Liam Beerman stood tall in net. Photo by Stephanie Burgoon/Alaska Sports Report
With a few, final seconds still remaining on the Ben Boeke Arena scoreboard clock Friday, teammates ignored the puck’s whereabouts and turned attention to Liam Beerman and his position in the Anchorage Wolverines’ crease.
As the celebration commenced in front of the announced crowd of 926, Beerman briefly paused his crew and physically turned over the net, slamming the crossbar to the blue ice at his feet. If not his own original, the move was a clear signal the night went the way he envisioned.
“Shutting the cage down,” said Beerman, 19. “I just saw that from a pro. Yeah, I stole it from Yaroslav Askarov of the (American Hockey League’s) Milwaukee Admirals. It was super fun.
“I had to tell them to watch out for a moment. Boys, (the net) was shut down.”
The Wolverines scored a 4-0 victory over the Minnesota Wilderness, thanks in large part to Beerman’s goaltending gem, a 33-save shutout. With the win, Anchorage earned a 1-0 lead in the Best-of-5 North American Hockey League’s Midwest Division playoff semifinals.
Game 2 is Saturday night back at Boeke. The opening faceoff is set for 7. The location for Game 3 of the series depends on the Game 2 outcome. If Anchorage goes up 2-0 on Saturday, the rest of the series shifts to Cloquet, Minn. If Minnesota wins Game 2, Game 3 is Sunday afternoon at Boeke.
“We’re just thinking about (Saturday),” Wolverines forward Cole Christian, who scored his team’s second goal when a centering feed ricocheted off his shin pad.
Cole Christian (5) in the middle of the action. Photo by Stephanie Burgoon/Alaska Sports Report
Four different skaters scored for the Wolverines, including Anchorage’s own Bryce Monrean. The captain opened the scoring at 4 minutes, 54 seconds of the second period. Tyler Hennen and Fedya Nikolayenya each totaled two points. Minnesota netminder Adam Prokop was credited with 32 saves.
Friday marked the Wolverines’ first home playoff game since beating Minnesota 4-3 in overtime May 8, 2022, and fourth overall (3-1-0). In its 2021-22 inaugural season, Anchorage advanced to the Robertson Cup finale where it lost to New Jersey, 3-0.
In the final months of this regular season, Anchorage was the 32-team, Junior A Tier II circuit’s premier squad. The Wolverines enjoyed quite the heater from Feb. 10-April 6, earning standings points in 19 consecutive games that also included a 12-game winning streak.
“Yes, we had so much success during the (regular) season, you want to replicate that,” said Anchorage first-year coach Nick Walters. “But we also turned the page.
“We got this first (playoff) one, so we all kind of feel like veterans in the postseason now.”
The Wolverines did face a little turbulence in the regular season’s final weekend. Anchorage needed just one point to earn its first division championship, and that’s all it got up north against the Fairbanks Ice Dogs.
“Positive, negative or whatever kind of adversity you face, you’re always looking for that silver lining,” said Walters, a 2006 Chugiak High graduate. “I think last weekend might have been the kick in the (butt) we needed, a little bit of a wake-up call. Especially in terms of how we practice, making sure we show up to the rink each day and never underestimate opponents.”
Bryce Monrean crashes the net. Photo by Stephanie Burgoon/Alaska Sports Report
Beerman backstopped 27 of Anchorage’s 39 regular-season victories and turned away 92% of the shots he faced. Like a baseball pitcher enjoying a stellar bullpen session before a dominant start, he felt good about his performance from the jump Friday.
“In warmups, I knew,” said Beerman, who hails from Marquette, Mich. “Just the way I’m tracking pucks and the way my legs feel. I don’t know, it’s just a feel you get.”
One of Beerman’s final saves Friday came with about 180 seconds remaining. He slid to his right and kicked away the puck towards teammate Oliver Salo. The Finnish forward scored into Minnesota’s empty net at 2:23 and Beerman pocketed an assist to go with the shutty.
“I don’t get very many assists, so one coming off a big save like that can be pretty fun,” the goaltender said. “Saves like that, plays like that are what solidifies things in the end.”
ONE-TIMERS
- Seven other NAHL division semifinals started Friday as well. In the Midwest Division that houses Anchorage, Wisconsin opened with a 4-2 win over Janesville (Wisc.). Other scores – East: Maryland 5, New Jersey 3; Maine 4, Rochester 2. Central: Bismarck 5, Aberdeen 1; Minot 9, Austin 1. South: Shreveport 4, El Paso 2, Lone Star 3, New Mexico 1. All the series feature Saturday Game 2s.
- Hard to believe it’s been nearly a decade for a supposed hockey city. In terms of playoff pucks at anything close to the highest level, Friday’s NAHL game was the fourth meaningful postseason tilt played in Anchorage since the Alaska Aces won Game 3 of the 2014 ECHL Kelly Cup Finals on June 2 of that year. The Aces beat Cincinnati 2-0 that night and eventually won their third AA-level national championship before vanishing three seasons later.
- Kudos to the group of fans sitting in Boeke’s north-end stands who brought plenty of college hockey flavor with them Friday. Six times a Minnesota player made his way to the penalty box. On each occasion, the spectators serenaded the guilty member of the Wilderness party with a “shame, shame, shame” chant, getting more and more people involved with the fun as the evening progressed.
Photo by Stephanie Burgoon/Alaska Sports Report