Wolverines’ defenseman Trent Powell of Soldotna crashes the net. Photo by Stephanie Burgoon/Alaska Sports Report
Seems like it wasn’t long ago the Anchorage Wolverines were fighting for a playoff spot in the North American Hockey League.
But after a franchise-record 11 consecutive wins – Anchorage clinched a playoff spot with Sunday’s 4-0 win over visiting Springfield – why stop there?
The Midwest Division title is within the Wolverines’ grasp.
With its three-game sweep of Springfield at Ben Boeke Arena over the weekend, Anchorage (33-13-4, 70 points) sits in second place in the eight-team division, just four points behind the Wisconsin Windigo (34-13-6, 74 points). Also, the Wolverines have three games in hand on Wisconsin. The only downside for Anchorage is it does not have any games left against Wisconsin.
Anchorage’s 33 wins this season tie the franchise record set in the club’s inaugural season of 2021-22, when it went to the Robertson Cup final and fell to the New Jersey Titans. It’s reasonable to assume Wolverines first-year bench boss Nick Walters will get some consideration for the Coach of the Year.
Granted, Anchorage’s 11-game winning streak has come against teams out of playoff position – four wins each over both fifth-place Chippewa and sixth-place Springfield, and two wins over eighth-place Kenai River. Still, you can only play the schedule you have.
The 11-game winning streak nearly doubles the franchise’s previous best heater in its three NAHL seasons – the Wolverines won six straight earlier, and they’ve gone 17-2-0 in their last 19 games. Their 11-game streak is nearly double the second-best current streak on the circuit – Minot has seized six straight wins.
Stingy goaltending highlighted the sweep of Springfield. Liam Beerman posted 25 saves in Friday’s 5-1 win and his fourth shutout of the season with 32 denials in Sunday’s 4-0 finale. Vaughn Makar of Anchorage made 23 saves in Saturday’s 3-2 overtime win. So, a combined 80 saves on 83 shots – yeah, a .964 save percentage usually gets things done.
Vaughn Makar takes the ice. Photo by Stephanie Burgoon/Alaska Sports Report
Wolverines leading scorer Fyodor Nikolayenya scored two goals in Friday’s win and defenseman Camden Shasby added two assists. Forward Bryce Monrean of Anchorage unleashed a career-high 10 shots on goal Saturday and finally conquered on his final volley, delivering the dagger 3:51 into extra time for Anchorage’s only lead of the evening. Shasby and Monrean each furnished goals Sunday. Meanwhile, Beerman has won seven straight games. (Interesting note, I’d say: Monrean’s previous high for shots in a game was nine, which came last season for Kenai River against Anchorage – but he didn’t score that night.)
Nikolayenya owns 25-28—53 totals in 50 games to lead the attack. Monrean follows with 17-33—50 in 50 games. Beerman checks in at 22-9-3, with a 2.38 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage than ranks eighth in the league.
The Wolverines have not lost since a 2-1 setback at Chippewa on Feb. 9.
Next up for Anchorage: It hosts the fourth-place Minnesota Wilderness on Friday and Saturday at Ben Boeke.
Elsewhere in the NAHL over the weekend, Kenai River split a two-game road series against the Fairbanks Ice Dogs. Fairbanks won 6-2 Friday and Kenai River rebounded for a 4-0 win Saturday behind Marks Slavinkskis-Repe’s 33 saves for his first NAHL shutout. Kenai River forward Carter McCormick of Anchorage scored a goal Saturday.
Also, New Jersey Titans goalie Zakari Brice of Anchorage made 42 saves Friday in a 5-4 shootout win at Maine. That’s the second-most saves in Brice’s NAHL career. He made 45 saves in his first game of the 2022-23 season.
Moving to the U.S. Hockey League, the country’s top junior circuit, forward Mac Swanson of Anchorage continues to prosper for the league-leading Fargo Force.
Swanson totaled five assists in a three-game home sweep of Lincoln to give him 21-40—61 totals and a plus-36 rating in 45 games. He currently owns his third six-game point streak of the season, and he’s also savored a seven-game streak. He has generated at least one point in 35 of 45 games this season and only once been kept off the scoresheet in consecutive games.
Swanson leads the league in assists, is tied for second in points and ranks second in plus-minus rating.