway through the second period; only to watch Kenai River’s Peter Morgan score a pair of goals to give the Brown Bears a 5-3 advantage after two periods.
Kenai’s Morgan Winters opened the third period with a goal in the first minute for a 6-3 Brown Bears lead. Helgeson completed his hat trick to give Kenai river a 7-4 lead; then Winters completed his hat trick with a goal and Daymin Dodge added an empty-netter for the 9-5 Brown Bears victory.
Kenai River returns to the road with contests against the Minot Minotaur’s at the Pepsi Rick at Maysa Arena in Minot, North Dakota on Friday and Saturday, January 15-16.
The Kenai River Brown Bears are anticipating remaining based in Minnesota under mid-February, with the possibility of re-locating in Soldotna to finish the regular season. See previous stories for details at radiokenai.com.
