Wyatt Rust and a handful of teammates approached Bartlett High’s open house festivities at the start of the school year on a mission. The students needed more students to eventually join them out on the ice so the Golden Bears would indeed field a Cook Inlet Conference hockey squad for the new season.
They set up a recruitment table during the open house. Rust and crew also visited numerous classrooms and shared a “Join Bartlett Hockey” message on many dry-erase whiteboards.
“Wyatt is our captain, and he and others were able to get a few more kids signed up (that night),” said Bartlett head coach Mike Vandenbos. “Two months ago, we had only four kids. Most of this work has come from the kids.
“We’re now kind of at a rebuilding stage, and not just surviving.”
Bartlett’s roster currently boasts 17 players, which includes a primary assist of four players from East High. For the second time in three seasons, the Golden Bears and Thunderbirds are co-opting to form one team because of numerous factors. Mainly, it’s numbers.
CIC hockey entered its 62nd season with seven teams – Bartlett, Chugiak, Dimond, Eagle River, Service, South and West – each set to play a 12-game league schedule as well as a share of non-conference contests.
Bartlett’s Back Baby! New Bags! Another incredible assist by our Bartlett Hockey Alumni! Things are looking up for the future of Bartlett Hockey! #bearsdontquit. pic.twitter.com/9oYSellpUW
— Bartlett Golden Bears Hockey (@BHSBearsHockey) October 26, 2022
Wednesday night’s 6:30 tilt between West and Bartlett at Ben Boeke Arena ends a light week on the league schedule. Both Dimond, the defending Division I First National Cup state champion, and South start play Thursday in the 12-team Stars and Stripes Showdown at Palmer’s MTA Events Center.
Jason White, in his fifth season as the Anchorage School District’s CIC hockey athletic director, said he’s still adjusting the schedule upon conclusion East couldn’t field its own squad.
“Still have some logistical stuff to work out,” White said.
If you haven’t noticed, Anchorage’s high school sports landscape feels and looks a lot different these days. We can certainly say that about a lot of things, but it’s especially noticeable in the hockey community.
Dimond and Eagle River line up for a faceoff. Photo by Bryan Boyett/Alaska Sports Report
Socioeconomic factors have resulted in many players and families moving out of East Anchorage communities. Only Chugiak, Dimond, South and West have 2022-23 boys junior varsity squads.
Of note, the ASD girls program remains outsourced to the Anchorage Hockey Association and showcases four combined teams and some limited JV play. But a Matanuska-Susitna Valley girls team is playing this season – a positive sign for growth.
The proliferation of comp hockey’s lofty status of importance is nothing new. But in a new twist, upwards of 100 local kids aren’t here participating in CIC or even Alaska comp programs. They and their families have instead opted for Outside organizations with a common refrain being the “chance for better exposure.”
That’s a bit of a head scratcher since so much recruiting at the next level – juniors or college – happens online. Regardless, you do you.
Bartlett dropped its first game to Chugiak 14-1 last week. It’s unlikely game outcomes get much different as Vandenbos and the Golden Bears remain realistic. But that’s beside the point.
It’s the little things that matter. Bartlett had a great showing. The cheerleaders were rocking it. The Bartlett section gave the team a standing ovation at the end of the game. Everything that is good about hockey displayed today by the Bears family. 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/A9B8AwCyYi
— Bartlett Golden Bears Hockey (@BHSBearsHockey) November 6, 2022
“I see us growing,” said Vandenbos, who is in his sixth season as BHS coach. “We’re now getting the backing of alumni and more support than we’ve ever had.”
Vandenbos graduated from East in 1995 and played during the Thunderbirds’ hockey heyday, aka, the Scott Gomez era.
East last played at DI state when it finished fifth in 2011. Bartlett hasn’t been there since it finished fourth in 2000. East won DI state in 1995 and 1997 and finished second three more times in the early 90s. Going back to the 60s, 70s and 80s, both Bartlett and East competed for and won a fair share of CIC regular-season and conference tournament titles.
The combined BHS-EHS team doesn’t expect to reach such goals this season. But it can challenge itself each time out, in each period or on a single shift. A win may be when the Golden Bears limit shots against or get a goal themselves.
“What we’re doing now is crucial for these kids,” Vandenbos said. “They get to actually have something.”
Vandenbos works for Chugach State Park and remains grateful he’s part of CIC history.
“Playing hockey and growing up here in the sport is the reason why I’m the chief of maintenance (for Chugach),” he said. “It’s a work ethic thing. You turn into a leader during those times and it’s some of the most fun things I’ve done.
Vandenbos spent last weekend participating in the annual Scotty Gomez Foundation Alumni Tournament, a fundraiser at the Kelly Connect Ice Center in south Anchorage. Eight teams of nearly 250 former high school players of various ability, waistline size and receding hairlines participated. Dimond defeated Eagle River 8-2 in the title game.
“I want the kids playing for Bartlett now to experience that one day,” Vandenbos said. “They can go to the alumni tournament and really realize how big it was to play high school when they did.”
Dimond’s AJ Pflugh (25) celebrates one of his three goals in Tuesday’s 11-0 win. Photo by Bryan Boyett/Alaska Sports Report
ONE-TIMERS
- As of Wednesday morning, the seven current CIC teams played a combined 17 games. Chugiak and Dimond sported 2-0-1 records and South sits at 2-0-0.
- South junior Austin Wiita leads the league with four goals and Dimond senior Dallas Young with five assists. Young, Chugiak’s Shayden Davis and West’s Austin Keim all have six total points.
- Dimond junior goaltender Zoie Campbell’s 143 minutes played are most in the CIC and her .955 save percentage is highest among those with more than one game played. Chugiak senior Daegen Love boasts a 1.10 goals-against average in 123 minutes played.
- The current CIC schedule calls for four more times (Dec. 10, Jan. 20, Jan. 27 and Jan. 28) when both league teams and the North American Hockey League’s Anchorage Wolverines share Boeke on a weekend night. This past Saturday featured some tense moments between the high school teams and arena security about who belonged where and when. Both White and the contractor managing Boeke said they’re evaluating what transpired and hope everyone is best accommodated moving forward.